PETALING JAYA, Sept 11 — Veteran singer Yopie Latul has passed away at 65 after testing positive for Covid-19.
Indonesian news portal Kompas reported that the Poco-Poco singer was rushed to the Sentra Medika Hospital in West Java on Monday where he died two days later.
Yopie’s friend and fellow singer Andre Hehanussa confirmed the news and said Yopie was asymptomatic prior to his death.
He added that it was likely that Yopie got infected after attending an Independence Day event in Bogor recently where Yopie’s band Sound of Curly was also present.
“Two members from Yopie’s band tested positive as well but they’re still young, so their immune system could still pull through,” Andre was quoted as saying.
Yopie was laid to rest in the Pondok Ranggon public cemetery in East Jakarta yesterday in accordance with local health and safety protocols for burying Covid-19 victims.
He began his career as a singer in 1982 and gained prominence with the catchy dance track Poco-Poco in 1995.
The song catapulted Yopie to fame and won him an Anugerah Musik Indonesia award in the Best Disco/House Music/Rap/Dance Music Singer category in 2001.
