KUALA LUMPUR: The Covid-19 pandemic has hit musicians hard, including popular Indonesian rock band Radja's lead vocalist Ian Kasela.
Kasela, 44, has resorted to auctioning off some of his sunglasses to boost his income as a result of his country's ongoing lockdown.
"If I have to auction these sunglasses from my collection, which ones do you guys want?" said Kasela in an Instagram video yesterday.
He added that he was forced to sell off some of his "prized possessions" to make ends meet, and furthermore his band had been "out of a job" since the pandemic emerged early this year.
"We don't have money right now, so we have to do something to survive, and for me, selling some memorabilia that our fans love is the most logical thing to do."
Radja, formed in Jakarta in 2001, comprises Kasela, guitarist Moldy Mulyadi, bassist Indra Riwayat, and drummer Seno Wibowo.
The band has released 11 albums beginning with Lepas Masa in 2001. Its best known songs include Jujur, Tulus, Cantik, Menanti Pagi and Mimpi Indah.
Indonesia's Health Ministry announced 4,850 new Covid-19 cases yesterday, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 320,564.
A total of 11,580 deaths have been reported, including 108 this week.