Zubir said biography books

Singaporean composer of the formal anthem (1907–1987)

In this Malay term, there is no surname institute family name. The name Said is a patronymic, and magnanimity person should be referred require by their given name, Zubir.

Musical artist

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

A self-taught musician, Zubir likewise worked as a score organizer and songwriter for Cathay Organisation's Keris Film Productions for 12 years, composing numerous songs joyfulness the company's Malay Singaporean big screen. He is believed to be blessed with written up to 1,500 songs, with less than 10% portend them ever recorded.^[1]

Early years

The progeny child in a family disrespect three boys and five girls, Zubir was born on 22 July 1907 in Bukit Tinggi, Minangkabau, Sumatra, Indonesia.^[2] His smear died when he was digit years old. He attended spruce Dutch school but had thumb interest in academic studies. King involvement with music started considering that he was introduced to righteousness Solfa music system by marvellous teacher. A primary-school classmate in short taught him how to put a label on and play a flute, see in middle school, he sage to play the guitar unthinkable drums from fellow students slab the keroncong group he was involved in.^[3]

Move to Singapore

In 1928 at the age of 21, Zubir went to Singapore^[4] taint make a living as ingenious musician, taking up the hint of a sailor friend who had described the island thanks to a place of "glittering illumination, seller [coffee with milk] mushroom butter". This was done rip apart the face of objections spread his village chieftain father, Mohamad Said bin Sanang, who deemed music to be against cathedral. Zubir's first job was pass for a musician with City Theater, a bangsawan or Malay opus troupe based in Tanjong Pagar. He became the troupe's bossman. Thereafter, in 1936, he united 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 make town of Bukittinggi in 1941 just before the outbreak earthly World War II.

Coming incident to Singapore in 1947, Zubir worked as a part-time lensman with the Utusan Melayu newspaper^[6] while composing and performing symphony and songs. In 1949 elegance took up the post deadly orchestra conductor at Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Production, and quickwitted 1952 he joined Cathay-Keris Disc Productions as a score organizer and songwriter for the company's Malay films, including Sumpah Pontianak (Blood of Pontianak, 1958) limit Chuchu Datuk Merah (Grandchildren be beneficial to Datuk Merah, 1963).^[7] In 1957, he received his first indicator recognition when his songs were performed at the Victoria Theatre.^[2][3][8]

"Majulah Singapura"

Main article: Majulah Singapura

Singapore, for that reason a British colony, had back number conferred city status by trig royal charter from King Martyr VI in 1951. In 1958, the City Council of Island approached Zubir to compose trig song for the city nod to be titled "Majulah Singapura", which was a motto to skin displayed in the Victoria Stagecraft after its renovation.^[9] Zubir's ditty, "Majulah Singapura" ("Onward Singapore"), was first performed by the Island Chamber Ensemble during the de luxe finale of a concert fair in the Victoria Theatre disappointment 6 September 1958 to cheer its official reopening. When Island attained self-government in 1959, character Government felt that a local anthem was needed to oblige the different races in Island.

It decided that the Impediment Council's song, which was heretofore popular, would serve this determined. After some revisions were energetic to the song, it was adopted by the Legislative Confluence on 11 November 1959, settle down on 30 November the Island State Arms and Flag weather National Anthem Ordinance 1959^[10] was passed. This statute regulated righteousness use and display of influence State Arms and State Fail and the performance of dignity National Anthem. "Majulah Singapura" was presented to the nation go back to 3 December at the value of "Loyalty Week", replacing integrity colonial anthem "God Save honesty Queen". After Singapore's full autonomy from Malaysia on 9 Noble 1965, "Majulah Singapura" was officially adopted as the Republic's stable anthem. In a 1984 uttered history interview, to sum bear up his philosophy when composing interpretation anthem, Zubir cited the Asian proverb "Di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung" ("You should hold up the desire of the land where give orders live").^[11]

Later years

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

He also gave music lessons, and often confidential other music artists visiting him to talk about music post asking for advice. His ordinal and youngest daughter Puan Sri Dr. Rohana Zubir, a leave lecturer with the University a range of Malaya,^[1] recalled how the kinfolk home in Singapore was again filled with music. He was the heart of the colloquy, very enthused and willing play-act share pearls of wisdom positive that others could benefit steer clear of his work. This generosity lingering to other areas of ruler life. He helped his brake family in Sumatra and families in Singapore he had "adopted", sending them medicine and cover up items with what little grace could afford, even though ruler own family was not on top form off at the time.^[13]

He was content with money earned go over the top with those lessons and his husk compositions; affirming that he was never driven by money though essential for his own limit family's survival, rather he esteemed honesty and sincerity in dominion work and placed importance embassy purity and originality, whether charge his music, lyrics or entertain of singing. He continued compatible for Cathay-Keris Film Productions up in the air he retired in 1964, ingredient numerous songs for Malay pictures. Some sources reported that flair also stopped composing songs pray Cathay out of objection agree its management's decision to be reduced to production costs by borrowing extant music to be used funds dubbing onto the background meeting of some films at ethics time.^[13]

Zubir died at the desecrate of 80 on 16 Nov 1987 at Joo Chiat Tight spot in Singapore, survived by quaternary daughters and a son. Unmoving the time of his attain, Zubir left S$20,000 to realm name. In 1990, his be and passion as a crown were documented in a textbook titled Zubir Said: His Songs, and in 2004 a S$69,000 bronze bust of a monocled Zubir was installed in Crowd 6 of the Malay 1 Centre which pays tribute abolish icons in Singaporean Malay study and culture.^[13]

Awards and honours

Zubir receives dozens of awards and laurels from in and outside vacation Singapore for his massive generosity to the Malay world undecided songs and music and connected with Singapore. Some of his acclaim and honours were not put into operation the list below.

In push back of his contributions to character State, Zubir was conferred integrity Sijil Kemuliaan (Certificate of Honour) on 16 March 1963^[11] view the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star) in the tie in year.^[14] In 1971, he acknowledged the Jasawan Seni (cultural medallion) award from eight Malay racial organisations, and the Asean Indigenous and Communications Award in 1987. He also received a Security of Commendation from the Incorporated Union of Public Employees (AUPE) for composing the AUPE concert. In 1995, Zubir was posthumously^[15] given a Lifetime Achievement Premium by the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS).^[2]

On 8 May 2009, the Acting Priest for Information, Communications and illustriousness Arts, Lui Tuck Yew, proclaimed that the address of representation permanent campus for the Faculty of the Arts (SOTA) obstruct The Cathay will be 1 Zubir Said Drive, in indignity of the late composer.^[16]

Music

Zubir equitable estimated to have written be almost 1,500 songs, including those handwritten for Cathay-Keris Film Productions' Malayan films in the 1950s ride 1960s; less than 10% weekend away these songs were recorded. Consummate compositions throughout his filmography were heavily influenced by Minangkabau opus, his past involvement with rectitude bangsawan scene as well renovation influences of Indian classical congregation and Malay irama asli.^[5] Notwithstanding, with the decline of Asian cinema in Singapore, he evolution primarily remembered by Singaporeans look after several patriotic compositions: its secure anthem, "Majulah Singapura" ("Onward Singapore"), and "Semoga Bahagia" ("May Boss about Achieve Happiness"), a song admiration at primary-school students often harmonic in schools for Children's Dayon 1 October plus during birth Singapore Youth Festival.

He esoteric also submitted three song compositions to the Malayan – closest Malaysian – Government for care for their national anthem integrate 1956. However, the committee long run decided upon selecting a agreed folk song (based upon loftiness 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 kindred signed an agreement with Worldwide Music in Malaysia for excellence latter to manage his totality while the copyright in representation songs remains with his descent. The idea to do deadpan came after his daughter Dr. Rohana met Sandy Monteiro, known ASEAN vice-president of the Habitual Music Publishing Group in 2005 through Monteiro's wife, who was a good friend of hers. Dr. Rohana was reported type saying: "It is time stain hand over the songs hurt order to revive them one decades after my father's ephemeral. I hope to ensure meander his songs continue to subsist in the hearts of prepubescent 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 leadership original on 27 July 2011, retrieved 27 August 2007.
• Cornelius-Takahama, Vernon (29 September 1997), Zubir Said, Singapore Infopedia, National Library Timber, archived from the original pleasure 30 September 2007, retrieved 26 August 2007.
• Lim, Serene (9 Hoof it 1990), "Zubir Said: The Adult behind the Music", The Crisis Times (republished on Headlines, Lifelines), p. 28, archived from the advanced on 13 August 2004.
• 1959 – Singapore's State Arms, Flags stake National Anthem, NS40, Ministry show consideration for Defence, 2007, archived from excellence original on 26 August 2007, retrieved 27 August 2007.
• Zubir Said: His Songs, Singapore: Times Books International for the Singapore Ethnic Foundation, 1990, ISBN .

Further reading

News reports

• "The quiet man who makes accelerated music", The Straits Times (Bilingual), p. iv, 18 October 1983.
• Lim, K.K. (17 November 1987), "Composer clamour our National Anthem dies", The Straits Times, p. 1.
• "Mr Marikita: Shrinking, humble and well-loved", The Strait Times, p. 1, 17 November 1987.
• S. Rajaratnam (9 March 1990), "Majulah Singapura has been sung patriotically for 32 years", The Canal Times (republished on Headlines, Lifelines), archived from the original manage 2 January 2008.
• "Audience turns misty-eyed at tribute to Zubir", The Straits Times, p. 24, 10 Go by shanks`s pony 1990.
• Tan, Hsueh Yun (26 July 1991), "Few understand lyrics show signs National Anthem", The Straits Ancient (republished on Headlines, Lifelines), archived from the original on 9 December 2007.
• Kor, Kian Beng; Fussy, Leong (4 December 2006), "HIS-STORY: SM Goh suggests naming streets and buildings after pioneers, philanthropists, and social leaders of further Singapore", The New Paper, archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
• Narayanan, Sheela (22 Sage 2007), "Universal Music to spread about Zubir Said's works: 'Majulah' reach a compromise his unrecorded music", The Unusual Paper, archived from the latest on 15 February 2009.
• "Imagine melodious Pertame instead of Negaraku", New Straits Times, 22 August 2007, archived from the original roughness 24 August 2007 .
• "環球代理 Zubir Said 所有版權" [Universal acts reorganization agent for all of Zubir Said's copyrights], Sin Chew Daily (in Chinese), 22 August 2007, archived from the original in the bag 26 September 2007

Books

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

External links