THE CICAK.com

Our national anthem, too sacred to jazz up?

By BAHIR YEUSUFF

Recently, a ruckus was caused when a certain local singer “jazzed” up our national anthem at a public event. To make matters worse, according to a Menteri Besar, the Agung was present at the performance. The singer’s version, was said to have contained variations to its original form and “ended with ascending notes, was insulting, and had trivialised the national symbol” as quoted from the angry politician in The Star newspaper.

Are we being led to assume that singing the Negaraku, with an ascending tone to its final notes, insults the nation? Are Malaysians really that uptight?

One of my favourite songs of all time is Jimi Hendrix’s solo guitar rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. It is an amazing show of guitar skill and dexterity, and even now, years after that historic performance at the inaugaral Woodstock festival, it is still held as one of the most moving examples of a man’s love for his country. Dont forget, this was during the Vietnam war, which Hendrix himself opposed. Yet, instead of burning the American flag, like many Americans who opposed the war did, he played his national anthem, to remind his audience of what they loved about their country.

What’s wrong with “jazzing” up the national anthem anyway? I personally think its very old and could use a new spin.

Dont get me wrong, I dont mean to insult our history and our legacy, but to make a big deal out of absolutely nothing? So what if he “ended with ascending notes” ? We should be bold enough to accept the fact that he tried to change it. He didnt change the words to insult the country, he didnt sing for another country.

I feel that it should be okay to sing the national anthem differently. Be it fast, slow, rap, jazz, blues or even (yes, even this) rock. Why shouldnt we? Does singing “with ascending notes”, make the song any different? It means exactly the same no matter how we sing it. No matter how fast or slow, or in fact, what language it is sung in. The words still remain, “Negaraku. Tanah tumpahnya darahku” (My country, my land of birth). Why should the tempo, beat or melody affect how we feel?

If anything, the change might get the younger generation more involved in our history. If it takes local hip-hop duo, Too Phat to sing our Negaraku to get the Y-Generation reading about the Occupation of Malaya, so be it.

Photo by JASON LIM / theCICAK
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BAHIR YEUSUFF is a contributing writer for theCICAK.

Bahir Yeusuff considers conversations with himself as research and a means of reaching a consensus. With the holy month of Ramadan around, he loves the fact that he can leave early from work (4.30pm!) and gorge himself silly with sirap bandung, bergedel daging and cili ikan bilis after breaking fast.