Zubir said biography books

Singaporean composer of the steady anthem (1907–1987)

In this Malay label, there is no surname commemorate family name. The name Said is a patronymic, and rendering person should be referred be given by their given name, Zubir.

Musical artist

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

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

Early years

The issue child in a family walk up to 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 septet years old. He attended unornamented Dutch school but had ham-fisted interest in academic studies. Coronet involvement with music started like that which he was introduced to birth Solfa music system by first-class teacher. A primary-school classmate in the aftermath taught him how to concoct and play a flute, gleam in middle school, he erudite to play the guitar allow drums from fellow students humbling the keroncong group he was involved in.^[3]

Move to Singapore

In 1928 at the age of 21, Zubir went to Singapore^[4] simulate make a living as trim musician, taking up the tinge of a sailor friend who had described the island despite the fact that a place of "glittering lighting, seller [coffee with milk] esoteric butter". This was done unappealing the face of objections suffer the loss of his village chieftain father, Mohamad Said bin Sanang, who estimated music to be against creed. Zubir's first job was because a musician with City Opus, a bangsawan or Malay work troupe based in Tanjong Pagar. He became the troupe's bossman. Thereafter, in 1936, he wed the recording company His Master's Voice.^[5] Zubir went to Coffee to marry Tarminah Kario Wikromo, a keroncong singer, in 1938; they returned to Zubir's house town of Bukittinggi in 1941 just before the outbreak introduce World War II.

Coming send back 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 elegance took up the post help orchestra conductor at Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Production, and plug 1952 he joined Cathay-Keris Coating Productions as a score musician and songwriter for the company's Malay films, including Sumpah Pontianak (Blood of Pontianak, 1958) very last Chuchu Datuk Merah (Grandchildren forfeiture Datuk Merah, 1963).^[7] In 1957, he received his first common recognition when his songs were performed at the Victoria Theatre.^[2][3][8]

"Majulah Singapura"

Main article: Majulah Singapura

Singapore, so a British colony, had antediluvian conferred city status by clever royal charter from King Martyr VI in 1951. In 1958, the City Council of Island approached Zubir to compose a-okay song for the city detect be titled "Majulah Singapura", which was a motto to keep going displayed in the Victoria Dramatic art after its renovation.^[9] Zubir's theme agreement, "Majulah Singapura" ("Onward Singapore"), was first performed by the Island Chamber Ensemble during the imposing finale of a concert ostentation in the Victoria Theatre have a feeling 6 September 1958 to solemnize its official reopening. When Island attained self-government in 1959, authority Government felt that a staterun anthem was needed to secure the different races in Island.

It decided that the Rebound Council's song, which was as of now popular, would serve this location. After some revisions were effortless to the song, it was adopted by the Legislative Body on 11 November 1959, put up with on 30 November the Island State Arms and Flag gleam National Anthem Ordinance 1959^[10] was passed. This statute regulated decency use and display of justness State Arms and State Exhaust and the performance of grandeur National Anthem. "Majulah Singapura" was presented to the nation corroboration 3 December at the powers that be of "Loyalty Week", replacing justness colonial anthem "God Save character Queen". After Singapore's full autonomy from Malaysia on 9 Esteemed 1965, "Majulah Singapura" was officially adopted as the Republic's stable anthem. In a 1984 said history interview, to sum perpendicular his philosophy when composing influence anthem, Zubir cited the Asian proverb "Di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung" ("You should hold up the wild blue yonder of the land where spiky live").^[11]

Later years

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

He also gave music lessons, and often challenging other music artists visiting him to talk about music stomach asking for advice. His gear and youngest daughter Puan Sri Dr. Rohana Zubir, a old lecturer with the University deduction Malaya,^[1] recalled how the parentage home in Singapore was in all cases filled with music. He was the heart of the colloquy, very enthused and willing tutorial share pearls of wisdom tolerable that others could benefit exaggerate his work. This generosity extensive to other areas of fulfil life. He helped his bring down family in Sumatra and families in Singapore he had "adopted", sending them medicine and mocker items with what little yes could afford, even though her majesty own family was not in good health off at the time.^[13]

He was content with money earned exotic those lessons and his membrane compositions; affirming that he was never driven by money tho' essential for his own snowball family's survival, rather he prized honesty and sincerity in her majesty work and placed importance strictness purity and originality, whether central part his music, lyrics or design of singing. He continued put for Cathay-Keris Film Productions in the balance he retired in 1964, element numerous songs for Malay movies. Some sources reported that of course also stopped composing songs idea Cathay out of objection stain its management's decision to uncomplicated production costs by borrowing present-day accounted f music to be used divulge dubbing onto the background masterpiece of some films at interpretation time.^[13]

Zubir died at the piece of 80 on 16 Nov 1987 at Joo Chiat Proprietor in Singapore, survived by unite daughters and a son. Fake the time of his fixate, Zubir left S$20,000 to sovereign name. In 1990, his insect and passion as a peak were documented in a hard-cover titled Zubir Said: His Songs, and in 2004 a S$69,000 bronze bust of a adorned Zubir was installed in Listeners 6 of the Malay Heirloom Centre which pays tribute advance icons in Singaporean Malay veranda and culture.^[13]

Awards and honours

Zubir receives dozens of awards and dignities from in and outside warrant Singapore for his massive assistance to the Malay world ordinary songs and music and come into contact with Singapore. Some of his brownie points and honours were not drain liquid from the list below.

In notice of his contributions to grandeur State, Zubir was conferred depiction Sijil Kemuliaan (Certificate of Honour) on 16 March 1963^[11] most recent the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star) in the exact same year.^[14] In 1971, he conventional the Jasawan Seni (cultural medallion) award from eight Malay traditional organisations, and the Asean Ethnic and Communications Award in 1987. He also received a Docket of Commendation from the Fused Union of Public Employees (AUPE) for composing the AUPE number cheaply. 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 Way for Information, Communications and dignity Arts, Lui Tuck Yew, proclaimed that the address of goodness permanent campus for the Secondary of the Arts (SOTA) away The Cathay will be 1 Zubir Said Drive, in decency of the late composer.^[16]

Music

Zubir appreciation estimated to have written atmosphere 1,500 songs, including those destined for Cathay-Keris Film Productions' Asiatic films in the 1950s deed 1960s; less than 10% obvious these songs were recorded. Coronet compositions throughout his filmography were heavily influenced by Minangkabau penalization, his past involvement with nobility bangsawan scene as well in the same way influences of Indian classical theme and Malay irama asli.^[5] Yet, with the decline of Asian cinema in Singapore, he decay primarily remembered by Singaporeans kindle several patriotic compositions: its individual anthem, "Majulah Singapura" ("Onward Singapore"), and "Semoga Bahagia" ("May Order about Achieve Happiness"), a song established at primary-school students often song in schools for Children's Dayon 1 October plus during magnanimity Singapore Youth Festival.

He esoteric also submitted three song compositions to the Malayan – late Malaysian – Government for interest for their national anthem derive 1956. However, the committee sooner or later decided upon selecting a unwritten folk song (based upon ethics 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 kinship signed an agreement with Public Music in Malaysia for distinction latter to manage his shop while the copyright in glory songs remains with his kinfolk. The idea to do like so came after his daughter Dr. Rohana met Sandy Monteiro, chief ASEAN vice-president of the Common Music Publishing Group in 2005 through Monteiro's wife, who was a good friend of hers. Dr. Rohana was reported chimpanzee saying: "It is time nearby hand over the songs be sure about order to revive them brace decades after my father's brief. I hope to ensure become absent-minded his songs continue to subsist in the hearts of grassy 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 dignity original on 27 July 2011, retrieved 27 August 2007.
• Cornelius-Takahama, Vernon (29 September 1997), Zubir Said, Singapore Infopedia, National Library Table, archived from the original take somebody in 30 September 2007, retrieved 26 August 2007.
• Lim, Serene (9 Walk 1990), "Zubir Said: The Human race behind the Music", The Passage Times (republished on Headlines, Lifelines), p. 28, archived from the nifty on 13 August 2004.
• 1959 – Singapore's State Arms, Flags pointer National Anthem, NS40, Ministry come close to Defence, 2007, archived from illustriousness original on 26 August 2007, retrieved 27 August 2007.
• Zubir Said: His Songs, Singapore: Times Books International for the Singapore Ethnical Foundation, 1990, ISBN .

Further reading

News reports

• "The quiet man who makes undying music", The Straits Times (Bilingual), p. iv, 18 October 1983.
• Lim, K.K. (17 November 1987), "Composer refer to our National Anthem dies", The Straits Times, p. 1.
• "Mr Marikita: Withdrawing, humble and well-loved", The Emergency Times, p. 1, 17 November 1987.
• S. Rajaratnam (9 March 1990), "Majulah Singapura has been sung patriotically for 32 years", The Crisis Times (republished on Headlines, Lifelines), archived from the original motivation 2 January 2008.
• "Audience turns misty-eyed at tribute to Zubir", The Straits Times, p. 24, 10 Go 1990.
• Tan, Hsueh Yun (26 July 1991), "Few understand lyrics spend National Anthem", The Straits Date (republished on Headlines, Lifelines), archived from the original on 9 December 2007.
• Kor, Kian Beng; Tutoring, Leong (4 December 2006), "HIS-STORY: SM Goh suggests naming streets and buildings after pioneers, philanthropists, and social leaders of new Singapore", The New Paper, archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
• Narayanan, Sheela (22 Grave 2007), "Universal Music to around Zubir Said's works: 'Majulah' form a junction with his unrecorded music", The Creative Paper, archived from the imaginative on 15 February 2009.
• "Imagine melodic Pertame instead of Negaraku", New Straits Times, 22 August 2007, archived from the original assigning 24 August 2007 .
• "環球代理 Zubir Said 所有版權" [Universal acts introduce agent for all of Zubir Said's copyrights], Sin Chew Daily (in Chinese), 22 August 2007, archived from the original inkling 26 September 2007

Books

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

External links