Anggun Cipta Sasmi (Indonesian: [ˌaŋɡʊn ˌt͡ʃip̚t̪a ˈsasmi]; born 29 April 1974) is an Indonesian and French singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Born in Jakarta, she recorded a children's album at the age of nine and rose to fame as a teen rock star in the late 1980s. By 1993 she had released five Indonesian-language studio albums. Rolling Stone listed her breakthrough single "Mimpi" as one of the 150 Greatest Indonesian Songs of All Time.
Anggun immigrated to Europe in 1994 and recorded her first international album, Snow on the Sahara (1997). It was released in 33 countries by Sony Music and sold more than one million copies worldwide. Since then, Anggun has released another six studio albums—in English and French—and a soundtrack album to the Danish film Open Hearts (2002). Her singles "Snow on the Sahara", "What We Remember", "The Good Is Back", and "Perfect World" entered the Billboard charts in the United States while "In Your Mind", "Saviour" and "I'll Be Alright" charted on the Billboard European Hot 100 Singles. She represented France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, with the song "Echo (You and I)".
Anggun served as a judge on various TV shows, including the pancontinental Asia's Got Talent (2015–2019); the Indonesian versions of The X Factor (2013) and The Voice (2018); the French versions of Masked Singer (2019–2022) and Drag Race (2026); and the Belgian version of Starmaker (2023). Her acting works include supporting roles in films Coup de foudre à Bangkok (2020) and Levitating (2026), as well as American series Reacher (2026). For theatre productions, Anggun was the leading actress in 2023 French musical Al Capone and 2024 Italian revival of Jesus Christ Superstar. She actively campaigned for charitable causes and became the global ambassador of the United Nations twice, first for the International Year of Microcredit in 2005 and then for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2009.
Anggun is one of the best-selling Asian artists outside Asia, with her releases being certified gold and platinum in some European countries. She is the first Indonesian artist to have success in European and American record charts. She has received accolades, including the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres from the Government of France, the World Music Award for World's Best-Selling Indonesian Artist, and the Asian Television Award for Outstanding Contribution to Asian Television Performing Arts. She became the first woman from Indonesia to be immortalized in wax by Madame Tussauds. The Indonesian Music Museum selected Anggun among the 10 greatest Indonesian female musicians of all time.
Contents
Life and career
1974–1993: Early life and career in Indonesia
Anggun was born in Jakarta on 29 April 1974. She is the second child of Darto Singo, a Javanese writer, and Dien Herdina, a housewife from the Yogyakarta royal family. Her full name means "grace born of a dream". Despite being a Muslim, Anggun was sent to a Catholic school to receive a better elementary education. At the age of seven, Anggun began receiving daily strict instructions in singing and was given homework to write poems with the melodies that could become a song, aimed at triggering her songwriting skills, by her father. Even though her father was not a singer, he guided her to improve her vocal skill by following the instructions in a vocal practicing book written by Bina Vokalia vocal coach Pranadjaja. Her mother began serving as her manager. At the age of nine, Anggun started writing her own songs and recorded her debut album, which featured covers of songs by Indonesian country singer Ritta Rubby Hartland, titled Kepada Alam dan Pencintanya (1983). However, the album was not published until she gained recognition in the early 1990s.
In adolescence, Anggun was influenced by Western rock music and she began to choose her career as a rock singer. In 1986, she met Ian Antono, the guitarist and music producer of God Bless, and released her first commercial studio album, Dunia Aku Punya; however, it did not achieve commercial success. She rose to fame three years later, with the single "Mimpi"; it was ranked by Rolling Stone Indonesia as one of the 150 Greatest Indonesian Songs of All Time. In the early 1990s she released hit singles such as "Tua Tua Keladi", "Laba Laba", and "Takut". She recorded the studio albums Anak Putih Abu Abu (1991) and Nocturno (1992). The former earned her the Most Popular Indonesian Artist 1990–1991 award by Popular Magazine.
In 1992, Anggun began a relationship with Michel Georgea, a French engineer. They married, despite a rumoured objection by Anggun's family on the grounds that Anggun was too young. Georgea later became Anggun's manager. The following year, Anggun became the youngest Indonesian singer to found her own record company, Bali Cipta Records, taking creative control over her work. She produced her fourth (fifth overall) Indonesian studio album, Anggun C. Sasmi... Lah!!! (1993), which yielded the hit song "Kembalilah Kasih (Kita Harus Bicara)". By age nineteen, she had sold over four million albums in Indonesia. She was dissatisfied with her success in her country and began considering an international music career.
1994–1999: International breakthrough with Snow on the Sahara
In 1994, after releasing the greatest hits album Yang Hilang, Anggun sold her record company to fund her move to London, England. Anggun admitted to culture shock and financial problems while trying to start her new life there. She began writing songs and sent demos to record companies around London, but they came back with negative replies. After a year without any career progress, Anggun considered relocating to the Netherlands, but decided to move to France.
In 1996, she met French singer Florent Pagny, who became her mentor and introduced her to French producer Erick Benzi. Impressed by her musical skill, Benzi offered her a recording project. Anggun was signed to Columbia France and Sony Music. After learning to speak French for only three months, Anggun worked on her debut album with Benzi. In June 1997, she released her first French-language album, entitled Au nom de la lune, an artistic departure experimenting with world music and adult contemporary sounds.
The album's first single, "La neige au Sahara", reached number three on SNEP's airplay chart and number sixteen on its sales chart. It became the most played French-language song of 1997 and was certified Gold for 250,000 copies sold. Other charted singles from the album were "La rose des vents" and "Au nom de la lune", the later becoming her second top-twenty airplay hit in France. Au nom de la lune peaked at number 34 on the French Albums Chart and sold over 150,000 copies in France and Belgium. Anggun received a nomination for Best New Artist at the 1998 Victoires de la Musique.
The English version of the album, titled Snow on the Sahara (or Anggun in some pressings), was released in 33 countries between 1997 and 1999. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic called the album "a promising debut" because "she illustrates enough full-formed talent on the disc". Its lead single, "Snow on the Sahara" reached number one in Italy, number five on the Japan's Tokio Hot 100, and number six on the UK Pop Club Chart. The song was used as the soundtrack for a marketing campaign by the Swiss watchmaker Swatch. The second single, "A Rose in the Wind" became her second top-twenty hit in Italy. Snow on the Sahara has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide.
In North America, Snow on the Sahara was released in May 1998 by Epic Records. Anggun went on a tour for nine months in the US to promote the album. She appeared on American television programs such as The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Sessions at West 54th, Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular, and CNN World Beat. The album peaked at 23 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart and shipped 200,000 units. The single reached 16 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play and 22 on the Billboard Adult Top 40. The album track "On the Breath of an Angel" was used on American television series Passions and television film The Princess and the Marine, both aired on NBC.
2000–2003: Chrysalis and Open Hearts
After divorcing Michel Georgea in 1999, Anggun worked on her second French album, Désirs contraires, released in September 1999. It experimented with electropop and ambient elements as well as R&B. The album was produced by Benzi, with some of Anggun's compositions. It peaked at number 48 on the French albums chart and sold about 30,000 copies there. The album's first single, "Un geste d'amour", reached 62 on the French Singles Chart. The English version enjoyed more success. Chrysalis was released at the same time as Désirs contraires Distributed simultaneously in 15 countries, it spawned the hit single "Still Reminds Me", which received high airplay across Asia and Europe. It became her third number-one hit in Indonesia since her international career and her third top 20 single in Italy (peaking at number 17). It reached the top five on the Music & Media European Border Breakers Chart. She released a single especially for the Indonesian and Malaysian market, "Yang 'Ku Tunggu" (the Indonesian version of "Un geste d'amour"), which became a number-one hit in the region.
At the end of 2000 Anggun the Vatican invited her to appear at a Christmas concert. The following month, she started a tour across Asia and Europe, including her first concert in France at Le Bataclan on 1 February 2001. The tour ended on 30 April 2001 at Kallang Theatre, Singapore. In 2002, she received the Women Inspire Award from Singapore's Beacon of Light for "her achievements as a role model for many young women in Asia." The next year, she was honored with Cosmopolitan Indonesia's Fun Fearless Female of the Year Award.
Collaborations, soundtrack projects, and charity albums included a French-English song with DJ Cam entitled "Summer in Paris" on his 2002 album, Soulshine; an Indonesian-English song with Deep Forest entitled "Deep Blue Sea" on their 2002 album, Music Detected; and three collaborations in 2003, including with Italian rock singers Piero Pelù, Serge Lama and Tri Yann. Her duet with Pelù entitled "Amore immaginato" became a hit in Italy, spending over two months at the top of the Italian Airplay Chart; she sung it at the Italian Music Awards in 2003.
Anggun participated in two Scandinavian movies: contributing the song "Rain (Here Without You)" for Anja & Viktor in 2001, and the entire soundtrack for Open Hearts in 2002. For Open Hearts, Anggun worked with two Danish producers, Jesper Winge Leisner and Niels Brinck. "Open Your Heart" was released as a single from the soundtrack album and charted at 51 on the Norwegian Singles Chart. It earned Anggun a nomination for Best Original Song at the Danish Film Academy's Robert Awards in 2003. "Counting Down" was released as a single and became a top-ten airplay hit in Indonesia. Anggun left Sony Music in 2003 after its merger with BMG Music. She moved to Montreal, Canada where Olivier Maury became her manager. In 2004, Anggun and Maury were married in a private ceremony in Bali.
2004–2009: Luminescence and Elevation
In 2004, Anggun returned to Paris and landed a record deal with Heben Music. She began working on her next album with producers including Jean-Pierre Taieb and Frederic Jaffre. Anggun enlisted the help of French songwriters such as Jean Fauque, Lionel Florence, Tété and Evelyn Kral to adapt her English songs into French. In late 2004, Anggun released her first solo French single in nearly four years, "Être une femme", which became Anggun's second top-20 hit in France and her first French single to chart on the Swiss Singles Chart. Anggun's third French album, Luminescence, was released in February 2005. It reached number 16 on the French Albums Chart was certified Gold for selling 100,000 copies. The second single, "Cesse la pluie" reached the charts in Belgium, France, and Switzerland. According to Francophonie Diffusion, "Être une femme" and "Cesse la pluie" were the second and the fifth most-played French singles of 2005 worldwide, respectively.
"Undress Me" was chosen as the first single from the English version. Unaccompanied by a music video, it debuted at 13 in Italy, becoming her fifth top 20 single there. It became Anggun's first hit in the Middle East and Balkans. "In Your Mind" was released as the second single, becoming a hit in Asia. The third single, "Saviour", was used as the soundtrack for the U.S. box office number-one film Transporter 2.
Anggun was awarded the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres (Knight of Arts and Letters) by the French Minister of Culture for her achievements and support of French culture. She was appointed as the ambassadress for a Swiss watch brand, Audemars Piguet. Anggun did a duet with Julio Iglesias on a reworked version of "All of You" in Indonesian version for his album Romantic Classics (2006). On 25 May 2006, Anggun performed on her sold-out solo concert at the Jakarta Convention Center, entitled Konser Untuk Negeri. She later on toured to few cities in Indonesia, such as Medan and Bandung.
In August 2006, Anggun released the special edition of both the French and English versions of Luminescence with three new songs. "Juste avant toi", the new single from the special edition, became Anggun's fourth Top 40 hit, peaking at number 28 on the French Singles Chart. Meanwhile, its English version, "I'll Be Alright", became her most popular Russophone hit with over 43,000 airplays from more than 350 radio stations across the region. Luminescence was re-issued in February 2007 and peaked at number three on the French Back Catalogue Chart. In September 2006, Anggun performed her song, "Cesse la pluie" at Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix in Sopot, Poland.
2010–2013: Echoes, Eurovision, and The X Factor
In early 2010, Anggun recorded a duet with Portuguese singer Mickael Carreira on the song "Chama por me (Call My Name)", as well as performing at his concert in Lisbon, Portugal on 26 February 2010. She collaborated with German electronica musician Schiller, co-writing and contributing lead vocals to two tracks, "Always You" and "Blind", for his album Atemlos (2010). Anggun appeared Schiller's concert series, Atemlos Tour, in 14 cities in Germany during May 2010. Anggun did a cameo for 2010 French drama film Ces amours-là directed by Claude Lelouch.
Anggun's fifth international studio album—Echoes for the English version and Échos for the French version—saw her collaboration with composers Gioacchino Maurici, Pierre Jaconelli, Jean-Pierre Pilot, and William Rousseau. It became her first self-produced international album and was released under her own record label, April Earth. The English version was released in Indonesia in May 2011. It topped the Indonesian Albums Chart and was certified platinum in its first week. It eventually became the best-selling pop album of 2011, with quadruple platinum certification. On this stage, Anggun had won 56 platinum records in 26 countries, from "Snow on the Sahara" to "Echo (You and I)". "Only Love" and its Indonesian version "Hanyalah Cinta" were released as the lead singles and became number-one radio hits. The French version was released in November 2011 and reached number 48 on the French Albums Chart. "Je partirai", the first single for the French version, reached number five in Belgium. Anggun held her second major concert at the Jakarta Convention Center, Konser Kilau Anggun, on 27 November 2011. She later appeared for the third time at the Christmas concert in the Vatican.
Anggun was chosen by France Télévisions to represent France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. She co-wrote the entry, "Echo (You and I)", with William Rousseau and Jean-Pierre Pilot. Anggun toured more than 15 countries in Europe to promote the song. The song finished in 22nd place.
In March 2012, she released the international edition of Echoes. She embarked on a concert tour in several cities across France, Switzerland and New Caledonia, including her sold-out concert in Le Trianon, Paris, on 13 June 2012. Anggun joined United Nations campaign, Earth Day: Save the Forest in Italy. On Valentine's Day that year, she appeared as the guest artist at Lara Fabian's concert special on MTV Lebanon, where they sang the duet "Tu es mon autre". Anggun toured 10 cities in Germany with Schiller in late 2012. Anggun performed at Les Fous Chantants festival in Alès, France. In this event, she was accompanied by 1,000 choirs. At the end of 2012, she was appointed by Director of Indosat, Erik Meijer, as brand ambassador of Indosat Mentari Paket Smartphone.
2014–2016: Got Talent and Toujours un ailleurs
In 2014, Anggun re-recorded her debut international single as a French-Portuguese duet with Tony Carreira, retitled "La neige au Sahara (Faço Chover No Deserto)", for Carreira's album Nos fiançailles, France/Portugal. The duo performed the song at the 2014 World Music Awards in Monaco, where Anggun was awarded the World's Best-Selling Indonesian Artist. In late 2014, Anggun recorded two duets: "Who Wants to Live Forever" with Il Divo for their album A Musical Affair and "Pour une fois" with Vincent Niclo for his album Ce que je suis. Anggun released "Fly My Eagle" as soundtrack for the film Pendekar Tongkat Emas. Anggun performed in Africa twice during 2014, for Roberto Cavalli's Casa Fashion Show in Casablanca, Morocco, and for the 15th annual French-speaking World Summit in Dakar, Senegal. She was invited by Pope Francis to attend at a Christmas concert at the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi on 25 December 2014.
Anggun was recruited to the judging panel for Syco's franchise, Indonesia's Got Talent in 2014. To prepare, she received instruction from Simon Cowell during the set of Britain's Got Talent. The next year, Anggun served as a judge on the inaugural season of pancontinental Asia's Got Talent, alongside David Foster, Melanie C of the Spice Girls and Vanness Wu of F4. Joined by contestants from 15 countries in Asia, the show premiered on AXN Asia on 12 March 2015. The Asian Academy of Music Arts and Sciences appointed Anggun to its board of governors, and its first ambassador. At the 2015 Anugerah Planet Muzik in Singapore, she received the International Breakthrough Artist Award for being the first globally successful act from Malay-speaking world.
SK-II and Harper's Bazaar Indonesia honored Anggun as one of 15 Most Inspiring Women. She joined the SK-II's Change Destiny campaign and became a spokesperson alongside actress Cate Blanchett and Michelle Phan for its event in Los Angeles. In 2016, Anggun sat on the panel as judges for SK-II Beauty Bound Indonesia. In June 2015, she was invited by Michael Bolton to perform a duet and as an opening act at his concert in Kasablanka Concert Hall, Jakarta. She joined the jury panel for Miss France 2016 on 19 December 2015.
Anggun's sixth French-language studio album, Toujours un ailleurs, was released in November 2015 by TF1 Musique under Universal Music Group. Produced by Frédéric Chateau and Grammy Award-winning producer Brian Rawling, the album features guest vocals by Florent Pagny and Angélique Kidjo. It became Anggun's most successful album in France since Luminescence (2005), charting for 24 weeks on the French Albums Chart and sold over 50,000 copies. It became her best-charting album in Belgium, debuting at number 43 and remaining on the chart for 31 weeks. To promote the album, Anggun embarked on a 23-date concert tour across France and Belgium. The album yielded the singles "Nos vies parallèles" and "Perfect World", the latter of which became a top-five hit on the US Dance Club Songs chart.
2017–2021: 8, The Voice, Mask Singer, and acting debut
Anggun returned as a judge on the second season of Asia's Got Talent, alongside David Foster and Jay Park. Her sixth English-language studio album, 8, was launched at the Apple Store on Orchard Road in Singapore on 8 December 2017, with an acoustic showcase. The albums singles, "What We Remember" and "The Good Is Back", reached the top ten and top twenty on the US Dance Club Songs chart, respectively. She was invited for the seventh time by Pope Francis and Vatican to perform on 4 January 2018 in Naples, Italy. In July 2018, she performed at the European Latin Awards at Stadio Benito Stirpe, Frosinone, Italy, where she won Best International Singer category.
In March 2018, Anggun performed with David Foster during The Hitman: David Foster and Friends concert series in Surakarta and Surabaya, Indonesia. Anggun performed the song "Pemuda" at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2018 at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta. She joined the coaching panel for the third season of The Voice Indonesia. Anggun was featured in the documentary Silent Night — A Song for the World directed by Hannes M. Schalle. She made soundtracks on two versions of "Silent Night" gospel, "Malam Kudus" in Indonesian and "Douce nuit, sainte nuit" in French. In early 2019, Anggun embarked on a seven-date intimate tour across Italy. Anggun did a virtual duet with Luciano Pavarotti at The Luciano Pavarotti Foundation and Anggun in concert at the Simfonia Hall in Jakarta.
Anggun became a panelist on Mask Singer, reaching nearly 7 million viewers. She returned for another season of the show. She returned for Asia's Got Talent Season 3. In January 2020, she attended the 24th Asian Television Awards in Manila, Philippines where she performed and was awarded Outstanding Contribution to Asian Television Performing Arts. Due to the global pandemic of COVID-19, she had to postpone her tour from the end of 2019 until the beginning of 2020. However, she began a career in acting. She took a part as Maleen Suthama in television movie drama Coup de foudre à Bangkok. The production was taken in February 2020 in Bangkok, Thailand. Anggun returned as panelist on the second season of Mask Singer alongside her previous colleague panelists. In June 2020, RIFFX by Crédit Mutuel published the result of a survey, titled "Barometer: Les 100 Artistes Préférés des Français (Barometer: The 100 Favorite Artists of The French)", which Anggun listed on number 97. This survey was conducted by YouGov with interviewing 1,006 French people (age min. 18 years old) on 1 June to 2 June 2020. Musical documentary Silent Night — A Song for the World, re-produced by The CW and took a date on 10 December 2020 for its special premiere.
2022–present: Theatres, Levitating, and Reacher
Anggun participated on comedy-musical theatre show with broadway vibe, Al Capone. She acted as Lili, Al Capone's mistress. It will be directed by opera manager and Opéra de Monte-Carlo director Jean-Louis Grinda, composed by Jean-Félix Lalanne. The show was performed on 93 dates at Folies Bergère between January and July 2023. The first screening was in April 2022. The album was released on 30 September 2022 on digital music platforms. In June 2022, Mayor of Surakarta Gibran Rakabuming Raka held a fashion exhibition and showcase called Java in Paris, with Anggun performing as a Javan female folk-singer, named sinden. On 23 September 2022, Anggun joined a project, with Lorenzo Licitra, as a featured artist on the theme song and campaign for the 12th Festival del Cinema Nuovo, the international competition for short films played by disabled people, which was held in Bergamo, Italy. The song called "Eli Hallo" which written by Lorenzo Licitra and Giovanni Segreti Bruno. Anggun was a supporting artist on the French version of Studytracks app for schoolchildren.
Anggun stars alongside Agnez Mo as the antagonists in the fourth season of Reacher.
Artistry and legacy
Anggun possesses a three-octave contralto voice, which has been described as "husky", "soulful", and "distinctive" by music critics. Chuck Taylor from Billboard commented: "Vocally, Anggun is a fortress of power, easing from a delicate whisper into a brand of cloud-parting fortitude commonly associated with grade-A divas." John Everson from The SouthtownStar noted that "Anggun is gifted with a warm, full voice that can tackle slight pop songs without overpowering them as well as swoop with depth and ease over heavier emotional numbers." Anggun received her first songwriting credit at the age of twelve on her debut album Dunia Aku Punya (1986). Anggun said, "I was writing songs all the time, but my specialty was classical piano and singing."
Anggun started as a rock singer and given nickname as "Lady Rocker" in Indonesia, and was influenced by rock bands such as Guns N' Roses, Bon Jovi, and Megadeth. She was a big fan of Metallica. After her initial international success, she showed her versatility by changing her musical style for each album. Her later influences cover a wide range of styles from jazz to pop, extending from Joni Mitchell to Madonna. She told VOGUE Italia that she listened to wide range of artists from The Beatles to David Bowie, Billie Holiday to Leonard Cohen, up to Dave Grohl, P!nk and Bruno Mars. Anggun identified Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile (1999) as "the album that changed my life" and the band's frontman Trent Reznor as "the man of my musical life." Her other musical influences include Tracy Chapman, Sheila Chandra and Sting. Anggun, who studied Balinese dance since childhood, uses the traditional art in her performances.
Anggun's image has been compared to that of Pocahontas. Some international articles and magazines give a nickname for Anggun as "Indonesian Madonna (Madonna Indonésienne)" or even "Madonna from Asia (Madonna de l'Asie)". At the early stage of her career as a rock singer, Anggun was known for her tomboy look—wearing a crooked beret, shorts, studded jacket, and large belt; this set a trend during the early 1990s. Later, she has focused on her femininity and sexuality, emphasising her long black hair and brown skin. For this look she uses the work of fashion designers like Roberto Cavalli, Azzedine Alaïa, Jean Paul Gaultier, Dolce & Gabbana, and many more. Other couture fashion designers that Anggun often wears include Givenchy, Elie Saab, Victoria Beckham, Georges Chakra, Tony Ward, Blumarine, and Zuhair Murad. She also stated that most likely to wear high-heels and Louboutin's suits her. In 2001, Anggun was ranked No. 6 in a list of Sexiest Women of Asia by FHM magazine. Later in 2010, she was ranked at number 18 on the French version of FHM's list of 100 Sexiest Women in the World.
Other activities
Philanthropy and activism
Since 1997, Angun has actively supported charitable causes, such as the fight against AIDS, tolerance between cultures, and the natural environment.
Ambassadorship
She was appointed as the spokesperson for the International Year of Microcredit, a United Nations program aimed at eradicating debt in the third world, In 2009, Anggun was appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), part of the United Nations. On 15 October 2009, she performed on the occasion of the World Food Day Ceremony at UN headquarters Plenary Hall in New York, New York. She attended Rome Film Festival on the next day and spoke as UN Goodwill Ambassador at TeleFood Campaign Against Hunger in The World. Anggun as FAO Goodwill Ambassador have been named by the United Nations as MDG Champions on 1 September 2010. The announcement was made at UN headquarters in New York. FAO Goodwill Ambassadors, such as Italian actor Raoul Bova, Canadian singer Céline Dion, Filipino singer Lea Salonga and American actress Susan Sarandon, spoke with one voice in an urgent appeal on behalf of the more than one billion people living in chronic hunger worldwide. Anggun, who has appeared in a French film, promoted one of the campaigns she participated in, namely The One Billion Hungry Project. It is a program from FAO to raise awareness of world hunger. She performed "Snow on the Sahara" at the campaign's concert on 19 September 2010 in New York. She got an interview with CNN to talk about this campaign on the same date. Anggun supported the MDG Summit in New York on 22 September 2010. In November 2011, she made a speech at the UN Summit in China.
Writing
Anggun wrote her views on several issues, especially in Indonesia, on online platforms Qureta.com and DW. She had more than 150,000 online readers. Mostly she discussed social, humanity, and tolerance topics. On DW, she wrote an article titled "Komunisme dan Emosi Yang Bertautan di Indonesia (Communism and Emotions Are Linked in Indonesia)".
Personal life
In 2000, Anggun became a French citizen, thus automatically renouncing her 26-year Indonesian citizenship. Despite being a naturalised French citizen, she still refers to herself as an Indonesian. Anggun has voiced her support for dual citizenship, which is not yet legally allowed in Indonesia.
Anggun was raised a Muslim:
She states that she does not have a rigid point of view about religion and leans towards Buddhism without breaking with religious belief. In 2025, She visited Borobudur, the world's largest Buddhist temple. She feels strongly about religious tolerance and insists on separation of religious faith from the basic regulative principle for the individual:
For me, the most important thing is not what religion you believe in but how you do things, how you live your life.
Your belief doesn't determine whether you're a good person or not—your behavior does.
Anggun has been married four times. Her first marriage, in 1992, was to Michel Georgea, a French engineer, which was met with criticism in Indonesia for allegedly marrying to advance her career. Her second husband was Louis-Olivier Maury (born March 1972) whom she met in Canada. They married in 2004. When that marriage ended in 2006, she began a relationship with French writer Cyril Montana, whom she eventually married. She gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Kirana Cipta Montana, on 8 November 2007. She and Montana divorced in 2015. On 16 August 2018 Anggun married for the fourth time in Ubud, Bali, with a German musician and photographer, Christian Kretschmar.
Besides Indonesian, her native language, Anggun is fluent in French and English.
Paris burglary incidents
According to Closer, Anggun's apartment in Paris was robbed by burglars on 18 September 2015 when she was not in Paris. The burglars stole jewelry and high value items valued at a total amount of around €250,000. Her home was burgled again on 6 December 2021 while she and her family were on vacation in Italy: three male suspects managed to slip into the apartment in the 8th arrondissement of Paris through a window. The robbers stole several luxury items belonging to Anggun, including bags and watches. The property damage also amounted to €80,000.
Backing band
Current members
Fabrice Ach – bassist, backing vocals (2001–present)
Olivier Freche – lead guitarist, rhythm guitarist, backing vocals (2004–2011, 2013–present)
Jean-Marie Négozio – keyboardist, backing vocals (2003, 2006–present)
Olivier Baldissera – drummer, percussionist (2008–present)
Stéphane Escoms – back-up keyboardist, backing vocals (2020 (on Italia & Russia tour concerts)–present)
Former members
Patrick Buchmann – drummer, percussionist, backing vocals (1997–2004)
Nicolas-Yvan Mingot – lead guitarist (1997–2000)
Yannick Hardouin – bassist (1997–2001)
Patrice Clémentin – keyboardist (1997–2002)
Serge Bouchard – back-up bassist (1999 (on Asia Tour))
Cyril Tarquiny – lead guitarist, rhythm guitarist, backing vocals (2001–2003, 2006–2007, 2010–2012, 2020 (on Russia tour))
Gilard – keyboardist, backing vocals (2004–2005)
Claude Sarragossa – drummer, percussionist (2005–2007)
Romain Berrodier – back-up keyboardist, backing vocals (2014–2015)
In popular culture
Anggun became the first Indonesian woman to be immortalized in wax by Madame Tussauds in 2016. Located in its Bangkok museum, Anggun's statue joined that of Sukarno, the first President of Indonesia. As of 2022, a total of 19 Anggun records have been added by the Indonesian Music Museum for preservation, the seventh most total among musicians from Jakarta. The museum also selected her among the ten greatest Indonesian female musicians in history, spanning 1920s to 2000s.
A cocktail named after Anggun is served in Bar 228, Hôtel Meurice de Calais, Paris. It is made of Bacardi rum, mango coulis, coconut milk, and pineapple juice.
A variety of rose named and christened after Anggun by Meilland International SA at Château de Bagatelle. The rose "Anggun" is a derivative of Meibokir variety which has special characteristics. This variety of flower has 40 white-colored petals with a mint-fruity scent and blooms from spring to winter.
Filmography
Film
Un jour sur Terre (Earth) (2007)
Ces amours-là (What War May Bring) (2010)
Peuples autochtone: Notre Combat (2015)
Les Pensées de Paul (2015)
Silent Night: A Song for the World (2020)
Coup de foudre à Bangkok (2020)
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Levitating (2026)
Television program, series, and reality show
Operet Lebaran di Gang Kelinci (1984-1986)
Sessions at West 54th (1997)
The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1998)
Les Enfoirés: Dernière Édition avant l'an 2000 (1999)
E-Classement (2011): as host
On a tout essayé (2005)
Hit Machine (2006, 2022)
93 Fauborg Saint-Honoré (2006)
Star Academy (2005, 2008, 2024)
Muppets TV (2006)
Star Academy Arabia (2007 & 2008)
Akademi Fantasia (2007 & 2009)
Accolades
2001: ranked No. 6 in a list of the Sexiest Women of Asia by FHM magazine.
2010: FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World





