A. T. Mahmud

Abdullah Totong "A. T." Mahmud (3 October 1930 – 6 July 2010) was a renowned Indonesian composer of children's songs. Born in Palembang, South Sumatra, he taught as a teacher in Riau and Jakarta prior to beginning work as a composer. During his career, he wrote some 500 songs and served as a presenter on two television shows for nearly twenty years; his productiveness earned him numerous awards, including the 2003 AMI Lifetime Achievement Award. He died of lung disease in Jakarta.

Biography Mahmud was born in Palembang, South Sumatra on 3 October 1930. His father, Masagus Mahmud, was a government official and his mother's name was Masayu Aisyah. Mahmud had 9 siblings—four older and five younger. As a child, Mahmud was interested in singing and dancing. He began formally studying music at the age of 11, after meeting then-14-year-old musician Ishak Mahmuddin. He later studied at the Jakarta Teacher's Training Institute. with simple lyrics and rhythms. Some of Mahmud's best known works include "Pelangi" ("Rainbow"), "Ambilkan Bulan" ("Take the Moon"), "Anak Gembala" ("Shepherd Boy"), "Bintang Kejora" ("The Morning Star"), "Mendaki Gunung" ("Climbing a mountain"), "Ade Irma Suryani", and "Amelia". Mahmud also hosted two children's music shows on TVRI, the Indonesian state-run television, "Lagu Pilihanku" (Songs of My Choice) from 1968 to 1988, and "Ayo Menyanyi" (Let's Sing) from 1969 to 1988. Co-hosts include children's songwriters, Ibu Sud and Daljono.

Mahmud release his autobiography, A. T. Mahmud Meniti Pelangi: Sebuah Memoar (A. T. Mahmud Walking on the Rainbow: A Memoir), in 2003. It was published by Gramedia.

In 2009, Mahmud suffered a stroke. In early July 2010, he was hospitalized with a lung infection. After being released from the hospital, he died in his sleep at his home in Tebet, South Jakarta at around 1:00 pm (UTC+7) from the infection.

His work is credited with launching the career of child star Tasya.