Features
President Headbanger?
The international heavy metal community is celebrating big time with the news that one of their own has just been elected president of the world’s third-largest democracy, which also happens to be the home of one of the biggest Muslim populations on the globe.
Keep on rockin in the free world, President-Elect of Indonesia. For those about to rock, we salute you.
The governor of Jakarta, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, won the Indonesian presidential election on July 22, garnering more than 53 percent of the popular vote.
Though most of his fellow countrymen and those in the rest of the world interested in such matters are more concerned with Jokowi’s stance on healthcare, education and financial reform, the world’s music fans are delighted that such a prominent fan of hard rock has reached such lofty heights.
According to British newsweekly The Economist, Jokowi is a dedicated fan of Metallica, Lamb of God, Led Zeppelin and Napalm Death. He even owns a bass that once belonged to Metallica.
Consequently, congratulations have been flooding into Indonesia from unusual quarters all over the world. According to the Jakarta Post, Lamb of God lead singer Randy Blythe took to Instagram “to express his joy,” by saying, “Incredibly, ladies and gentlemen, the new president of Indonesia is a metalhead and a Lamb of God fan … Holy c#*p! The world’s first heavy metal president.”
Rolling Stone Indonesia editor, Adib Hidayat, told the Jakarta Post that even he considered Jokowi’s win “extraordinary” since the former furniture salesman does not fit the style of most politicians.