Ahmad Dhani
Encyclopedia
Dhani Ahmad Prasetyo better known as Ahmad Dhani or Dhani Manaf, is an Indonesia
n rock
musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer. Described as a "rock star", Dhani is the frontman of Dewa 19
and Ahmad Band
, and also a member of inter-continental band The Rock. He is also the owner and chairman of Republic Cinta Management.
Throughout his career, Dhani has scored many hits and also has been a talent promoter for the careers of other artist including Maia Ahmad, Agnes Monica
, Alexa Key and Mulan Jameela
, and has written songs for these artists and others. He has won numerous awards including the IMA best musical arrangement and best producer and many other awards as the member of Dewa 19. His influence in the industry made him one of the most influential musician in Southeast Asia
.
with Joyce Theresia Pamela Kohler, an Indonesian of German
-Jewish
descent. His grandfather, Friederich Kohler was a German Jew who fled to Indonesia to escape Nazi
rule. Dhani stepsister, Dadang S. Manaf is an acknowledged Indonesian musician and is a big influence on Dhani musical interest since his childhood. Dhani's father bought him a keyboard when he was young and paid for musical lessons, highly persuading him and hoping Dhani would excel in classical music.
Early in his Dewa career, Dhani begin to put an interest in jazz
music which is then followed by the change in the name of Dewa into Downbeat. Together with Downbeat, Dhani won the Youth Jazz Festival in East Java, and became the first winner of Festival '90, a high school band competition at the Djarum
Super Fiesta Musical. But finally back to focus on Rock genre and flying the flag of Dewa with the addition of a new vocalist Ari Lasso.
Since there is no adequate studio in Surabaya, in 1991 Ahmad Dhani moved to Jakarta
to look for a record company for Dewa 19. With minimum investment, Dhani step into the national capital city, roaming from one record company to another using public buses. Having been rejected by a number of labels, eventually Dhani talent is recognized and Dewa is recruited by Jan Djuhana from Team Records. Their first album "Dewa 19" (1992) became a huge success with a number of hits such as "Kangen" and "Kita Tidak Sedang Bercinta Lagi". The album was the best-selling album of 1993 and Dewa was awarded as best newcomer in the Indonesian Music Awards.
Since it's inception, Dhani has helped to produce eleven Album for the band including Dewa 19 (1992), Format Masa Depan (1994), Terbaik Terbaik (1995), Pandawa Lima (1997), The Best Of Dewa 19 (1999), Bintang Lima (2000), Cintailah Cinta (2002), Atas Nama Cinta I & II (2004), Laskar Cinta (2004), Republik Cinta (2006), dan Kerajaan Cinta (2007). Although it has been through several changes of personnel, Dewa 19 still is a one of the biggest force in the Indonesian music arena mainly with Dhani as their driving force.
His album Warriors of Love (Laskar Cinta) reportedly "challenged militant ideology" and was "massively popular" in Indonesia.
ic prominent Sufi
leader whom he admires, namely Ahmad Al Gazali, El Jalaluddin Rumi, and Ahmad Abdul Qadir Jilani. Since late 2006, Dhani and his wife had been in an affair of 'accused alleges' that led to the divorce suit filed by Maia Estianty. Their households officially ended on September 23, 2008 through the decisions of judges in South Jakarta Sharia
Court. Dhani had since married Mulan Jameela
, a singer and former member of the disbanded duo pop group Ratu of which Maia is the other member.
He is highly influnced by the British
rock band Queen
.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer. Described as a "rock star", Dhani is the frontman of Dewa 19
Dewa 19
Dewa 19 , often referred to as Dewa, were an Indonesian rock band originating from Surabaya, East Java....
and Ahmad Band
Ahmad Band
Ahmad Band is a rock band from Indonesia and the solo one-off project of lead member, Ahmad Dhani. The band consists of Andra Ramadhan , Pay Siburian, Bonky, and Bimo Sulaksono....
, and also a member of inter-continental band The Rock. He is also the owner and chairman of Republic Cinta Management.
Throughout his career, Dhani has scored many hits and also has been a talent promoter for the careers of other artist including Maia Ahmad, Agnes Monica
Agnes Monica
Agnes Monica is an Indonesian recording artist and actress. Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, she started her career in entertainment industry at the age of six as a child singer. She has recorded three albums which established herself as one of the most popular child singers in the 1990s...
, Alexa Key and Mulan Jameela
Mulan Jameela
Mulan Jameela is a famous Indonesian solo singer.-Career with Ratu:Mulan started her career as a café singer and joined several bands. Her popularity began when she formed a duo Ratu with Maia Ahmad in 2005. The duo released an album on the Sony BMG label in August 2005, entitled Ratu & Friends...
, and has written songs for these artists and others. He has won numerous awards including the IMA best musical arrangement and best producer and many other awards as the member of Dewa 19. His influence in the industry made him one of the most influential musician in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
.
Early life
Ahmad Dhani was the first child of three children of the marriage between Eddy Abdul Manaf, an Indonesian DiplomatDiplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
with Joyce Theresia Pamela Kohler, an Indonesian of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
-Jewish
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
descent. His grandfather, Friederich Kohler was a German Jew who fled to Indonesia to escape Nazi
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
rule. Dhani stepsister, Dadang S. Manaf is an acknowledged Indonesian musician and is a big influence on Dhani musical interest since his childhood. Dhani's father bought him a keyboard when he was young and paid for musical lessons, highly persuading him and hoping Dhani would excel in classical music.
Dewa 19
Dhani musical talent began to show when he still in secondary school. Along with his friends Andra Junaidi, Erwin Prasetya, and Henry Juniarso, he formed the band Dewa 19 {ofter referred to as Dewa} in 1986 of which Dhani act as a vocalist and keyboardist. Highly interested in music, Dhani often skip school just to hang out with his friends and play musical instruments at Henry's house in the area of Airlangga University complex.Early in his Dewa career, Dhani begin to put an interest in jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music which is then followed by the change in the name of Dewa into Downbeat. Together with Downbeat, Dhani won the Youth Jazz Festival in East Java, and became the first winner of Festival '90, a high school band competition at the Djarum
Djarum
Djarum is an Indonesian kretek manufacturer and currently the third largest after Gudang Garam and HM Sampoerna. It was founded in 1951 by Oei Wie Gwan and has 2 headquarters in Indonesia and Malaysia.-History:...
Super Fiesta Musical. But finally back to focus on Rock genre and flying the flag of Dewa with the addition of a new vocalist Ari Lasso.
Since there is no adequate studio in Surabaya, in 1991 Ahmad Dhani moved to Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
to look for a record company for Dewa 19. With minimum investment, Dhani step into the national capital city, roaming from one record company to another using public buses. Having been rejected by a number of labels, eventually Dhani talent is recognized and Dewa is recruited by Jan Djuhana from Team Records. Their first album "Dewa 19" (1992) became a huge success with a number of hits such as "Kangen" and "Kita Tidak Sedang Bercinta Lagi". The album was the best-selling album of 1993 and Dewa was awarded as best newcomer in the Indonesian Music Awards.
Since it's inception, Dhani has helped to produce eleven Album for the band including Dewa 19 (1992), Format Masa Depan (1994), Terbaik Terbaik (1995), Pandawa Lima (1997), The Best Of Dewa 19 (1999), Bintang Lima (2000), Cintailah Cinta (2002), Atas Nama Cinta I & II (2004), Laskar Cinta (2004), Republik Cinta (2006), dan Kerajaan Cinta (2007). Although it has been through several changes of personnel, Dewa 19 still is a one of the biggest force in the Indonesian music arena mainly with Dhani as their driving force.
His album Warriors of Love (Laskar Cinta) reportedly "challenged militant ideology" and was "massively popular" in Indonesia.
Personal life
Dhani married Maia Estianty in 1994, after a long relationship when both are still in secondary school at SMA Negeri 2 Surabaya. They have 3 children from their marriage of which Dhani named after IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic prominent Sufi
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
leader whom he admires, namely Ahmad Al Gazali, El Jalaluddin Rumi, and Ahmad Abdul Qadir Jilani. Since late 2006, Dhani and his wife had been in an affair of 'accused alleges' that led to the divorce suit filed by Maia Estianty. Their households officially ended on September 23, 2008 through the decisions of judges in South Jakarta Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
Court. Dhani had since married Mulan Jameela
Mulan Jameela
Mulan Jameela is a famous Indonesian solo singer.-Career with Ratu:Mulan started her career as a café singer and joined several bands. Her popularity began when she formed a duo Ratu with Maia Ahmad in 2005. The duo released an album on the Sony BMG label in August 2005, entitled Ratu & Friends...
, a singer and former member of the disbanded duo pop group Ratu of which Maia is the other member.
He is highly influnced by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rock band Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
.
External links
- "Republic Cinta Management"
- "Ahmad Dhani Meets With Children at Rumah Belajar", US Department of State
- "Eddy Abdul Manaf Interview"
- "Ahmad Dhani, Yahudi, dan Lagu Cinta"