Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah

"Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" (English: "In the Name of Allah" or "Saying the Name of Allah") is a song recorded, co-written, composed and arranged by Indonesian musician, songwriter and record producer Dwiki Dharmawan. It was released independently in March 1993, as the lead single of Dwiki's special album of the same name, through Musica Studios as its distributor. Written by Ags. Arya Dipayana and features vocals performed by singer and actress Novia Kolopaking, it is primarily an Islamic-influenced pop song with keyboards and choir-like vocals, while the lyrics hint towards themselves do many ways to feel good.

Considered as Kolopaking's signature song, "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" was a commercial success and boosted Dwiki's popularity. It entered the Aneka Top 13 Hits Indonesia chart at number seven, marking Kolopaking's only Islamic song to chart. The song received positive reviews from critics, who praised the lyrics. It has also been featured in various films and television series and covered by many artists, in their different renditions, including the band Gigi and internet celebrity Nagita Slavina.

"Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah"

A sample of "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah", demonstrating an emphasis on keyboards and choir-like vocals during the chorus.

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The song's composer, Dwiki Dharmawan, revealed that it was inspired by Ags. Arya Dipayana's poems that he read in 1989.^[1] Shortly after, Dwiki and Arya Dipayana began writing "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah", along with "Kepada Kesangsian".^[2] Then twenty-year-old singer and actress Novia Kolopaking recorded the former in 1993.^[3]

Musically, it is an Islamic pop song incorporates an emphasis on keyboards, "catchy" choir-like vocals during the chorus and "aesthetic" key modulation, with lyrics vividly unravel themselves to do better things in many ways.^[4] In terms of musical notation, the song is recorded in the key of A-flat major, with a tempo of 76 beats per minute in a ⁴
₄ common time.^[5][6]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah.^[7]

Studio

• Recorded at Mixmasters Studios, Jakarta
• Recorded at Musica Studios, Jakarta

Personnel

• Novia Kolopaking — lead vocals
• Dwiki Dharmawan — composition, production, arrangement
• Ags. Arya Dipayana — lyrics, production
• Herry Ramdhiana — operation
• Donny Lissapoly — operation

"Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" was met with generally positive reviews.^[a] Hera Diani of The Jakarta Post describing it the "most famous" song written by Dwiki.^[11] Susi Ivvaty, writing for Kompas, states that "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" has still received airplays and subsequently been covered extensively by many artists in a variety of styles on most occasions.^[12] Asti Prativi of the IDN Times described this song has "meaningfully simplified" lyrics.^[13] Joanna Purba of Rappler describes "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" as a song that "always played at many shopping malls every Ramadan".^[14]

"Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" first appeared on Top 13 Hits Indonesia chart on the 18 May 1993 issue of Aneka at number seven,^[15] boosting Dwiki and Arya Dipayana's popularity.^[16][17]

Kolopaking sang the song on several occasions.^[18] She and Dewi Gita both performed "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" for performances in Semarak Takbir and TPI's Idul Fitri Concert on 8 and 10 February 1997, respectively.^[19][20] Gita's performance included Addie MS' Twilite Orchestra as the accompaniment. The song was also part of Kolopaking's solo concert Hati Matahari in 2011, accompanied by Matarantai orchestra.^[21] Indonesian band Ecoutez and singer Iwan Abdie both performed "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" at the 13th Ramadan Jazz Festival, on 29 and 30 March 2024 respectively.^[22][23]

"Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" was covered in 1997 by Indonesian singer-songwriter Ita Purnamasari, whose husband Dwiki Dharmawan wrote and arranged the original version in 1992. Before marrying to Dwiki in 1995, Ita liked and covered it when she had previously performed on Ramadan events.^[25]

She released it again, in a modern pop sensibility done by Dwiki, on her second special album Spiritual Journey, released on 18 June 2015.^[26]

On 6 January 1997, Ita performed "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" during Harmoko's awarding ceremony, held by Republika.^[27] She performed it again during the eighty-eighth episode of Pentas Sejuta Aksi, on 18 January 1998.^[28]

In 2004, Indonesian band Gigi covered the song in an acoustic rock version, taken from the album Raihlah Kemenangan. While the original version recorded in the key of A-flat major with a tempo of 76 beats per minute, their version set in a time signature of ³
₄ and recorded in the key of E major,^[29] with a tempo of 174 beats per minute.

Gigi promoted the album with a series of live performances on Indonesian concert tours. It became the set list of the band's Ngabuburit Tour.^[30] In August 2008, the band sang the song at Pintu Surgamu, a collaborative concert of Gigi and Ungu.^[31]

Personnel adapted from album's liner notes.^[32]

Studio

• Recorded at Temple Island Studio
• Mixed and mastered at Slingshot Studio

Personnel

• Armand Maulana — vocals
• Dewa Budjana — guitar
• Thomas Ramdhan — bass
• Gusti Hendy — drum

Production

• Stephan Santoso — mixing, mastering

Since its original release, "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" has spawned numerous other versions and been performed by numerous other singers. In 1996, a duet version recorded by Elfa's Singers members Rita Effendy and Agus Wisman, taken from Effendy's special album Semesta Tuhan.^[33] Dwiki and his orchestra performed an orchestral version of the song, which was included on Ita Purnamasari's special album KepadaMu Ya Allah in 1996.^[34] Indonesian actress Marshanda, who portrayed the title character of Soleha, covered "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" in 2007.^[35] Lana Nitibaskara covered the song with arrangements by Tito P. Soenardi, taken from Dwiki's thirtieth anniversary tribute album Collaborating Harmony: Dwiki Dharmawan and the compilation album 12 Lagu Islami Terbaik, both released in 2014.^[36][37] In 2017, Andini performed a remake of the song live with Dwiki, and became a commercial success.^[38] On 13 June of that year, Indonesian singer-songwriter Vicky Prasetyo covered "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" in a version with presenter Vega Darwanti, which posted on his Instagram account. Prasetyo stated that his voice was "sounded like Doraemon, rather than Armand Maulana".^[39] Shortly after, the Purwa Caraka Music Studio Choir performed a cover of "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" for the film Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan, arranged by Fero Aldiansya Stefanus and Syahrier Helmy.^[40] Nagita Slavina performed a cover of the song with arrangements by Tohpati, released on 3 May 2019. Her own version received generally positive reviews by critics, including her vocals. A music video for her own rendition was directed by Wanda Hara and uploaded on Rans Entertainment's YouTube channel eleven days after.^[41] In 2020, the Indonesian dangdut artists performed "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" as part of Satu Indonesia charity concert, held on 10 May.^[42] Nathalie Holscher, Sule's wife, covered "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" in April 2021 at the time of conflicts between her and her husband, which began in October 2020.^[43] Holscher's version received mixed reviews upon its release.^[44]

Following the release of "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah", the song has been used in many Indonesian films and television series, such as the 1995 film Regret and 2017 television series Kisah Nyata.^[28][45]

• List of songs written by Dwiki Dharmawan

Bibliography