Sudirman (singer)
Sudirman Arshad | |
---|---|
Born | Sudirman bin Arshad 25 May 1954 |
Died | 22 February 1992 Lucky Garden, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | (aged 37)
Resting place | Chengal Muslim Cemetery, Temerloh, Pahang |
Nationality | Malaysian |
Other names | Sudir |
Alma mater | University of Malaya (LLB) |
Occupation(s) | Singer, lawyer, actor, writer, businessman, cartoonist, journalist |
Years active | 1976–1992 |
Spouse |
Datin Kamariah "Kay" Jamaluddin
(m. 1981; div. 1984) |
Parents |
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Relatives |
|
Musical career | |
Genres |
|
Instrument(s) | Vocals |
Labels | Warnada Record EMI Music Publishing Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. |
Early life
Sudirman, born on 25 May 1954 in Temerloh, Pahang,[3] was the youngest of seven siblings and born to Arshad Hassan and Romlah Dahalan. His father Arshad was a manager of a local bus company in Sudirman's family hometown, whereas his mother Romlah who used to work as a seamstress and was also the first woman to become a Malaysian state assemblywoman in Pahang during the 1950s. Both of his parent had also been involved in the business of fabrics and clothing. Sources revealed that he was given the name of 'Sudirman' by his father who had hoped that he would grow up to become a brave warrior like Indonesian army general Soedirman, the man he was named after.
His passion for singing and entertainment started at a very young age, as during his childhood he would entertain his family and neighbour as they in turn would happily let him do so and encourage him.
He completed his secondary education in Sultan Abu Bakar School (SABS), Temerloh.
It was during his period of studying law that he managed to juggle time between singing and tutorial classes. His big break came when he entered Johan Bintang RTM, a singing competition organised by public broadcaster Radio Televisyen Malaysia held in Malacca in August 1976, where he swooned the audience with his spontaneous sense of humour and melodious singing.
Career
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Music
Possessing of a clear piercing tenor with a breadth of range and dynamic control especially at the extreme high end, Sudirman's voice was instantly recognisable every time one of his songs are played in local radio or television. His ability to act through his voice is evident from songs such as "Bercanda di Pasiran Pantai", a Latin-flavoured duet with
Sudirman was also the first Malaysian singer to perform at The Paddock at the Hilton of Kuala Lumpur in 1983[11] and was the singing ambassador for companies such as Proton, Malaysia Airlines, Honda and honoured pioneer card member with Hong Leong Bank. He was known for his versatility and sang Malay, Indian, Chinese and English songs with prominent choreography. He was even known for sketching portraits of his fans while singing.
Local musicians who have played for him include Alex Boon, Jay Jay (singer guitarist), Hillary Ang, Ricky Omar, Fauzi Marzuki, Michael Veerapan, Mac Chiew and Jenny Chin. Local women who have performed with him as his dancers (whom he refers to as "The Girls") include Joanne (Zainal Abidin's wife), supermodel the late Samantha Schubert and Linda Jasmine Hashim (now one of the leading dancing choreographer cum teacher in Malaysia's reality TV program show Akademi Fantasia). Back up singers include Liza Aziz (daughter of Normahdiah and Aziz Jaafar) [citation needed] and Sheena (Datin Orkid Abdullah' daughter).
Some
Sudirman produced an album for his favourite nephew, Razman Azrai, under Sudirman Productions. Also known as Atai, his nephew had a couple of hit songs that topped the charts in 1985. Atai also performed for Malaysia Day in 2014, Chow Kit Road concert 2.0 in 2016 and in SEA Games in 2017.
In April 1983, Sudirman sang a song for the late Saloma, wife of P. Ramlee titled "Mama". When Sudirman approached her shortly before her death, Saloma expressed her disbelief with tears – that someone like Sudirman would still remember and make a song solely for her.
On 14 April 1986, Sudirman held an open-air concert on Chow Kit Road, which was the first time ever that a street concert drew a 100,000-strong crowd on a Monday night. It jammed the stretch of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Raja Muda to Jalan Raja Alang. Tan Sri Zaman Khan, the Head of KL police then mentioned 'the crowd was so huge that we were praying at the office that it would be controlled' . Several fans fainted in the crowd, a few suffocated and were rushed to the hospital. Fans were seen not only on the streets but on top of roofs and trees. A Malaysian English tabloid, The Star, wrote that "Kuala Lumpur came to a standstill and it had nothing to do with the recession, but with one man, Malaysia's top entertainer, an electrifying performance and most memorable night".[12]
Sudirman's songs topped the charts with every new album that he released. There was a time when his song "Merisik Khabar" climbed up to the No. 1 position for two months while his second song "Milik Siapakah Gadis Ini" from the same album came in second and stayed at the top for a few weeks after "Merisik Khabar".
In 1989, Sudirman won the title "Best Performer" at the Salem Asia Music Award 1989 contest at the
He was chosen to solely perform for the closing ceremony of the
Sudirman Arshad also had a strong fanbase in Singapore. His concert there resulted in a large turnout at the Kallang National Stadium in August 1987. People came from all classes, races, and ages. Kelvin Tan Look Siew, Director of Singapore Armed Forces Music & Drama company, said, "We wanted to bring down a prominent artist from the region and Sudirman's name automatically cropped up."
Literatures
Sudirman Arshad wrote his autobiography Dari Dalam Sudir (From Inside Sudir), comic book Sejarah Awal Sudirman (Sudirman's Early History) in addition to some cartoons and weekly columns for magazines and some local newspapers such as Karangkraf.
One of his books for children titled "Taming Si Budak Pintar" (Taming The Genius Kid) was recognised the best by Mobil-Mabopa, a Mobil Oil book writing competition.
Moreover, he was also a journalist and columnist, who wrote on various serious issues. One journalist puts it, "It was quite difficult for us to concentrate on our job. The person sitting across the table during the meeting is a celebrity!" Those he interviewed include Tun Ghafar Baba.
Acting
Besides singing and writing, Sudirman also acted in a film called Kami (We),[14] which was released in 1982. It was about two destitute orphans who find each other amidst the Kuala Lumpur street life. One of the film's tracks, "Pelangi Petang", or Evening Rainbow, has since been heralded as one of his iconic works.[14][15]
Television
Aside from hosting various main prime time TV singing programs like Mekar Sejambak, Sudirman also successfully hosted Malaysia's TV prime time gameshow "Keluarga Bahagia Singer". This program was sponsored by Singer Malaysia, a subsidiary of
Charity work
Sudirman was also well known for his charity work in which he helped invite veteran artists in the slots of his singing shows aside from giving them generous donations. Money charity for mosques and people in need such as Yayasan Ozanam was something he would do willingly. During his life, he had also adopted and brought up an Indian boy from a poor family and he would actively seek charity work through the Singers, Musicians and Composers Association of Malaysia (PAPITA).
Business
Sudirman Arshad also became Malaysia's first successful singer-entrepreneur by promoting Malaysia's most famous carbonated drink Sudi, with business magazines and TV programs from Australia to Hong Kong featuring the drinks. Within six months, Sudi broke five per cent of the carbonated drink market in Malaysia.
Later, after his conglomerate, SUDI Sdn. Bhd., was established, Sudirman opened a franchise of Sudi Shoppe clothing apparel famous for his unique sunglass signature, and his restaurant, Restoran Selera Sudi located at the side of his record studio, Sudirman Productions. The company initially plans to unleashing "Sudi Rasa" - a processed canned meals such as sardines, coconut powders, fruits, cocktails and instant noodles. It also purposed to revealing special cooking oils, tomato and chilli sauces, under the same product name.
He was Malaysia's first singer to be on the cover of Malaysian Business and Asian Business magazine. He had a business office atop the UBN Shangrila Tower and Sri Hartamas. He also served as Vice-President of PAPITA.
Aside from food company, Sudirman also owns a recording studio, Sudirman Productions, located at somewhere what is now Taman Sri Hartamas.
During its active years, it had recorded several albums involving various singers, including Sahabat, Sudirman's album dedicated to his nephew, Razman Azrai Zainudin, or Atai. He had also hired Michael Bernie Chin and Dharanee Dharan Kannan in 1987 before their resignations, which then forced him to run the studio by himself. In that period, he chose singer Uji Rashid, known for her beautiful voices, to partner with him. Actually, she also had a commitment with a private drama studio, which she was running at the time, causing her to be outside Kuala Lumpur for a long time. These revelations forced Sudirman to shut down his recording studio in 1991.
Sudirman's companies ceased to exist in September 1991, shortly before his death, due to financial and management problems, as well as his worsening illness.
Illness and death
On 17 July 1991, Sudirman was admitted to Pusat Perubatan Tawakkal Kuala Lumpur (ICU) for 4 days. It was reported that he collapsed while singing at
Thousands in Malaysia took part in his funeral procession. His remains were sent to his hometown in Temerloh, Pahang. Later, he was laid to rest at Chengal Muslim Cemetery, Temerloh, near the graves of his parents.
Legacy
As Malaysians united in celebration of his historic success, a visibly jubilant Sudirman dedicated the win to his country and Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who was then serving the first half of his unprecedented two-time premiership career.[17]
Sudirman Arshad was named 'Malaysia's Singing Ambassador' by the Malaysia Tourism Development Board (MTDC). He was the voice behind the MTDC (Malaysian Tourism Development Corp) tune, To know Malaysia is to love Malaysia which was composed by American Emmy, Grammy and Oscar nominated singer and songwriter Carol Connors. He was referred to as the 'Singing Dynamite' by Singaporean journalists. His singing brought him standing ovations in Australia (in Sydney and Melbourne), Japan, Kuwait and the United States (Hawaii). Simon Napier-Bell, the manager for George Michael's band Wham!, referred to Sudirman Arshad as the 'institution of Malaysian music industry'.
Sudirman's work was recognised by the industry when he was posthumously awarded an Anugerah Industri Muzik award and a street (Jalan Sudirman) was named after him in his hometown of Temerloh. PAPITA created an award especially categorised under his name, which to this date has yet to be won by anyone.
In the
On 26 July 2010, The National Choir paid a tribute to the late entertainer by organising a concert in conjunction with the KL Music Festival 2010, with an audience of about 1,000 present.
In 2011, his life journey documentary, Sudirman Arshad aired on The History Channel (Astro Channel 555) on 20 February 2011. Produced by FINAS and AETN All-Asia Networks.[18][19] It also reaired on RTM on 22 February 2015.[20][21][22]
On 2014, Malaysia's 57th independence day's theme is "Disini Lahirnya Sebuah Cinta" (Malay meaning for "Here Is The Birth Of Love") which is the starting line for Sudirman's "Warisan" (Malay meaning for "Legacy")
On 3 to 5 November 2016 Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre created musical tribute for Sudirman with 3 nights in a row, sold out having sponsors from JTI Malaysia, UEM Group, My Kasih Foundation, Yakult, Ambank and Nationwide Express. Yayasan Sime Darby gave out its first ever fund to create Sudirman Scholarship Fund for young talent.
On 25 May 2019, on Arshad’s 65th birthday, he was honored with a Google Doodle.[23]
On 18 Aug 2022, the National Archive organized a Sudirman Gallery[24] in the heart of Kuala Lumpur at Fahrenheit 88 mall, launched by the son of the Malaysian King, Regent of Pahang, Pemangku Raja Pahang, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
On 31st Aug 2022, Xanadu.asia launched Sudirman's first Metaverse, a Malaysia's first Singer to be in a Metaverse for National Independent day [25]
On 22nd August 2023, Petronas yearly ad made its first Merdeka ad featuring Sudirman titles "Rai"
On 16th September 2023, Malaysia Philharmonic Orchestra made its first concert tribute to Sudirman with its first hologram on Sudirman. Attended by Tun Dr Mahathir and Tun Dr Siti Hasmah
Awards and recognitions
- Penghibur TV Terbaik, Anugerah Seri Angkasa, RTM 1978
- "Malaysia's Singing Ambassador" MTDC 1985 ("To know Malaysia is to love Malaysia")
- Persembahan Terbaik TV3, 1987
- Malaysia's Indian Music Award, 1987
- Penyanyi Lelaki Popular, Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian 1989
- Asia's Number One Performer at the Salem Music Award London, 1989
- Malaysia Guinness Awards
- Ahli Mahkota Pahang by Sultan of Pahang, 1990
- Yang di-Pertuan Agong, 1990[26]
- Yang di-Pertuan Agong, 1992[27]
- No. 1 Malaysian singer (from New Straits Times)
- Darjah Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang (DSAP), carrying the posthumous title of Dato' by Sultan of Pahang, 2009
- Balik Kampung voted as Malaysia's best song ever by readers of the Star Online, 2013
- song "Disini Lahirnya Sebuah Cinta" chosen for National Independence Day theme (Tema Merdeka Malaysia Ke-57), 2014
- Sudirman Scholarship Fund created by Yayasan Sime Darby launched in Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre on 5 November 2016 with a musical tribute
- In South East Asia Games 2017, Sudirman's song balik kampung was performed by his nephew 'Atai' and ' Datuk Aznil Hj Nawawi'
- University Malaya launched Sudirman exhibition centre in its library in 2018
- Sudirman Cafe at EDC Hotel KL launched in 2018
- Tun Mahathir on 14 June 2018 eve of eid mentioned Selamat Hari Raya song sang and written by Sudirman as his favourite eid song
- 25 May 2019, Google doodles Sudirman on his birth date
- 18 Aug 2022, Archive Department, Kamura and Sudirman Asset Management launched "Sudirman Gallery" officiated by the Regent of Pahang, Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah ibni Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah
- 31 Aug 2022 Launching of a Malaysian artist first metaverse by Mnstry Mxr
Discography
- Teriring Doa 1976 (EP)
- Aku Penghiburmu (1978)
- Perasaan (1979)
- Anak Muda (1980)
- Lagu Anak Desa (1981)
- Lagu Dari Kota (1981)
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (1981)
- Abadi (1982)
- Lagu Cinta (1982)
- Images (1983)
- Orang Baru (1984)
- Lagu Dari Sebuah Bilik (1984)
- Orang Kampung (1986)
- Kul it! (1986)
- Asia’s No. 1 Performer (1989)
Among his other songs are Tanggal 31 Ogos and Tegakkan Bendera Kita.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
1982 | Kami | Tookoo |
Television
Year | Title | Role | TV channel |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | Keluarga Bahagia Singer | Host with Atai | TV1 |
1987–1988 | Istimewa Bersama Sudirman | Himself | |
1988 | Mekar Sejambak | Guest with Atai |
References
- ^ It is now Datuk Sudirman Arshad The Star Online. 18 June 2009.
- ^ Nadia Azam (14 April 2016) 'Dia satu-satunya Sudirman kita' Malaysiakini. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
- ^ a b Norida Abu Bakar. "Media Collection: Sudirman" (in Malay). UM Library Guides. Archived from the original on 18 February 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
- ^ Nurulhisham Abdul Latiff (25 May 2019). "Google beri penghormatan pada Sudirman" (in Malay). Berita Harian. Archived from the original on 18 February 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
- ISBN 978-983-99496-4-3. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
Sudirman died of pneumonia on February 22, 1992, in Kuala Lumpur, and his remains were brought back to Temerloh for burial
- ^ "Sudirman Haji Arshad". Pahang-delights.com. 24 October 2008. Archived from the original on 6 December 2006. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
- ^ Abd. Aziz Itar (29 February 2008). Sudirman atasi kekurangan diri dengan ilmu Utusan Malaysia. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
- ^ Niezam Abdullah (22 February 2012). 20 Tahun 'Pergi', Sudirman Masih Tiada Pengganti mSTAR Online. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- ^ Abdul Jalil bin Salleh. (1 March 1992). "Diman Anak Yatim Yang Berjaya". Mingguan Malaysia (in Malay). pp. 4–5.
- ^ Nin, Muhamad, Detik Terakhir Sudirman, pg 87
- ^ Nin, Muhamad, Detik Terakhir Sudirman, pg 23
- ^ Nin, Muhamad, Detik Terakhir Sudirman, pg 28
- ^ Nin, Muhamad, Detik Terakhir Sudirman, pg 39
- ^ a b Nin, Muhamad, Detik Terakhir Sudirman, pg 121
- ^ Sinema Malaysia - Filem Kami Archived 15 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- OCLC 29511490.
- ^ "Remembering Sudirman". New Straits Times. 2 June 2019.
- ^ Dokumentari Sudirman di History Archived 19 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ http://www.historyasia.com/shows/sudirman-arshad
- ^ RTM Ulang Siar Dokumentari 'Sudirman Arshad' mSTAR Online. 20 February 2015.
- ^ RTM siar kembali biografi Sudirman Sinar Harian. 17 February 2016.
- ^ RTM Siar Biografi 'Sudirman Arshad' Pada 23 Feb Bernama. 17 February 2015.
- ^ "Sudirman Arshad's 65th Birthday". Google. 25 May 2019.
- ^ "Replica of longest Jalur Gemilang costume worn by Sudirman on display". 18 August 2022.,
- ^ "Merdeka in the Metaverse". 26 August 2022.
- ^ "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1990" (PDF).
- ^ "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1992" (PDF).
Further reading
- Nin, Ghafar; Muhamad, Amira, Detik Terakhir Sudirman, Cita Khidmat (Malaysia), 1992, ISBN 983-9695-16-9
External links
- Sudirman at 7digital
- Sudirman Haji Arshad at Pahang Delights
- Sudirman Arshad at IMDb