This blog is dedicated to the amateur or beginner musician with music written in a simple and easy to read Alpha Notes format and with Chords for the left hand. This is to assist those with little or hardly at all note reading skills. This is a blog that shows all the chords in Alpha Notes format too which you can find the notes for the chords in one of the blogs. Please feel free to leave a comment or any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Enjoy!
Gema Rembulan was composed by Jimmy Boyle. James W. Boyle, better known as Jimmy Boyle, was a Penangite musician of Eurasian extraction. He composed and wrote the lyrics to Untuk Negeri Kita, which was adopted as the state anthem of Penang a year after his death.
Boyle was born on the 26th July 1922 on Kelawai Road, Penang (in what was then the Straits Settlements) to Jeanne Moissinac and John Walter Patrick Boyle. He attended St. Xavier's Institution, and continued his education at Raffles College, Singapore. In 1946, he was hired by St. Xavier's to teach.
Boyle would become a composer for the Classical Saxophone Quarter, NW University Brass Ensemble. His work has received praise from the likes of Charles Lloyd (jazz musician) and Jack Teagarden, and has been played on BBC and Voice of America.
A proud moment in his life came about when one of his compositions, Kemegahan Negaraku (My Country's Majesty), was chosen to be played at the inaugural raising of the Malaysian flag, on the 31st August 1957.
Ibu was written by Ahmad Jaafar. Ahmad Jaafar is a Malayan &
Singaporean musician who was active around the 30s to 60s.
He was born in Binjai , North Sumatra
, Indonesia on August 30, 1919. His mother was named Ulung Rajunah, while his
father Jaafar, was a mute movie agent while his uncle was a violinist who
decorated entertainment songs in the era of mute films. and the aristocratic
stage was screened. His interest in music dates back to a young age. Raised by
his grandmother, when he was six years old, he began learning to play
percussion (drums) and later played with a cinema band that accompanied silent
film screenings.
Ahmad's formal education only began
when he learned to play the violin with his uncle. Then when he was 15 years
old, Ahmad used the new skills he acquired to join the Amateur Field Band under
the auspices of Sultan Langkat in the early 1930s led by Mohamad Darus Omar,
Director of the Sultan Langkat Army Band. While serving with the band, Ahmad
received further musical education from the band leader. In 1938, Ahmad became
a clarinet player with the Dutch Symphony band, White Society, based in Medan.
When World War II broke out, Ahmad
along with his former bandmates formed a theater group under the coercion of
the Japanese army to explore Sumatra and were instructed to make theater
performances to spread Japanese propaganda.
When the war ended, Ahmad was determined
to pursue his ambition to serve on Radio Malaya. In 1946, Ahmad and his wife,
Sutinah Enchu took a boat ride for more than four hours from Medan to Singapore
to try their luck in the Lion City. Arriving in Singapore without a job for
almost 2 months, he was finally accepted to be a saxaphone blower in the Cecil
Wilson Music Group playing at the Great World Cabaret where he was introduced
to Osman Ahmad. With this band, Ahmad gets paid S $ 250 a month.
In 1949, Ahmad Jaafar joined the new
Harry Hackmayer Music Group based at Cathay Restaurant. With this band, Ahmad's
salary increased by S $ 400 a month. The band performed in hotels with Malay
songs, Latin America as well as theme songs for the show circus.
In the 1950s, Ahmad managed to become
a part-time musician with Radio Malaya. It was during this time that he got a
contract with Shaw's Malay Film Productions and also the Cathay Keris
Organization to change the background songs and singing for the film. It was at
this time that his constantly fresh songs such as Ibu, Selamat Hari Raya and
Bunga Tanjong were born.
In 1958, Ahmad managed to get a
permanent job at Radio Malaya as a clarinet, flute and tenor saxophone player,
during which time he had the opportunity to perform professionally with the
Music Group he founded for the first time, Malayannaires. When Singapore
achieved independence in 1965, Ahmad was appointed deputy leader of the newly
formed Orchestra, Rayuan Kencana under Radio and Television Singapore (RTS).
Two years later, Ahmad was entrusted to be the main leader of the Orchestra
until he retired in 1992. In the 1970s, the Orchestra under the leadership of
Ahmad Jaafar played to accompany talented singers in the music competition,
Talentime.
In short, Ahmad Jaafar's serious
involvement in the field of music began after he migrated to Singapore in 1946.
His acquaintance with musician Osman Ahmad facilitated his path to become a
musician in Kota Singa. In 1950, he was given the opportunity to create the
song Ibu as the theme song of the film of the same title and the song was sung
by P.Ramlee. He was later entrusted with producing songs for the film Life and
several other films. Among the songs he composed that is still fresh is Selamat
Hari Raya sung by singer Saloma. His songs were also sung by Nona Asiah, R.
Azmi, Ahmad Daud and many more. Ahmad Jaafar once founded the Kencana Appeal
Orchestra which was quite popular in the 50s because he was often invited by
Radio Malaya in Singapore.He also led the HMV Orchestra to accompany the recording
of P.Ramlee's songs to the black plate such as the recorded songs from the
matchmaking film, Mengapakah Riang Ria sung by P.Ramlee & Normadiah and
also the song Sungguh Malangnya Nasibku sung by P.Ramlee, the songs in Sedarah
Films like Mesra Ibu and Kalaulah Boleh Ku Lupa in Films Aladin. In the early
1990s (1992) he retired from the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation and after
that he taught music.In the early 1990s (1992) he retired from the Singapore
Broadcasting Corporation and after that he taught music.In the early 1990s
(1992) he retired from the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation and after that he
taught music.
Ahmad has composed some of the most
popular songs that are popular until now, such as Ibu (P.Ramlee's song - Film
Ibu), Selamat Hari Raya (Saloma's song), Bunga Tajung (Rubiah), Hujan Lebat and
Tiada Berita. It is believed that Ahmad only composed 80 songs but the number
of compositions and musical arrangements is very large, including some
compositions for the symphony orchestra that were performed in the program
Malam Irama Malaysia organized by Radio Malaysia in the 1960s.
Ahmad Jaafar has been awarded several
medals of honor in recognition of his contributions and these include the
Singapore Administrative Star (Bronze) and the Culture Medallion Award (Silver)
.
To download the easy alphanotes and chords sheet music, look here. Enjoy!
Putra Putri was written by James Boyle. To his many students, 44-year-old James P.S. Boyle is as dedicated a teacher as his late father James W. Boyle. Popularly called Jimmy Boyle, he taught at St Xavier’s Institution and had maintained his teaching position till he passed away in 1971 at 49.
This son of the Penang Eurasian behind the iconic Putera Puteri (sometimes spelt Putra Putri), the Penang State anthem called Untuk Negeri Kita, Jauh Jauh, Ingat Ingat, Bunga Negara, Sang Bayu, Ke-Hulu Ke-Hilir, Pantun Melayu, Gemaran Bulan, and other songs, is personable and an easy conversationalist about jazz music.
All set to perform on the main stage of the 12 + 1 Penang Island Jazz festival come Dec 3, James says: “It’s a blessing really to be Jimmy Boyle’s son although I never knew him!”
A Boh Cameronian award-winning music director and graduate of Boston’s Berklee College of Music, James has been with Aswara (then ASK) since 1999. For the Penang festival, he will perform with Ruslan Imam, an Aswara colleague, on bass and Ruvi Imam on drums as the James Boyle Trio. It’s a tag that harkens back to his late dad’s Jimmy Boyle Trio.
“It’s a pleasant invitation, to be part of the festival. Paul (Augustin, the organiser) knew of the main movers of music in Penang, including my dad and he has great passion for jazz.”
It’s not the first time jazz lovers will see James at the festival as he had performed on the main stage in 2006, under James Boyle And The Ragged Tigers, and in 2010 while he had some fun in the Fringe festival over the years. “It’s my favourite jazz festival. Everybody’s genuine, and they are there for the music.
“The beach, the hills around the site, the waves lappin, the environment is perfect for the music.”
The show will be a Boyle on Boyle tribute. “It’s great to be able to rework some of my dad’s songs. I will have two singers — Bizhu and Liyana Fizi — on stage.
“It’s only a 40-minute set, and as Jimmy Boyle had more than 350 songs, we’ll be doing some tunes that people may not have heard before.”
James has also written a book, The Music And Legacy Of Jimmy Boyle, which will be on sale after the show.
He is as excited about performing as he is about doing a workshop for the festival. “I’ll be talking about Jimmy Boyle, from my point of view and detached from who I am to him — musician, composer, educationist, never as my dad.”
He expects the session to be lively as there are still many Penang folks and musicians who recall Jimmy Boyle, the man and his works. James’ late dad will have a special place in the new Penang House of Music on the 4th floor of Komtar.
According to the Facebook page, the Penang House of Music is a curation of Penang’s popular music heritage with faithful depictions of the era. Showcased are Penang’s popular music from the 1940s to 1960s, a feature on communal music, a recreation of a radio booth and cinema, and a resource centre where visitors may discover an ever-growing vinyl collection, newspaper clippings, previously unreleased recordings, audio and video interviews.
Says James: “I’ve recorded Chendering (another famous Jimmy Boyle tune about a beach in Terengganu) with Bizhu, which will be played at the Penang House of Music. Dad was a great fan of the Malaysian landscape.
“Jimmy Boyle was consigned to do patriotic songs then, and we need to have more of such songs today. “The Penang House of Music is a tribute to our music legacy. Most of the musicians from that era came from Penang. David Yeoh, Ahmad Merican, Ahmad Nawab. and of course, Jimmy Boyle.”
The Penang House of Music is another brainchild of Paul Augustin. “Music matters to Paul, and that’s one reason why the Penang Jazz Festival has lasted for 13 years.
“The artistes who are invited to perform are different from the big names at other jazz festivals. I go to the Penang festival to absorb new sounds. It also connects with audiences, and there is space for young musicians too, giving them a platform to perform, which is not the same scene as clubs.”
For James, there is a dearth of jazz festivals in Malaysia today, and even the jazz clubs don’t last very long.
“The love for jazz music must begin from the grassroots level. People must relate to how the artistes developed their style. It’s important to know who you like, and the struggles the artiste has gone through to come up with their sound.
“When I was learning, in the 1980s, it was Sting, and when his album Dream Of The Blue Turtles came out, I bought the cassette. I had to find out who the engineer for the drum sound was, the studio it was recorded in, that kind of thing.”
James has performed with many Malaysian music luminaries over the years, including the late Paul Ponnudorai. “It was Paul Ponnudorai And The Handsome Coconuts on television. It was a great learning curve for me.”
Paul, who died in 2012, had himself backed up most of Malaysia’s greatest recording artistes including Datuk Sudirman Arshad and had co-produced his hit song, One Thousand Million Smiles, with jazz maestro Michael Veerapen.
Adds James: “It’s not a good sign when a student is asked to name a favourite jazz player, and he tells you he just clicks on YouTube and google.
“It’s scary, it says the young are taking things for granted. We should know who Ahmad Merican, Alfonso Soliano and ‘that Jimmy Boyle guy’ was.
“It’s embarrassing that the young know more about Mozart’s life than P. Ramlee’s. Honour starts from the home. Honour your own, before others. Honour our own heroes first. It’s about a sense of patriotism. It’s important.
“As for the Boyle on Boyle show, it’s up to me to leave the legacy of Jimmy Boyle, however I can for the future generations.”
To download the alphanotes and chords sheet music, look here. Enjoy!
Satu Malaysia was written in Limkokwing University of Creative Technology and originally
sung by Ronnie and Ernie.
The aspirations of Satu Malaysia is truly embedded not only in the celebration of the 48th Malaysia Day, but it is also embodied in “Satu Malaysia“, a beautiful song created by some of the great talents at LimKokWing University of Creative Technology.
Truly the essence of Satu bangsa, Satu negara [1 people, 1 nation] is echoed in this song. Truly the mantras “seia, sekata, sehati, sejiwa,” [one thought, one voice, one heart, one spirit] radiate brightly from this song. It is through this spirit of Oneness that Malaysians can heal themselves of differences and deficiencies and henceforth march towards attaining transformational change. Change for the better based on industry, diligence, fairness and merit.
If history could repeat itself, then Malaysians should emulate South Korea’s successes. In the 1960s Malaysia’s GDP was 3 times the GDP of South Korea. Today, the situation is reversed. South Korea’s GDP is 3 times bigger than Malaysia’s. Similarly, Korea’s GDP was slightly lower than that of the Philippines 50 years ago.Today Korea is a first world nation and richer than Saudi Arabia. But, I am hopeful that Malaysians can do it. With a true 1Malaysia spirit that transcends class, race, religion and culture. Embrace boldy the true spirit of 1Malaysia and proclaim Malaysia Boleh [Malaysia Can (Do It)].
Malaysians must not be paralysed by fear from contributing towards nation building. Prosperity and Peace, Happiness and Harmony and many others aspirations are important yarns that must be woven into a uniquely Malaysian fabric. A national “songket” that reflects a multi-racial, multi-religious Malaysian society intertwined with Satu Bangsa, Satu Negara threads from every citizen.
Malaysians should be encour- aged and emboldened by Goethe’s words of wisdom, “Boldness has Genius, Power and Magic in it.” Because Malaysia Boleh, go boldly transforming Malaysia into a developed nation that will be for the benefit for all.
To download the alphanotes and chords sheet music, look here. Enjoy!
Lyrics:
Dunia kian berubah Perubahan melingkari Melaksana hasrat hati Kejayaan terbukti
Dunia yang megah Dengan misi yang gagah Kerana perpaduan Kita masih bersama
Kita satu bangsa, Kita satu Negara Kita satu matlamat, oooo Kita satu bangsa, satu Negara Kita satu Malaysia
Bermulanya sekarang Perjalanan dilaksana Seia sekata sehati dan sejiwa
Membina masa hadapan Menuju kejayaan Kita semua rakyat Malaysia Harmoni, saling menghormati
Kita satu bangsa, Kita satu Negara Kita satu matlamat, oooo Kita satu bangsa, satu Negara Kita satu Malaysia
Kita satu bangsa, Kita satu Negara Kita satu matlamat, oooo Kita satu bangsa, satu Negara Kita satu Malaysia
English translation
The mighty world, is changing, The changes, encircle all,
To achieve, the wish of heart, So as to approve the success. The mighty world, that is proud, With mission, that is brave, Because of, the unity, We are still together. We are, of one great nation, we are, of one country, We are, of one great vision, huh We are, of one
nation, of one country, We are, One Malaysia Ooooooo.. it begins by now By now To accomplish, the long journey, With an aim, a word, a heart, and a soul Building to, the bright future Getting to the success We are all Citizen of Malaysia Facing while, always respecting We are, of one great nation, we are, of one country, We are, of one great vision, huh We are, of one nation, of one country, We are, One Malaysia We are, of one great nation, we are, of one country, We are, of one great vision, huh We are, of one nation, of one country,
If you lived through the late 80s, you might remember the famous patriotic song Setia, which aired on state broadcaster RTM for many years.
The Francesca Peter classic was just one of many nationalistic tunes that were composed to instill patriotism among Malaysians.
Composer and music director Vale V Wong was searching for a patriotic song after the GE14 results to capture his emotions but he couldn’t find one.
“Our patriotic songs don’t reflect the struggles we went through as a nation and that bittersweet feeling, a lot of it felt childish so I thought why not make one?” said Wong who works as a choir director with EcoWorld.
He then decided to rework Setia, recalling how its lyrics and melody would never fail to mesmerise him when he was a child.
“I came up with the idea of mashing up Setia and Negaraku because it felt right. Setia is a patriotic song but when you combine it with Negaraku, it really encapsulates our patriotism — everyone was feeling it on GE14 weekend.”
The song, titled Setia Negaraku, features 16 volunteers, most of whom are amateur singers, except for Samantha de Lune, Anrie Too, Cheryl Tan and Wong himself.
They recorded it on May 13, four days after Pakatan Harapan’s historic win, in a mere four hours with zero budget.
“The song that we wanted to share is for all Malaysians, not for any party in particular,” he said.
“It felt like for the first time, the people had a bit more power.”
Launched on July 9, Setia Negaraku has gained over 116,000 views and 2.3k shares at the time of writing.
Setia was composed by Tan Sri Mohamed Rahmat, affectionately known as Tok Mat, Mat Setia and Mat Mr Propaganda, and was launched in 1987.
He assumed the position of Minister of Information twice, under Tun Hussein Onn from 1978 to 1982 and under Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad from 1987 to 1999.
“When I listen to the version we came up with, it’s not just happy emotions, it’s almost as if there is more depth to what being Malaysian means and somehow that resonates with a lot of people,” Wong said.
To download the easy alphanotes and chords sheet music, look here. Enjoy!
Lyrics:
Demi negara yang tercinta Di curahkan bakti penuh setia Demi raja yang disanjung tinggi Kesetiaan tak berbelah bagi Kepada pemimpin kepada rakyat Khidmat diberi penuh taat Sama bekerja sama berusaha Setia berkhidmat untuk semua Rela berkorban apa saja Amanah bangsa tetap dijaga Kami berikrar penuh setia Untuk agama, bangsa dan negara
In the first half of the 1990s, this song, Sejahtera Malaysia 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.
In 2018, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) unveiled its ‘TM Sejahtera Malaysia’ to mark Malaysia’s National Day – an innovative campaign that celebrates Malaysia’s diverse cultures by combining six different languages and two films together to create one unique experience.
Created by Grey Malaysia, the campaign is centred around the song ‘Sejahtera Malaysia’ which was re-recorded in six different ethnic languages, with each line of the song sung in a different language. The song forms the soundtrack to two separate films, made for mobile phones and shot in vertical format, that uniquely combine when two mobile phones are put together, as depicted below.
Each film stands on its own, but have unique visual elements that interconnect when played together side by side. The films show the lives of disparate individuals crossing paths by accident, colliding by circumstance, and united by the one thing they have in common: a celebration of being Malaysian. To see the full picture and how the two journeys are connected, viewers simply have to join their phones and hit the “play” button at the same time.
Teh Siow Ling, General Manager, Group Brand Management, Group Brand & Communication, TM said, “As Malaysia’s Convergence Champion, TM is part of the fabric of people’s lives; we use technology to enable people to share their special moments and bring millions of people together. Simply put, the film was designed around the concept of moments of Malaysians coming together, uniting our different cultures despite our diverse backgrounds. The mechanics of joining two screens requires an act of unity, while the soundtrack honours the diversity of the country’s multi-ethnic population. We are proud and excited to bring this unique experience to all Malaysians in conjunction with the momentous National Day celebration this year.”
Meanwhile, Graham Drew, Executive Creative Director, Grey Malaysia, said, “The campaign is about separate elements all coming together. Different races, images, music, all great on their own, but creating something special when together.”
The beloved classic song is given a fresh contemporary sound by Malaysian musician and composer Hady Afro. Aside from the original Bahasa Malaysia, the lyrics were sung in Mandarin, Tamil, Jaku Iban, Dusun Kadazan and English; alternating one after another before coming together in an uplifting chorus. Malaysians can also enjoy the tracks in their individual languages as six different versions, together with the two films in its full form starting 27 August 2018.
To download the easy alphanotes and chords sheet music, look here. Enjoy!
Lyrics:
Puji dan syukur pada Ilahi Anugerahnya tiada terhingga Kedamaian kemakmuran Malaysiaku bahagia
Dengan tekad untuk berjaya Berbakti pada nusa dan bangsa Kami junjung cita-cita luhur Perpaduan seluruh negeri
Seia sekata sehati sejiwa Menghadapi cabaran Kami setia kami sedia Berkorban untuk negara
Bersemarak Malaysia tercinta Kibarkan panji kebesarannya Kami rela menjaga namamu Sejahtera Malaysia
Puji dan syukur pada Ilahi Anugerahnya tiada terhingga Kedamaian kemakmuran Malaysiaku bahagia
Dengan tekad untuk berjaya Berbakti pada nusa dan bangsa Kami junjung cita-cita luhur Perpaduan seluruh negeri
Seia sekata sehati sejiwa Menghadapi cabaran Kami setia kami sedia Berkorban untuk negara
Bersemarak Malaysia tercinta Kibarkan panji kebesarannya Kami rela menjaga namamu Sejahtera Malaysia
"Kapur Sirih" is a malay folk song. Malay folklorerefers to a series of knowledge, traditions and taboos that have been passed down through many generations in oral, written and symbolic forms among the indigenous populations ofMaritime Southeast Asia(Nusantara). They include among others, themes and subject matter related to the indigenous knowledge of theethnic Malaysand related ethnic groups within the region.
The stories within this system of lore often incorporate supernatural entities and magical creatures which form parts of the Malay mythology. Others relate to creation myths and place naming legends that are often inter-twined with historical figures and events. Ancient rituals for healing and traditional medicine as well as complex philosophies regarding health and disease can also be found.
The oral forms of this lore are transmitted primarily through nursery rhymes, folksongs, theatrical exhibitions, and stories that are commonly told from parent to child. Nomadic storytellers that would roam the temples, marketplaces and palace courts also play a large part in the insemination of the oral traditions throughout the populace, often accompanied by music as well through forms of composed poetry and prose. The oral traditions are often integrated with moral values and some may also include stories of talking animals.
Of all the types of oral transmission, those in the form of music appear to be most prevalent in Malay society. Songs and melodies from times of old are sung and resung on a regular basis during festivities such as weddings, celebrations of motherhood and childbirth, rites of passage, and at cultural or religious celebrations. They are also utilized in the occasional ceremonial functions in royal weddings, in rites of ascension (or coronation) and royal birthday celebrations; in the form of the more refined court music.
Every region or each of the states may employ different versions of oral transmission but the most popular is in the form of folk-singing or lagu rakyat. The Middle Eastern-influenced ghazal can be heard in the southern Malaysian state of Johor especially in the district of Muar. Poets and singers consisting of often females and sometimes males vocalize popular love poems and riddles in the form of pantun to the accompaniment of composition and of music made for a six-stringed Arabian lute (see oud), Indian tablas, Western violins, accordion and marracas.
Forms of nursery rhymes and lullabies are also sung at weddings and cultural festivals in the state of Melaka by Malays and the Malay-speaking Peranakan communities. The contents of the songs are mostly to do with advice on love, life, and marriage and are affectionately known in Malay as dondang sayang meaning "song of love".
Within each of these folk-songs, messages and stories are told, a kind of informal handing down of wisdom from the old to the young in the form of poetry which may include any of these:
Pantun – a poem with four stanzas, two of each rhyme with each other
Syair – a poem also with four stanzas, with all ends rhyming together
Seloka – a poem, similar to pantun
Madah – a kind of rhyming speech, a discourse through poetry
The Malay oral tradition includes a large collection of folksongs. Many of these songs are in the form of stories weaved into poetry or simple rhyme. These folksongs continue to be sung and a sizable number of them are included in the albums of modern-day singers, often with improvisations in terms of melody and more complex musical arrangements to suit a larger accompaniment of musicians as well as singers.
A number of these folksongs originally belong to a certain region within Southeast Asia and are sung by the populations within the area. However, due to the nature of inter-mingling and mutual co-migrations within these areas, the folksongs may also be heard in places far from their original geographic origins.
Stories of love and romance of princes and princesses, kings and queens, and heroes and their damsels in distress (and often, damsels and their heroes in distress) have long filled the imaginations of ethnic Malays. The fact that numerous royal courts existed and still exist in Southeast Asia supplied the basis of the stories. Although many of these tales are replete with additions (or reductions) and may contain a certain measure of exaggeration as well as the expected variations that existed from one story teller to another, the value and the wisdom behind each story cannot be ignored.
These stories are often told by professional story tellers called penglipur lara, which roughly translates to reliever of sorrows. The few penglipur lara that exist today are often farmers or at least rural villagers. In the past, travelling penglipur lara would carry the stories from one kampung (village) to another, making the occasional stops at marketplaces, village squares as well as royal courts. The essence of the stories remain the same but sometimes, adjustments are made according to the individual story-teller's preference. For example, the penglipur lara version of the Ramayana changes many of the names and settings and casts Laksmana as a pawang or Malay shaman, as opposed to the literary Hikayat Seri Rama or the theatrical Hikayat Maharaja Wana which remained closer to the original Indian epic.
Many of these stories are also condensed and made into poetic songs. A fixed melody is set for each story to the extent that if a melody is played or sung in the absence of its wordings, a Malay would be able to instantly recall the title of the story or at least the name of the characters in the story.
Animal fables are often used to explain certain natural phenomena. Other times, they are simple moral tales. In almost all instances, the animals in these stories possess the ability to speak, reason and think like humans, similar to Aesop's Fables.
The kancil or mouse-deer serves as the main character in a number of the stories. The Malays regard this humble animal in the highest esteem due to its ability to overcome obstacles and defeat adversaries despite of its rather small and benign appearance. The mouse-deer appears in the state herald of Melaka and even plays a part in the legend of Malacca's founding.
Below are listed some of the common fables as well as their approximate title translations. (Note that the word sang, an Old Malay honorific meaning "revered", appears in all instances preceding the name kancil to indicate respect).
Malays, as with other Southeast Asians, have always taken great interest in stories of ghosts and spirits. It must be stressed that due to the animistic root of Malay folklore, these ghosts are seen as sharing the plane of existence with humans and are not always considered evil. However, when the delicate line that separates the boundaries of existence is crossed, or a transgression of living spaces occurs, a conflict ensues that may result in disturbances such as possessions.
The Malay word for ghost is hantu. However, this word also covers all sorts of demons, goblins and undead creatures and are thought to have real physical bodies, instead of just apparitions or spectres. The most famous of these is the pontianak or matianak, the ghost of a female stillborn child which lures men in the form of a beautiful woman.
Malay folklore that appear as written traditions are often called hikayat, kisah or dongeng. The oldest of them were written in Old Malay using the prevailing scripts of the time, such as Sanskrit, Pallava or Kawi. From around the 14th century onward, they were written in Classical Malay using Jawi script which prevailed ever since the arrival of Islam until the colonial era. During this time, the Malay royal courts became the centre for learning where scribes record the genealogy of kings and queens as well as historical events.
The hikayat or epics are collections of stories and legends of heroism that often involve mythological and historical figures in a setting usually engaging the role of protagonists and antagonists. The Hikayat Hang Tuah and the story of Hang Jebat are among the most well known hikayat which are often told and retold in various forms such children's books, films, theatre plays and musical productions. The choice of who were to be portrayed as the protagonists and who were to be portrayed as the antagonists usually lies with the alignment of the storyteller, although most commonly, bards tend to maintain a stance of neutrality and dispassion in their story telling. In the stories of Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat for example, the lawful Hang Tuah may be portrayed as the hero, while sometimes, the non-lawful Hang Jebat may assume that role.
Kisah dongeng are a loose collection of bedtime stories, fables and myths that involves human or non-human characters, often with superhuman powers along with talking animals, and an unearthly setting.
In this category, the story of Puteri Gunung Ledang, Bawang Putih Bawang Merah and Batu Belah Batu Bertangkup is well known by the Malays. All three have been made into movies, albeit with differing interpretations and settings.
Characters with human-likeness abound in these stories. They are collectively referred to as orang halus meaning the "refined folk" or "soft folk" (often erroneously translated as "elves"). Most are invisible to the average human.
Apart from the stories and songs, Malay folklore also includes traditions, rituals and taboos related to the physical as well as the more metaphysical realms of the Malay world view. Such knowledge are usually presented in the forms of symbols and signs inscribed or built into temple walls, palaces, houses and often appear on stone inscriptions as well as grave markers. Natural symbolism are also important such as flowers, trees, animals, the sea as well as celestial objects such as the moon and stars. Malays also have knowledge of a series of constellations that are markedly different from the Indian system upon which it is based. Object symbolism such as wood carvings of animals, ancestral images, mythical beings and masks are also common in Malay society.
Symbolic forms of folklore are usually the domains of the spirits and are therefore sometimes employed by the traditional healers and shamans. The Malays have been known to employ supernatural forces for healing as well as in the aiding of child-birth, the curing of poisons and in the warding off of spirits. Due to the Islamization movement of recent decades, these practices are not very well-documented in Malay, but have been recorded in some Western sources.
To download the easy alphanotes and chords sheet music, look here. Enjoy!
