Singapore’s National Anthem would have sounded completely different had its composer
Zubir Said (22 July 1907-16 November 1987) adhered to family traditions.
From a conservative Sumatran household which believed music was haram, Zubir
picked up music secretly and made his own instruments. He eventually left for
Singapore and embarked on a prolific career, composing more than 1,500 songs for film, radio
and the national stage. His repertoire includes the masterpiece, Majulah Singapura. His timeless and
evocative melodies continue to attract a new generation of fans online, with some proclaiming that his music “needs to be on Spotify”.
Watch: The Golden Era - Zubir Said
Marching to the beat of his own drum
His father considered music haram but that did not stop Zubir Said from pursuing his interest in music.1
In primary school, the Sumatra-born Zubir carved
his own flute out of bamboo and participated in a band with
other young flautists.2 In middle school, he picked up the guitar and drums.3
With pressing financial needs, a career in music was a pipe dream for Zubir.
He thus took on work as a brickmaker and copy typist until an encounter with a
Dutch district officer inspired him to pursue his passion. To this end, he became
the leader of a roving keroncong (an Indonesian style of music) band which moved
from village to village in Sumatra. They played at functions such as weddings and fun fairs.
His father, however, was very eager to have him take over as
village chief, or enter into a career in the Dutch army or administration.
At 21, Zubir had enough. He left for Singapore in a cargo vessel.4
The metropolis was his port of choice, having been sold on the idea
by a sailor friend who told him about the colony’s glittering lights, and
the availability of kopi susu (coffee with milk) and butter.
Malay film and music pioneer
Zubir's started his music career in Singapore
with a bangsawan (a form of Malay operatic theatre) troupe, performing with
them at the Happy Valley amusement park in Tanjong Pagar.
There, he picked up new skills and instruments such as the piano
while gradually rising through the ranks and eventually becoming the troupe's leader.
In 1936, he was recruited by the
British-owned record label His Master's Voice, or HMV, as a recording supervisor.
By this time, Zubir was fairly well-known. The war, however, did a number on his
career and he returned to his hometown with his two wives and children.
In 1947, after the war, Zubir returned to Singapore where he found work
as a part-time photographer at Malay language newspaper Utusan Melayu.
His big break coincided with the golden age of the
Malay film industry. In 1949, he began work at Shaw Brothers’ Malay Film Production division.
There, he composed songs for Malay films5 and box office hits such as Chinta (Love), a
romantic drama about a village girl and a shipwrecked stranger who turns out to be a king.
However, Zubir felt unfulfilled in this role so he left the
company for Cathay-Keris' Malay film arm where he was given the opportunity to set the tone for
entire movies by creating custom background mood music and orchestral arrangements.6
This was a major shift from the industry’s reliance on European tracks and was thus a role he cherished.7
Zubir also wrote songs for musical greats such as P. Ramlee, R. Ismail and Nona Asiah; and produced Malay classics such as Sayang Di Sayang, Pulang Merantau and Cempaka Biru.
Zubir was involved in a number of acclaimed films such as
Jula Juli Bintang Tiga and Dang Anom which picked up awards at the Asian Film Festival in
1959 and 1962. Critics noted his ability to move audiences to tears with his soothing, melancholic pieces.
Zubir eventually retired from Cathay-Keris in 1964.
Zubir’s undisputable talent and
his one-of-a-kind sound which helped define an era, caught
the attention of Singapore’s City Council in 1958. It invited
him to write an official song based on the motto Majulah Singapura (onward Singapore in Malay).10
Zubir’s composition was performed for the first
time on 6 September 1958 at a concert to mark Victoria Theatre’s reopening,11 and at
other mass events such as a Youth Rally at the Padang the following February.
His contributions towards Singapore’s nationalistic efforts was well-received, moving audiences
with its powerful expression of the progressive spirit of Singapore and the aspirations of its people.
A version of Majulah Singapura was subsequently
introduced to the public as the national anthem on 3 December 1959, the same year Singapore
attained self-government.12 It was a momentous occasion where the first Malayan-born
Yang di-Pertuan Negara (head of state in Malay), Yusof bin Ishak, had also been inaugurated.
Zubir's father, now 101 in age, travelled from Indonesia to witness the occasion following decades of estrangement.
Zubir was said to have been incredibly
honoured by the opportunity to contribute to the nationalist efforts of
the period. He understood the power that music had in rousing patriotic
feelings13 and fostering a sense of connection between people during an era
marked by instability and change.
Yang di-Pertuan Negara Yusof Ishak presented
Zubir Said a certificate of honour on 3 December 1959 for his composition of
Majulah Singapura. (Image from the National Archives of Singapore)
Over the course of his life, Zubir wrote 1,500 songs, a number
of which were dedicated to the community. Orang Singapura, for instance, was about being
a kind and graceful person of Singapore.14 He also wrote a song for birthday celebrations
which he called Selamat. Semoga Bahagia is yet another stirring composition of his. In it, he reminds
the youth of Singapore to pursue their dreams and happiness, as he had.15
Recognising his contributions to the nation, the government of
Singapore embarked on an effort to track down Zubir's scores and lyrics in the 1980s.16
Later, in the 2000s, as part of an effort to further Zubir’s legacy, his family
signed an agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group which manages
his repertoire, to allow his work to be available for download, and to
be recorded by other artistes.
His daughter, Rohana Zubir, also worked on a
project to document her father’s life and prolific career. Her book, Zubir Said: The
Composer of Majulah Singapura, was published in 2012.
In 2009, a road was named after him in Dhoby Ghaut.
The Strohmenger piano which belonged to the late Zubir Said. (Image from the National Museum of Singapore)