- HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI SERIES -


HARI RAYA SONGS AND OLD AGE

I said earlier in the other post that a great singer usually makes a Hari Raya song popular and loveable, ensuring perenniality to the songs. And I did hint or rather suggest that both Datuk Siti Nurhaliza and Mawi get done an unforgettable Hari Raya song to make their names be forever remembered come Hari Raya time.

But as always there’s the odd one out. There’s the Hari Raya song by Aman Shah. He’s no great singer to me and I can’t identify other good songs that he has. That Raya song seems to be the only song that I know or ever remember him sing.

His Raya song, I can’t for the life of me know why, somewhat touches me and, like the lyrics of the song by the Carpenters, puts me high on a pedestal, for no justifiable reason. I don’t share at all the reality of the lyrics, but somehow just his rendition affects my sentiments. Perhaps his unique voice co-incidentally blends nicely with the song.

By the way, have you ever heard your favorite Hari Raya song being sung by someone else?

Well, I have heard some other singer sing a few of my favorite Aidil Fitri songs, but there is no such “festivity” or “melancholic” effect. I find most to be just another of those bland renditions to fill air space.

And most times it does the opposite and the great song gets somewhat spoilt by the new singers.

This may be due to the musical arrangement or the singer’s voice and style of singing. Really, I believe a singer’s personal character or persona plus his rendition either makes or spoils a song.

Maybe that’s why we find there are great singers and the just So – so’s. The great ones put extra feelings in their singing, feel deeply the lyrics, while the So-so’s just belt out loud, no bother, just to finish the song.

The So-so’s may perhaps have tried to put their feelings in the song but then again maybe it’s the knowledge that it’s not their own original song that the end result seems to falter. And because of the song's inextricable identification with the original singer.

Anyway, during the recent Hari Raya, I heard a rather unique exception to the above notion that the old Hari Raya songs cannot be improved upon.

And it was Awie, the rocker, who somehow was able to render what was to me an acceptable, no, rather loveable and smooth, rock version of the Raya song by S. Jibeng. Perhaps his divorce just before Raya brought the right emotions to his rendition.

That’s no mean achievement because to improve on an already popular and established song takes extra effort and profound knowledge of the audience’s preferences.

But then Awie has been on the music scene for about twenty years already. He should know.

An accomplished singer and musician should know how to go about singing other people’s song with finesse.

Ahh, maybe yes, I’m getting older day by day. That means I’m getting more sentimental and easier (but not easily) moved by little emotions. And perhaps become a sort of a nostalgia maniac, sometimes for no reason at all.

Getting older day by day means (self praise now) having more mature thoughts and more experience. And talking about songs generally, one suddenly becomes more discerning.

Old men can perhaps tell whether a song will eventually be popular, evergreen or otherwise, because old men are wise, most times, in the things and issues they have cared or learnt about.

But then I think (just my own thoughts though), maybe most Malays are extra sentimental beings. That’s why they like entertainment, and that is why they are sometimes left behind in some other non-sentimental aspects of life.

But again, what is life if there are no varieties? What is life if we don’t
appreciate having a little entertainment, even if they bring out and fill our life with sadness?

What’s that again? Entertainment that fills us with sadness? Humm.

Ah, varieties are the spice of life – without which not.

Everyone is agreed on that. Right?

Until next time, just my rumblings here ... for those who care to read.

Enjoy.

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