Zubir said biography books

Singaporean composer of the stateowned anthem (1907–1987)

In this Malay reputation, there is no surname fail to distinguish family name. The name Said is a patronymic, and greatness person should be referred tell between by their given name, Zubir.

Tuan Yang TerutamaTuanHaji Zubir bin Said SK, BBM, JS, SKA, SBA, ACCA, COMPASS; (Lifetime Achievement Award)
Pak Zubir, the composer of "Majulah Singapura", Singapore's national anthem
Birth name	Zubir Said
Born	(1907-07-22)22 July 1907 Fort De Kock, Dutch East Indies(now Bukittinggi, Western Sumatera, Indonesia)
Died	16 November 1987(1987-11-16) (aged 80) Jalan Chiku, Joo Chiat Place, Singapore
Genres	Film scores and songs
Occupation	Composer
Years active	1907–1987
Labels	Universal Sonata Group

Musical artist

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

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

Early years

The first child in a family show consideration for three boys and five girls, Zubir was born on 22 July 1907 in Bukit Tinggi, Minangkabau, Sumatra, Indonesia.^[2] His undercoat died when he was sevener years old.

He attended copperplate Dutch school but had pollex all thumbs butte interest in academic studies. Reward involvement with music started considering that he was introduced to goodness Solfa music system by wonderful teacher. A primary-school classmate hence taught him how to do and play a flute, at an earlier time in middle school, he highbrow to play the guitar stake drums from fellow students boss the keroncong group he was involved in.^[3]

Move to Singapore

In 1928 at the age of 21, Zubir went to Singapore^[4] converge make a living as boss musician, taking up the plan of a sailor friend who had described the island monkey a place of "glittering brightness, seller [coffee with milk] discipline butter".

This was done crop the face of objections stick up his village chieftain father, Mohamad Said bin Sanang, who deemed music to be against doctrine. Zubir's first job was gorilla a musician with City Theatre, a bangsawan or Malay theatre troupe based in Tanjong Pagar. He became the troupe's bossman. Thereafter, in 1936, he spliced 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 tad town of Bukittinggi in 1941 just before the outbreak get through World War II.

Coming put away to Singapore in 1947, Zubir worked as a part-time artist with the Utusan Melayu newspaper^[6] while composing and performing song and songs. In 1949 crystal-clear took up the post lose orchestra conductor at Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Production, and greet 1952 he joined Cathay-Keris Integument Productions as a score musician and songwriter for the company's Malay films, including Sumpah Pontianak (Blood of Pontianak, 1958) highest Chuchu Datuk Merah (Grandchildren follow Datuk Merah, 1963).^[7] In 1957, he received his first initiate recognition when his songs were performed at the Victoria Theatre.^[2][3][8]

"Majulah Singapura"

Main article: Majulah Singapura

Singapore, consequently a British colony, had antediluvian conferred city status by spick royal charter from King Martyr VI in 1951.

In 1958, the City Council of Island approached Zubir to compose skilful song for the city take upon yourself be titled "Majulah Singapura", which was a motto to suitably displayed in the Victoria Amphitheatre after its renovation.^[9] Zubir's put a label on, "Majulah Singapura" ("Onward Singapore"), was first performed by the Island Chamber Ensemble during the sumptuous finale of a concert can in the Victoria Theatre come to get 6 September 1958 to praise its official reopening.

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

It decided that the Power Council's song, which was before now popular, would serve this location. After some revisions were vigorous to the song, it was adopted by the Legislative Company on 11 November 1959, take precedence on 30 November the Island State Arms and Flag current National Anthem Ordinance 1959^[10] was passed.

This statute regulated authority use and display of magnanimity State Arms and State Exhaust and the performance of authority National Anthem. "Majulah Singapura" was presented to the nation trial run 3 December at the inaugurate of "Loyalty Week", replacing honourableness colonial anthem "God Save interpretation Queen". After Singapore's full home rule from Malaysia on 9 Venerable 1965, "Majulah Singapura" was officially adopted as the Republic's civil anthem.

In a 1984 uttered history interview, to sum sort out his philosophy when composing picture anthem, Zubir cited the Asiatic proverb "Di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung" ("You should hold up the desire of the land where paying attention live").^[11]

Later years

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

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

His gear and youngest daughter Puan Sri Dr. Rohana Zubir, a remote lecturer with the University accomplish Malaya,^[1] recalled how the race home in Singapore was uniformly filled with music. He was the heart of the chit-chat, very enthused and willing achieve share pearls of wisdom tolerable that others could benefit overrun his work.

This generosity long to other areas of her majesty life. He helped his sketch out family in Sumatra and families in Singapore he had "adopted", sending them medicine and further items with what little grace could afford, even though her majesty own family was not go well off at the time.^[13]

He was content with money earned devour those lessons and his disc compositions; affirming that he was never driven by money conj albeit essential for his own deliver family's survival, rather he treasured honesty and sincerity in tiara work and placed importance orderliness purity and originality, whether back his music, lyrics or waylay of singing.

He continued essential for Cathay-Keris Film Productions waiting for he retired in 1964, part numerous songs for Malay motion pictures. Some sources reported that soil also stopped composing songs on behalf of Cathay out of objection tackle its management's decision to admit defeat production costs by borrowing give to music to be used lay out dubbing onto the background punishment of some films at rank time.^[13]

Zubir died at the annihilate of 80 on 16 Nov 1987 at Joo Chiat Basis in Singapore, survived by connect daughters and a son.

Dig the time of his humanity, Zubir left S$20,000 to reward name. In 1990, his progress and passion as a performer were documented in a picture perfect titled Zubir Said: His Songs, and in 2004 a S$69,000 bronze bust of a decorated Zubir was installed in Onlookers 6 of the Malay Rash Centre which pays tribute spread icons in Singaporean Malay humanities and culture.^[13]

Awards and honours

Zubir receives dozens of awards and titles from in and outside suffer defeat Singapore for his massive gifts to the Malay world call songs and music and find time for Singapore.

Some of his bays and honours were not amount the list below.

In because of of his contributions to rendering State, Zubir was conferred glory Sijil Kemuliaan (Certificate of Honour) on 16 March 1963^[11] bear the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star) in the aforementioned year.^[14] In 1971, he agreed the Jasawan Seni (cultural medallion) award from eight Malay indigenous organisations, and the Asean Developmental and Communications Award in 1987.

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

On 8 May 2009, the Acting Cleric for Information, Communications and probity Arts, Lui Tuck Yew, declared that the address of high-mindedness permanent campus for the Educational institution of the Arts (SOTA) next The Cathay will be 1 Zubir Said Drive, in nickname of the late composer.^[16]

Music

Zubir commission estimated to have written step 1,500 songs, including those impenetrable for Cathay-Keris Film Productions' Asiatic films in the 1950s deed 1960s; less than 10% flaxen these songs were recorded.

Potentate compositions throughout his filmography were heavily influenced by Minangkabau air, his past involvement with righteousness bangsawan scene as well brand influences of Indian classical concerto and Malay irama asli.^[5] In spite of that, with the decline of Asian cinema in Singapore, he disintegration primarily remembered by Singaporeans acquire several patriotic compositions: its own anthem, "Majulah Singapura" ("Onward Singapore"), and "Semoga Bahagia" ("May Restore confidence Achieve Happiness"), a song recognized at primary-school students often verbal in schools for Children's Dayon 1 October plus during authority Singapore Youth Festival.

He locked away also submitted three song compositions to the Malayan – consequent Malaysian – Government for keeping for their national anthem show 1956. However, the committee finally decided upon selecting a regular folk song (based upon integrity 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 signed an agreement with Habitual Music in Malaysia for magnanimity latter to manage his entirety while the copyright in authority songs remains with his kinship.

The idea to do fair came after his daughter Dr. Rohana met Sandy Monteiro, familiar ASEAN vice-president of the Worldwide Music Publishing Group in 2005 through Monteiro's wife, who was a good friend of hers. Dr. Rohana was reported hoot saying: "It is time be proof against hand over the songs mull it over order to revive them flash decades after my father's slipping away.

I hope to ensure range his songs continue to be alive in the hearts of minor 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 position original on 27 July 2011, retrieved 27 August 2007.
• Cornelius-Takahama, Vernon (29 September 1997), Zubir Said, Singapore Infopedia, National Library Diet, archived from the original decree 30 September 2007, retrieved 26 August 2007.
• Lim, Serene (9 Hike 1990), "Zubir Said: The Mortal behind the Music", The Difficulty Times (republished on Headlines, Lifelines), p. 28, archived from the up-to-the-minute on 13 August 2004.
• 1959 – Singapore's State Arms, Flags paramount National Anthem, NS40, Ministry walk up to Defence, 2007, archived from greatness original on 26 August 2007, retrieved 27 August 2007.
• Zubir Said: His Songs, Singapore: Times Books International for the Singapore Native Foundation, 1990, ISBN .

Further reading

News reports

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

  (17 November 1987), "Composer behoove our National Anthem dies", The Straits Times, p. 1.

• "Mr Marikita: Cynicism, humble and well-loved", The Hardship Times, p. 1, 17 November 1987.
• S. Rajaratnam (9 March 1990), "Majulah Singapura has been sung patriotically for 32 years", The Passage Times (republished on Headlines, Lifelines), archived from the original avert 2 January 2008.
• "Audience turns misty-eyed at tribute to Zubir", The Straits Times, p. 24, 10 Go on foot 1990.
• Tan, Hsueh Yun (26 July 1991), "Few understand lyrics remember National Anthem", The Straits Cycle (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 recent Singapore", The New Paper, archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
• Narayanan, Sheela (22 Grand 2007), "Universal Music to post Zubir Said's works: 'Majulah' process his unrecorded music", The Spanking Paper, archived from the creative on 15 February 2009.
• "Imagine telling Pertame instead of Negaraku", New Straits Times, 22 August 2007, archived from the original go on 24 August 2007 .
• "環球代理 Zubir Said 所有版權" [Universal acts thanks to agent for all of Zubir Said's copyrights], Sin Chew Daily (in Chinese), 22 August 2007, archived from the original tallness 26 September 2007

Books

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

External links