Trisutji finds herself in religious songs

Trisutji finds herself in religious songs

By Rita A. Widiadana

JAKARTA (JP): The adzhan reverberation from nearby mosques may
be heard as just the routine call for Moslems to perform their
prayers, but for Trisutji Juliati Kamal, a prominent Indonesian
composer, it inspires her music compositions.

"I trembled when I heard the adzhan one day in l974. The sound
was so beautiful yet so full of mystery. I was deeply touched. So
great was my spiritual enlightenment it moved me to create a song
based on the notes of the adzhan," Trisutji said during a recent
interview with The Jakarta Post at her house in Cipete, South
Jakarta.

The song, Tembang, was her first religious music composition.
Tembang is classical Javanese poetry reciting traditionally
accompanied by a gamelan ensemble.

"At that time, I felt that my life had just begun. Since I
wrote my first religious song, I have never lacked inspiration.
It flows from my imagination as easily as water flows from a
river," said the mother of three adult children.

Trisutji realized then that she had chosen the right path. She
became more impassioned in exploring themes from the Koran and
hadith.

Her music began to reflect her self-contemplation and was rich
in religious nuances. In l982, she wrote Lakon (The Story), a
music composition for piano, percussion and choir which portrays
the journey of a man going through several phases in his life.

In l984, she composed Penghayatan Bulan Suci (Suite
Revelations of the Islamic Holy Month), which consists of the
pieces Ramadhan, Malam Takbir and Idul Fitri.

Her explorations in the religious world became more intense
after she performed the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in l991. Her
intangible experience during the pilgrimage inspired her to write
a number of compositions which some music critics regard her
best.

In this period, she wrote Menara Mesjid Nabawi (The Minarets
of the Prophet's Mosque), Zikir (Chant), Wukuf di Arafah (Wukuf
at Arafah), Dialog and Persembahan (Offerings).

Dialog was inspired by surah Al Fatihah in the Koran, praise
to God, and praise to the Prophet Muhammad.

Royal

Born on Nov. 28, 1936, Trisutji grew in a royal family that
loved music and arts. Her mother was a daughter of Prince
Hadiwijoyo from the Surakarta Sultanate in Central Java. The
prince was the son of Sultan Pakubuwono X. Trisutji's father, Dr.
Djulham Surjowijoyo, was a descendant of Sultan Langkat in North
Sumatera.

Trisutji inherited her parents' artistic talents.
Her mother was an ardent Javanese dancer and she mastered a
number of traditional Javanese music instruments. Her father was
a talented violinist.

"Although we lived in Langkat, my mother always created a
Javanese atmosphere in our home. I learned traditional Javanese
dances and music from my mother while my father taught me to play
Western musical instruments," she said.

Her mother encoraged her to write compositions, Trisutji
recalled.

"My mother always asked me to write a letter in ancient
Javanese language to my grandfather in Surakarta once a week. It
helped develop my habit of writing. Then I tried to write songs
and music lyrics when I was still seven years old," Trisutji
said.

Trisutji said she always played her childhood compositions in
front of her mother.

"She was my first and most faithful audience. She criticized
and praised my works. Therefore, most of my earlier compositions
were dedicated to my mother," she said.

Knowing that Trisutji had musical talent, the Djulhams sent
their daughter to Amsterdam in l955.

Trisutji registered herself with the Amsterdam Conservatory
and became a student of composer Henk Bading.

She continued studying piano and compositions at the Ecole
Normale de Musique in Paris and then at the Conservatorio Santa
Cecilia in Rome. She graduated in l965 and returned to Indonesia
two years later.

Today, Trisutji has is one of the top of the Indonesian music
circle. She has produced more than 200 compositions for
orchestra, piano, percussion, dance, background music and vocals
which have enriched the Indonesian music dictionary.

Her musical achievement is also recognized overseas. Many of
her compositions are played by orchestras in Japan, South Korea,
Italy, France and the Netherlands. She is frequently invited to
perform concerts in foreign countries.

She returned from a tour of Spain, Morocco and Egypt last
month.

In December l993, she was invited by the Hungarian Union of
Composers and the Indonesian Embassy in Hungary to stage a piano
recital in Budapest.

In l994, she visited Scandinavia and performed a duo-piano
concert with the accompaniment of Balinese percussion.

In l995, Trisutji and her group held a piano concert in Kuala
Lumpur. The group also performed in Bangkok where Trisutji played
and arranged a music composition written by the king of Thailand.

Some of her piano compositions were recorded by German radio,
West Deutsche Rundfunk, and then broadcast regularly in Germany
and other European countries between November l995 and June l996.

"I am very happy to introduce Indonesian Islamic music around
the world. We are lucky that foreign audiences appreciate our
music," she said.

Asked why many younger musicians prefer to play pop or rock
music rather than contemporary music, Trisutji responded that it
is because a strong educational background is required to play
more serious music.

Indonesian contemporary music derives ideas from traditional
Indonesian music and Western classical music.

"Adequate musical background will help a musician express his
ideas. But many younger musicians are reluctant to learn more
about music," she said.

"Younger musicians should master various musical techniques to
enable them to create good compositions," Trisutji suggested.

Ethnomusicologist Franki Raden praised Trisutji's works such
as Ramadhan and Mesjid Nabawi as remarkable pieces.

"Most of Trisutji's works are a blend of artistic and
spiritual experiences. They are contemplative, suggestive and
rich in musical nuances which are hardly found in Indonesian
contemporary music," Franki noted.

Technically, Trisutji has succeeded in coming out of the
influence of Western music standards. Today, Trisutji's music has
matured.

"She is no longer trapped in her previous musical concept
which was dominated by pentatonic sounds (derived from Javanese
and Arabic sources). Her music sounds original now," Franki said.

Trend

Trisutji explained she does not want to follow any music trend
when composing. "I want to be myself and I want to be honest in
my work," the 60 year old said.

She admitted, though, that the influence of various music
elements is inevitable in any work. She said many musical genres
occupy her memory.

"I have been familiar with Javanese and Malayan music since I
was a child. Then I studied Western music in Europe for more than
10 years. When I write a song, both traditional and Western music
elements will more or less affect my work," she acknowledged.

Trisutji said many people call her both a contemporary and
experimental musician.

"Every composer who is still living and producing is
categorized as a contemporary musician, but I refuse to be called
an experimentalist," she said.

To her, experimental music is something that needs
improvement, something unfinished.

"When I create a composition, I feel that it is a complete and
finished work. It is not an experiment. I don't mind if people do
not like my music. Every musician has his or her own
characteristics," Trisutji said.

She also said a musician must go through several career
stages. Her early years search for themes from Indonesian folk
melodies. She improvised several traditional folk songs into
contemporary music.

"With God's blessing, I was introduced to the Islamic music
concept 20 years ago," said Trisutji. .

Now, she tries to develop sounds from tajwid, the proper
pronunciation for correct reciting of the Koran.

"The tajwid is rich in melodies. I try hard to develop it into
a beautiful composition," said the grandmother of a seven-year-
old boy. She then admitted that previously she was not as
religious as she is now.

"Since I wrote my first religious composition, my inner life
has become richer. People change when they are older," Trisutji
concluded.