Jakarta - A driving passion to bring a group of high school students to perform traditional angklung music around Europe despite a very tight budget has led Maulana M. Syuhada to experience miracle after miracle.
Not only did the team of 35 students from Bandung, who finally departed for Europe after borrowing some 8,000 euros from their school board, seize attention at European festivals but they also won a number of judges` highest awards during their 40-day adventure around Europe in 2004.
Maulana, who is currently pursuing his doctoral degree at the Lancaster University`s School of Management in the United Kingdom, recalled that time as the best period of his life -- a moment when a seemingly deadlocked crisis ended in an international tribute from people absorbed in the beautiful clear sounds produced by the instruments made from bamboo.
The story of Maulana and his 35 students, which has been published in a book titled Forty days in Europe, started with the passion to revive the long-abandoned traditional instrument from West Java.
"I was astonished with the way foreign people appreciated angklung," said Maulana, a native of West Java who brought his love of angklung to Hamburg, Germany, in 2001.
He was in Germany to pursue his master`s degree in production management at Technische Universitaet Hamburg-Harburg.
While absorbed in his studies, Maulana also established an angklung group consisting of university students, who performed at several local events.
"There was lots of applause every time our group finished playing. I then realized that angklung had yet to lose its fame. We were going to revive it and so I took the chance when my alma mater contacted me to help them organize their journey," said the 31 year-old Maulana.
From July 22 to Aug. 30, 2004, Maulana took the students, grouped under Angklung Lovers of Bandung Senior High 3, or KPA 3, to travel from festival to festival in Europe. The trip included performances in Bremen, Berlin, Brussels and Paris, with its peak at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Scotland, followed by performances in Prague, Munich and Frankfurt.
The crisis began long before they arrived in Europe when suddenly their major sponsor, a multibillion-dollar mining company, canceled its pledged 10,000 euro donation after all preparations and schedules had been confirmed.
"I was really shocked to think that the whole year of preparations I had done might just fall through. We might not only fail to perform, I could also be sent to jail because of the breach of contract with European festival organizers. Our group had agreed to perform with our own money and we couldn`t simply cancel it."
Maulana said they were bound by contracts not only with event organizers but also with the accommodation and transportation companies he had contacted to facilitate them.
"We had no choice at that time, the show must go on. Those students had to join the festivals, no matter what. Besides, they had been preparing for the journey and money was no reason to quit."
The group finally departed for Europe after borrowing 8,000 euros from the school board.
"I told my group we could sell CDs of our angklung performances and other souvenirs, including our angklung sets to cover the 10,000 euros we were short."
"My suggestion actually didn`t make any sense. I knew from the very first time we would not be able to raise that much money only by selling CDs. It wasn`t realistic, but I had to keep their spirits up," he said.
Although being in debt, preoccupied with the cash shortage and having to live within the tight budget during their long stay in Europe, Syuhada and his group managed to make a splash.
Their performances seized audiences` attention, winning first prize at a festival in Kostelec, Czech Republic, and the highest award of Ciupaga at the Zakopane festival in Poland.
In addition, the Zakopane festival also already awarded them with a gold medal for folk band category and silver for soloist category. There were four categories contested at the Zakopane festival.
"Initially, we actually performed as a special quest and not as a participant in the Zakopane festival. Somehow, the judges said they were deeply impressed with the way we performed angklung and they decided to give the award to our team."
"It was like a dream when the committee said we won the highest award since we were expecting nothing more than applause."
During their performances at festivals, Maulana`s group played several traditional songs from Minangkabau and Tapanuli and also national songs, such as "Tanah Air" (Motherland) and "Indonesia Pusaka" (Indonesia, the Heritage).
Team member Anggi Utami Dewi also participated in the festival`s competition in which she had to sing in Polish, deliver a speech in Polish and dance the country`s national dance. At the close of the festival, KPA 3 staged a famous Balinese dance and another angklung performance, but with a modern flavor, playing "New York, New York".
"The audience kept applauding for us and they didn`t seem to stop unless we gave them more," recalled Maulana.
The memorable journey in Europe soon turned into a nightmare after they got back to Indonesia.
The team still owed the school board some 8,000 euros and the Aberdeen festival organizers another 8,000 euros.
The team managed to raise some 8,000 euros during their performances in Europe, including a sum of money donated by Indonesian consulates in European cities. They decided to use it to pay the school board. To cover the other 8,000 euros, the team decided to put on several fund-raising performances at home.
"But once we got home, we were all already busy with our own activities. Besides, with the tsunami disaster at that time, it seemed we would not be able to raise enough money because people would prefer to make donations to help tsunami victims."
Although the tsunami might have hampered them in raising funds, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
"We wrote a letter to the Aberdeen festival trustee at that time, telling them we couldn`t raise money to pay for the festival debt."
In February 2005, the Aberdeen committee informed KPA 3 that they would not need to pay the debt. They agreed to clear the debt.
"It sounded like another miracle just arrived. Once I heard the news, I directly prayed to God for his blessing during the start of our seemingly impossible journey till now. Things would not be able to happen without His willingness," said Maulana.
Taking angklung international gave Maulana the best experience of his life.
"It was the most worthwhile experience in my life and I would not trade it for anything else," said the second of three children.
The successor of KPA 3 will depart for Italy and Greece on July 15. Maulana decided not to take part to focus on his academic research.
"They already have everything settled except for the money. Classic problem. But I believe they will make it." Lilian Budianto
