Campus of National Defense Resounds, `RANJANA 2025` Celebrates

SURABAYA, May 29th, 2025 — The auditorium of BAKPK, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional "Veteran" Jawa Timur, was filled with warmth and joy on Saturday night (24/5). Parents, friends, and loved ones gathered to witness the hard work of the Gita Widya Giri choir's new members. Dressed in ulos and sortali, a total of 55 students from the 2024 cohort performed nine songs in an event titled RANJANA 2025: A Beginning of the Story. Established in 1992, Gita Widya Giri choir showcased the golden voices of new faces under the guidance of Farid Affiudin and Daniel Nugrahanto.

Portrait of Mr. Daniel Nugrahanto, the art director of Gita Widya Giri choir, delivering his speech. (source: RANJANA`s documentation team)

“I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the advisor of Gita Widya Giri choir, Mrs. Raras Sriyati, S.E., M.M., who is unable to attend tonight. Big thanks to my fellow art director, Kak Farid. And also, thank you so much to the audience and our dear new members. I want to share a little story. The practice for these new members lasted only three months. It was indeed a short time, and they all had to manage their schedules wisely to avoid problems with their studies and other activities. There is still much to learn and improve. Therefore, I feel proud... because today, they have presented their best,” said Mr. Daniel Nugrahanto, the art director of Gita Widya Giri choir, in his speech.

From left to right, the chairman of Gita Widya Giri choir, Aditya Pratama, with Sari Simanulang, new member. (source: RANJANA`s documentation team)

This concert was held to officially induct the new members of Gita Widya Giri choir. The highlight was the presentation of plaques to representatives of the new members as a symbolic gesture of their official induction into Gita Widya Giri choir. The preparations were extensive and could not be completed in just one night. As previously mentioned by the art director of Gita Widya Giri choir, many sacrifices were made by the new members to deliver the best performance. This was also acknowledged by one of the new members of Gita Widya Giri choir, Marcella Valencia.

“To reach this point, many sacrifices had to be made. Whether it was time, energy, or various other aspects, it is not easy to become a part of Gita Widya Giri choir. Before being inducted today, we had to go through selection, harmony classes, external training, and this new members concert. I am very happy to have this extraordinary opportunity. Thank you, Mr. Farid and Mr. Daniel, for trusting me to join and grow together in this choir,” Marcella expressed in a brief interview after the concert with our team.

Portrait of the post-concert celebration atmosphere. (source: RANJANA`s documentation team)

The RANJANA concert, which took place with great enthusiasm on Saturday night, presented nine songs to around 150 audiences who filled the seats. The nine songs were performed by two teams, but not simultaneously. Eight of the songs were divided into two groups based on the number of teams participating. One of these songs, "Cinta Untuk Mama," was arranged by Mr. Daniel Nugrahanto.

“Yeah, after the eight songs earlier, this is our last song (Encore). This song is a special dedication from Mr. Daniel to the Gita Widya Giri choir's new members. He sacrificed his 'sleep time' for a week to arrange the 'Kumpul Bocah' song. Hopefully, the new members can uphold our name and this university by achieving success on both national and international stages while being a part of Gita Widya Giri,” said Mr. Farid Affiudin, the art director of Gita Widya Giri choir, during his speech.

Portrait of Mr. Farid Affiudin, the art director of Gita Widya Giri choir, delivering his speech. (source: RANJANA`s documentation team)

“It is important to emphasize that the separation of teams is not intended to create a gap or give a competitive vibes. There are no opponents in one family. Mr. Daniel and I divided the teams because most of you are female. If I combined them, it could be a new problem for your male friends. Their numbers are too few, their voices might get drowned out,” he added.

The Gita Widya Giri choir's new members concert adopted two team structures, consisting of the Equal team and the Mix team. Since the majority of the Gita Widya Giri choir's new members are female, half of the female members were grouped into the Equal team, while the rest joined the Mix team with male members. With diverse backgrounds, they were united to create harmony and continue the achievements and artistic traditions within the family of Gita Widya Giri choir with renewed spirit.

Through a series of harmoniously performed songs, the new members of Gita Widya Giri choir demonstrated their vocal abilities and cohesion that they had trained for in a relatively short time. Each song was not only presented with mature vocal techniques but also with light choreography and expressions that brought the story to life in every note.

More than just a showcase of talent, RANJANA 2025 serves as tangible proof that Gita Widya Giri choir remains committed to maintaining quality, familial values, and a high spirit of artistry. This was felt by our team when this grand event was not only warmly welcomed by the scholars but also attended by seniors. The presence of seniors provided a boost of enthusiasm and served as a reminder that Gita Widya Giri choir is not just about singing but also about fostering strong and sustainable intergenerational relationships. As they expressed in their closing remarks, Kita Saudara, Gita Widya Giri, Yeay!

“RANJANA is not just about an artistic performance. It is a process of character building. Through music, they learn about discipline, teamwork, and a sense of belonging. We are very proud to welcome them as part of the extended family of Gita Widya Giri choir,” said the chairman of Gita Widya Giri choir, Aditya Pratama, in his speech.