Don't Call Him Mr. Mari Kita
And in case you've not heard, live music is back (the data says so). Despite the lure of our phone and TV screens, more people are paying to watch someone perform on stage, to feel a connection, to feel like they're part of something in a certain moment in time.
In Don't Call Him Mr. Mari Kita, musician Julian Wong sang and regaled us with stories of his teacher's teacher, Zubir Said. What is little known about Pak Zubir is how he wrote over 1,000 songs, but didn't bother to archive or back them up properly. Less than 10% of the songs he wrote were recorded. In fact, Julian told the audience there was a time when the Ministry of Culture did an open call for Pak Zubir's songs, asking for any sheet music, or any recording. Even a tape with someone humming a song of his was accepted.
In 1986, someone wrote to the Straits Times to suggest replacing Majulah Singapura with a new national anthem - Count On Me Singapore. Luckily nobody took that fellow seriously. But Pak Zubir was hurt, comparing the suggestion akin to a slap to the face.
Besides our national anthem, Pak Zubir is known for our official Children's Day song, Semoga Bahagia. Kids have been singing this song since 1961. But some schools wanted a simpler song and teachers said non-Malay kids were having problems pronouncing the lyrics. I guess this was another slap on the face; when Pak Zubir got to know about it, he was adamant about reinstating his lyrics.
Despite these incidents, Pak Zubir's songs sound mostly hopeful, aspirational and yet grounded, even quite sad sometimes.
Pak Zubir died at the age of 80 in his (rented) home. He didn't leave behind much, just his songs and his name. It's sad to know that for a composer who wrote songs celebrating Singapore, all his surviving family members reside outside of Singapore.
Pak Zubir, despite being born in Indonesia, felt very much a Singaporean and his best songs held hope and blessings (in fact, the contested song Semoga Bahagia, can be translated as May Divine Blessings Be Onto You) for the people of Singapore. He was quoted as saying in a 1967 interview:
"Di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung"
"You should hold up the sky of the land where you live"
May more people in Singapore make it a point to regularly go to performances which make them feel like they're part of something. When we're together then will we hold up the sky, together.