GREAT SINGERS MAKE THEIR HARI RAYA SONGS GREAT
I mentioned in one of my blogs that some Hari Raya Aidil Fitri songs can move people. Their tunes and lyrics can sometimes inexplicably create feelings of nostalgia and sadness, or feelings of joy and merriment – by just listening to them.
The song sung by Tan Sri P.Ramlee, "Dendang Perantau" has such an effect to those far from home, like my friend I mentioned in the other blog page. Especially to those far from their dearest mum and dad, their brothers and sisters, or their dearest wife or husband and children.
The song will sometimes make a strong person cry, maybe not visible outside but in his heart and mind.
Another Hari Raya song that can make one sad and homesick come Aidil Fitri is the song "Dari Jauh Ku Pohon Maaf" by Sudirman Haji Arshad, or just "Sudi" to his fans. I know of a few friends who did.
The lyrics tell of a traveler, unable to return home for the festive occasion, and so he could only ask for forgiveness from his parents from afar. I bet this song will make those security guards, policemen, or soldiers, and office workers, on duty on Hari Raya day feel lonesome for home. But then sacrifices will have to be made by some for the benefits of the majority.
It is not only the lyrics that can create the sad feelings but perhaps also the singer himself – his voice, his style of singing and sometimes his own persona.
The late S. Jibeng with his perennial Raya song, for instance, is himself blind, and his singing always bring the connotations of someone handicapped by something physical, unable to really enjoy the celebrations like normal people.
With the song carrying that persona of him celebrating a festive occasion with a tinge of melancholy, many people will inevitably or unconsciously associate with the song and the singer himself.
So much for sob songs.
While I'm rambling about popular and great Raya songs, I have to confess that when I first heard the song "Satu Hari Di Hari Raya" by M.Nasir, when it first came out maybe 20 odd years ago, I really hate it.
It was so much different, of a different genre, from the Hari Raya songs of P.Ramlee, Saloma and Fazidah Joned and my other favorites I’m used to at the time.
But then great songs will grow and grow on you, always sounding better and better every year, describing perhaps new dimensions that came to your life. They therefore relate to you, and suddenly the songs that you initially don’t like, become your favorite ones.
In fact this M. Nasir’s song is now one of my "must-listen-to and must-be-played on the air-waves" songs to make my Hari Raya day. It is, to me, a classic "hate-it-at-first-but-later-somehow-love-it" kind of song.
GREAT SINGERS HAVE AT LEAST ONE GREAT, LOVABLE SONG
Perhaps great singers make the songs great. The songs are popular not because of the tune or lyrics but because the singer singing the song makes it so. All the really top popular Malay singers of their time, have at least one perennial Hari Raya song to their name.
P. Ramlee, Saloma, Sudirman and the rest I mentioned previously, have ensured their names will not be forgotten by having a song to be constantly played come the festival.
That’s why I’m still waiting for some great songs from the current popular singers in Malaysia, like Datuk Siti Nurhaliza. I know Datuk Siti Nurhaliza has one or two Hari Raya songs already, but they are just so-so to me, nothing memorable or loveable. She should get a song-writer to compose one great Hari Raya song. Maybe M. Nasir could do this one for her.
And I know Mawi hasn’t made one yet.
Well, I've said it. "Every top popular singer of his/her time must at least produce one great , loveable and perennial Hari Raya song for future generations to remember them by."
So Datuk Siti and Mawi, you heard me.
Enjoy.
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