The Golden Voice

P. Ramlee was a prolific composer, and his popular songs were featured in films produced by Malay Film Productions (1948–1964) and Merdeka Film Productions (1964–1973). He was known as “the movie idol with millions of fans” and “the golden voice of popular songs”. Music records issued by HMV boosted his popularity, and his early duets with Rubiah were especially popular. He also performed with talented singers such as Momo Latif, Asiah, Lena, Sutinah, Normadiah and Saloma.

P. Ramlee drew inspiration from his feelings when composing songs. He said that every song depended on the composer’s emotions at the time. He could not compose a happy song if he was grieving, and vice versa. Inspiration came at the least likely and unexpected moments. However, when writing songs for films, he could not give free rein to his feelings. The Indian director decided the tone of the songs he composed, whether sad, happy, calm or with a Malay or Hindi beat. As a result, it was common for the songs in a Malay film to have a Hindi beat. When writing a song purely for entertainment and without any link to a film, P. Ramlee preferred to revive the traditional Malay spirit.

Words and Music

At the time, P. Ramlee emphasised the importance of close understanding between composer and lyricist. They needed to work closely on the nature of a song and on making the lyrics fit the rhythm. Finally, once the music and lyrics had been completed, there was the need to choose the singer best suited to the song. The composer, lyricist and singer then met together so that, in the musician’s kitchen, as it were, they could find the recipe and the seasoning that make a song a song before it is served to the public through a performance that captures the heart.

It was P. Ramlee’s experience that if the song he created did not follow closely the musical notes, the composer felt at odds with himself. Many a composer, he claimed, would feel happy and relieved if the song they wrote was sung in the manner they intended. The luckiest composer was the one whose song was sung passionately by the singer of his choice. Only then would the listener be able fully to enjoy the song and be aware of its subtleties.

The lyricists who collaborated on P. Ramlee’s songs included Jamil Sulong, H.M. Rohaizad and S. Sudarmaji. He composed a variety of songs with a Hindi beat for 1950s films made by directors of Indian descent. When he became a director, he produced songs influenced by Malay music, including those with a keroncong rhythm, such as “Alunan Biola” from the film Antara Dua Darjat. All the songs from Semerah Padi showed Malay influence (for example, “Sekapur Sireh Seulas Pinang”, “Makan Sireh di Semerah Padi” and “Lenggang Kangkong Baru”). In a very short time, they had become popular with the Malays. Some were accompanied by gentle, graceful dances which expressed the purity of Malay culture.