Artists strive to create Islamic songs for children

Artists strive to create Islamic songs for children

By Rita A. Widiadana

Memuji Allah

Sayap Mengembang, terbang melayang Sambil bertasbih memuji Allah Burung-burung ciptaan Allah Semuanya memuji Allah Subhanallah... Subhanallah

The birds spread their wings widely Flying high in the sky, they praise the Mighty God The birds that God created They all praise Him

A.T. Mahmud

JAKARTA (JP): This simple lyric is from a melodious song presented by a dozen children one Ramadhan afternoon at a modest art workshop in West Jakarta.

Their angelic voices reverberated through the neighborhood, compelling people to come and listen to their singing.

The children belong to the Firdaus Foundation, a non-profit organization which actively promotes the development of Islamic art and culture.

"They are practicing intensely because they have to perform in many events such as television programs and shopping malls this month," explained the foundation's music instructor, Ni Luh Dewi Chandrawati Ngurah.

Established in July l995, the foundation is mainly aimed at accommodating the intellectual and artistic activities of Moslem children. These activities include choral and theatrical programs, religious lessons and discussions.

Twice a week, more than 75 children take part in the vocal lessons at the foundation's workshop. They learn various techniques to improve their singing ability.

The foundation involves such prominent musicians as Denny Hatami, Micco Januar, Din Din Geronimo and famous children's song writer A.T. Mahmud to teach the children and to create music and songs which are educational, yet entertaining. The songs are from various musical genre -- pop, rock and even jazz.

"Music can enrich the lives of our children. They not only learn how to sing properly but also gain a lot more. Singing makes them feel very happy," Dewi said.

Before setting up the Firdaus Foundation, Dewi led the Anak Alif children vocal group which mostly performed songs with Islamic themes. Dewi and some of her friends also founded a children's magazine entitled Aku Anak Saleh (I am a pious child).

Public response was encouraging. Many people loved the songs performed by Anak Alif. They also appreciated the Islamic concept and began to register their children with the group.

It was only seven months ago that Dewi and a number of parents of Anak Alif established a professional organization to enhance the children's activities.

The foundation is also aimed at providing an educational forum for both children and parents to increase communications between them, she said.

Busy

Nowadays, she noted, there is little room left for children to fulfill their emotional needs in a society that overemphasizes scholastic and materialistic achievements.

"Parents are busy with their own activities and tend to neglect their kids's education. They entrust their kids into the hands of their baby-sitters and even housemaids. Parents no longer provide the right model for their offspring," she pointed out.

Many parents even ruin their kids's childhood. Instead of showering them with affection and attention, parents "bribe" their children with money or toys, Dewi said.

She went on to say that there is something lacking in the education of our children. There is no education of the feelings, Dewi said.

Modern society, she said, lacks the means to foster creative spirit because intellect and knowledge are given undue importance.

"Today, many young people know how to play video games and other sophisticated toys, including the multimedia, but they don't know how to make friends or to respect their elders," she said.

Through music lessons, the foundation tries to help bringing out the children's innate creativity while teaching them the values of life, she added.

Most of the lyrics of the songs produced by the foundation deal with Islamic teachings written in children's language. In Bunda (Mother) the children express their love for their mothers and their gratitude to God. In Masjidku (My Mosque) they convey a deep religious feeling.

Other benefits from the singing activities are also evident, Dewi said. "Spending time with their friends has broadened the children's outlook of life and teaches them to treat others with kindness and respect," she said.

The foundation has produced more than a hundred religious songs. "We plan to record these songs in a number of albums," Dewi said.

Album

Another effort to introduce children to religion (Islam) is made by artist Neno Warisman. With a group of children called Aulade Gemintang (The Shining Children), she recently released an album entitled A Ba Ta Tsa, the first three letters in the Arabic alphabet.

The album consists of 10 songs in Indonesian and English which are strongly Islamic in themes. A Ba Ta Tsa shows children the greatness of God. Hujan (Rain) teaches children about nature and God's power to create everything on earth.

The songs are richly tinged with a sweet pop touch -- a mix of melancholy and cheerful melodies. Some of the tracks resemble songs from Robert Wise's movie, The Sound of Music.

To make the album more sophisticated, Neno collaborated with several local musicians such as Dwiki Dharmawan, Dian AGP and Riza Arzhad for musical arrangement. She also involved controversial poet Emha Ainun Nadjib, writer Sapto Rahardjo producers Haidar Yahya Irwan Soepargo and Arie Wibowo.

The release of this religious album, which took about a year to produce, has injected a breath of fresh air into the local music scene which is currently inundated with profit-oriented children songs.

Neno said she is concerned over the development of the children's music industry in the country.

"There are many children's songs on the local market, but they lack moral values. The songs contain lyrics that do not fit a child's world," she said.

"We plan to reach a wider audience by using English. We have already checked the meaning of each word in these English songs with a linguist, a psychologist and various religious leaders," said Neno.

"This album is an experiment to include religious elements in the music industry," Emha commented.

"All these activities need encouragement because they promote sensitivity and compassion in children," he concluded.