Inul Daratista

Who is Inul Daratista?

Inul Daratista is a dangdut singer and performance artist from Pasuruan, East Java, Indonesia. She became nationally famous in 2003, and is known for her suggestive style of dancing that has caused major controversy in Indonesia. Inul is a corrupted version of Ainur, and the singer's childhood pet name. As she began her musical career singing in a 'rock' band, she adopted the stage name Daratista.

Inul Daratista rose to national fame after a televised January 2003 concert in Jakarta. Her dance moves, which she calls Goyang Inul, goyang-gerudi, or Ngebor, quickly became the source of controversy due to her gyrating hip motions. Some conservative Muslim organizations such as the Indonesian Muslim Council called for a ban on her concerts. She was cited as a reason to pass a national anti-pornography bill that was drafted during the height of the controversy in mid-2003, but as of 2005 has not passed. Inul's dance style was also criticised by other dangdut singers, most vocally Rhoma Irama, for "corrupting" the genre, though these criticisms did little to dent her popularity.