Dwiki Dharmawan (/dɑːrmɑːwɑːn/ or /dərmɑːwɑːn/; born 19 August 1966) is an Indonesian songwriter, record producer, conductor and actor. He began taking classical piano lessons at the age of six, then began writing songs and founding Krakatau with his bandmates Pra Budi Dharma and Donny Suhendra in high school. The band released their breakout single "Gemilang" in 1987, to critical success, selling over 800,000 copies.
After the break-up of Krakatau in 1990, Dwiki attempted to begin his solo career, released his first self-titled Indonesian album, Dwiki Dharmawan in 1991. One of his work, "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" which he co-wrote with Ags. Arya Dipayana in 1990, also received critical and commercial responses. Aside from writing songs for Krakatau and other artists, Dwiki also composed and conducted scores for films and television programs.
Dwiki's Indonesian discography includes four studio albums and one compilation album. He also ventured into the international music scene with the first five studio albums World Peace Orchestra (2009), So Far So Close (2015), Pasar Klewer (2016), Rumah Batu (The Stone House, 2018) and Hari Ketiga (Day Three, 2020). Dwiki have received numerous accolades, most notably the Citra Award for Best Original Score and the AMI Award for Best Jazz Album.
Life and career
1966–1990: Early life, Krakatau and solo endeavors
Dwiki was born on 19 August 1966 in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. He is the son of Yuniarti Sugatin and Safiyudin Sastrawijaya.[1] He began taking classical piano lessons at the age of six. As a child, Dwiki often likes to singing and listening to children's songs.[2] When he enters middle school at the age of thirteen, he started taking jazz music lessons.[3] He later founded Krakatau in 1984, with his bandmates Pra Budi Dharma and Donny Suhendra. In 1986, the band has changed its formation in addition of Trie Utami, Indra Lesmana and Gilang Ramadhan. They released their breakout eponymous album including the title track "Gemilang" ("Dazzling") composed by Dwiki and written by film producer Mira Lesmana, which became a critical and commercial success, selling over 800.000 copies.[4][5][6] In 1988, he began his soundtrack debut with Elegi Buat Nana. One of the songs that he written for the film, "Tiada Lagi Keraguan", entered domestic charts.[7] In 1990, he rearranged and interpolated the sound poetry "Aku Ingin" ("I Want") by artist Ags. Arya Dipayana and Sapardi Djoko Damono into a soundtrack for Garin Nugroho's film Cinta dalam Sepotong Roti (Love Is in a Slice of Bread).[8]
1991–1999
"Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" to Harkat Wanita
Dwiki won the Citra Award for Best Original Score through Cinta dalam Sepotong Roti in 1991. In the same year, Dwiki and Arya Dipayana wrote their first Islamic song "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" ("Saying the Name of Allah").[9] The song, which recorded by singer Novia Kolopaking in 1992, became a critical success.[10] Shortly after, he began his singing debut with the release of his self-titled debut studio album, Dwiki Dharmawan, in which he sung the title track "Di Antara Harapan" ("Between the Wishes") featuring Irma Basuki,[11] and "Sia-Sia Ku Menunggu" ("I'm So Futile to Wait for You"). In December 1994, he wrote and arranged the main theme for Bella Vista, titled "Impian Cinta" ("Dream of Love"), performed by Uchi Amyrtha and Iwan Zein.[12] Later, he wrote and arranged the soundtrack for Deru Debu for the series of the same name.[13] In 1995, Dwiki wrote "Tak Kan Hatiku Mendua" and won its first place at the year's Pop Song Festival. The song, which recorded by Ina Rawie, hits number-one on most Indonesian radio stations.[14] Shortly after, he founded his own pops orchestra, the Dwiki Dharmawan Orchestra, with their first performance was an Eid Mubarak concert in that year.[15] Dwiki also composed the score for many films and television programs,[16] with the first series he scored to make use of string orchestra was Christ Helweldery's Harkat Wanita (A Woman's Trait) in 1996.[17]
Bidadari Yang Terluka to Tembang Peduli
A year after, Dwiki provided the score for Bidadari Yang Terluka, another series directed by Helweldery.[18] He also wrote the title theme for the series with novelist Eddy D. Iskandar. In August of that year, he also re-established and reorganized the Farabi Music Education Center with his wife, Purnamasari, formerly owned by the late Jack Lesmana and his son, Indra.[19] A month after, Dwiki collaborated again with Iskandar, to wrote "Melangkah Di Atas Awan" for the series of the same name, performed by Ronnie Sianturi. In 1998, he produced the charity album, Tembang Peduli, featured the song of the same name that he co-wrote with Dipayana.[20] A year after, he collaborated again with his wife to release their children's book Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah.[21]
2000–2009: Asia Song Festival to World Peace Orchestra
Dwiki won the grand prize at the 2000 Asia Song Festival in the Philippines, through his work "Biarlah Ku Simpan dalam Hati", performed by Rita Effendy.[22]
In 2002, he released his first instrumental album under Sony Music, Nuansa, which consists of his previously unreleased works in the last five years, from 1996 until 2001.[23] On 4 August 2006, it was reported that Dwiki and his 99-piece orchestra would held an inaugural concert, Menembus Batas (Beyond the Limits), featuring popular singers and Islamic acts, like Melly Goeslaw, Opick, Sam Bimbo, Rachel Amanda, his wife Purnamasari, and Seurieus, accompanied by a 66-voice choir, which is a combination of the choirs of Unpad, Farabi and ESQ.[24] A year after, he founded his other international orchestra, the World Peace Orchestra. They performed at the Temecula Wine and Music Festival in California, United States, making the first time that the orchestra performed at the event.[25]
2013–present: Krakatau Reunion, international career and remakes
Dwiki's official logo since 2022
In 2013, it was announced that Dwiki return to perform with his band Krakatau for the first time since 1988, under the Krakatau Reunion banner,[26] however the comeback plans have been canceled until three years later.
On 25 February 2014, Dwiki released his first tribute album and his second album under the Sony Music label, Collaborating Harmony, which is consisting of ten youthful cover versions of his written songs and was worked in 2013 to commemorate his thirtieth anniversary of debut.[27] In February 2015, Dwiki signed a contract with MoonJune Records to release his second international studio album and sixth overall, So Far So Close. Initially titled Passion, Love, Life, it was recorded in the United States in January,[28] and recruited several musicians including the violinist Jerry Goodman, bass guitarist Jimmy Haslip, Chad Wackerman and Dewa Budjana.[29] He later released his third international album, Pasar Klewer in 2016, to receive positive reviews from DownBeat and Jazzwise.[3][30] In 2017, Dwiki performed a remake of "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" with Andini, which became a major commercial success.[31] His third international album with MoonJune, Rumah Batu, released in April 2018.[32] In June 2021, he rearranged and re-recorded "Deru Debu" as a single by his wife Purnamasari and then thirteen-year-old singer Zoe Jireh.[33]
On 4 December 2024, Dwiki won an AMI Award for Best Instrumental Production Work, through its composition "The Spirit of Peace".[citation needed]
Personal life
Dwiki married singer-songwriter and actress Dyah "Ita" Purnamasari on 23 October 1995.[34] They have a child, Muhammad Fernanda, born on 4 December 1997.[citation needed]
Dwiki's music spans genres such as pop, classical crossover, jazz and Middle Eastern music.[35] His first compilation album Collaborating Harmony is predominantly pop that evokes "youthful musical trends".[36]
^Ibrahim, Riana A. (8 October 2021). "Dwiki Dharmawan Reinkarnasi Deru Debu" [Dwiki Dharmawan revived the 'Thundering Dust']. Kompas. Archived from the original on 2 June 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
