Wieteke van Dort † – “Af Scheid van Indië,” Dutch Fare Well Song to Indonesia (1979)

16 juli 2024Rob ScholteBusinessplan, Home, Locatie, Media, Portretten, Ridderboek, Video0

“Af Scheid van Indië,” Dutch Fare Well Song to Indonesia (1979)

Published 6 sep 2023

“Af Scheid van Indië“, Written by Eduard Koning, Composed by Harry Bannink, Performed by Wieteke van Dort † (1979)

STORY

In the Dutch East Indies There had Been A Large Group of People Who had Dutch or Mixed Heritage, Who were Called ‘Indische Nederlanders‘. Many of these People had Lived Their Whole Life in the Region, and Felt Distinctively ‘Indisch‘, but When Indonesia Became an Independent State They were Seen as Dutch by the New Indonesian Regime. Between 1945 and 1968 Around 300.000 Indische Nederlanders had to Be ‘Repatriated‘ to The Netherlands. This Word was Mostly Symbolic, because Many of these People had Never Even Been in The Netherlands Before.

Wieteke van Dort † , Who Performed This Song, was Born in 1943 in Surabaya on Java, During the Japanese Occupation of the Dutch East Indies, Indonesia. She Grew Up There, Even After the Indonesian Independence, So She has Always Felt Indisch and Used that Background Many Times in her Career, Even Though she Didn’t Have Indisch Blood Herself. Her Father, Theo van Dort, was Murdered by Indonesian Rebels in 1946. Thereafter her Mother Remarried Louis Rommelaar, Who was Owner of A Rubber Factory. When the Family Went on A Trip to The Netherlands in 1957, Indonesian President Sukarno Nationalised All Foreign Property in Indonesia, Which Included the Rubber Factory. Out of Necessity the Family Had to Stay in The Netherlands Without Any Property.

Today There are Almost 2 Million People Living in The Netherlands with Indisch Heritage.

LYRICS

Af Scheid van Indië
Wat heeft Het voor Zin?
Hoe moet het Nu Verder
Met het Land, dat ik Bemin?
“Dag Baboe, Dag Djongos
Het Ga Jullie Goed
Land van Mijn Dromen
Ik Ga om Dat ik Moet“

Af Scheid van Indië
Vaak Ongewild (Johan van Oldenbarnevelt )
Verzet Blijft van Binnen
De Tijd Maakt ons Mild ( Oranje, Willem Ruys )
Maar Al Tijd zal Blijven
Het beeld van die Tijd. ( Sibayak en de Dempo)
Het Houdt Je Gevangen
Je Raakt ’t Niet Kwijt ( Groote Beer, Zuider Kruis )

Nee, Ze zijn Er Niet Meer
Ze zijn Er Niet Meer
De Zee Reuzen van Wel Eer
Ze Brachten Ons naar Holland
En We Keerden Niet Weer

TRANSLATION

Farewell to Indië
What is It All for?
How Should It Go On Now
With the Land that I Adore?
“Bye Baboe, Bye Djongos
I wish You the Best!
Land of my Dreams
I Go, because I Have To“

Farewell to Indië
An Unwanted Fate ( Johan van Oldenbarnevelt )
Resistance Inside me
The Time makes It Fade ( Orange, Willem Ruys )
But I will Remember
The Days of My Youth ( Sibayak and the Dempo )
It won’t Ever Lose You
It Pains You for Good ( Groote Beer, Southern cross )