Arts: Drasandhi, Not an Ordinary Drum Band

Bangkalan- that noon, Drasandhi (March of students and alumni of pon-pes Darul hikmah) is setting out for a play in a wedding ceremony, they (member of drasandhi) are in high spirit, for they are different; while majority of drum band groups in bangkalan city whose play are for money, this white-clothed-and-blue-panted drum band group plays for dakwah, Yes, their main and only purpose is dakwah

Since its first formed, Drasandhi has been like that, it doesn’t matter where, who, and when. If invited, it surely comes.  Drasandhi also plays for many events and not only for wedding ceremony, it was ever invited by the regent of bangkalan city in 2009 to enliven his campaign ceremony, and once again, its purpose is solely dakwah. 

Fortunately, the wings had a chance to interview the leader of this unique drum band group, Imamulmuttaqin jauhari,  here it is the interview:

Q: assalamu’alaikum

A: wa’alikum salam, have a seat

Q: thank you very much, busy?

A: yes, we are about to playing in one’s wedding ceremony in kwanyar

Q: may I ask some questions regarding drasandhi?

A: hmm….it’s okay, however just for 5 minutes, because we have to get going soon

Q: thanks, actually, I hear people said that this group’s purpose is dakwah, is that right?

A: absolutely right

Q: what does it mean? You mean this group doesn’t collect any money at all when invited?

A: of course not, we also collect money, but the money is just for covering vehicles, repairing the instrument, and expanding our pesanteren; we collect money, not for individual purpose, but for pesantren.

Q: ooh, what about dakwah? you just said that its purpose is dakwah.

A: dakwah. yes, we play for dakwah we play so that many students will come to learn drum band in this pesantren.

Q: learn drum band?

A: yes, this drumband will be bait for them, and when they actually learn drum band here, we also include religious lessons like fiqih, tasawwuf, and etc, so anyone learning drum band here not only gets arts lessons, but also gets religious lessons, it’s like throwing one stone for two birds.   

Q: does it give any result?

A: yes, since this drum band is formed, our yearly register student rises up to 200%.

Q: one more question, who is the coach?

A: the coach is me

Q: so, you are the one teaching them all how to use the instruments, aren’t you? Then do you have any experience before coaching drasandhi?

A: well, that’s another point why sometimes drasandhi is said to be unique, we get all of drum band knowledge self-taughtly; no one here has any experience in drum band, nor do I, we learn it our-selves.

Unfortunately the wings has to stop the interview because the coach is about to go

 

Pos-penas: drasandhi when closed the pos-penas, visibly the member of drasandhi are posing in the front of pos-penas poster in sidoarjo stadium on 11 july 2010

Many awards

     Drasandhi, despite the fact that it is from pesantren, has many awards; in 2007, it won third place of Bangkalan championship, in 2008, it won the first place in the same championship, in the next year it got the honor to play at the office of governor of east java in Surabaya, and ultimately, Drasandhi got the honor to play in the front of president in both the opening and the closing of pos-penas (week of sport festival for pesantren) in sidoarjo at 2010

Adjusting the line: the majorette is arranging the line of drasandhi when playing at the office of governor of east java on July 2009 (qosim/darul-hikmah)