Ucok Harahap (fronting an Afro), lead singer and frontman of legendary Indonesian psychedelic/prog rockers AKA has passed away on Thursday 3 December 2009 aged 66 in Darmo Hospital, Surabaya.

Ucok Harahap founded AKA (an acronym of Apotik Kali Asin, referring to the Surabaya based pharmacy owned by the parents of front man Ucok Harahap) in 1967 together with drummer Syech Abidin, lead guitarist Soenata Tandjung and bassist Arthur Kaunang. Their underground musical appeal (Ucok Harahap later explained that underground music to them meant a mix of genres created by talented musicians) and increasingly lavish and daring stage performances resulted in increased concert bookings up and down the county and most notably in Singapore. Their debut album ‘Do What You Like‘ released in 1971 proved to be one of AKA’s most successful albums with single ‘Crazy Joe’ reaching number 1 in the Australian pop/rock charts.

The band released another 9 studio albums before the band dissolved with Soenatha Tandjung, Arthur Kaunang and Syech Abidin forming SAS and Ucok Harahap joining, amongst others, Duo Kribo together with Ahmad Albar. Ucok continued his carefree lifestyle and musical outputs with various Indonesian bands up to being diagnosed with lung cancer which would later prove to claim his life. Ucok Harahap leaves behind eight wives from various marriages, eight children and fourteen grandchildren.