About Didi Kempot
Lived 1966 – 2020 (aged 53). Didi Kempot was an Indonesian singer and songwriter.
Didi Kempot (born Didik Prasetyo; According to his brother Eko Gudel, Didi's childhood was full of misbehaviour and often fighting. After dropping out of Junior High School in Surakarta, Didi then moved to his uncle's house in Samarinda but his school there was not successful either. He then returned to his hometown to start busking.
Early career He started working as a street busker in his hometown between 1984 and 1986 before moving to Jakarta.
Concerts in the Netherlands and Suriname Although "Cidro" had no success in Indonesia at the time of its release,
Success in Indonesia In the 1990s, Didi released the songs "Sewu Kutho" ("A Thousand Cities") and "Stasiun Balapan" ("Balapan Station"), which became hits in Indonesia.
In April 2020, he streamed a live charity concert from his house and raised a total Rp7.6 billion (~$500,000) to help Indonesians affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He also released a song entitled "Ojo Mudik" ("Don't Go Mudik"), pleading his fans not to go back home during the Eid al-Fitr holiday season to prevent further spread of the coronavirus. Aldo Sianturi of Billboard Indonesia writes that he is a "genius music conceptor" who are able to express the "depth and bitterness of love" in his lyrics, which are mostly written in Javanese, specifically the low ngoko register which is used as the daily speech by most Javanese speakers.
Death Didi died of complications from cardiac arrest on 5 May 2020 in Surakarta. He is survived by his wife Yan Vellia and two children.
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Important facts
People in Didi Kempot's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Didi Kempot's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Didi Kempot?
Indonesian singer-songwriter
When was Didi Kempot born?
Didi Kempot was born on 31 December 1966 in Surakarta.
When did Didi Kempot die?
Didi Kempot died on 5 May 2020 in Surakarta.
What was Didi Kempot's occupation?
Didi Kempot was a singer and songwriter.
What nationality was Didi Kempot?
Didi Kempot was Indonesian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Didi Kempot. https://biography.guide/didi-kempot/
MLA: "Didi Kempot." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/didi-kempot/.
Chicago: "Didi Kempot." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/didi-kempot/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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