7 Portraits of Lesti Kejora Nostalgia of Struggling Times, Once Auditioned Now a Judge on DA 7 as a Successful Singer

"Yes, especially back then it wasn't here for the press conference, was it already down there, brother? Down there, I was really touched to see them showing their talents and it made me flashback to the struggles I went through to get to where I am now, so much," said Lesti when met at the SCTV Tower, Central Jakarta, Friday (13/6/2025).

For Lesti, sitting back in the judge's chair reminds her of the heavy struggles she faced when she was a contestant many years ago. Now, she sees young participants who are full of spirit and high talent.

"Yes, it was really exciting earlier and Teh Rina is back again. After being in the first DA, Teh Rina knows how my struggle was, and now thank God we can share the stage together," she said.

"The preparation is definitely busy, and since there are already 2 kids, I have to divide my time. Especially now that I'm still breastfeeding, so maybe I need to focus on producing more milk," she revealed, as she has to balance her time between work and family.

Lesti admits that she always discusses things first with her husband, Rizky Billar. She ensures that all major decisions are talked about together. "Yes. So whatever it is, I always ask for permission first, whether it's okay or not, and coincidentally, Alhamdulillah, we were offered it directly together," she said.

Seeing the enthusiasm of the younger generation makes Lesti motivated to keep creating. "Of course, it serves as motivation that as age increases, the industry will have more generations, so it's not about being afraid but being happy," she said.

Lesti also feels proud because events like D'Academy are capable of producing many young talents who are multi-talented. As one of the most successful graduates of the dangdut competition, Lesti hopes that D'Academy will continue to be an icon and an important platform in the regeneration of dangdut music.