Have you heard about the national anthem of Singapore? When you heard that for the first time, you’re certainly astonished. Singapore used British as national language, but the national anthem lyrics used Indonesian.
The song writer of "Majulah Singapura" is Indonesian, his named Zubir Said. You may be surprised when you heard this song, the lyrics sound like using Indonesian. Indonesia language is derived from Malay, and Singapore still classified in a Malay clump.
Zubir Said was born in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, on July 22, 1907. He was a Singaporean composer originally from the Minangkabau highlands of Indonesia who composed the natinal anthem of Singapore.
A self-taught musician, Zubir also worked as a score arranger and songwriter for Cathay-Keris Film Production for 12 years, composing numerous songs for the company's Malay films.
Zubir studied at Dutch school from 1914 to 1921 and was a well-known as an artist and composer during his time. His love formusic brought him to Singapore where he joined the Wayang Bangsawan City Opera. His career took off and in 1938 he proposed to a keroncong singer from Java, Tarminah Kario Wikromo.
Zubir's talents were much sought-after. He was a photographer for the Utusan Melayu newspaperand was picked to head a film company, Shaw Brothers Malay Film Production, in 1949. Through that role, he started composing scores for Malay-language films.
In 1958, the Singapore City Council asked him to compose a song. Zubir wrote 'Majulah Singapura' created. Only later would it become the city-state's national anthem.
Zubir wrote more than1,500 songs with less than 10% of them ever recorded. He also won numerous international awards before passing away in 1987. Zubir died at the age of 80 years in Singapore because liver disease who have suffered a dozen years. He is buried in Pusara Aman, Singapore.
The Singapore government thought highly of Pak Zubir. In front of Istana Kampung Gelam Malay, one of the national parks in Singapore, there is a statue Zubir Said. After his death, the Singapore Cultural Foundation set up the Zubir Said Music Scholarship in his honor.
