Born on April 14th 1965, Sundari Untinasih Soekotjo, the beautiful and tender voiced singer is an integral part of Indonesian keroncong music. It all started since her childhood when her father, Soekotjo Ronodihardjo, a keroncong enthusiast, often asked her to sing along with him.
At the age of 9, she has started to perform pop songs on Indonesia national television with Joko Sutisno. She then joined various singing contests which help her to improve. In 1978, Sundari, who has started learning to become a keroncong singer, decided to focus on keroncong music. She became the finalist of 1978 Keroncong Youth Festival. And then, at the age of 14 she became the runner up in 1979 Radio Television Star, for Adult Female Keroncong Singer category, before four years later, in 1983, she became the first winner of this singing contest.
Since then Sundari often invited to peform as keroncong singers in various events, including official events at The Presidential Palace. She also performed in other countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Netherland, USA, and Japan.
She has recorded several keroncong albums, among those, the first Keroncong DVD in Indonesia, Keroncong Asli Sundari Soekotjo, produced by Gema Nada Pertiwi in 2002. She also received Keroncong Award 2002 from Yayasan Bina Suci and Radio Republik Indonesia while honored with special award from the 6th AMI Awards (Indonesian Music Awards).
In March 2008 she performed in Japan in the commemoration of 50 years Indonesian - Japan Friendship, in which she made a special compilation of keroncong songs, "Album Emas Keroncong - Sundari Soekotjo" as a souvenir at the event. She also held a keroncong concert at Puri Mangkunegaran Solo in August 9th 2008 and launched her album “Pop Keroncong Dalam Kerinduan".
All her activities in music didn't hinder her from pursuing her education. People might be surprised to learn that despite all her accomplishment as a famous keroncong artist, she also an active lecturer at two universities in Jakarta, holding a doctorate degree with cum laude predicate from Universitas Negeri Jakarta in 2010, following her master degree in human resource management from Universitas Gajah Mada and bachelor degree in music from Universitas Negeri Jakarta.
She has released several albums with Gema Nada Pertiwi such as :
1. Keroncong Asli Sundari Soekotjo Vol. 1
2. Keroncong Asli Sundari Soekotjo Vol. 2
3. Pop Keroncong Album “Dalam Kerinduan”
4. Album Emas Keroncong Sundari Soekotjo
5. Sundari Soekotjo – Impian Semalam (featuring her daughter, Intan Soekotjo)
She also featured in some Gema Nada Pertiwi collaboration project such as :
1. Keroncong Asli Gesang
2. The 65th anniversary of Bengawan Solo (duet with her daughter, Intan Soekotjo)
3. Tribute to Gesang
4. Indonesian Patriotic Songs “Kebyar Kebyar”
5. Keroncong Jenaka
6. Parade Bintang Keroncong
7. 2007 Chinese New Year album
