Get To Know Zubir Said, Singapore National Anthem Creator From Bukittinggi

Zubir Said (Sumber: National Archives of Singapore)

Let's be the people of Singapore

Together towards happiness

Our ideals are noble

Glorious Singapore

JAKARTA - The lyrics are taken from the lion country national anthem "Majulah Singapura". Zubir Said, a composer from Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, echoes the hopes of Singaporeans. So how did he get to the land of lions and compose the country's national anthem?

The man who was born July 22, today is more than a century ago or in 1907, he has been interested in music since he was in elementary school. During his lifetime he is believed to have written thousands of songs. His name is Mahsyur as a true Malay song writer because of his connection with Malay history and values.

Zubir is a multi-instrument player. The first musical instrument he played was a flute. Then after joining the keroncong group, he learned many other instruments such as guitar and drums.

The spirit of exploring his musicality never seems to be extinguished. At the age of 21, Zubir left Sumatra for Singapore. He believes a modern venue like Singapore can do more for the future of his music scene.

In his autobiography entitled Zubir Said His Song (1990) in Singapore, Zubir joined the wayang aristocrat City Opera, an opera group whose players came from the Malay nation. While working at the theater, he learned to read and write music in Western notation by playing the piano.

In 1936 he was recruited by the British record company His Master's Voice (HMV) as a recording supervisor. His name became known while working there. But his career had to stop for a moment when World War II broke out.

Zubir returned to Bukittinggi in 1941. He, along with several musicians and singers, made a performance group to entertain the Japanese army. He only returned to Singapore in 1947 after World War II was over.

Zubir offerings

Two years after returning to Singapore, he was offered a job as a music composer for Malay films produced by the Shaw Brothers. In 1952, he chose to join Cathay Keris management.

Six years later, quoting the Singapore Government website, he was asked by the Mayor of the City Council of Singapore, pouring Ong Eng Guan to compose the national anthem. The song was originally created to commemorate the recently renovated Victoria Theater.

Majulah Singapore was first sung by the Singapore Chamber Ensemble, on 3 December 1959 as the Singapore National Anthem. Zubir described the level of difficulty when making the song, which was quoted by the Singapore government website. "The difficulty level of this song is due to the short melody, so I have to enter all the words in a very simple and understandable manner for all nations in Singapore," said Zubir.

Zubir said it took a long time to compile the lyrics of the song. "I have to be very careful. So I consult a lot with Malay writers, so I can apply the language well, but not too deep and not too difficult," he said.

In an interview in 1967, Zubir said the title song "Majulah Singapura" was inspired by the Victorian Theater which tried to capture the spirit of Singaporean nationalism. He believes that a person should be loyal and proud of their own home.

Zubir proved it himself by not receiving payment to write the national anthem. The many awards he received alone made him proud. Some of the awards include the Certificate of Honor (Certificate of Honor) from the Singapore Government and the ASEAN Culture and Communication Award.