Adat Bercukur Jambul

Selepas tujuh hari dari hari bersalin, lazimnya diadakan kenduri nasi kunyit, kerana itulah harinya adat mencukur kepala anak kecil itu dijalankan. Kelengkapan yang disediakan untuk adat mencukur ini adalah seperti berikut:

• Anak kecil atau bayi itu dipakaikan dengan pakaian yang cantik dan diletakkan dia di atas tilam kecil.

• Satu dulang berisi tiga biji mangkuk atau piring yang berisi air tepung tawar, beras kunyit dan bertih.

• Sebiji kelapa mumbang yang besar sedikit dipotong pada arah kepalanya dengan potongan berkelok-kelok siku-keluang dan dijadikan penutupnya daripada potongan itu. Air kelapa itu dibuang dan diisi ke dalamnya sedikit air sejuk, dan kelapa itu diletakkan di dalam sebiji batil semuat-muat kelapa itu sahaja. Biasanya, kelapa itu dihiasi dengan lilitan rantai emas atau perak dan dicucuk dengan tajuk-tajuk rekaan yang indah-indah rupanya.

Apabila kesemuanya sudah siap, maka bayi itu pun dibawa keluar dan dikelilingkan kepada tetamu-tetamu lelaki yang hadir dan setiap seorang daripada mereka dikehendaki menepuk sedikit tepung tawar, menebar sedikit beras kunyit dan bertih kepada bayi itu. Setelah perkara tersebut dilakukan, barulah tetamu-tetamu lelaki tadi menggunting sedikit sahaja rambut bayi itu dengan gunting yang telah disediakan. Lalu rambut yang digunting itu dimasukkan ke dalam kelapa yang telah diisi air. Bilangan orang yang menggunting rambut bayi itu hendaklah dalam bilangan yang ganjil, iaitu tiga, lima atau tujuh atau seumpamanya. Pada masa inilah anak itu diberi nama oleh si bapa. Nama yang diberi adalah nama yang indah dan memberi maksud yang baik. Setelah selesai adat bercukur dan memberi nama anak yang telah dilakukan oleh pihak lelaki, anak itu akan dibawa masuk ke dalam rumah itu dan hal seperti menggunting rambut anak itu dilakukan pula oleh pihak perempuan.

Setelah selesai kedua-dua pihak lelaki dan perempuan menjalankan perkara di atas, maka barulah kepala anak itu dicukur seluruhnya oleh tok bidan atau sesiapa yang mahir dengan kerja itu. Rambut anak yang telah dicukur itu dimasukkan semuanya ke dalam kelapa itu dan segala rantai dan tajuk-tajuk yang menghiasi kelapa itu dibuka dan dicabut. Kemudian kelapa itu biasanya akan ditanam di mana-mana di halaman rumah bersama-sama sepohon kelapa atau lain-lain seumpamanya sebagai peringatan masa anak itu dilahirkan pada masa hadapan kelak. Namun begitu, orang Melayu di bandar yang sudah moden sekarang tidak banyak lagi menjalankan adat ini, rata-rata orang Melayu kampung sahaja yang masih banyak dan gemar melakukan adat resam mencukur dan menamakan anak. Berkenaan dengan menamakan anak undang-undang kerajaan telah menetapkan bahawa anak yang baru dilahirkan perlulah diberi nama dalam tempoh 24 jam kerana dalam tempoh itu anak yang telah diberi nama itu dikehendaki didaftarkan di pejabat pendaftaran.

Adat Lenggang Perut.

Adat melenggang perut kebanyakannya lebih difahami masyarakat Melayu di selatan semenanjung manakala di sebelah utara semenanjung lebih dikenali dengan panggilan kirim perut. Adat ini ialah suatu adat yang dijalankan ke atas seorang isteri yang telah genap tujuh bulan hamil dan ia bertujuan untuk meletakkan kedudukan bayi di dalam perut di tempat yang sepatutnya, iaitu bahagian kepala di pintu rahim. Ini penting bagi memudahkan si ibu bersalin dan bayi tidak kelemasan di dalam perut. Maka pada masa itu, bidan akan dipanggil untuk memeriksa dan menentukan isteri yang hamil itu betul-betul telah genap tujuh bulan hamil atau belum cukup bulan lagi. Jika didapati sudah genap tujuh bulan isteri itu hamil, maka mulailah bidan itu diupah untuk melangsungkan adat melenggang perut ini. Kelengkapan yang mustahak perlu disiapkan untuk menjalankan adat ini. Antara kelengkapan tersebut disediakan adalah seperti berikut:

• Tujuh helai kain yang berlainan warna.

• Satu gantang beras.

• Sebiji buah kelapa.

• Beberapa urat benang.

• Satu batang damar.

• Sedikit minyak kelapa atau minyak urut.

• Beberapa batang lilin.

• Satu tepak sirih, yang lengkap dengan isinya.

• Pengeras wang sebanyak lima suku ($1.25) di dalam tepak itu.

Setelah semua barang tersebut disediakan, tok bidan akan menjalankan adat melenggang perut seperti berikut:

Mula-mula tok bidan membentangkan ketujuh-tujuh helai kain berwarna itu secara melintang sehelai demi sehelai. Ibu yang hamil itu akan dibaringkan di atas lapisan-lapisan kain tersebut. Kemudian, perut ibu itu akan diurut dengan minyak kelapa atau minyak urut secara perlahan-lahan.

Selepas itu, kelapa yang sudah dikupas tersebut akan diguling-gulingkan secara perlahan-lahan di atas perut ibu itu ke atas dan ke bawah sebanyak tujuh kali dan pada kali yang ketujuh itu, kelapa itu akan dilepas serta dibiarkan jatuh bergolek daripada perut ibu itu sambil diperhatikan oleh tok bidan itu. Tok bidan akan memerhatikan bagaimana kedudukan muka atau mata kelapa itu setelah berhenti bergolek. Jika mata kelapa itu menghala ke atas, ibu itu akan beroleh anak lelaki, dan jika ia menghala ke bawah, anak perempuan akan dilahirkan.

Setelah itu, sebelah tangan tok bidan akan memegang satu hujung kain lapisan atas sekali dan dengan tangannya yang sebelah lagi, dipegangnya hujung yang satu lagi. Kemudian kain itu diangkatnya sedikit sambil dilenggang-lenggangkan badan ibu itu. Dari sinilah terbitnya panggilan Lenggang Perut itu. Selepas itu, kain itu ditarik keluar daripada bawah badan ibu tersebut. Perbuatan ini akan dilakukan sehingga habis ketujuh-tujuh helai kain itu dikeluarkan dari bawah pinggang ibu tersebut. Kain yang di bawah sekali akan diberikan kepada tok bidan bersama-sama dengan kelapa, beras, damar, sirih pinang beserta dengan wang pengeras lima suku di dalam tepak sirih itu.

Biasanya, pada hari melenggang perut akan diadakan kenduri kecil-kecilan yang akan dihadiri oleh orang tua-tua dan kaum keluarga yang rapat. Pada masa kenduri itu berlangsung, si ibu yang akan melenggang perut itu akan dipakaikan dengan pakaian yang baru dan cantik.

Kraftangan Malaysia

Di Malaysia, terdapat pelbagai jenis kraftangan yang dihasilkan dengan kreatif dan halus. Seni halus yang ingin diserlahkan dapat ditonjolkan melalui kreativiti dan ketekunan seseorang individu yang dihasilkannya. Kraftangan di Malaysia sesungguhnya mempunyai keunikan yang tersendiri dalam menghidupkan lambang kesenian sesuatu budaya bangsa.
Antara kraftangan yang paling popular di Malaysia ialah tembikar yang diperbuat daripada tanah liat. pembuatan tembikar giat diusahakan oleh masyarakat Melayu terutama sekali di Kuala Kangsar, Perak.
Seni pembuatan tembikar memakan masa yang agak lama dalam menghasilkan tembikar yang berkualiti. Selain daripada kekukuhan tembikar, seni ukiran yang menarik juga turut diambil kira.
Di samping itu, songket buatan tangan juga merupakan salah satu kraftangan popular dan terbaik di Malaysia. kehalusan tenunan benang yang ditenun tangan telah menjadikan songket sebagai salah satu kraftangan yang mahal dan berkualiti tinggi selain dari kecantikan dan keunikan rekaan tenunan benang emas yang digunakan.
Bakul anyaman dan tikar mengkuang juga merupakan kraftangan tradisi yang dianyam dengan menggunakan daun mengkuang. kemudian, batik juga merupakan kraftangan yang berjaya dibawa ke persada dunia. batik yang berkualiti selalunya dicanting tangan oleh pembuat batik tersebut. keunikan corak pada batik yang dihasilakn berjaya menambat hati individu yang melihatnya.

Indian Weddings

Traditional Indian weddings are generally structured into pre-wedding ceremonies, wedding day ceremonies (consisting of the Baraat, the Varmala and the Phere), and the Vidaai.

Vidaai is when the bride is formally sent to the groom’s household. It can get quite emotional even for the most stonehearted. Many heart-wrenching songs have immortalized this moment when the bride leaves her ‘babul ka ghar’ or father’s house.

An example of the complexity of an Indian wedding can be seen from the various phases of a wedding in the North. The following events take place in a typical Eastern Uttar Pradesh Hindu marriage:

According to Hindu religious texts, Brahma created man from the right shoulder and woman from his left shoulder. A woman is referred to as Vamangi or one who is on the left side. Throughout the marriage ceremony the bride sits on the right side of the groom. That is the place for strangers and acquaintances. Only after the Saptpadi, when the bride and groom have exchanged marital vows, is the wife sealed on the left side of the man.

Bride and groom are told about their duties and responsibilities in married life by priest.These vows direct the couple to a positive path of action. They help in promoting marital happiness for a lifetime.

Vows by the Husband

1) I will consider my wife to be The better half. I will look after her just as I look after myself.

2) Accepting her as in-charge of the my home, I shall plan things in consultation with her.

3) I will never express dissatisfaction about any shortcomings in my wife. If there are any, I will explain them to her lovingly. I will support her in overcoming them.

4) I will always have faith in my wife. I will never look at another woman with wrong intent, nor have an illicit relationship.

5) I will be affectionate and treat my wife like a friend.

6) I'll bring home all my income to my wife. The household expenses will be incurred with her consent. I will always make an effort to ensure her comfort and happiness.

7) I will not find fault or critical my wife before others. We will sort out our differences and mistakes in privacy by ourselves.

8) I will have a courteous and tolerant attitude towards my wife. I will always follow a compromising policy.

9) If my wife is unwell, or is unable to fulfill some of the responsibilities or through some misunderstanding behaves wrongly, I will not withdraw support or refuse to fulfill my responsibilities towards her.

A dowry is presented to the grooms' side. He will state the amount or things he want or needs (some families do not practice this but it is very rare).Dowry in the upper classes is also popular as Trousseau that is given away to the bride to wish her luck and help her settle into her new home using goods of utility, luxury. Electronic items like refrigerators, television and washing machines are given by the bride's parents as part of a ceremony along with clothes, jewelery, shoes and accessories. There is a huge industry around Indian weddings for the privileged and rich who spend money on gifting these items with fanfare and pompous show. In fact, the art of gift packing is called Trousseau Packing.

Pemodenan Fesyen Di Malaysia.

Pelbagai busana tradisional telah lahir di Malaysia mengikut bangsa yang terdirii daripada Melayu, Cina dan India. Busana tradisional seperti baju kurung bagi masyarakat Melayu telahpun dimodenkan oleh para pereka fesyen di Malaysia. Sebagai contoh, Baju kurung telah diubahsuai menjadi kurung mooden tanpa pesak. Selain itu, fabrik yang digunakan untuk membuat busana ini telah dipelbagaikan. antara fabrik yang mendapat sambutan hangat dalam kalangan masyarakat ialah kain sifon yang ;lembut. Penggunaan kain Sifon menyerlahkan bentuk badan si pemakai dan tidak ketinggalan, corak abstrak yang ada pada fabrik sifon ini mampu menaikkan seri baju kurung yang sering kelihatan polos pada mulanya.
Hiasan seperti manik dan labuci mewah telah melengkapkan gaya pada baju kurung moden yang dibuat. sulaman benang emas dan perak juga menarik perhatian masyarakat sekeliling terhadap baju kurung.
Tidak ketinggalan, baju kebaya juga merupakan salah satu busana yang mampu menyerlahkan gaya si pemakai. baju kebaya terdiri daripada baju kebaya panjang dan baju kebaya nyonya.
Selain itu, baju Cheongsam yang merupakan baju tradisional masyarakat Cina telah dimodenkan juga. penggunaan fabrik sutera telah memodenkan rupa bentuk Cheongsam di samping jenis butang cheongsam yang digunakan. namun, ciri-ciri klasik masih dikekalkan seperti penggunaan warna merah untuk busana ini.
Baju Sari juga tidak ketinggalan dalam arus pemodenan. antara gaya yang mampu dimodenkan ialah penggunaan fabrik yang lebih lembut dan ringan . selain itu, ciri-ciri seperti manik yang sarat telah dicantumkan untuk menyerlahkan gaya si pemakai.

Malaysia dan Fesyen

Di Malaysia, industri fesyen telah menjadi salah satu industri yang sedang giat berkembang. melalui pelbagai ciptaan para pereka fesyen, fesyen busana di Malaysia telah mencipta nama di persada antarabangsa.
Kehadiran para pereka fesyen ternama yang berjaya mencipta fesyen busana yang pelbagai telah menyumbang pelbagai kemajuan dalam industri fesyen di Malaysia. rekaan yang ditonjolkan pula berjaya menerapkan unsur-unsur moden yang masih tidak meninggalkan ciri-ciri masyarakat asia, khususnya, bangsa di Malaysia. Hal ini demikian telah menjadikan fesyen di Malaysia menjadi salah satu fesyen yang mempunyai ciri-ciri yang menyeluruh bukan sahaja dari segi pemodenan gaya malah keluhuran budaya bangsa masih dijaga rapi.
Antara pereka fesyen yang berjaya mencipta nama dalam industri fesyen di Malaysia dan antarabangsa ialah Dato Bernard Chandran. beliau telah mengembangkan trend fesyen di Malaysia ke persada dunia. Antara bukti kejayaan dan sumbangan beliau ialah :

• Dinobatkan sebagai "Prince of Fashion" di Malaysia.
• Menjadi pereka fesyen untuk kerabat diraja Malaysia dan Brunei.
• Dinobatkan sebagai Malaysia's "King of Fashion"
• Menjadi pereka fesyen untuk Miss Universe.
• Menjadi 'chief designer' untuk program "Project Runway Malaysia 2007"

Rekaan para pereka fesyen yang lain telah banyak melahirkan banyak butik ternama di Malaysia yang membawa nama Malaysia di persada dunia. Sebagai contoh, butik Noor Arfa telah mengangkat nama dan martabat fesyen di merata dunia. Syarifah Kirana dan Jimmy Choo juga turut menyumbang te naga dalam melahirkan fesyen yang berkualiti.

Music Impact Part 3 !

Underground Music

The Malaysian underground music scene (also known as the Malaysian independent or urban music scene, with the term "urban" introduced in the late 90s)

The first signs of a underground music scene, as in real bands and original recordings, in Malaysia actually started in the city of Kuala Lumpur in the mid-80s.

Musicians involved in the 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. The current rise of singer-songwriters in the acoustic or folk vein in the underground scene. The first wave of singer-songwriters who have established and gained reputation in this genre include Meor Aziddin Yusof, Sherry and Kit Lee (now known as Antares). The new generation of singer-songwriters include Pete Teo, Azmyl Yunor and Shanon Shah.

They were 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, hardcore, Oi!/street punk, metal and ska usually performed together. The scene became less united 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 anarchist ideals also started to be on their own, cutting off all ties to the others; building their own network and starting small distros and labels. On the other hand, bands who originally started in the underground scene such as Butterfingers and OAG began to work with major label-affiliated record companies; which was seen by some as a betrayal of the DIY underground spirit.

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.

Lately,major shows features bands from the mainstream hardcore scene with established bands (Cassandra, Love Me Butch) and also from the burgeoning folk singer-songwriter scene with established performers such as Azmyl Yunor.

Punk

Famous Malaysian punk bands include the anarcho punk Carburetor Dung and streetpunk/oi! A.C.A.B..

The first punk rock scene in Malaysia started in Terengganu in 1978/1979. 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.

It was known as the Malaysian capital of punk rock throughout the late 1979 and the 1980s but there were no bands then as the punks were too poor to afford the equipment. 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.

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 sent tapes and magazines. 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.

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 with fanzines, magazines and music, which the kids would share. This library was actually a wooden cupboard situated at one of the punk rockers' houses, it was called as "logen".

The first Malaysian punk 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. The first fanzine to do that was Aedes, which lasted until 1996.

Bands like The Pilgrims, Carburetor Dung, The Bollocks, A.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 bands playing different genres. The Oi! scene was also popular with street punk music by bands like A.C.A.B, The Official & Roots N Boots, with the look of the mods and skinheads. 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. There was also reviews of concerts 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.

A new generation picked it up again in the late-90s with bands, DIY labels and intermittent gigs.

There are still a lot of active punk-influenced bands such as Dirty Divider and The Goodnight Goodies, and hardcore/experimental/trance Mad Monsters Attack.

1990s-present

By the late 1990s 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.

The encouragement from the Malaysian government towards privatization of broadcasting stations received support from the public. ^{[citation needed]} An array of new radio and TV stations were built.

During the early 2000, introduction to a new form of entertainment called “Reality Shows” revived public interest in music entertainment. 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. 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 musicians. However, this is still not representative of the active live music circuit with performers who compose and perform their own materials. Increased commercialisation and product placements using musicians casts a giant shadow over the local independent music scene and gives a skewed perception of what the local music "industry" represents instead of the 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 sell larger numbers of CDs compared to other musicians.

Indonesia Music Influence

Indonesian music has always been welcomed by Malay music listeners until recently when some radio stations play more Indonesian songs than local songs. This phenomenon could be attributed to Malay music listeners who are tired of the local musicians' tendency to keep recycling old songs like 'Rock Kapak' and power-ballads that are deemed safe in terms of music industry strategy. An artist society^{[clarification needed]} has tried to introduce a 90:10 quota, whereby 90% is allocated to Malaysian music and 10% for outsider music. This quota failed, as a lot of Indonesian music was aired by local radio stations. There has been mounting resistance to this invasion with many limitations in terms of airplay and show permits, but the lack of creativity by local musicians only accelerates the invasion of Indonesian music in Malaysia's community.

Music Impace part 2 !

Pop Music :

Malaysia's pop music scene developed from traditional asli (pure) music popularized in the 1920s and 1930s by Bangsawan troupes. 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. 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 it in 1930. 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 Pop Yeh Yeh Era

In the 1960s, western-influenced Pop Yeh-yeh musicians came to the forefront. The Pop Yeh-yeh genre was popular in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei in the 1960s. Pop Yeh-yeh ruled the Malay music scene from 1965 to 1971. The music and fashion of The BeatlesBritish 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. 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 1960s but much later when such music was revived in the 1980s by M. Shariff & The Zurah. It might be that music journalists of the 1980s coined the term. and other

The first local song in the Pop Yeh-yeh vein was a song called "Suzanna", sung by M Osman in 1964. 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 acronym "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 acronym "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 a cappella 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. 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.

Changes in musical tastes

DJ Dave, Hail Amir and Uji Rashid introduced Hindustani-influenced music in the 1970s. 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. 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 Cenderawasih took the lead to modernize Malaysian Pop music; solo singers like Sudirman, Sharifah Aini further push the music to its peak.

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. 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. 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. 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. 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 prestigious 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 received few gold and platinum and KRU a vocal group composed 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. 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. Developed by vocal groups like Raihan, Rabbani and Brothers, this music got a lot of support from the countryside and religious fans.

In 1996 a school girl by the name of Siti Nurhaliza from a rural town Kuala Lipis in the state of Pahang released an album produced by a talented pop music producer named Adnan Abu Hassan. 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 very popular in the country.

Impact Music ! Part 1

As you all know Malaysia is a country of different races and religion. But when it comes to music it brings people together and unite them as one.

Malaysian music is influenced by neighboring Indonesian and Thai forms, as well as Portuguese, Filipino and Chinese styles . [ wikipedia.com ]

The Tradition Music of Val

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. The martial art of silat which is originally from Indonesia is also popular in Malaysia, while essentially still important as a branch of the self defence form. 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.

The natives of the Malay Peninsula played in small ensembles called kertok, which performed swift and rhythmic xylophone music. This may have led to the development of dikir barat. In recent years, the Malaysian government has promoted this Kelantanese music form as a national cultural icon.^[1]

Arabic-derived zapin music and dance is popular throughout Malaysia, and is usually accompanied by a gambus and some drums. Ghazals from Arabia are popular in the markets and malls of Kuala Lumpur and Johor, and stars like Kamariah Noor are very successful. In Malacca, ronggeng is the dominant form of folk music. It played with a violin, drums, button accordion and a gong instrument from Indonesia. Another style, Dondang Sayang is slow and intense; it mixes influences from China, India, Arabia, and Portugal with traditional elements.

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. 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.

The orchestra is usually made up of four sections:

Bowed string instruments, consisting of:

• erhu (二胡; range of three octaves; performs the role of the violin)
• banhu (板胡; a high pitched fiddle with coconut sound box)
• gaohu (高胡; pitch is higher than erhu)
• zhonghu (中胡; tenor erhu, similar to viola)
• gehu (革胡; like the cello)
• bei-da-ge-hu (倍大革胡; like the double bass)

plucked strings comprising various sized lutes:

• pipa (琵琶; highest pitch)
• liu-yue-qin (柳月琴)
• yueqin (月琴)
• zhongruan (中阮)
• daruan (大阮)
• sanxian (三弦)
• guzheng (古筝)
• yangqin (扬琴)

the wind section consisting of:

• dizi (笛子; transverse flutes)
• xiao (箫; vertical flutes)
• sheng (笙; mouth organ)
• suona (唢呐; reed aerophone)

percussion section consisting of:

• paigu (排鼓; drums)
• taigu (太鼓; drums)
• dabo (大钹; cymbals)
• lo (锣; hand held tam-tam)
• shih mian lo (十面锣; frame mounted tam-tam)
• ling (铃; bell)
• ma ling (马铃; 5 suspended bells)
• shuang yin mu (双音木), bang zi (棒子) and mu yu (木鱼; wood blocks)

There is no lack of virtuoso performers in the Chinese classical tradition in Malaysia. Advanced training is however not presently available with most Malaysian virtuoso musicians obtaining their advanced training either in China or 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 include Eric Moo, Lee Sin Je, Fish Leong, Z Chen, Penny Tai and lately Daniel Lee.

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. Carnatic Music and Hindustani Music. Since Tamils from South India are the predominant group among the Indian population in Malaysia, it is the South Indian carnatic music which predominates. 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.

Over the years, Punjabi music have established itself in Malaysia. One example of famous Punjabi music is bhangra. Many Malaysian songs today has the Punjabi influence. For example, the sound of the dhol, an instrument used mainly by the Punjabis have been incorporated in many Malay, Chinese and Indian songs in Malaysia. The increase of interest in Punjabi music have lead to the birth of Malaysia's very first Urban Bhangra themed group, called Goldkartz.

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 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 have begun to invest in the production, distribution and promotion of the "ethnic fringe" in Malaysian music.

Petronas, the national petro-chemical corporation responsible for the construction of the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas 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 world music, primarily 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 acts encompassing jazz, classical, and world music concerts.

Malaysia has a handful of homegrown musicians who have achieved world class stature in jazz exposition e.g., keyboardists Michael Veerapan and David Gomes; freestyle bassist Zailan Razak; multi-instrumentalists and vocalists, The Solianos; and virtuoso drummer Lewis Pragasam. Mohar and Prabhu Ganesh, two 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.

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 similar 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.

Intro on Tradition Games

Sports in Malaysia is also seen as a way to strengthen the bond between citizens that comes from all walks of life.This is because as known Malaysia is a multi culture country. Therefore sports is made into a medium to unit everyone regardless of skin colour, religion, beliefs or traditions.

Since Malaysia is rich in its culture, therefore instead of having the usual common sports, we also have the traditional sports played by the villagers to past on their time since the television were not quite affordable by everyone. These games are passed on one generation to the other.

Among the games that are mostly played are wau, gasing, & congkak. These games are unique because unlike other games, these games have features of art that symbolizes beauty and harmony of the people in Malaysia.

These activities are played in a group of individuals who have the same interest. Each will share their energy, time & opinion solely to ensure that such activities can be implemented. However these sports have been growing since the day they've been discovered. For instance there's been Pasir Gudang International Kite Festival held in Johor Baharu, Malaysia.

Perkahwinan Melayu

Menurut adat orang Melayu, pasangan yang ingin berkahwin perlu mengikuti beberappa adat yang telah ditetapkan. sebelum berkahwin, keluarga lelaki perlu merisik pihak perempuan terlebih dahulu.
Dalam adat merisik, pihak lelaki perlu bertanyakan status bakal pengantin perempuan.setelah adat merisik diadakan, adat meminang pula dilakuukan. adat meminang meminta bakal pengantin lelaki supaya menyunting bakal isteri dengan pemberian cincin.
apabila cincin diterima, ini bermakna pihak perempuan telah menerima pihak lelaki.
Dengan penerimaan ini, maka pasangan yang bakal berkahwin akan ditunangkan dan seterusnya, majlis pernikahan akan diadakan.
apabila majlis pernikahan diadakan, termeterailah hubungan suami isteri antara pasangan tersebut.

A Malaysian's Apology...

Making my way through the busy hawker centre
I saw stalls divided by taste
In my heart I became a stentor
I laughed at how those banners come to waste
I sat and had to force a small audible laugh
I couldn't take it, the television was advertising
What felt so much just as a joke to not even half
Of what they claimed to sing

"Little did he know, little did he know"

I stuttered my own laugh so suddenly when it had so seemed
That my eyes had been opened and deemed
To see the right
of the wrong that I perceived in the void of light

"Shine some light, shine some light"

The stall owners were Indian
Malay, Indian, Chinese and even foreigners
Were eating and laughing as they watched a football match
They paradoxed my previous thoughts
I ran out of the stall
To get into another, and find the similar

The stentor in me faded to nothing
As I had realized something so shocking
The stalls were devided by taste
But everyone liked that taste
Everyone enjoyed each other
Most didn't know each other
But most din't bother

They were one, one Malaysia

"Satu Malaysia, One Malaysia"

It's the same when you're here
You need not fear
It wasn't just the food or football matches either
You can just see for yourself

I've lived here for a few years now
I'm not Malay
I'm not Indian
I'm not chinese
Nor am I a foreigner
I'm Malaysian
and there is only One Malaysia in my heart

by, Emil for Empayar Malaya...

One Malaysia

ONE MALAYSIA

Malaysian Students

Babu with Kulintangan

Bull Race

Malaysia's 'Orang Asli'

The 2009 Kota Marudu Unduk Ngadau Winner

Sarawakians

The Malaysians

Malaysia is a unique country as it is probably the only country in the world that has a lot of different races living together harmoniously in a society. We have not only the Malay, Chinese and Indian - which is the mejority in Peninsular Malaysia - but other races like Iban, Kadazandusun, Bajau, Murut and a lot more.

Despite the difference in our religions, cultures, and lifestyles, we manage to live under the same roof. As a result, with all of these differences combined, Malaysia became a known country rich in arts and culture.

Who are Malaysian ?

You might be wondering - who are malaysian actually ?


1- Malays are the biggest ethnic group according to over half population and the national language. With the oldest indigenous of people they are form of " bumiputera " which means sons or prince of the soil. Almost of Malaysians are Muslims , though it is more less than the Middle East. Traditional Malay culture centres in the Kampung or village - but now as we're going further to more advance life in techonolgy , malay's are living in the modern city.



2- Chinese has been trading with Malaysia since centries , then settled in during the 19 century when word of riches in the Nanyang, or "South Seas," spread across China.Though perhaps a stereotype, the Chinese are regarded as Malaysia's businessmen, having succeeded in many industries. When they first arrived, however, Chinese often worked the most grueling jobs like tin mining and railway construction. Most Chinese are Tao Buddhist and retain strong ties to their ancestral homeland. They form about 35 percent of the population.



3- Indians had been visiting Malaysia for over 2,000 years, but did not settle en masse until the 19th century. Most came from South India, fleeing a poor economy. Arriving in Malaysia, many worked as rubber tappers, while others built the infrastructure or worked as administrators and small businessmen. Today ten percent of Malaysia is Indian. Their culture -- with it's exquisite Hindu temples, cuisine, and colorful garments -- is visible throughout the land.



Dayak dressing in Tradisional dance

The kids of ' Orang Asli ' which means real people.
4- The oldest inhabitants of Malaysia are its tribal peoples. They account for about 5 percent of the total population, and represent a majority in Sarawak and Sabah. Though Malaysia's tribal people prefer to be categorized by their individual tribes, peninsular Malaysia blankets them under the term Orang Asli, or "Original People." In Sarawak, the dominant tribal groups are the Dayak, who typically live in longhouses and are either Iban (Sea Dayak) or BidayuhKadazan. All of Malaysia's tribal people generally share a strong spiritual tie to the rain forest. (land Dayak). In Sabah, most tribes fall under the term of kadazan. All of Malaysia's tribal people generally share a strong spiritual tie to the rain forest.

Introduction To The World.

Hello .
As far as you know - Malaysia is the well known country of its many kinds of culture that can live under one roof , its delicious food and also places that are fun and interesting. We're from SM Convent Ipoh and we are here to tell you about Malaysia more in detail. Our theme is mainly everything about Malaysia from fashion , food , places to go, its culture and also arts. We are called " Empaya Malaya Arts and Culture a.k.a EMAC " .

This is part of our civics subject assignment by the way . Our blog will be in two language , our mother tongue language which is Bahasa Melayu and also universal language which is English. This is our introduction.

Our main objective is :
- To get an A on our civics project - of course.
- Getting more tourists to visit Malaysia and experience the Malaysian culture.
- Introducing to the world , Malaysia's culture . How we live a peace and harmony life.
- People to support us and gives us feedback.

It would be a great job if people had join our group on Facebook and support us in many kinds of way :)
Malaysia's interesting stuff - would be put in this blog . Feel free to follow us and know the updates :)
Take care.

HELLO :) Support us , and join our facebook group. It's " Empayar Malaya Arts & Culture (EMAC) " .