The Malayan Songbook puts the spotlight on classic musical numbers from early 20th-century Malaya
In 2016, Nona Ushera asked Ganesh Bala to produce her debut album, Semalam Di Malaya, which pays tribute to the music of Malaya from the 1940s to the 1950s. During the recording, it dawned on them that these popular Malayan classics will only get more difficult to find in the future.
This prompted the musical couple to begin compiling a book so that these classics can be memorialised in print. The book, titled The Malayan Songbook, is filled with musical manuscripts of timeless songs and they are accompanied with biographies of the respective composers.
Besides being a producer, a composer, a pianist, and a music educator at OUCH Music Academy, Ganesh can now add author to his resume. Singer-songwriter Ushera is a well-known jazz performer who enjoys mixing Latin funk into her repertoire.
The newlyweds share more insights about the production of The Malayan Songbook.
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What inspired you to publish this book?
Ushera: My album Semalam di Malaya is a collection of songs from the pre-independence era. In the process of researching the songs for recording, Ganesh had transcribed hundreds of these songs into musical scores. We quickly realised that the scores, facts and lyrics for most of these tunes were not easily obtainable, some were even unavailable.
Two years later, Ganesh and I decided that we should share our findings with anyone who is interested in Malayan music and history. Hence, The Malayan Songbook.
Why do you think it’s important to have these songs recorded on paper?
Ganesh: If we look into classical music history, works by composers such as J.S.Bach or Mozart could withstand hundreds of years due to its availability as musical scores. Music written on scores give us the ability to precisely analyse the compositions. This allows future composers to study the composition and arrangement techniques, while musicians and music students could learn and perform the pieces. If Ludwig Köchel did not catalogue Mozart’s work in 1862, 71 years after the composer’s death, the world might not have known much about the 600 over compositions by Mozart’s, which inspired countless composers to come.
I strongly believe that there are hidden gems in our own backyard. I hope the book will shine a spotlight on our very own composers, giving their tunes and tales a new life.
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How many songs are in the book?
Ganesh: The Malayan Songbook consists of 18 classic Malay tunes and a specially rearranged medley of three famous swing numbers from the pre-independence era. So there are 21 songs in total. Compositions such as Arjunaku by Ahmad Jaafar, Kembang Desa by Yusof B. and Dunia Asmara by Ahmad Wan Yet are included in this book. The Malayan Songbook also contains essays and biographies of the singers, the composers and others who shaped the golden age of Malayan music.
