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And this is what Buro 24/7 Malaysia’s website which provides coverage to the world of fashion, lifestyle and contemporary culture has to say in this tribute (Text by Alyssa Lee)

 

Excerpts from 

 

Icon for the ages, P. Ramlee

Remembering a legend

If Malaysia had a “Walk of Fame”, his star would be the shiniest—you know, polished by the tears of fans and lit by the flashes of their cameras.

When it comes to local show business, there really is no one who lives up to the legacy left by Teuku Zakaria bin Teuku Nyak Puteh.

Born with a name that rolls off the tongue like rollerblades on cobblestone, he stuck to an alias he has used since schooling days and added the ‘P’ from his father’s name to form his enduring moniker.

The son of a man from Acheh and a woman from Penang, it was almost as if P. Ramlee was born to embody the region, from the North to the South.

Story has it that he was never too fond of the books as a schoolboy but music and football held his attention.

His active interest in music led to the formation of ‘Teruna Sekampung’ (a band made up of and named after lads from the village), a dabble in song arranging, participation in singing and songwriting contests, and ultimately, getting discovered.

The keen eye of director B. S. Rajhans knew talent when he saw it.

After witnessing P. Ramlee’s performance of his own composition, Azizah, the director offered him a gig as backing vocalist at a film studio set up by the Shaw Brothers in Singapore.

The time at Jalan Ampas Studio across the Straits of Johor incited the rapid rise of P. Ramlee’s career.

Between his first acting role as a villain in ‘Chinta’ to his directorial debut in ‘Penarek Becha’ seven years and 20 actor’s credits later, the charisma and magnetism of the legend-in-making did not go unnoticed by the industry or the people. 

That first attempt at directing a movie landed him an astonishing five awards and lay groundwork for the subsequent 16 he churned out at the studio.

Back-to-back triumphs that stacked up during his most productive years—from 1955 to 1963—rendered him a trailblazer of the artistic renaissance taking place amid the Malay community in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore at the time.

It was said that the Shaw Brothers would spare no expense with him; even exclaiming, “What he wants, give it to him.”

He could very well have added rapping to his resumé and taken the name P. Midas—everything he touched turned to gold. 

His works have racked up a slew of awards at Asian Film Festivals over the years.

‘Anakku Sazali’ won him a Best Actor Award; ‘Madu Tiga’ and ‘Nujum Pak Belalang’ nabbed Best Comedy Films; ‘Ibu Mertuaku’ got him the Most Versatile Talent award; and ‘Hang Tuah’ won Best Musical Score.

But a combination of comedy and drama has proven most adept at remaining evergreen.

The ‘Bujang Lapok’ series he produced—and starred in alongside S. Shamsuddin and Aziz Sattar—and the ‘Do Re Mi’ trilogy remains a firm favourite till this very day.

In his lifetime, P. Ramlee would compose around 250 songs and contribute to more than 60 films.

What started as a meteoric rise suffered a shocking descent.

“People don’t care about me anymore; my career’s finished.

I wanted Malay films to be more advanced and beautiful like international films, but I’ve failed,” confided P. Ramlee to a close friend.

Looking around today, that bitter turn of events is less than apparent.

His succinct name was decorated with honorific titles—Tan Sri Datuk Amar Teuku Zakaria bin Teuku Nyak Puteh would now be his official address.

Memorials and museums have been erected on the grounds he called home.

Musicals and movies revisit his glory while buildings and streets are renamed in tribute.

But 45 years ago and at the tender age of 44, P. Ramlee, an actor, director, writer, and a prolific composer, left this world with a broken heart.

The recognition and adoration did not come when it mattered most.

His body rests at a Muslim cemetery on Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur but may his legacy live on in the history and heart of our history and nation.