Citizendia

Malaysian music is influenced by neighboring Indonesian and Thai forms, as well as Portuguese, Filipino and Chinese styles (Munan, 175). For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

Contents

Traditional music

The Malays of Kelantan and Terengganu are culturally linked to peoples from the South China Sea area, and are quite different from the West Coast of Malaya. Kelantan is a state of Malaysia. The capital and royal seat is Kota Bharu. Terengganu ( Jawi: ترڠڬانو, formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu) is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia The South China Sea is a Marginal sea south of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from Singapore to the Peninsular Malaysia ( Semenanjung Malaysia) also known as Malaya or West Malaysia, is the part of Malaysia which lies on The martial art of silat which is original from Indonesia is also popular in Malaysia, while essentially still important as a branch of the self defence form. Silat is an umbrella term used to describe the martial art forms practiced throughout the Malay Archipelago. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Similar to tai chi, though of independent origin, it is a mix of martial arts, dance and music typically accompanied by gongs, drums and Indian oboes. Tai chi chuan (is an internal Chinese martial art often practiced for Health reasons This article is about the Internet Protocol Television channel A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country "Hautbois" redirects here for the strawberry variety see Hautbois strawberry.

The natives of the Malay Peninsula played in small ensembles called kertok, which is swift and rhythmic xylophone music. The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula (Semenanjung Tanah Melayu (คาบสมุทรมลายู is a major Peninsula located in Southeast Kertok is a type of musical ensemble consists of Xylophone played in traditional Malay functions The xylophone (from the Greek words ξύλον - xylon, "wood" + φωνή - phone, "voice" meaning "wooden Ghazals from Arabia are popular in the markets and malls of Kuala Lumpur and Johor, and stars like Kamariah Noor are very successful. In Poetry, the ghazal ( Arabic / Persian / Urdu: غزل; Hindi: ग़ज़ल Turkish gazel) is a The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Kuala Lumpur (ˈkwɑːləlʊmˈpʊər Malay /kwɑlɑlʊmpʊ/ and locally /kwɑləlʊmpɔ/ or even /kɔlɔmpɔ/ or often abbreviated as K Johor (alt English spelling Johore, Jawi scriptجوهر is a state of Malaysia between 1°20"N and 2°35"N

In Malacca, ronggeng is the dominant form of folk music. Ronggeng (original from Java-Indonesia is a type of Malay social Dance in which couples exchange poetic verses as they dance to the Music Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous It played with a violin, drums, button accordion and a gong instrument from Indonesia. The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells See also Accordion A button accordion is a type of Accordion on which the Melody -side keyboard consists of a series of Buttons This article is about the Internet Protocol Television channel The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia.

Arabic-derived zapin music and dance is popular throughout Malaysia, and is usually accompanied by a gambus and some drums. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Zapin ( Jawi: زافين) is a dance form that is popular in Malaysia especially in the state of Johor. A gambus ( Arabian Oud) is a stringed instrument shaped like a Pear sliced in half Another style, Dondang Sayang is slow and intense; it mixes influences from China, India, Arabs and Portugal with traditional elements. Dondang Sayang ( Love Song or Dear Song) originated in Malacca (in Malaysia) sometime in the 16th century, influenced by tradicional

Pop music

Malaysia's pop music scene developed from traditional asli (pure) music popularized in the 1920s and 1930s by Bangsawan troupes. The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the " Jazz Age " or the " Roaring Twenties " when speaking about the United States and Canada The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. Bangsawan is a type of traditional Malay Opera. It was known to have developed from a sort of Indian theatre performance during the 19th century by visiting These troupes are in fact a type of Malaysia opera influenced by Indian opera at first known as Wayang Pasir (Persia) which was started by rich Persians residing in India. layout and formatting it should ensure no clashes with the top of the infobox They portrayed stories from diverse groups such as Indian, Western, Islamic, Chinese, Indonesian and Malay. Music, dance, acting with costumes are used in performance depending on the stories told. The musicians were mostly local Malays, Filipinos and Guanis (descendants from Gua in India).

One of the earliest modern Malay pop songs was "Tudung Periok", sung by Momo Latif, who recorded the song as early as 1930. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In the 1950s P.Ramlee became the most popular Malay singer and composer with a range of slow ballads such as "Azizah", "Dendang Perantau" and the evergreen "Di Mana Kan Ku Cari Ganti". The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive Tan Sri Dr P Ramlee PSM AMN ( 22 March 1929 &ndash 29 May 1973) was a Malaysian film Actor,

Pop Yeh-yeh

In the 1960s, western-influenced Pop Yeh-yeh musicians came to the forefront. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 The Pop Yeh-yeh genre was popular in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei in the 1960s. Singapore Brunei Darussalam, (bruːˈnaɪ in English officially the State of Brunei Abode of Peace (Negara Brunei Darussalam Jawi: برني دارالسلام Pop Yeh-yeh ruled the Malay music scene from 1965 to 1971. Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. The music and fashion of The Beatles and other British rock and roll bands during the 1960s were a strong influence of the pop yeh-yeh bands and also generally influenced the Malay music industry of that period. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African In fact, the term "pop yeh-yeh" was taken from a line from the popular Beatles song, "She Loves You" ("she loves you, yeah-yeah-yeah". )This may not be a fact as the term "pop yeh yeh" was never used in the 1960's but much later when such music was revived in the 1980's by M. Shariff & The Zurah. It might be that music jounalists of the 1980's coined the term.

The first local song in the Pop Yeh-yeh vein was a song called "Suzanna", sung by M Osman in 1964. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. During the height of the pop yeh-yeh craze, a lot of the bands that were formed tried their best to mimic The Beatles in their look, songwriting and performance style. But still the musical style was taken from The Shadows and The Ventures. Usually the bands (also referred to as "kumpulan gitar rancak" - "rhythmic guitar bands" – or its accronym "kugiran") consists of four members who sings on top of handling the basic four musical instruments (two electric guitars, electric bass and drums). Most of the bands were formed in Singapore but also in Malaysia. The southern state of Johore and Singapore were the hub of activity for these bands. Most of the recordings were done in Singapore such as at the old EMI Studio at MacDonald's House in Orchard Road and many small studios owned privately.

The word "Kugiran" was first aired on Radio Singapore in the weekly Top Chart "Lagu Pujaan Minggu Ini" programme on Radio Singapore and hosted by the 1st Malay DJ M. I. A. (Mohd Ismail Abdullah). It was understood the accronym "Ku-Gi-Ran" was the idea of a subtitling officer, Daud Abdul Rahman. It is also said that it was P. Ramli who coined the term to differentiate it from the combo styled Malay bands of earlier times. "Kugiran" comprises 5 piece band members and a vocalist, one lead-guitarist, one bassist, one rhythm-guitarist, one organist (keyboardist)and a drummer.

The formation and development of these kugiran's encouraged the establishment and existence of various recording companies in Singapore in the 1960s and a lot of these songs were recorded on vinyl and sold well commercially. Some of the singers who made their name during that period include M Osman, A Ramlie, Jeffrydin, Roziah Latiff & The Jayhawkers, Adnan Othman, Halim "Jandaku" Yatim, Afidah Es, J Kamisah, Siti Zaiton, J. Sham, A Rahman Onn, Hasnah Haron, J Kamisah, Fatimah M Amin, Asmah Atan, Orkid Abdullah, A. Remie, Zamzam, Salim I, Kassim Selamat, M Rahmat, A Karim Jais, M Ishak, Hussien Ismail, Jaafor O, A Halim, Azizah Mohamed, S Jibeng and L Ramlee. Other popular rock and pop bands of the period include The Rhythm Boys, The Siglap Five, The Hooks which featured A Romzi as their lead vocalist (they scored a hit with the song "Dendang Remaja"), Siglap Boys, Les Kafilas, Cliffters featuring Rikieno Bajuri, Impian Bateks featuring Rudyn Al-Haj with his popular number "Naik Kereta Ku" and acapella like "Oh Posmen", "Gadis Sekolah" etc, The Swallows featuring "La Aube", "Angkut-angkut Bilis" etc whose vocalist was Kassim Selamat and the EP was featured in a radio station in Germany. There, "La Aube" was in the German pop chart. Almost all the above mentioned artistes were Singaporeans. The most popular ones from the Malaysian side of the divide must include L. Ramli, Roziah Latiff & The Jayhawkers, J. Sham,Orkes Nirvana, The Sangam Boys and Les Flingers. The music and lyrics were usually composed by the bands themselves. The band leaders were also the producers of the albums of the period.

The golden age of pop yeh-yeh started to dwindle in 1971. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Since the fall of the popularity of pop yeh-yeh, the center of the Malay music industry shifted up north from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. A lot of composers, songwriters, lyricists, singers, and producers started to gain foothold not only in Kuala Lumpur but also in other cities including Johor Bahru and Ipoh to grab the opportunity of the emerging and rapidly changing Malay music industry. Kuala Lumpur (ˈkwɑːləlʊmˈpʊər Malay /kwɑlɑlʊmpʊ/ and locally /kwɑləlʊmpɔ/ or even /kɔlɔmpɔ/ or often abbreviated as K Johor Bahru, also spelled Johor Baharu, Johor Baru, ( "Baru" means "new" in Malay) or Johore Bahru and abbreviated Ipoh (ˈiːpoʊ ( is a city in Malaysia and is the capital of the state of Perak.

Changes in musical tastes

DJ Dave, Hail Amir and Uji Rashid introduced Hindustani-influenced music in the 1970s. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. Between the late 1970s and mid 1980s, the market for local recordings and artiste was in big demand, bands and musicians performing in clubs and pubs were contracted to record. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. This was the time when non Malay artistes, bands and business man ventured into the Malay music industry. Bands like Alley Cats, Discovery, Carefree and Chendrawasih took the lead to modernize Malaysian Pop music; solo singers like Sudirman, Sharifah Aini further push the music to its peak. General Sudirman ( January 24, 1916 - January 29, 1950; also spelled Soedirman) was the military commander of Indonesian forces during

Before the mid 1980’s another genre of music appeared. This time it was slow rock, heavy metal, hard rock and the blues. Popular bands from the west like Scorpions, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Def Leppard were some of the major influences for these Malaysian bands. Scorpions are a heavy metal / Hard rock band from Hanover, Germany, probably best known for their 1980s rock anthem " Rock You Like a Led Zeppelin were Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertfordshire in 1968 M. Nasir previously a Singaporean played a leading role in shaping rock music in Malaysia as a song writer and producer for a period of almost ten years. Mohamad Nasir Mohamad or M Nasir (born 4 July 1957 in Singapore) a Malaysian singer composer He produced local rock bands like Search and Wings and took them to their highest level of Malaysian rock music. Piracy in the form of duplicating cassettes and CDs became rampant and uncontrollable around this period as sales of these items soar which was supported by the country’s wave of economic success.

Between the mid 80’s and early 90’s, R&B and Pop music became the focus of the urban youngsters. Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure This music was cosmopolitan and catered to a professional and educated crowd. In 1985 Sheila Majid a singer groomed by engineer /producer Roslan Aziz made a debut album called dimensi baru which was financed and produced by Roslan Aziz himself. Shaheila binti Abdul Majid or commonly known as Sheila Majid (born January 3, 1965 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) is a popular singer With a lovely mellow voice together with a bunch of creative musicians like Mac Chew and Jenny Chin both influenced by R&B, fusion and jazz achieved their dreams and set a new direction for many Malaysian R&B artistes to come. This was evidently clear when her second album EMOSI was released in Indonesia and earned the BEST R&B ALBUM in the prestigous BASF awards in 1986. This historical release has changed the facet of the music industry. In the mid 1990s,the 1 rap group 4U2C with 7 young boys was introduced by Zman Production and a producer mansenoi & mam rap and they had made a big hit in the market and recived few gold and platinum and [KRU]] a vocal group comprised of three brothers among others developed Malay rap and hip-hop.

Islam-influenced pop

In 1991, an environmental album recorded by Zainal Abidin, songs written by Mukhlis Nor and produced by Roslan Aziz was released. ‘Alī ibn Ḥusayn (Arabic علي بن حسين) (approximately 6 January 659 - 20 October 712 is a great-grandson of Muhammad as well as the fourth Roslan Aziz was born Roslan Abdul Aziz Saad Ismail on the 23rd Oct 1961 in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia This was received very positively by the public and the international music scene especially in Asia. Around this time nasyid pop music which was a form of Islamic religious which utilized a vocal group and accompaniment of only percussions music entered the market. A Nasheed ( Arabic: singular نشيد, plural أناشيد also spelt Nasyid in Malaysia; in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Ilahija Developed by vocal groups like Raihan, Rabbani and Brothers, this music got a lot of support from the countryside and religious fans. Raihan (Fragrance of Heaven in Arabic is a Malaysian Nasheed group originally composed of five members that took Malaysia by storm with the release

In 1996 a school girl by the name of Siti Nurhaliza from a rural town Termeloh in the state of Pahang released an album produced by a talented pop music producer named Adnan Abu Hassan. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Dato' Siti Nurhaliza binti Tarudin DIMP JSM SAP PMP AAP (born January 11, 1979) is a multiple-award winning Malaysian pop Pahang ( Jawi: ڨهڠ is the third largest state on Malaysia, after Sarawak and Sabah, occupying the huge Pahang River River This album of Malay Pop genre was a huge success. She included different genres such as Malay pop, R&B and Malay Traditional music in her later albums with much success. This singer is now a singing sensation in the country.

Underground music scene

The Malaysian underground music scene (also known as the Malaysian independent or urban music scene, with the term "urban" introduced only in the late 90s) is an established localized underground culture within Malaysia. This is in opposition to mainstream music, which usually, in the Malaysian context, refers to artists with strong ties or are engaged in direct contract with fairly large recording companies, giving them a more commercial and popular image. Underground groups normally promote themselves by performing at lesser-known clubs or at places that need their music to attract a clientele.

Malaysian rock is quite popular locally and overseas, often because it's packed with tropical energy and fun reflected by modern Malaysian culture itself. Malaysian youth are typically into the punk-rock culture and is reflected by the music that they come out with. Main article Music of Malaysia. Punk Rock bands were originally from the Malaysian underground scene from the late 80's and early 90's which actually made a marker in the Malaysia music scene. Respectable bands like The Pilgrims, Carburetor Dung, The Bollocks, A. Carburetor Dung is a Malaysian Punk rock band formed in 1991 in Kuala Lumpur. C. A. B and A. R. T were playing in the underground gig circuit 90's around Kuala Lumpur, sharing the same stage with other great bands playing different music genre. There was also the Spiral Kinetic Circus(indie rock), Koffin Kanser (Metal), Infectious Maggot(Grindcore), 24 Reason(Hardcore) and many. The Oi! scene were also successful back then with melodical street punk music by bands like A. C. A. B, The Official & Roots N Boots, with the smart look of the mods and skinheads. It was a great blend of music and a diverse of culture.
Joe Kidd (Carburetor Dung) who was a journalist from Malaysia's The Sun newspaper wrote his column called 'Blasting Concept' which reviewed most of the records and demo released by D. I. Y bands in the 90's circa. There was also reviews of gigs and shows all around Malaysia. Joe Kidd now owns a D. I. Y shop called 'The Ricecooker' which is located in the heart of the Malaysian underground scene, Central Market.

Artists and musicians who are involved in the Malaysian underground scene were typically guitar-driven bands with inclination towards punk rock, hardcore, indie-pop, heavy metal, thrash metal, speed metal and death metal sub genre of rock music although there are a number of acts with differing musical influences such as hip-hop, electronica and dance music. Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with The current rise of singer-songwriters in the acoustic or folk vein in the underground scene (also oft referred to as the "independent circuit") represents the rising diversity in the problematised definition of "underground music". The first wave of singer-songwriters who have established and gained reputation in this genre include Rafique Rashid, Meor Aziddin Yusof, Sherry and Kit Leee (now known as Antares. Meor Aziddin Yusof (born 1967 in Bruas, Perak) popularly known as Meor, is an independent Malay language Folk Singer-songwriter Sherry is a Fortified wine, made in and around the town of Jerez, Spain. The 'new generation' singer-songwriters include Pete Teo, Shelley Leong, Azmyl Yunor, Jerome Kugan, Shanon Shah, Mei Chern and Tan Sei Hon. Pete Teo (, born 1972 in Sabah) is an English language Singer-songwriter from Malaysia. Azmyl Yunor (born 1977 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) is an independent English and Malay language Singer-songwriter and Multi-instrumentalist of Shanon Shah (born 14 October 1978 in Alor Star, Kedah) is a Singer-songwriter from Malaysia.

Most of these musicians are independent, entirely or partially DIY-driven groups or bands who focus on creating, sharing and experiencing music, together and collectively. Most recordings they produce are funded by themselves rather than through corporate sponsorship, because of their creative differences with major recording companies for whom "the bottom line" is all that matters. Like all independent artists, those on the musical fringe generally insist on full artistic control over their music. They also tend to play both the roles of performers and organisers and generally receive little airplay despite encouraging crowd support.

They were also those in the scene who practically refused to play the mainstream music industry game due to the lack of transparency and fair-play in the dealings of the music companies, including one-sided and exploitative recording deals which they see as grossly unfair.

The underground scene in Malaysia used to be a strong and unified community, especially from its birth in the mid-80s to the mid-90s. Bands or acts of different persuasions, such as punk rock, hardcore, Oi!/street-rock, metal and ska usually performed together. The unity started to untangle and crack by 1996 when most hardcore punk bands then started to apply a more staunch anti-corporate and DIY ideals into their activities.

It was also the days when fascist and right-wing elements started to rear its head via gangs of "chaos punk" and some skinhead bands. Metal bands had also removed itself from the usual multi-genre gig circuit, preferring to play only with other metal bands. Anti-corporate DIY punk bands, with libertarian anarchist ideals also started to be on their own, cutting off all ties with the others; building their own network and starting small distros and labels. On the other hand, bands who were originally nurtured in the underground scene such as Butterfingers and OAG began to work with major label-affliated record companies; which was seen by some as a betrayal of the DIY underground spirit. Butterfingers is a Malaysian Grunge / rock band formed in 1993 and have released 7 albums to date their latest being Selamat OAG, also spelled O@G, also known as Old Automatic Garbage or Orang Asia Genius, are a Malaysian pop and Alternative rock

This resulted in the break-up of the larger scene into smaller pockets which refused to acknowledge the other. The scene essentially split into two larger camps, on one hand the mainstream-friendly bands and the other, a deeper underground scene alienating themselves from the larger picture or any form of media exposure apart from their own fanzines.

1990s-present

By the late 1990’s with the internet easily available, downloading was the easiest and cheapest way to obtain recordings through mp3 files. Hardware CDs were also available in shops, illegal CD stalls and night markets. Priced at a quarter (1/4) of the original product price, CDs from major distributors and recording companies were no competition for these pirates. The market further deteriorated with the arrival of hardware such as mp3 players and mobile phones with similar features. MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a Digital audio encoding format using a form of Lossy data compression

The encouragement from the Malaysian government towards privatization of broadcasting stations received tremendous support from the public. An array of new radio and TV stations were built to facilitate public interest in entertainment, news, movies and information.

It was during the early 2000 that introduction to a new form of entertainment called “Reality Shows” was able to revive public interest in music entertainment. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Shows such as Akademi Fantasia and Malaysian Idol allowed the public to choose their own stars by sending SMS through hand phones or computers at the convenience of the audiences. Akademi Fantasia (commonly abbreviated as AF) is Malaysia 's first Reality television show in which a number of contestants called students compete for Overview In Malaysian Idol, auditions were held for the top finalists Short Message Service ( SMS) is a Communications protocol allowing the interchange of short text messages between mobile telephone devices. This excited the public because they were involved in the making of a celebrity and could choose who they wanted instead of having record companies create & distribute artistes.

Research implied that comparing from the past decades many other forms of entertainment such as DVDs, Cable TVs, increased radio programmes and change of life styles has affected the musical interest of the public towards local artistes. However, this is still not representative of the active live music circuit with performers who compose and perform their own materials. The rising tide of commercialisation and product placements using musicians and popular artists casts a giant shadow over the local independent music (or "underground") scene and gives a skewed perception of what the local music "industry" represents instead of the actual voice of local musicians who still actively perform at pubs, gig venues and cafes.

From reality shows, stars such as Vincent Chong, Jaclyn Victor, Daniel Lee Chee Hun and Mawi are able to command larger volumes of CD sales compared to non-reality-show artistes. Vincent Chong Ying-Cern (; Pinyin: Zhāng Yīngshèng (born September 30, 1979) internationally known by his Stage name Vince Jaclyn d/o Joshua Thanaraj Victor (born December 4 1978) is a singer who won the first season of Malaysian Idol. Daniel Lee Chee Hun ( Simplified Chinese: 李吉汉 Traditional Chinese: 李吉漢 Pinyin: Lǐ Jíhàn (born July 1, 1982) is a Asmawi bin Ani (born August 25, 1981) better known as Mawi, is a Malaysian singer and winner of the Third Season of Malaysia's popular reality This diversity personifies the wide-ranging field of popular music in Malaysia and the unpredictability of Malaysian consumers towards popular cultural products.

Underground music

The Malaysian underground music scene (also known as the Malaysian independent or urban music scene, with the term "urban" introduced only in the late 90s) is an established localized underground culture within Malaysia. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Underground culture, or just underground, is a term to describe various Alternative cultures which either consider themselves different from the Mainstream For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and This is as opposed to mainstream music, which usually, in the Malaysian context refers to artists with strong ties or are engaged in direct contract with fairly large recording companies, giving them a more commercial and popular image. Mainstream is generally the common current of Thought of the Majority.

Artists and musicians who are involved in the Malaysian underground scene are usually guitar-driven bands with inclination towards rock music, although there are a number of acts with differing musical influences such as folk, hip-hop, electronica and dance music. Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary Electronic music designed for a wide range This article is about music for dancing in general You may also be looking for Electronic dance music.

One of the other characteristics of this local scene is that most of the musicians are independent, entirely or partially DIY-driven groups or bands who emphasise on creating, sharing and experiencing music, together and collectively. Materials that they produce, such as albums, demos or EPs will usually be independent works, most of the time funded entirely or to some extend by themselves. An album or record album is a collection of related audio or Music tracks distributed to the public A demo version or demo of a song (shortened from the word "demonstration" is one recorded for reference rather than for release An extended play ( EP) is a Vinyl record, CD, or Music download which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify Also, small musical performances known as gigs are organized regularly showcasing these bands.

The state of Terengganu was known as the Malaysian capital of punk rock throughout late 1979 and the 1980s, but there were no bands then as the punks were too poor to afford the equipment. Terengganu ( Jawi: ترڠڬانو, formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu) is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia The scene then was more a covergence of pioneering punk rockers trading pre-recorded music and fanzines acquired from pen-pals and friends from overseas while dabbling in home-made DIY punk fashion. This early Malaysian punks started in 1978/79. The early punk scene in Terengganu hit its peak in the early 80s before gradually dying out in the mid 90s. A new generation picked it up again in the late-90s with bands, DIY labels and intermittent gigs.

The first rumblings of a bonafide "underground music scene", as in real bands and original recordings. in Malaysia actually started in the city of Kuala Lumpur in the mid-80s with bands such as Punisher, Nemesis, Rator etc. These pioneers paved the way for a huge explosion of bands in the early 90s and it continues today with bands and acts of many different permutations, from political, anarcho punk (Carburetor Dung, Relationsheep, Mass Separation, The Bollocks, FSF, Pusher, The Mindless Show, Injustice System Acceptance etc. Anarcho-punk is a faction of the Punk subculture that consists of bands groups and individuals promoting anarchist politics Carburetor Dung is a Malaysian Punk rock band formed in 1991 in Kuala Lumpur. ), streetpunk/oi! (A.C.A.B., The Official, Roots 'N' Boots, etc. Oi! is a Working class street-level subgenre of Punk rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s Oi! is a Working class street-level subgenre of Punk rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s The ACAB is a Malaysian rock band. The band was formerly known as A ), hardcore (Chronic Mass, Basic Rights, Disaster Funhouse, Noisemonger, Cramp Mind, etc) Metal (Koffin Kanser,Sil-Khannaz) to experimental, avant-garde noise (Amid the Mimic, Maharajah Commission, Ta, Goh Lee Kwang, Eerie etc. Hardcore punk (now usually referred to as simply hardcore) is a subgenre of Punk rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s Eerie was an American magazine of horror comics introduced in 1966 by Warren Publishing. ) to singer-songwriters (Rafique Rashid, Pete Teo, Meor Aziddin Yusof, Azmyl Yunor, Jerome Kugan etc. Pete Teo (, born 1972 in Sabah) is an English language Singer-songwriter from Malaysia. Meor Aziddin Yusof (born 1967 in Bruas, Perak) popularly known as Meor, is an independent Malay language Folk Singer-songwriter Azmyl Yunor (born 1977 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) is an independent English and Malay language Singer-songwriter and Multi-instrumentalist of ) to Chinese indie (Moxuan, Lang Mang, KRMA, Nao etc. The Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Network, known on-air as Rocky Mountain PBS, is the flagship PBS member station in Colorado. ) to instrumental post-rock (Furniture, Before The Meltdown Sgt. Post-rock is a genre of Alternative rock characterized by the use of Musical instruments commonly associated with Rock music, but using Rhythms Weener Arms etc. } to improvised/ eclectic music (The Experimental Musicians and Artists Co-operative Malaysia (EMACM)).

Lately, more than half of the underground gigs are coming from the hardcore scene with established bands (Cassandra, Love Me Butch, Second Combat, etc} leading the pack of uprising bands (H. In Greek mythology, Cassandra ( Greek: Κασσάνδρα "she who entangles men" (also known as Alexandra) was the daughter of King Love Me Butch is a Malaysian Post hardcore band History Achievements No A. N. D. , Creamson, I Quit Antartika, etc. ); and also from the burgeoning folk singer-songwriter scene with established performers such as Azmyl Yunor, Reza Salleh, and Mia Palencia playing an average two to three gigs a month, a prolific average by the independent or underground scene standard. Azmyl Yunor (born 1977 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) is an independent English and Malay language Singer-songwriter and Multi-instrumentalist of


Terengganu Punk: The Origins of Malaysian Punk Rock

Main Article Malaysian Rock

The first proper punk rock "scene" in Malaysia started in Terengganu in 1978/1979. Malaysian rock is popular locally and overseas Malaysian youth are typically into the Punk culture and this is reflected in the music they write For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Terengganu ( Jawi: ترڠڬانو, formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu) is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) It started in the small town of Dungun by a group of friends influenced by British music magazines such as NME, Melody Maker, Sounds, and Zig Zag, as well as their brothers and friends studying or living in the more modern West Coast cities who would pass them the magazines and music. Dungun is a coastal district of the Malaysian state of Terengganu. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

By late 1979, almost every secondary school in the state had its own cliques of punk rockers. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) A clique ( IPA:/'klɪk/ in America /'kliːk/ elsewhere is an exclusive group of people who share interests views purposes patterns of behavior or ethnicity They would hang out on the weekends at the main bus station in the capital city of Kuala Terengganu, with the usual punk rock regalia (badges, studs, safety pins and such). Kuala Terengganu (colloquially abbreviated as KT; Jawi: كوالا ترڠڬانو is the largest city as well Too poor to afford guitars or any other musical instruments, there never was an actual punk band but trading of tapes and zines were vigorous.

Most of the trading material came from friends studying overseas, friends living in the West Coast cities and also punk rockers from UK, Europe and US who were kind enough to send tapes and magazines for free. Irregular trips were made to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur (and Georgetown, but rarely as it was too far) to dub punk rock records at the music stores or buy pirated tapes, the only source for good music those days. Singapore Kuala Lumpur (ˈkwɑːləlʊmˈpʊər Malay /kwɑlɑlʊmpʊ/ and locally /kwɑləlʊmpɔ/ or even /kɔlɔmpɔ/ or often abbreviated as K George Town is the capital city of the state of Penang in Malaysia.

Some fishing villages would have the most "punks" and thus became the center of activities. The main two villages were Kampung Mengabang Telipot (an hour north to the city) and Kampung Tanjung (right at the mouth of the city's river system). In Mengabang Telipot, there was a small punk community library laden with fanzines, magazines and music, which the kids would share. A fanzine (see also Zine) is a nonprofessional publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre for the pleasure This library was actually a wooden cupboard situated at one of the punk rockers' houses, it was called as "logen".

The first Malaysian punk rock fanzine came out from this scene. It appeared in 1986 with the title of Huru Hara (meaning "chaos"); it was written in Terengganu slang by editor Mamat Hitam but never distributed on a large scale. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The first fanzine to do that was Aedes, which lasted until 1996; the first punk bands to appear there were Mallaria and later The Stone Crows. Both put out one rehearsal/demo tape.

There was a lull in activity in the mid-80s for the Terengganu punk scene, but a resurgence of bands of different persuasions appeared by the late 80s and early 90s (sparked in part by the setting up of a larger Malaysian underground music scene based in Kuala Lumpur in 1987). By the mid 90s onwards, there were constantly new bands appearing in the state and as of 2007, there are still a lot of active punk-influenced bands such as Dirty Divider and The Goodnight Goodies. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

Chinese music

The Hua Yue Tuan (華乐团), or "Modern Chinese Orchestra," is made up of a blend of western and traditional Chinese musical instruments. The music itself combines western polyphony with Chinese melodies and scales. Although the bulk of its repertoire consists of music imported from Hong Kong, Taiwan and China, many local Chinese orchestras also regularly perform Malay folk tunes with various local composers making a definite effort to absorb elements of surrounding musical cultures, especially Malay, into their compositions. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National In Malaysia, Chinese orchestras exist nationwide in urban areas which have large concentrations of Chinese Malaysians. Sponsored largely by various Chinese organisations including schools and Buddhist societies, a typical orchestra consists of between 12 to 50 members. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices

The orchestra is usually made up of four sections:

Bowed string instruments, consisting of:

plucked strings comprising various sized lutes :

the wind section consisting of:

percussion section consisting of:

There is no lack of virtuoso performers in the Chinese classical tradition in Malaysia. The erhu ( also called nanhu ( 南[[wikt 胡|胡]] "southern fiddle" and sometimes known in the West as the "Chinese The banhu ( 板胡, Pinyin: bǎnhú is a Chinese traditional bowed String instrument in the Huqin family of instruments The gaohu ( 高胡; Pinyin: gāohú Cantonese gou1 wu4 also called yuehu 粤[[wikt 胡|胡]] is a Chinese The zhonghu (中胡 Pinyin: zhōnghú) is a low-pitched Chinese bowed String instrument. The gehu ( 革[[wikt 胡|胡]] Pinyin: géhú is a Chinese instrument developed in the 20th century by the Chinese musician Yang Yusen ( The pipa ( is a plucked Chinese String instrument. Sometimes called the Chinese Lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body The yueqin ( Chinese: 月琴, Pinyin: yuèqín also spelled yue qin, or yueh-ch'in; and also called The zhongruan (or zhong ruan; 中[[wiktionary 阮|阮]] literally "medium ruan " is a Chinese plucked string instrument For the town in Ireland Ruan County Clare. The ruan ( 阮, Pinyin: ruǎn) is a Chinese plucked The sanxian ( Chinese: 三絃literally "three strings" is a Chinese Lute &mdash a three-stringed Fretless plucked The guzheng, also spelled gu zheng or gu-zheng ( or zheng (箏 ( gu-, 古 means "ancient" The trapezoidal yangqin ( is a Chinese Hammered dulcimer originally from the Middle East ( Persia (modern-day Iran) The dizi ( is a Chinese Transverse flute. It is also sometimes known as the di ( 笛) or hengdi ( 橫[[wiktionary The xiao ( is a Chinese vertical End-blown flute. It is generally made of dark brown Bamboo (called "purple bamboo" in Chinese The Chinese shêng ( Chinese: 笙; Pinyin shēng) is a Mouth -blown Free reed instrument consisting essentially The suona ( also called laba ( or haidi ( is a Han Chinese Shawm (oboe A virtuoso (from Italian virtuoso, late Latin virtuosus, Latin virtus meaning skill manliness excellence is an individual Advanced training is however not presently available with most Malaysian virtuoso musicians obtaining their advanced training either in China or Singapore. Singapore Various professional and semi-professional Chinese orchestras are in existence. Malaysian western trained classical conductors are employed full time. Much of the music played is imported from China. There are however some accomplished Malaysian composers for this medium such as Saw Boon Kiat and Chew Hee Chiat.

New generations of Chinese singers are more into pop music. These talented composer/singers includes Eric Moo, Lee Sin Je, Fish Leong, Z Chen, Penny Tai and lately Daniel Lee. Eric Moo Kai Yin ( (born February 9 1963 Kampar, Perak, Malaysia) is an award winning singer composer and producer Angelica Lee Sin-Jie ( Chinese: 李心潔 Hakka Pinyin Lee Sin Chet Pinyin: Lǐ Xīnjié is a Malaysian- Taiwanese film Actress and Fish Leong ( born June 16, 1978 in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia with family root in Shunde, Guangdong Daniel Lee Chee Hun ( Simplified Chinese: 李吉汉 Traditional Chinese: 李吉漢 Pinyin: Lǐ Jíhàn (born July 1, 1982) is a

Indian Music

Indian music is strongly associated with religious tradition and faith. As its origins in India, there are two systems of traditional or classical Indian music in Malaysia, viz. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Carnatic Music and Hindustani Music. Carnatic music (also spelled Karnatak music or Karnatik music, and originally called Karṇāṭaka sangīta or Karṇāṭaka sangītam in India Hindustani Classical Music ( Hindi: हिन्दुस्तानी शास्त्रीय संगीत Urdu: ہندوستانی شاستریے سنگیت Since Tamils from South India are the predominant group among the Indian population in Malaysia, it is the South Indian carnatic music which predominates. Tamil people (also called Tamils or Tamilians) ( are an Ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, a state in India, and the north-eastern Simply speaking, Hindustani classical music is more lyric-oriented, while Carnatic classical music emphasises musical structure.

Indian classical music as it is performed in Malaysia has remained true to its origin. There is practically no other cultural influence. Other than reflecting Indian life, the purpose of Indian classical music is to refine the soul.

The fundamental elements of carnatic music are raaga and taala. A raaga is a scale of notes, while the taala is the time-measure. A carnatic music concert usually starts with a composition with lyrical and passages in a particular raaga. This will be followed by a few major and subsequently some minor compositions.

In Malaysia, traditional or classical Indian music are studied and performed by Malaysians of Indian ethnic origin with material that still comes from India. Musical productions are mainly in the form of dance dramas incorporating instrumental ensemble, vocal music and dance. Musical instruments used in the performances are imported from India.

Jazz, classical, and world music

The 21st Century has witnessed the rapid rise of a variety of new musical trends, imported from different shores and strongly influenced by an urban elite hip to jazz-fusion and fringe music (classical revivals, ethnic-flavored folk, trance, and so on). Students who studied in Europe and the Americas began returning with a staunch passion for more progressive musical modalities.

Ethnic Music has also found a new and vigorous following, with world music festivals like the Rainforest World Music Festival, held annually since 1998 in a scenic open-air setting in Sarawak. The first Malaysian "ethnic fusion" group to play on this international platform was Akar Umbi - comprising Temuan ceremonial singer Minah Angong (1930-1999) and fringe musicians Antares (formerly Kit Leee)[1] and Rafique Rashid. Unfortunately, the charismatic Minah Angong (better known as Mak Minah) died just three weeks after winning over the hearts of a whole new audience at the RWMF 1999. This left Akar Umbi with only one posthumously released CD to its name ('Songs of the Dragon,' Magick River, 2002).

Private companies like Trident Entertainment *[1] have begun to invest in the production/distribution and promotion of the "ethnic fringe" in Malaysian music.

Petronas *[2], the national petro-chemical corporation responsible for the construction of the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (Petronas Philharmonic Hall), and statutory bodies like the Sarawak Tourism Board have contributed significantly to the development of a broader interest in jazz, classical, and world music amongst the new generation of Malaysians. Private institutions like the Temple of Fine Arts have also produced a steady flow of students skilled in the world music genre (though with a pronounced bias towards Hindustani & Carnatic musical traditions). The Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (Petronas Philhrmonic Hall), home to the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, has become a popular venue amongst the affluent new Malaysian middle class for quality acts encompassing jazz, classical, and world music concerts.

Malaysia can boast a handful of homegrown musicians who have achieved world class stature in jazz exposition (e. g. , ace keyboardists Michael Veerapan and David Gomes; freestyle bassist Zailan Razak; versatile multi-instrumentalists and vocalists, The Solianos; and virtuoso drummer Lewis Pragasam). Mohar and Prabhu Ganesh, two master flautists with ethnic leanings, are Malaysian musicians who have begun to make waves abroad. Many of these innovators are ex-alumni of the Berklee School of Music in Boston, and the Juilliard School of Music in New York. The promise of even more exciting things to come can be seen in the emergence of youthful, ethnic-flavored percussion ensembles like the Aseana Percussion Unit (APU) and the Diplomats of Drum.

Contemporary music

In the field of Malaysian contemporary music a number of composers have gained international recognition, for example award-winning composers Chong Kee Yong, Dr Tazul Izan Tajuddin, Yii Kah Hoe, Saidah Rastam, Adeline Wong and others, encompassing a diverse range of styles and aesthetics. Background Malaysian contemporary music (or variously "art music" "notated music" etc is a phenomenon that really started to gain visibility and momentum Aesthetics or esthetics ( also spelled æsthetics) is commonly known as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values sometimes called

For example, at the cutting edge of the avant garde are Chong Kee Yong and Tazul Tajuddin. Yii Kah Hoe is slowly exploring a similar direction as a departure, or perhaps an enrichment, of his work with Chinese orchestral music, while pianist-composer Ng Chong Lim treads the ground between atonalism and aleatoric music based on the live interaction of more tonal fragments.

Pursuing a more accessible tonal language is the colourful and rhythmically vibrant music of Adeline Wong and Johan Othman, the latter combining a quasi minimalist approach with elements of Malaysian aesthetics tempered with jazzy undercurrents. Saidah Rastam experiments with jazz and atonalism in combination with ethnic Malaysian elements, and has even worked with reinventing Chinese Opera through atonal jazz. Ahmad Muriz Che Rose works with a more populist approach to Malay traditional instruments in a contemporary language through his work with the Petronas Performing Arts Group, Prabhu Ganesh fuses European Classical Music with undertones of North Indian Raagas, bringing back simmilar feelings explored by Philip Glass and Ravi Shankar in the early 90's through their venture Passages(BMG).

Since the turn of the new millennium Malaysian composers have begun to earn recognition and respect for their work, and increaded coverage and interest in the media has also helped to bring the efforts of serious composers to the foreground of musical activity in the country. Background Malaysian contemporary music (or variously "art music" "notated music" etc is a phenomenon that really started to gain visibility and momentum

Lusophone music
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See also

External links

References

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