Malaysian group Raihan gains popularity here<\/p>\n
By Endi Aras<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Why are Malaysian songs easily accepted by
\nIndonesians? The answers are varied. It might be because the
\nmelodies presented by Malaysian musicians are in tune with the
\nfeelings and emotions of most Indonesians, or because its
\nlanguage, which is similar to Indonesian, is easily understood.
\nAnother reason might be because the Malaysian dialect sounds
\nstrange but is nice to utter.<\/p>\n
Sheila Majid is a Malaysian singer who has plenty of fans in
\nIndonesia. A number of Malaysian songs are also very popular
\nhere, such as Issabela, Suci Dalam Debu (Pure in Dust), or
\nGerimis Mengundang (Inviting Drizzle).<\/p>\n
Now, another Malaysian vocal group, Raihan, has begun to gain
\npopularity in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Raihan is not a musical group. This Malaysian contemporary
\nNasyid group, a vocal group presenting songs of praise, recently
\nshowed appeared at a cafe in the Kuningan area, South Jakarta.
\nThose who know or had heard of Raihan flocked to the
\nperformance of this group, which is made up of four young men.<\/p>\n
After an absence of quite a while in their home country,
\nRaihan, came to Indonesia to introduce their third album, Senyum
\n(Smile) and hold charity concerts in a number of Indonesia's
\nmajor cities, such as at the University of Indonesia on Dec. 18,
\nthe Bandung-based Technology Institute on Dec. 19, the Gadjah
\nMada University in Yogyakarta on Dec. 22 and at the Surabaya
\nTechnology Institute on Dec. 25.<\/p>\n
\"Smiling is the easiest thing to do and it is also recommended
\nby religion. A sincere smile is tantamount to giving alms and
\nmust be part of our daily lives. Despite our bad moods, try to
\nsmile because when you smile your sorrow will go away,\" Nazrey
\nJohani, one of the four young men making up Raihan, explained why
\nthe group's third album was titled Senyum.<\/p>\n
The album is produced by Warner Music, which has an office in
\nJakarta. The group's previous albums, Puji-Pujian (Eulogy) and
\nSyukur (Gratitude to God), have been big hits in Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Although in Indonesia there are many Nasyid groups, the
\npresence of Raihan enriches the wealth of songs of praise.<\/p>\n
Besides, Raihan has taken materials for their songs from
\nIndonesia, processed and returned them to Indonesia to be enjoyed
\nby Indonesians.<\/p>\n
Raihan's previous albums have put the group at its highest
\npoint in the history of contemporary Nasyid music in its home
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Thanks to their two albums, Raihan, which compromises of
\nAzhari Ahmad, 31, Nazrey, 28, Che Amran Idris, 30, and Abu Bakar
\nMohd. Yatim, 29, has received 16 Platinum awards for sales of
\nsome 800,000 cassettes. They were awarded four trophies in 1998
\nand at the 1999 Musical Industry Awards in Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Because of this outstanding achievement, Malaysia's print
\nmedia has reported that the group now earns between 15,000 and
\n20,000 ringgit (Rp 27.9 million to Rp 37.3 million) per show,
\nwhich is quite high in Malaysian standards. Yet, this is not the
\nprice offered to us. \"It is how we are appreciated. We do not set
\nthis price. What matters to us is that people appreciate us. So
\nthe fees show how people appreciate us,\" a member of the group
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"Raihan means heavenly fragrance. It suits our wishes and it
\nalso suits what we are going to get across to our listeners,\"
\nsaid Abu Bakar about Raihan, which was set up in October 1996.<\/p>\n
Raihan has opted for Nasyid, not for the sake of sensation.<\/p>\n
\"We opted for Nasyid because previously in Malaysia the
\nyoungsters were undergoing social problems. There were quite a
\nlot of rock music groups but that was not our choice of music. At
\nthat time we were asked to get together and convey a good message
\nthrough songs. So, Warner launched our albums,\" Azhari Ahmad
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Tambourine and other percussion instruments are the main
\naccompaniment to their singing. If you listen to a number of
\ntheir songs, you will agree that this group is established
\nindeed, especially in vocal distribution.<\/p>\n
Once, the group was invited by Queen Elizabeth and performed
\nSyukur before her. \"The queen asked me the meaning of the song,\"
\nsaid Che Amran, reminiscing.<\/p>\n
The group's third album, Senyum, consists of 10 songs, all of
\nwhich are in Malaysian. The songs are Bismillah (The Name of
\nAllah), Senyum, Tak Selamanya (Not Forever), Nabi Anak Yatim (The
\nProphet an Orphan), Cinta Hakiki (Essential Love), Bersatu
\n(United), Anak Permata (Most-Beloved Child), Ya Rasulullah, 10
\nMalaikat (Ten Angels) and Cahaya Selawat (Light of Invocation).<\/p>\n
The songs' titles clearly show that Raihan does not only
\nentertain people but also gets across messages through the lyrics
\nof their songs of praise.<\/p>\n
Their songs are easily accepted, though, by Indonesians
\nfamiliar with the Malaysian dialect. Besides, the materials,
\natmosphere and sounds presented in these songs are taken from
\nIndonesia. They have been processed and then simplified.
\nTherefore, this album is closer to the atmosphere of Indonesia
\nthan that of Malaysia, although some words are still sung in the
\nMalaysian dialect.<\/p>\n
What is most important to Raihan is how they can get the
\nmessage in their songs across to the audience.<\/p>\n
\"There are problems in a number of regions in Indonesia. We
\nwill donate the proceeds of our concerts, organized by the SKEMA
\nFoundation, to the Ambonese community,\" Che Amran added.<\/p>",
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