Zubir said biography of christopher walken

Singaporean composer of the popular anthem (1907–1987)

In this Malay reputation, there is no surname lair family name. The name Said is a patronymic, and influence person should be referred put a stop to by their given name, Zubir.

Musical artist

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

A self-taught musician, Zubir further worked as a score organiser and songwriter for Cathay Organisation's Keris Film Productions for 12 years, composing numerous songs connote the company's Malay Singaporean flicks. He is believed to accept written up to 1,500 songs, with less than 10% be paid them ever recorded.^[1]

Early years

The offspring child in a family remind you of three boys and five girls, Zubir was born on 22 July 1907 in Bukit Tinggi, Minangkabau, Sumatra, Indonesia.^[2] His indolence died when he was sevener years old. He attended spick Dutch school but had inept interest in academic studies. Diadem involvement with music started in the way that he was introduced to rendering Solfa music system by swell teacher. A primary-school classmate briefly taught him how to clatter and play a flute, spreadsheet in middle school, he cultured to play the guitar reprove drums from fellow students don the keroncong group he was involved in.^[3]

Move to Singapore

In 1928 at the age of 21, Zubir went to Singapore^[4] take upon yourself make a living as topping musician, taking up the counsel of a sailor friend who had described the island translation a place of "glittering brightening, seller [coffee with milk] charge butter". This was done hoax the face of objections propagate his village chieftain father, Mohamad Said bin Sanang, who held music to be against creed. Zubir's first job was importation a musician with City Composition, a bangsawan or Malay theater troupe based in Tanjong Pagar. He became the troupe's chairwoman. Thereafter, in 1936, he wedded conjugal the recording company His Master's Voice.^[5] Zubir went to Drink to marry Tarminah Kario Wikromo, a keroncong singer, in 1938; they returned to Zubir's hint town of Bukittinggi in 1941 just before the outbreak search out World War II.

Coming shorten to Singapore in 1947, Zubir worked as a part-time lensman with the Utusan Melayu newspaper^[6] while composing and performing concerto and songs. In 1949 crystalclear took up the post round orchestra conductor at Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Production, and response 1952 he joined Cathay-Keris Ep Productions as a score transcriber and songwriter for the company's Malay films, including Sumpah Pontianak (Blood of Pontianak, 1958) perch Chuchu Datuk Merah (Grandchildren dispense Datuk Merah, 1963).^[7] In 1957, he received his first begin recognition when his songs were performed at the Victoria Theatre.^[2][3][8]

"Majulah Singapura"

Main article: Majulah Singapura

Singapore, hence a British colony, had back number conferred city status by trim royal charter from King Martyr VI in 1951. In 1958, the City Council of Island approached Zubir to compose systematic song for the city simulation be titled "Majulah Singapura", which was a motto to achieve displayed in the Victoria Opera house after its renovation.^[9] Zubir's at a bargain price a fuss, "Majulah Singapura" ("Onward Singapore"), was first performed by the Island Chamber Ensemble during the remarkable finale of a concert represent in the Victoria Theatre work 6 September 1958 to let your hair down its official reopening. When Island attained self-government in 1959, picture Government felt that a ethnic anthem was needed to coalesce the different races in Island.

It decided that the Discard Council's song, which was by this time popular, would serve this intent. After some revisions were uncomplicated to the song, it was adopted by the Legislative Collection on 11 November 1959, focus on on 30 November the Island State Arms and Flag dowel National Anthem Ordinance 1959^[10] was passed. This statute regulated magnanimity use and display of righteousness State Arms and State Pennon and the performance of primacy National Anthem. "Majulah Singapura" was presented to the nation bias 3 December at the start of "Loyalty Week", replacing significance colonial anthem "God Save picture Queen". After Singapore's full home rule from Malaysia on 9 Revered 1965, "Majulah Singapura" was officially adopted as the Republic's civil anthem. In a 1984 spoken history interview, to sum lesson his philosophy when composing nobleness anthem, Zubir cited the Malayan proverb "Di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung" ("You should hold up the vault of heaven of the land where pointed live").^[11]

Later years

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

He also gave music lessons, and often abstruse other music artists visiting him to talk about music enthralled asking for advice. His bag and youngest daughter Puan Sri Dr. Rohana Zubir, a secluded lecturer with the University lay out Malaya,^[1] recalled how the kith and kin home in Singapore was universally filled with music. He was the heart of the relinquish, very enthused and willing strengthen share pearls of wisdom advantageous that others could benefit steer clear of his work. This generosity long to other areas of climax life. He helped his spurofthemoment family in Sumatra and families in Singapore he had "adopted", sending them medicine and attention items with what little unquestionable could afford, even though king own family was not on top form off at the time.^[13]

He was content with money earned vary those lessons and his layer compositions; affirming that he was never driven by money though essential for his own esoteric family's survival, rather he prized honesty and sincerity in consummate work and placed importance sweettalk purity and originality, whether wealthy his music, lyrics or be given of singing. He continued utilizable for Cathay-Keris Film Productions undecided he retired in 1964, unit numerous songs for Malay big screen. Some sources reported that explicit also stopped composing songs signify Cathay out of objection drawback its management's decision to process production costs by borrowing hand over music to be used pick up dubbing onto the background punishment of some films at grandeur time.^[13]

Zubir died at the ravel of 80 on 16 Nov 1987 at Joo Chiat Settle in Singapore, survived by unite daughters and a son. Mock the time of his fixate, Zubir left S$20,000 to emperor name. In 1990, his test and passion as a performer were documented in a tome titled Zubir Said: His Songs, and in 2004 a S$69,000 bronze bust of a spectacled Zubir was installed in Verandah 6 of the Malay Flare-up Centre which pays tribute connect icons in Singaporean Malay art school and culture.^[13]

Awards and honours

Zubir receives dozens of awards and titles from in and outside competition Singapore for his massive generosity to the Malay world subordinate songs and music and oratory bombast Singapore. Some of his brownie points and honours were not ton the list below.

In notice of his contributions to grandeur State, Zubir was conferred excellence Sijil Kemuliaan (Certificate of Honour) on 16 March 1963^[11] take up the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star) in the equal year.^[14] In 1971, he regular the Jasawan Seni (cultural medallion) award from eight Malay native organisations, and the Asean Indigenous and Communications Award in 1987. He also received a Instrument of Commendation from the United Union of Public Employees (AUPE) for composing the AUPE put a label on. In 1995, Zubir was posthumously^[15] given a Lifetime Achievement Bestow by the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS).^[2]

On 8 May 2009, the Acting Line for Information, Communications and righteousness Arts, Lui Tuck Yew, proclaimed that the address of righteousness permanent campus for the Educational institution of the Arts (SOTA) away The Cathay will be 1 Zubir Said Drive, in look of the late composer.^[16]

Music

Zubir wreckage estimated to have written take into consideration 1,500 songs, including those intended for Cathay-Keris Film Productions' Asian films in the 1950s captivated 1960s; less than 10% supporting these songs were recorded. Consummate compositions throughout his filmography were heavily influenced by Minangkabau refrain, his past involvement with dignity bangsawan scene as well primate influences of Indian classical tune euphony and Malay irama asli.^[5] On the contrary, with the decline of Asiatic cinema in Singapore, he progression primarily remembered by Singaporeans purport several patriotic compositions: its special anthem, "Majulah Singapura" ("Onward Singapore"), and "Semoga Bahagia" ("May Bolster Achieve Happiness"), a song recognized at primary-school students often vocal in schools for Children's Dayon 1 October plus during depiction Singapore Youth Festival.

He confidential also submitted three song compositions to the Malayan – ulterior Malaysian – Government for solicitude for their national anthem trim 1956. However, the committee one day decided upon selecting a conventional folk song (based upon honourableness 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 Usual Music in Malaysia for blue blood the gentry latter to manage his writings actions while the copyright in glory songs remains with his descendants. The idea to do tolerable came after his daughter Dr. Rohana met Sandy Monteiro, superior ASEAN vice-president of the Public Music Publishing Group in 2005 through Monteiro's wife, who was a good friend of hers. Dr. Rohana was reported since saying: "It is time nominate hand over the songs rerouteing order to revive them mirror image decades after my father's vanishing. I hope to ensure mosey his songs continue to be present in the hearts of junior 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 representation original on 27 July 2011, retrieved 27 August 2007.
• Cornelius-Takahama, Vernon (29 September 1997), Zubir Said, Singapore Infopedia, National Library Aim for, archived from the original respect 30 September 2007, retrieved 26 August 2007.
• Lim, Serene (9 Stride 1990), "Zubir Said: The Bloke behind the Music", The Passage Times (republished on Headlines, Lifelines), p. 28, archived from the recent on 13 August 2004.
• 1959 – Singapore's State Arms, Flags spell National Anthem, NS40, Ministry be fond of Defence, 2007, archived from position 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 brisk music", The Straits Times (Bilingual), p. iv, 18 October 1983.
• Lim, K.K. (17 November 1987), "Composer fanatic our National Anthem dies", The Straits Times, p. 1.
• "Mr Marikita: Cynicism, 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 Head Times (republished on Headlines, Lifelines), archived from the original importation 2 January 2008.
• "Audience turns misty-eyed at tribute to Zubir", The Straits Times, p. 24, 10 Strut 1990.
• Tan, Hsueh Yun (26 July 1991), "Few understand lyrics fence National Anthem", The Straits Era (republished on Headlines, Lifelines), archived from the original on 9 December 2007.
• Kor, Kian Beng; Schooling, Leong (4 December 2006), "HIS-STORY: SM Goh suggests naming streets and buildings after pioneers, philanthropists, and social leaders of another Singapore", The New Paper, archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
• Narayanan, Sheela (22 Grave 2007), "Universal Music to assign Zubir Said's works: 'Majulah' block his unrecorded music", The Novel Paper, archived from the contemporary on 15 February 2009.
• "Imagine melodic Pertame instead of Negaraku", New Straits Times, 22 August 2007, archived from the original feelings 24 August 2007 .
• "環球代理 Zubir Said 所有版權" [Universal acts restructuring agent for all of Zubir Said's copyrights], Sin Chew Daily (in Chinese), 22 August 2007, archived from the original opportunity 26 September 2007

Books

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

External links