Dr Eleanor A. L. Tan
At break of dawn, listeners of 92.4 FM (and other radio and TV channels) will be well attuned to the stirring Majulah Singapura (Onward Singapore), an acute reminder of Singapore’s monumental ascent from Third to First World nation. One particular morning, as I listened half-awake to the radio, my experience of this familiar anthem was transformed by an unexpected, but highly fitting musical juxtaposition. The Majulah was, as it were, ‘birthed’ from the gentle pastoral tones of The Lark Ascending—a contemplative work for violin and orchestra written in the early twentieth century by the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. The rousing timpani roll and crash cymbal of Singapore’s pride sent fireworks into the fading English sky—the solitary lark, a songbird captured in the soaring tones of the violin grew but a distant memory.
No doubt it was a programming coincidence that Vaughan Williams’s poetic Lark should precede Singapore’s national anthem on that particular morning, but the suggested metaphor of birthing is appropriate in two ways. Firstly, the Majulah ideologically signifies the birth of a nation state during the transitional period of decolonization from the British Empire, and secondly, the Majulah suggests Singapore’s rebirth from an ancient Sea Town (Temasek) in the 14th century into a modern metropolis—its transfiguration from a bucolic country into the gleaming sky-scrapers of commerce.
Growing up in West Sumatra, Zubir Said (1907–87) was aware of cultural and political divisions in his youth. Indonesia was then a Dutch colony, and his classmates were either of Dutch, Indonesian, or of mixed parentage. However, in adulthood, his musical activities and involvement in a Keroncong band (and later a Bangsawan in Singapore) provided an opportunity to rise above these divisions, and to make music for anyone keen to listen, even for the Japanese soldiers who were nostalgic for their homeland during the Second World War. Yet, the economic hardship and political circumstances faced during the war were sufficiently acute to arouse a nationalistic fervor for his adopted country. It is in this vein that Zubir composed the patriotic Majulah Singapura for the City Council of Singapore in 1958, grafting his imagination of a progressive nation onto the framework and dictates of western compositional style. The Majulah may thus be viewed as reflective of the interaction between different cultures as well as political ideologies, be they local, national, or global, but for Zubir, the Majulah meant dignity, destiny, and gratitude, ‘you should hold up the sky of the land where you live’ (Di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung).[i]
It would appear farfetched that Zubir’s Majulah would uphold its significance 62 years on, particularly for a majority of the population that had yet to witness strife or a war. And it would not, but for the insidious onslaught of Covid-19 which presented a national (and global) health crisis that compelled the country to draw upon its reserves, not just financial, but emotional and psychological. Against the backdrop of fear and anxiety, and a looming recession, the tenor of Zubir’s lyrics is poignantly prescient, as evidenced in the latest 2020 music video of the anthem—set against the dead silence of night, in lifeless scenes animated by fleeting images cast against concrete and metal façades. Midway through (Come, let us unite), the dynamics and tempo rev up to awaken the nation at break of dawn, urging its people to unite in their onward march out of this darkness. Beyond doubt, Zubir’s prayer which stirred the nation six decades ago will continue to shore up its spirit for generations to come.[ii]
| Majulah Singapura Mari kita rakyat Singapura Sama-sama menuju bahagia Cita-cita kita yang mulia Berjaya Singapura Marilah kita bersatu Dengan semangat yang baru Semua kita berseru Majulah Singapura Majulah Singapura | Onward Singapore Come, fellow Singaporeans Let us progress towards happiness together May our noble aspiration bring Singapore success Come, let us unite In a new spirit Let our voices soar as one Onward Singapore Onward Singapore |
[i] Tan, Liana (Interviewer). August 1984. Accession no. 000293/23 (Reel 15). Oral History Interview with Zubir Said. Oral History Centre, National Archives of Singapore. Accessed 20 January 2020.