About John Tralala
Lived 1959 – 2018 (aged 59). John Tralala was an Indonesian artist.
Yusran Effendi, also known by the stage name John Tralala, was an Indonesian artist and comedian. He was a recognized master of a Banjarese improvised comedy genre called . He performed on national stages for audiences which included Indonesian presidents Suharto and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Career Yusran was born on 13 June 1959, in town of Lampihong, then part of North Hulu Sungai Regency, which today is part of Balangan Regency, South Kalimantan, Indonesia. He was encouraged to take up the art of by his highschool friend, Yustan Azidin, who was later founder of South Kalimantan media BanjarmasinPost. They often performed on local radio, especially Nirwana Radio in Banjarmasin, and performed improvisations based on live readings of fan letters.
The group won national-level comedy competitions twice, in 1989 and 2001, on the state-owned television station TVRI. In the 1989 competition, one of the spectators was then-Indonesian president Suharto. Suharto was so impressed by his performance that he awarded Yusran a spot in an Islamic pilgrimage trip (which are normally given out by lottery). In 2013, he performed at the opening of the Banjarese Cultural Congress, in front of Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. In 2014, he started a new career as film and theater director. During this time, he also started performing in national television programs such as those under SCTV.
In 2015, there were false reports in the news media that Yusran had died, but in fact it was fellow group member and friend Bung Kancil who had died. He expressed a desire to create a academy, however this was never realized.
He died of a heart attack on 26 June 2018, in Banjarmasin. After his death, a tribute performance dubbed "Collosal Madihin Performance" was held by many Indonesian artists in Banjarmasin Art and Culture Park, including by his own son who has taken on the stage name John Tralala Junior.
Award He was awarded "Grace of Art" by South Kalimantan government on 2016, as well as Astaprana Award from Sultan Khairul Saleh of Banjar Sultanate.
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Important facts
People in John Tralala's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped John Tralala's
Frequently asked questions
Who was John Tralala?
Indonesian actor and improv comedian (1959-2018)
When was John Tralala born?
John Tralala was born on 13 June 1959 in Lampihong.
When did John Tralala die?
John Tralala died on 26 June 2018 in Banjarmasin.
What was John Tralala's occupation?
John Tralala was an artist.
What nationality was John Tralala?
John Tralala was Indonesian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Tralala. https://biography.guide/john-tralala/
MLA: "John Tralala." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-tralala/.
Chicago: "John Tralala." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-tralala/.
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