Roots to branches
It’s a story that longed to be told, and now, Penang’s music receives its fitting treatment.
IT’S hard to keep away from the superlatives when describing Just For The Love Of It: Popular Music In Penang, 1930s- 1960s, a compendium of aesthetic and literary nuggets that chronicle the development of music in the Pearl Of The Orient.
The literature in this lovingly put together tome is already worth the price of admission – given the exhaustive effort needed to collate the information – and the pictures, the icing on the cake. If candles were required for a conclusive blowout, then the ads simply do it, what with everything from vanity preoccupations to self- defence classes and everything in between.
Penang’s story cannot be told without considering the Japanese Occupation and the return of British troops post World War II, and this amazing book touches on these monumental events and how music thrived before and after.
It reveals how the Malays, Chinese, Baba Nonyas, Indians, Eurasians, and various other communities all played their part in making George Town the cosmopolitan island it is today, rich in its tapestry of culture and arts and, today, a Unesco ( United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) World Heritage Site.
It’s mind boggling to think of some of the things that happened back then, like how Penang was already ahead of the pack with the birth of its first radio station in 1934, ZHJ, its aerial originally strung between two coconut trees. Or how Ahmad Merican outsmarted the Japanese to broadcast Western music, which was strictly forbidden.
One of the most charming stories is how one David Thiagarajan won a packet of Trebor sweets for a solo singing competition he took part in as a young boy. Life was so much simpler then. And if his name doesn’t ring a bell, that’s David Arumugam of Alleycats.
Of course, there’s also the renowned story of Briton Danny Thompson finding himself on the island and gaining acceptance with the local musicians, only to later carve a name for himself as a respected bass player who not only played for the likes of Donovan, Nick Drake, and Peter Gabriel, but also for folk rock outfit Pentangle.
The book is cleverly broken down into logical and intuitive sec-
tions, featuring trends, the social scene of the time, the venues that reverberated with the music, and most of all, the colourful characters who influenced the music of Penang; there is also a much welcomed glossary and index, which
makes for easy referencing.
P. Ramlee, Jimmy Boyle, and Ahmad Nawab are perhaps the main characters in the island’s musical dynasty, but supporting cast members, including jazz guitarist Larry Rodrigues, “king of Hawaiian guitar” Joe Rozells, Ooi Eow Jin, Zainal Alam, David Ng, Teddy Beh, Nancy Yeoh, and Ahmad Daud were no less instrumental in shaping the city’s musical landscape. Likewise songbirds Ruby Rozells, Colleen Read, and Kathleen Rodrigues.
Capricorn Connection cofounder and Penang Island Jazz Festival director Paul Augustin, along with his illustrious cohort, Britain- born James Lochhead, authors of the book, had begun work with their team more than five years ago on putting together two exhibitions.
And with all they had discovered, it was only natural a book be put together for permanent documentation.
Just For The Love Of It doesn’t read like a story book, yet there is a theme which seamlessly links various tales of struggles, ambition and grit, all bound together by an unbridled love of art.
The clip art, sepia- toned pictures, layout, artwork, and text font don’t make it look like a mere modern homage to a bygone era, but a book caught in a time capsule and unearthed from decades of storage.
It’s so compelling that it’s easy to catch yourself repeatedly looking at the same pages, and that’s also down to its coffee- table presentation.
It really is a scary thought to think of what might have become of Penang’s musical heritage had this historical essay not been put together.
Archiving music and its players in this country might be in deplorable state, but with Just For The Love Of It, Penang is again ahead of the game. This surely must set the standard for everything else that’s to come. And what about that accompanying free CD? This will take some beating.