Yance Rumbino, composer of the song “Tanah Papua”, has passed away at the age of 76 at the Biak Numfor Regional General Hospital in the early hours of Thursday morning (30/1). In addition to being a songwriter, Rumbino was known as a teacher who has long taught in the Central Mountains of Papua. The song became well-known, not only in Indonesia, but overseas as well.
Yance Rumbino was born in Sorong on June 22, 1953, and spent much of his childhood in Biak Numfor until he graduated from the Teaching School. After that, he served as a teacher in Paniai, Central Papua.
Markus Rumbino, a relative of the deceased, said that Yance honed his artistic talent since he was studying at the Christian Education Foundation (YPK) Bethlehem elementary school in Biak.
“The school emphasizes arts education [for students]. Every class was concluded with a song. Unsurprisingly, YPK became known as a singing school,” said Markus.
The experience while teaching in Central Papua inspired Rumbino to create the song Tanah Papua. In the song, he tells the natural beauty of Papua in the form of towering mountains that produce gold.
Rumbino composed the song when he was 30 years old or almost four decades ago. For this outstanding work, he was given an award by the West Papua Provincial Government on October 14, 2020.
The award to Rubino was presented during the celebration of the Anniversary of West Papua Province. In addition to receiving the award, Rubino received a copyright certificate, and Rp500 million as compensation for the creation of the song Tanah Papua.
Since retiring as a teacher, Rumbino returned to his hometown on Wundi Island, Padaido District, Biak Numfor. The compensation money from the West Papua Provincial Government was also used to renovate the house left by his parents in Wundi Village. The house was built in 1957 and was in heavy disrepair.
Before passing away in the early hours of Thursday morning, Rumbino suffered from a toothache, and sought treatment at the Wundi Community Health Centre, which referred him to the Biak Numfor Regional General Hospital (RSUD) in Biak City.
Rumbino’s body is planned to be buried in Wundi Island, as stated in the will of the deceased to the family. “[The funeral plan] was according to the will of the deceased while he was hospitalized. He asked to be buried on Wundi Island,” said Kotak Simopiaref, a representative of the deceased’s family, shortly after the departure of Rumbino’s body at Biak Numfor Hospital, Thursday afternoon, quoted by Antara.
West Papua Now 