Rhoma Irama, A Series of Untold Stories from the Past That You Might Not Know Until His View on Music: 'Songs are the Conveyors of God's Word'

Kapanlagi.com - Rhoma Irama has truly become a king in the world of dangdut music. He was introduced to music at a very young age. As cited from the book RHOMA IRAMA POLITIK DAKWAH DALAM NADA (Rhoma Irama: Politics of Preaching in Tones) written by Moh. Shofan, the talent of the King of Dangdut was already visible when he was in second grade of elementary school.

But did you know that the main star of the film Satria Bergitar (The Guitar Knight) actually had painful experiences in his childhood and youth? Yes, before achieving success like he is now, he went through many ups and downs in life.

The real name of the King of Dangdut himself is Raden Irama. Rhoma is a combination of the words 'Raden', 'Haji', and 'Oma', which are terms of endearment from his mother. Meanwhile, Irama comes from the name of a Sundanese theater group called Irama Baru (New Rhythm).

His father, Raden Burdah Anggawirjaya, belonged to the Sumedang nobility and served as the Commander of the Garuda Putih Battalion in the Tasikmalaya area, West Java. Rhoma's mother, Tuty Djuariah, had family ties to Prince Jayakarta. When she was pregnant with Rhoma, his mother once dreamed of carrying a beautiful rose. Now, that rose has transformed into the King of Dangdut who has produced many works in both music and film.

1. Empty Class for Watching Rhoma

Rhoma's talent in the music world has been evident since he was young, he was able to sing Western and Indian songs when he was in 2nd grade. The second child out of fourteen siblings also often listened to Middle Eastern songs sung by Umi Kaltsum.

While some children feel shy when asked to sing in front of the class, it doesn't apply to Rhoma. He was so diligent in showcasing his talent in front of his friends. Other students even left their classes to watch Rhoma.

2. Escape Through the Window

Rhoma loves music so much, his father who is skilled in playing the flute and proficient in Cianjuran songs passed down his talent to Ridho Rhoma's father. Because of his love for music, he was willing to skip school several times to play music with his friends.

Do you know what the owner of the real name Raden Irama did? He would climb out of the window and escape with his friends. Of course, this had an impact on his attendance at school.

3. Sell Clothes and Sing

Because of being naughty and often skipping classes, Rhoma finally stayed in class. To overcome his embarrassment, the singer born on December 11, 1946, chose to transfer schools.

At first, Rhoma wanted to study at Pesantren Tebu Ireng, Jombang, East Java, but because he didn't buy a train ticket, Rhoma, his older brother, and three of his friends were finally dropped off in Solo.

He also attended St. Joseph High School, Solo. The bitter life was experienced by the King of Dangdut before he became successful like now. It was reported that he once sold clothes brought from Jakarta and sang on the streets to finance his education.

However, in one occasion, Rhoma Irama denied the fact. Tukul Arwana, who was the host of the show, asked Rhoma Irama a question. "Hoax or fact, when you were studying in Solo, Mr. Haji (Rhoma Irama) once became a street performer to earn money?," Tukul Arwana asked.

"Not really, I guess," Rhoma Irama answered Tukul's question. In Solo, Rhoma Irama didn't graduate and eventually had to return to Jakarta to continue his education at SMA 17 Agustus and graduated in 1964.

4. Frequent Fighting

Fighting is something that Rhoma often did when he was young. He was even made a leader by his friends because of his bravery.

Once, Rhoma found himself being mistaken. He was beaten up because he was thought to have stolen someone's girlfriend. But in fact, that person was not Rhoma.

Rhoma considered the act of gang beating to be unfair. He believed that attacking one person collectively was not fair, especially when the attack was a case of mistaken identity.

5. Wants to be a Judge

Rhoma's father wanted him to become a doctor. But little did he know that when asked about his aspirations, Rhoma wanted to be a judge instead. His hope was to defend anyone who experienced injustice.

He briefly studied social politics at Universitas 17 Agustus, but only lasted for a year. He decided to leave the campus because he was forced to cut his long hair.

6. Song Creation Process

In an interview aired on the Youtube channel FORSA DKI JAKARTA OFFICIAL, Rhoma Irama revealed the process of creating a song. According to him, creating a song does not have to be done in a quiet and solitary atmosphere.

"It's not necessary, the process of creating a song doesn't have to be in seclusion. Maybe during the process, yes, but when inspiration comes, it can come while driving, again, even at any time. When inspiration comes, we capture it. Capture that inspiration, then we produce it, we perfect it, like that," said Rhoma Irama.

Rhoma Irama then continued that his songs can have many characteristics, such as social issues, human rights, and even dakwah (religious preaching). He tries to convey the word of God through the art he creates.

"Now, as for the lyrics of the song, there are several classifications, there are true stories, real stories, there are stories that we adopt from other people's events, there are purely imaginative ones, and there are also those taken from social issues like gambling songs, human rights songs, and various other social issues. Then there are also those that are dakwah, Ballighu 'annee wala ayahto convey the word of Allah even if it's just one verse. That's the process of creating a song," he concluded.

7. Rhoma Irama's View on Music

In an event titled World Music and Dance in Japan, Rhoma Irama was interviewed by the Rector of the University of Tokyo. The Rector asked Rhoma why his songs are full of religious and social messages. Rhoma answered with the following wise words.

"I answered, 'music is not just for fun but it has responsibility to Allah and human beings. Music is not for happiness, but it has a responsibility to Allah and to humans, why? Because the power of music can change attitude, the power of music can influence a person's character, with music, a person can become good or bad,'" said Rhoma Irama. 

8. Diving into the World of Film

The soaring popularity of Rhoma Irama in the music world apparently caught the attention of film producers as a business opportunity. When he received an offer, Rhoma Irama did not immediately agree to it. He laid out a number of conditions. One of them was that he did not want to portray someone else's character.

"I said okay with a few conditions. First, I don't want to be an actor, meaning I will portray myself, I don't want to be a fictional character, 'why is that, brother haji?' I once saw a film star in my family, I was so impressed with his character but when I met him, he was completely different. The person I admired in the film turned out to be nothing like what I saw in the film. I was deeply disappointed at that time, apparently you're just like this in the film, that's what I said," said Rhoma Irama.

9. Diligent in Praying

Rhoma has been successful in his career, not only in music but also in acting. He has starred in 4 television series and 29 films. His work in the dangdut music industry is undeniable, with a total of 36 solo albums and 26 film soundtrack albums produced.

Now, the King of Dangdut is 74 years old, with a plethora of achievements in the music world, especially in dangdut. Although no longer young, Rhoma always appears energetic in every performance. It turns out that his secret is his devotion, which is not as complicated as many people think, right?

"By praying to Allah, the heart becomes calm. When the heart is calm, there is no stress, no worries. So, God willing, with a lot of devotion, we feel more at peace," said Rhoma Irama at Hotel Indonesia Kempinski, Central Jakarta, as reported by liputan6.com. Seeing Rhoma Irama's struggle up to this point, it can be a motivation for the younger generation, especially those involved in dangdut music, to never give up.

(kpl/cvn/ums)