Gus Dur: Soccer fanatic and lover classical music

Gus Dur: Soccer fanatic and lover classical music

By Agus Maryono

PURWOKERTO, Central Java (JP): Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid,
many agree, is unique and eccentric at the same time. The leader
of the 30-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama who covets the
presidency in the upcoming election is a soccer and music
fanatic.

He has a large collection of cassettes and CDs of classical
music at his home in Ciganjur in the south Jakarta suburbs.

But few know that he also owns a music band he calls Ki Ageng
Ganjur, which combines modern and Javanese classical instruments.

Ki Ageng Ganjur's genre is essentially qasidah (religious
chants in Arabic to the rhythm of a gambus, a six-stringed
plucked instrument of Arabic origin) and gambus-like music
reminiscent of the Middle East.

The Javanese musical instruments consist of gong, bonang (a
row of inverted bronze bowls) and similar instruments. The music
is enjoyable, attractive and riveting for the soul of listeners,
especially Muslims.

In Indonesia this kind of music is associated with Islam
because the songs are mostly in praise of the Prophet Muhammad.
People familiar with Emha Ainun Najib's Kiai Kanjeng music will
soon discover that the two styles share similar nuances.

The sounds are dominated by modern instruments like guitar and
organ which are matched with Javanese gamelan instruments like
gongs, bonang, saron (metallophone) and kendang (drum).

Two women clad in jilbab scarves and one man are standing amid
the musicians singing in praise of the Prophet Muhammad, Shalawat
Nabi. Their voices are very clear. Sometimes they hit high notes
in songs usually presented by qori and qoriah (reciters of the
Koran).

The male singer's voice is also excellent. Ya Rabbi Shalli ala
Muhammad, Ya Rabbi Shalli alaihi Wassalim" are among the verses
sung. The verses contain a request to God to bestow mercy and
safety on the Prophet Muhammad (Oh, Lord, bestow Your
shalawat/mercy on the Prophet Muhammad. Yes, Lord, bestow Your
shalawat/mercy on him, the Prophet).

The music is not only good for the ears but also carries
religious messages as explained by the leader of Ki Ageng Ganjur,
Ngatawi al-Zastrow, 33, interviewed after a recent show here.

"Yes, Ki Ageng Ganjur has a mission, that is helping promote
the harmony in this country for which Gus Dur is vigorously
campaigning," said Zastrow, Gus Dur's personal assistant.

Zastrow said that Ki Ageng Ganjur is a music group directly
fostered by Gus Dur.

"Pesantren school teachers used to reject the music. Therefore
it is not surprising that there are still such schools which
forbid their students listening to our music," said Zastrow.

"If we look at the history of Islam, many sufi (religious
experts) performed zikir (chants in praise of God) using music as
a means to move closer to God," said Zastrow. "We are also
convinced that music can express religiosity as a way to
communicate with God. It was based on this idea that in 1996 we
established the Ki Ageng Ganjur. The idea came from Gus Dur
himself and we, the younger generation, brought it into being."

The various musical instruments used by the Ki Agung Ganjur,
according to Zastrow, symbolize elements of religiosity,
ethnicity and the noble tradition of the Indonesian nation which
are needed if it is to remain united in harmony.

"So this music reflects Gus Dur's dream of a peaceful
Indonesia," said Zastrow.

He further said that the compositions not only accommodate the
various types of music and culture of the archipelago but also
those of foreign countries.

"We have learned music from Egypt, India and South Asia. Our
musical instruments resemble those used in other nations," said
Zastrow, adding that it was hoped people from various backgrounds
could accept the music.

"We are rich in music which has Islamic colors but we also
want to incorporate music from regions across Indonesia. We want
to study them too."

The ideals of unifying elements of religiosity, ethnicity and
tradition are reflected in the electronic and acoustic
instruments from Bali, Java and Padang.

Ki Ageng Ganjur has a variety of 18 instruments played by 18
musicians: peking, mandolin, saron, flute, drum, kendang, gambang
(xylophone), bonang, percussions, rebana (tambourine), timpani,
gong, violin, horn, flute, guitar, keyboard and piano.

The gamelan instruments are dominant. According to Zastrow
this is because the Javanese love their own music.

"Do not forget that Sunan Kalijaga (an Islamic propagator in
ancient Java) also used these instruments when introducing the
Javanese people to Islam," said Zastrow, who bought a set of
gamelan instruments for Rp 18 million.

"We spent not less than Rp 80 million for all the
instruments," said Zastrow, adding that the group charged Rp 5 to
7 million for one performance lasting about three hours.

He explained that they did not experience any difficulty in
introducing the music to pesantren schools. "I think because this
group is associated with the name of Gus Dur, so the kiai
(Islamic scholars) who used to frown on music can accept it."

According to him one of the most plausible explanations for
this acceptance is the history of Sunan Kalijaga who disseminated
Islam in Java using gamelan music.

Ki Ageng Ganjur has so far launched one album entitled Wasiat
Gus Dur (Gus Dur's Testament). It contains five Islamic songs and
Shalawat Nabi sung chorally by a number of men and women.

In between songs, Gus Dur gives religious advice in the form
of short lectures. The singers have beautiful voices but their
names are given no prominence.

Ki Ageng Ganjur emphasizes the color of the music. That is why
each listener to the cassette. which has a photograph of Gus Dur
on the cover, will not remember the singers but will be absorbed
by the music.

"The first album has not received as good a response as we had
expected. We have produced 60,000 copies. It is limited to our
circle," said Zastrow.

He said that the second album was underway. The project
started in the middle of last Ramadhan. The contents are still
religious messages taken from the holy verses of the Koran and
Al-Barzanji script containing the Shalawat Nabi. The project is
expected to be completed soon.