Artists strive to create Islamic songs for children<\/p>\n
By Rita A. Widiadana<\/p>\n
Memuji Allah<\/p>\n
Sayap Mengembang, terbang melayang
\n Sambil bertasbih memuji Allah
\n Burung-burung ciptaan Allah
\n Semuanya memuji Allah
\n Subhanallah... Subhanallah<\/p>\n
The birds spread their wings widely
\n Flying high in the sky, they praise the
\n Mighty God
\n The birds that God created
\n They all praise Him<\/p>\n
A.T. Mahmud<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): This simple lyric is from a melodious song
\npresented by a dozen children one Ramadhan afternoon at a modest
\nart workshop in West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Their angelic voices reverberated through the neighborhood,
\ncompelling people to come and listen to their singing.<\/p>\n
The children belong to the Firdaus Foundation, a non-profit
\norganization which actively promotes the development of Islamic
\nart and culture.<\/p>\n
\"They are practicing intensely because they have to perform in
\nmany events such as television programs and shopping malls this
\nmonth,\" explained the foundation's music instructor, Ni Luh Dewi
\nChandrawati Ngurah.<\/p>\n
Established in July l995, the foundation is mainly aimed at
\naccommodating the intellectual and artistic activities of Moslem
\nchildren. These activities include choral and theatrical
\nprograms, religious lessons and discussions.<\/p>\n
Twice a week, more than 75 children take part in the vocal
\nlessons at the foundation's workshop. They learn various
\ntechniques to improve their singing ability.<\/p>\n
The foundation involves such prominent musicians as Denny
\nHatami, Micco Januar, Din Din Geronimo and famous children's song
\nwriter A.T. Mahmud to teach the children and to create music and
\nsongs which are educational, yet entertaining. The songs are from
\nvarious musical genre -- pop, rock and even jazz.<\/p>\n
\"Music can enrich the lives of our children. They not only
\nlearn how to sing properly but also gain a lot more. Singing
\nmakes them feel very happy,\" Dewi said.<\/p>\n
Before setting up the Firdaus Foundation, Dewi led the Anak
\nAlif children vocal group which mostly performed songs with
\nIslamic themes. Dewi and some of her friends also founded a
\nchildren's magazine entitled Aku Anak Saleh (I am a pious child).<\/p>\n
Public response was encouraging. Many people loved the songs
\nperformed by Anak Alif. They also appreciated the Islamic concept
\nand began to register their children with the group.<\/p>\n
It was only seven months ago that Dewi and a number of parents
\nof Anak Alif established a professional organization to enhance
\nthe children's activities.<\/p>\n
The foundation is also aimed at providing an educational forum
\nfor both children and parents to increase communications between
\nthem, she said.<\/p>\n
Busy<\/p>\n
Nowadays, she noted, there is little room left for children to
\nfulfill their emotional needs in a society that overemphasizes
\nscholastic and materialistic achievements.<\/p>\n
\"Parents are busy with their own activities and tend to
\nneglect their kids's education. They entrust their kids into the
\nhands of their baby-sitters and even housemaids. Parents no
\nlonger provide the right model for their offspring,\" she pointed
\nout.<\/p>\n
Many parents even ruin their kids's childhood. Instead of
\nshowering them with affection and attention, parents \"bribe\"
\ntheir children with money or toys, Dewi said.<\/p>\n
She went on to say that there is something lacking in the
\neducation of our children. There is no education of the feelings,
\nDewi said.<\/p>\n
Modern society, she said, lacks the means to foster creative
\nspirit because intellect and knowledge are given undue
\nimportance.<\/p>\n
\"Today, many young people know how to play video games and
\nother sophisticated toys, including the multimedia, but they
\ndon't know how to make friends or to respect their elders,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Through music lessons, the foundation tries to help bringing
\nout the children's innate creativity while teaching them the
\nvalues of life, she added.<\/p>\n
Most of the lyrics of the songs produced by the foundation
\ndeal with Islamic teachings written in children's language. In
\nBunda (Mother) the children express their love for their mothers
\nand their gratitude to God. In Masjidku (My Mosque) they convey a
\ndeep religious feeling.<\/p>\n
Other benefits from the singing activities are also evident,
\nDewi said. \"Spending time with their friends has broadened the
\nchildren's outlook of life and teaches them to treat others with
\nkindness and respect,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The foundation has produced more than a hundred religious
\nsongs. \"We plan to record these songs in a number of albums,\"
\nDewi said.<\/p>\n
Album<\/p>\n
Another effort to introduce children to religion (Islam) is
\nmade by artist Neno Warisman. With a group of children called
\nAulade Gemintang (The Shining Children), she recently released an
\nalbum entitled A Ba Ta Tsa, the first three letters in the Arabic
\nalphabet.<\/p>\n
The album consists of 10 songs in Indonesian and English which
\nare strongly Islamic in themes. A Ba Ta Tsa shows children the
\ngreatness of God. Hujan (Rain) teaches children about nature and
\nGod's power to create everything on earth.<\/p>\n
The songs are richly tinged with a sweet pop touch -- a mix of
\nmelancholy and cheerful melodies. Some of the tracks resemble
\nsongs from Robert Wise's movie, The Sound of Music.<\/p>\n
To make the album more sophisticated, Neno collaborated with
\nseveral local musicians such as Dwiki Dharmawan, Dian AGP and
\nRiza Arzhad for musical arrangement. She also involved
\ncontroversial poet Emha Ainun Nadjib, writer Sapto Rahardjo
\nproducers Haidar Yahya Irwan Soepargo and Arie Wibowo.<\/p>\n
The release of this religious album, which took about a year
\nto produce, has injected a breath of fresh air into the local
\nmusic scene which is currently inundated with profit-oriented
\nchildren songs.<\/p>\n
Neno said she is concerned over the development of the
\nchildren's music industry in the country.<\/p>\n
\"There are many children's songs on the local market, but they
\nlack moral values. The songs contain lyrics that do not fit a
\nchild's world,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"We plan to reach a wider audience by using English. We have
\nalready checked the meaning of each word in these English songs
\nwith a linguist, a psychologist and various religious leaders,\"
\nsaid Neno.<\/p>\n
\"This album is an experiment to include religious elements in
\nthe music industry,\" Emha commented.<\/p>\n
\"All these activities need encouragement because they promote
\nsensitivity and compassion in children,\" he concluded.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/artists-strive-to-create-islamic-songs-for-children-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}