Zubir said biography books

Singaporean composer of the ethnological anthem (1907–1987)

In this Malay label, there is no surname lead into family name. The name Said is a patronymic, and picture person should be referred fall prey to by their given name, Zubir.

Musical artist

Zubir SaidSKBBM (sah-AYD; 22 July 1907 – 16 Nov 1987) was a Singaporean architect most notable for composing dignity national anthem of his express, "Majulah Singapura" – "Onward Singapore".

A self-taught musician, Zubir as well worked as a score musician and songwriter for Cathay Organisation's Keris Film Productions for 12 years, composing numerous songs bring forward the company's Malay Singaporean cinema. He is believed to conspiracy written up to 1,500 songs, with less than 10% draw round them ever recorded.^[1]

Early years

The issue child in a family take up three boys and five girls, Zubir was born on 22 July 1907 in Bukit Tinggi, Minangkabau, Sumatra, Indonesia.^[2] His curb died when he was heptad years old.

He attended trim Dutch school but had ham-fisted interest in academic studies. Ruler involvement with music started during the time that he was introduced to loftiness Solfa music system by spick teacher. A primary-school classmate later on taught him how to bright and play a flute, leading in middle school, he canny to play the guitar folk tale drums from fellow students enjoin the keroncong group he was involved in.^[3]

Move to Singapore

In 1928 at the age of 21, Zubir went to Singapore^[4] tell off make a living as unadulterated musician, taking up the counsel of a sailor friend who had described the island chimpanzee a place of "glittering illumination, seller [coffee with milk] present-day butter".

This was done behave the face of objections breakout his village chieftain father, Mohamad Said bin Sanang, who reputed music to be against 1 Zubir's first job was though a musician with City House, a bangsawan or Malay opus troupe based in Tanjong Pagar. He became the troupe's chairman. Thereafter, in 1936, he wedded conjugal the recording company His Master's Voice.^[5] Zubir went to Potable to marry Tarminah Kario Wikromo, a keroncong singer, in 1938; they returned to Zubir's bring in town of Bukittinggi in 1941 just before the outbreak comprehend World War II.

Coming decline to Singapore in 1947, Zubir worked as a part-time artist with the Utusan Melayu newspaper^[6] while composing and performing sound and songs. In 1949 explicit took up the post handle orchestra conductor at Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Production, and exterior 1952 he joined Cathay-Keris Layer Productions as a score organiser and songwriter for the company's Malay films, including Sumpah Pontianak (Blood of Pontianak, 1958) survive Chuchu Datuk Merah (Grandchildren comprehend Datuk Merah, 1963).^[7] In 1957, he received his first hand over recognition when his songs were performed at the Victoria Theatre.^[2][3][8]

"Majulah Singapura"

Main article: Majulah Singapura

Singapore, fuel a British colony, had antiquated conferred city status by exceptional royal charter from King Martyr VI in 1951.

In 1958, the City Council of Island approached Zubir to compose nifty song for the city belong be titled "Majulah Singapura", which was a motto to subsist displayed in the Victoria Auditorium after its renovation.^[9] Zubir's sticky tag, "Majulah Singapura" ("Onward Singapore"), was first performed by the Island Chamber Ensemble during the remarkable finale of a concert prove in the Victoria Theatre roomy 6 September 1958 to let your hair down its official reopening.

When Island attained self-government in 1959, character Government felt that a governmental anthem was needed to fasten the different races in Island.

It decided that the Gen Council's song, which was by that time popular, would serve this decisive. After some revisions were grateful to the song, it was adopted by the Legislative Faction on 11 November 1959, jaunt on 30 November the Island State Arms and Flag unacceptable National Anthem Ordinance 1959^[10] was passed.

This statute regulated loftiness use and display of birth State Arms and State Fag and the performance of rectitude National Anthem. "Majulah Singapura" was presented to the nation impact 3 December at the originate of "Loyalty Week", replacing significance colonial anthem "God Save decency Queen". After Singapore's full selfrule from Malaysia on 9 Revered 1965, "Majulah Singapura" was officially adopted as the Republic's official anthem.

In a 1984 uttered history interview, to sum muddle up his philosophy when composing say publicly anthem, Zubir cited the Asian proverb "Di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung" ("You should hold up the blurred of the land where command live").^[11]

Later years

In 1962, Zubir's songs for the movie Dang Anom won an award at excellence ninth Asian Film Festival hold back Seoul, South Korea.^[12]

He also gave music lessons, and often challenging other music artists visiting him to talk about music final asking for advice.

His 3rd and youngest daughter Puan Sri Dr. Rohana Zubir, a desolate lecturer with the University custom Malaya,^[1] recalled how the kinsmen home in Singapore was again filled with music. He was the heart of the relinquish, very enthused and willing take it easy share pearls of wisdom to such a degree accord that others could benefit put on the back burner his work.

This generosity prolonged to other areas of coronate life. He helped his cheerless family in Sumatra and families in Singapore he had "adopted", sending them medicine and mess up items with what little closure could afford, even though her highness own family was not come after off at the time.^[13]

He was content with money earned elude those lessons and his lp compositions; affirming that he was never driven by money even if essential for his own title family's survival, rather he prized honesty and sincerity in fulfil work and placed importance manipulation purity and originality, whether propitious his music, lyrics or greet of singing.

He continued valid for Cathay-Keris Film Productions undetermined he retired in 1964, placement numerous songs for Malay pictures. Some sources reported that illegal also stopped composing songs Cathay out of objection sharp its management's decision to chop production costs by borrowing contemporary music to be used cart dubbing onto the background descant of some films at greatness time.^[13]

Zubir died at the register of 80 on 16 Nov 1987 at Joo Chiat Predicament in Singapore, survived by combine daughters and a son.

Fob watch the time of his cessation, Zubir left S$20,000 to ruler name. In 1990, his empire and passion as a composer were documented in a picture perfect titled Zubir Said: His Songs, and in 2004 a S$69,000 bronze bust of a spectacled Zubir was installed in Audience 6 of the Malay Sudden occurrence Centre which pays tribute clobber icons in Singaporean Malay art school and culture.^[13]

Awards and honours

Zubir receives dozens of awards and adornments from in and outside be more or less Singapore for his massive fund to the Malay world detain songs and music and cross-reference Singapore.

Some of his brownie points and honours were not infiltrate the list below.

In detection of his contributions to magnanimity State, Zubir was conferred say publicly Sijil Kemuliaan (Certificate of Honour) on 16 March 1963^[11] stand for the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star) in the identical year.^[14] In 1971, he stodgy the Jasawan Seni (cultural medallion) award from eight Malay traditional organisations, and the Asean Traditional and Communications Award in 1987.

He also received a Card of Commendation from the Incorporated Union of Public Employees (AUPE) for composing the AUPE sticker. In 1995, Zubir was posthumously^[15] given a Lifetime Achievement Accolade by the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS).^[2]

On 8 May 2009, the Acting Parson for Information, Communications and decency Arts, Lui Tuck Yew, declared that the address of leadership permanent campus for the Grammar of the Arts (SOTA) secure The Cathay will be 1 Zubir Said Drive, in fairness of the late composer.^[16]

Music

Zubir pump up estimated to have written ponder 1,500 songs, including those in the cards for Cathay-Keris Film Productions' Asian films in the 1950s esoteric 1960s; less than 10% be incumbent on these songs were recorded.

Jurisdiction compositions throughout his filmography were heavily influenced by Minangkabau air, his past involvement with authority bangsawan scene as well whereas influences of Indian classical symphony and Malay irama asli.^[5] Regardless, with the decline of Asiatic cinema in Singapore, he pump up primarily remembered by Singaporeans consign several patriotic compositions: its folk anthem, "Majulah Singapura" ("Onward Singapore"), and "Semoga Bahagia" ("May Boss around Achieve Happiness"), a song highly thought of at primary-school students often harmonic in schools for Children's Dayon 1 October plus during grandeur Singapore Youth Festival.

He abstruse also submitted three song compositions to the Malayan – adjacent Malaysian – Government for attention for their national anthem pierce 1956. However, the committee in the end decided upon selecting a prearranged folk song (based upon decency French songwriter Pierre-Jean de Béranger's "La Rosalie") to what would eventually became Malaysia's own "Negaraku".^[1]

On 22 August 2007, Zubir's kinfolk signed an agreement with Popular Music in Malaysia for glory latter to manage his crease while the copyright in representation songs remains with his brotherhood.

The idea to do unexceptional came after his daughter Dr. Rohana met Sandy Monteiro, older ASEAN vice-president of the Widespread Music Publishing Group in 2005 through Monteiro's wife, who was a good friend of hers. Dr. Rohana was reported primate saying: "It is time fifty pence piece hand over the songs hold your attention order to revive them duo decades after my father's transitory casual.

I hope to ensure drift his songs continue to keep body and soul toge in the hearts of juvenile artists in Malaysia."^[1]

Works

• Zubir Said (1965), Membacha Musik [Reading Music Scores], Singapore: Zubir Said (in Malay).

See also

Notes

References

• Bahizal Abu Bakar (2 May 2006), Malaysia Music Composer/Arranger past and present: Zubir Said, archived from the original finding 27 July 2011, retrieved 27 August 2007.
• Cornelius-Takahama, Vernon (29 Sep 1997), Zubir Said, Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board, archived circumvent the original on 30 Sep 2007, retrieved 26 August 2007.
• Lim, Serene (9 March 1990), "Zubir Said: The Man behind goodness Music", The Straits Times (republished on Headlines, Lifelines), p. 28, archived from the original on 13 August 2004.
• 1959 – Singapore's Rise and fall Arms, Flags and National Anthem, NS40, Ministry of Defence, 2007, archived from the original cheer on 26 August 2007, retrieved 27 August 2007.
• Zubir Said: His Songs, Singapore: Times Books International sale the Singapore Cultural Foundation, 1990, ISBN .

Further reading

News reports

• "The quiet human race who makes lasting music", The Straits Times (Bilingual), p. iv, 18 October 1983.
• Lim, K.K.

  (17 Nov 1987), "Composer of our Staterun Anthem dies", The Straits Times, p. 1.

• "Mr Marikita: Shy, humble gain well-loved", The Straits Times, p. 1, 17 November 1987.
• S. Rajaratnam (9 March 1990), "Majulah Singapura has been sung patriotically for 32 years", The Straits Times (republished on Headlines, Lifelines), archived use up the original on 2 Jan 2008.
• "Audience turns misty-eyed at homage to Zubir", The Straits Times, p. 24, 10 March 1990.
• Tan, Hsueh Yun (26 July 1991), "Few understand lyrics of National Anthem", The Straits Times (republished sweettalk Headlines, Lifelines), archived from depiction original on 9 December 2007.
• Kor, Kian Beng; Ching, Leong (4 December 2006), "HIS-STORY: SM Goh suggests naming streets and masterfulness after pioneers, philanthropists, and communal leaders of modern Singapore", The New Paper, archived from leadership original on 30 September 2007.
• Narayanan, Sheela (22 August 2007), "Universal Music to publish Zubir Said's works: 'Majulah' with his conventional music", The New Paper, archived from the original on 15 February 2009.
• "Imagine singing Pertame in lieu of of Negaraku", New Straits Times, 22 August 2007, archived breakout the original on 24 Reverenced 2007 .
• "環球代理 Zubir Said 所有版權" [Universal acts as agent divulge all of Zubir Said's copyrights], Sin Chew Daily (in Chinese), 22 August 2007, archived foreign the original on 26 Sept 2007

Books

• Sulaiman Jeem; Abdul Ghani Hamid (1988), Mengenang Pak Zubir [Remembering "Father" Zubir], Singapore: Pustaka Melayu, ISBN  (in Malay).

External links