"Lilin-Lilin Kecil" is an Indonesian

Music of Indonesia

The music of Indonesia demonstrates its cultural diversity, the local musical creativity, as well as subsequent foreign musical influences that shaped contemporary music scenes of Indonesia. Nearly thousands of Indonesian islands having its own cultural and artistic history and character. This...

 pop song

Pop Song

Pop Song is the first single by the Drugs. It was released in 2000 and earned the Drugs some positive press. It has been described as "addictive". A live version was released on The Only Way Is Up...

 written by James F. Sundah

James F. Sundah

Ir. James F. Sundah is a popular Indonesian songwriter, of Manadonese descent. He was born in Semarang on December 1, 1955. A prominent figure in the Indonesian music industry, Sundah is best known for his evergreen song "Lilin Lilin Kecil" , sung by the late Chrisye...

 for the Prambors

Prambors FM

Prambors FM is a commercial radio network based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Launched on March 18, 1971 in Jakarta, the purpose of station was to play pop music with targeted is teenagers. In 1970s-1990s, Prambors was one of the teenagers icon in Jakarta.-History:...

 1977 Teenage Song-Writing Competition and performed by Chrisye

Chrisye

Chrismansyah Rahadi , better known by his stage name Chrisye , was an Indonesian progressive-pop singer and song writer of mixed Chinese-Indonesian descent. He was born in Jakarta on 16 September 1949, and died there on 30 March 2007 following a long battle with lung cancer. He recorded 21 solo...

. To date it has been covered over fifty times. Rolling Stone Indonesia listed it as the thirteenth best Indonesian song of all time.

Writing

James F. Sundah

James F. Sundah

Ir. James F. Sundah is a popular Indonesian songwriter, of Manadonese descent. He was born in Semarang on December 1, 1955. A prominent figure in the Indonesian music industry, Sundah is best known for his evergreen song "Lilin Lilin Kecil" , sung by the late Chrisye...

 wrote "Lilin-Lilin Kecil" with his younger sister, Linda, for the Prambors

Prambors FM

Prambors FM is a commercial radio network based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Launched on March 18, 1971 in Jakarta, the purpose of station was to play pop music with targeted is teenagers. In 1970s-1990s, Prambors was one of the teenagers icon in Jakarta.-History:...

 Teenage Song-Writing Competition of 1977. Linda, an amateur poet, helped with the lyrics. Sundah wrote the melody

Melody

A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...

 in D and F.

Chrisye

Chrisye

Chrismansyah Rahadi , better known by his stage name Chrisye , was an Indonesian progressive-pop singer and song writer of mixed Chinese-Indonesian descent. He was born in Jakarta on 16 September 1949, and died there on 30 March 2007 following a long battle with lung cancer. He recorded 21 solo...

 was chosen to be the singer for his smooth vocals. The song was arranged

Arrangement

The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...

 by Jockie Soerjoprajogo.

Themes

According to Sundah, "Lilin-Lilin Kecil" is about his friends who had difficulties in life when older generations had successful careers. It has also been described as a memorial

Memorial

A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....

 song.

Reception

"Lilin-Lilin Kecil" placed fifth in the competition and was the most popular of the finalists on the Lomba Cipta Lagu Remaja album.

"Lilin-Lilin Kecil" launched Chrisye

Chrisye

Chrismansyah Rahadi , better known by his stage name Chrisye , was an Indonesian progressive-pop singer and song writer of mixed Chinese-Indonesian descent. He was born in Jakarta on 16 September 1949, and died there on 30 March 2007 following a long battle with lung cancer. He recorded 21 solo...

's career and has been called his signature song

Signature song

A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...

. He considered its success to be due to its immersing melody and romantic lyrics with his smooth vocals.

"Lilin-Lilin Kecil" has been covered by over fifty singers and bands, including Blue Diamonds

Blue Diamonds

The Blue Diamonds were a Dutch 1960s doo-wop duo, best known for their million-selling chart-topping single, "Ramona". Indo brothers Ruud de Wolff and Riem de Wolff founded the group shortly after immigrating to the Netherlands in 1949...

, Victor Wood

Victor Wood

Victor "Vic" Wood is a singer, actor and politician. His voice earned him various titles, including "Jukebox King" and "Plaka King"....

, and Arie Kosmiran. Instrumental versions were released by Alex Faraknimella and Yockie Soerjoprajogo.

Rolling Stone Indonesia listed "Lilin-Lilin Kecil" as the thirteenth best Indonesian song of all time.

"Lilin-Lilin Kecil" has been used as a memorial song, such as at the sixth anniversary of the 2002 Bali bombing

2002 Bali bombing

The 2002 Bali bombings occurred on 12 October 2002 in the tourist district of Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali. The attack was claimed as the deadliest act of terrorism in the history of Indonesia according to the current police general, killing 202 people,...

.