Dennis Chua looks at 10 patriotic songs and their singers in conjunction with Merdeka Day
Bahtera Merdeka
1 - A SONG synonymous with legendary singer Datuk Ahmad Jais, it is composed by Kassim Masdor and dates back to the 1950s when Malaya became independent. The country’s independence is likened to a ship which is received by joyous parents whose children fought hard to recover. It exhorts youngsters to do their best for their newly independent country, and make it peaceful and prosperous.
Pahlawanku
2 - THIS song was made popular by Puan Sri Salmah Ismail or Saloma and was composed by Yusof B in the 1950s. Yusof was the man behind Malay pop songs such as Nona Zaman Sekarang and Tari Tualang Tiga from the film Sumpah Orang Minyak, which starred Saloma’s husband Tan Sri P. Ramlee. Its poignant lyrics are a prayer by the families of warriors who go to battle to defend their motherland, and extol the virtues of courage, sacrifice and honour. It was popular during the 1960s when Malaysia was faced with the Communist threat and the confrontation with President Sukarno’s Indonesia.
Perajurit Tanah Air
3 - ALSO known as Inilah Barisan Kita, a reference to its first line, this song is composed by Saiful Bahari and extols the country’s warriors’ readiness to take on threats to national security at all times. It was popularised by 1960s patriotic song crooner Jamaluddin Alias and accompanies Warriors’ Day celebrations, which used to take place at the National Monument in Kuala Lumpur.
Tanggal 31
4 - WHILE commonly associated with Datuk Sudirman Arshad, this popular National Day song was actually composed and sung by Ahmad CB in the 1950s. It focuses on Aug 31, 1957, the date of Malaya’s independence and exhorts Malayans, and Malaysians after Malaysia’s formation on Sept 16, 1963, to celebrate their country’s freedom joyously.
Setia
5 - A RADIO Televisyen Malaysia staple in the second half of the 1980s, this song means loyalty to country, King, leaders and people. Composed by Datuk Ahmad Dassilah Mohd Yusoff, it was performed by the RTM choir but its most popular version was a jazzed-up one by Francissca Peter, one of the country’s biggest pop stars of that decade.
Sejahtera Malaysia
6 - IN the first half of the 1990s, this song about the people’s prayers for peace and success was used by RTM to sign off its daily broadcasts shortly after midnight. It was originally performed as a solo by Roy or Mohammad Rauzan Alwi.
Hati
7 - COMPOSED by Sharon Paul for Datin Paduka Shuhaimi Baba’s 2007 movie 1957 - Hati Malaya, this moving song is performed by Datuk Siti Nurhaliza. It extols the hearts of patriots whose love for their nation is magical and whose sacrifices in freeing their nation from oppression will be remembered for generations.
Here In My Home
8 - RELEASED in 2008, this song is part of a video project featuring various artistes led by singer and songwriter Pete Teo, its producer, while the late Yasmin Ahmad and Ho Yuhang were its directors. The song exhorts the people to inculcate the spirit of Bangsa Malaysia in their daily lives, to stop extremism and to “think Malaysian first”.
Gemuruh Suara
9 - IN 2011, Team Malaysia, the national sports team was given a special song by KRU which extolled the virtues of never giving up, learning from defeat and striving for glory. A special music video was created for the song and featured veteran and new artistes led by “Papa Rock” Datuk Ramli Sarip.
Tanda
10 - ANOTHER composition by Sharon Paul for Datin Paduka Shuhaimi Baba’s patriotic film of 2013 Tanda Putera, this song is performed by Awie. It is melancholic and talks about “true princes of the land”, who have left their mark on history with their self-sacrificing ways.