The History of Music and its Culture and Current Polemics of Local Music Industry

1) Music is part of our culture and daily lives. Wherever we go, we would hear songs, either in the house or in the car or while in the shopping center. A friend of mine used to said, one who do not like music has no taste. I would agree to this notion, we will know one taste after read his / her  taste in music. When we have seen one taste in jazz or blues, his / her taste would differ with those who like the other kind of songs.

2) Music were divided into 2 different distinctive, which is modern music and classical music. Modern music derived from the blues, which was invented by African American slaves during the end of 19th century, the genres that were combine of native African influences with the European influences. It was started somewhere in North Coast of US. While classical music on the other hand, derived from western music of Europe, and being played largely by white people.

3) Blues is the root of modern music that we are currently listening, either its Rock or R&B or Jazz or Rap or Hip Hop, all are rooted from the same root which is Blues. That why, one would says, music is universal, it is derived from the same root, and progressively evolve through times and culture.

4) Music also part of the culture. When African slaves were brought to American, working in white large plantations of cotton, tobacco, sugar and coffee in North Coast of America. These black African slaves were not only brought their culture, but also brought their music to American soil. In other words, culture and music are interrelated, which would define and influence the music that brought through cultural impact indirectly or directly.

5) Initially, black were not allowed to play musical instruments or sing a song, but as the time goes by, they were eventually allowed to play musics and sings, but were prevented from reading notes or cords to prevent them from being literated in music. Luckily, its turn-out to be a blessing in disguise, when they became not too dependence on the notes and chords structure as taught in classical music. Most of the early Blues musicians are alliterated to chords and notes i.e. BB King and Eric Johnson etc. By being alliterates to notes and chords, these early Blues men has developed a playing technique by relying on their feel, consequently notes and chords became free structure which allowed the black to develop the early Blues songs. There is when the Blue note being discovered, and became a fundamental ingredient for Blues rooted music. This Blue note often found in African work songs as well, which was developed to be a common feature in Blues song i.e. call-and-response format.

6) The history of native African slaves in US, are originated from West Coast, Central and Southeast Africa. Some of these countries, were used to be colonized by Islamic Empire of Arabs, which brought their culture and music upon the colonized African countries. Therefore, the Arabian influences can also be found in Blues. Brian Jones, one of the founder of British band, Rolling Stones, after visited Morocco 1965 was amazed to discovered the music he played were used to be played 175 years ago in Morocco. This discovery shows the Arabian leaving some influences to the Blues. Indeed some of the Western Blues or Rock musicians i.e. Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, Beatles, Sting etc, started to create their music with the blend of Arabian music as what Sting did through his Desert Rose, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page through their Most High.

7) Our local artists i.e. M Nasir and Ramli Sarip follow the same footstep by blending our local Malay music with the Arabian genre, resulted a new breed of Malay songs, looked more rugged and catchy through among current listeners. It was named as a Malay modern music or "Musik Nusantara as M Nasir called it".

8) This music reaches its peak during 90's and early 2000. Unfortunately, this momentum failed to carry-on by other Malaysian musicians, probably due to local musicians are not well competent to this trend or simply not interested in it. Furthermore, our local music industry is too small and recording studios don't look at it viable for commercial success.

9) As mentioned in previous post, Mencari Identiti Muzik Malaysia, Malay song need identity as Indonesian has Keroncong, Jamaican with their Reggae and US has Jazz. Unfortunately, the new breeds of local musicians are not well competent and some of them do not have a good basic learning in music. Most of them are more interested to fill the gap at mediocre level and don't know how to contribute to the local music industry. They simply do not have a soul and can't think like an original musician.

Letak Jawatan

1) Pilihanraya umum dijangka bakal berlaku dalam tahun 2012. Setiap parti yang akan bertanding pasti akan memastikan tiada sebarang bentuk masalah atau isu yang akan menggugat peluang mereka dalam pilihanraya nanti.

2) Sudah pasti isu projek ladang lembu yang melibatkan Datuk Seri Shahrizat bakal memberi kesan yang tidak baik kepada UMNO/BN pada pilihanraya nanti. Maka oleh itu, Datuk Seri Shahrizat haruslah meletak jawatan jika beliau benar - benar sayangkan UMNO/BN. Kalau tidak beliau akan menjadi liabiliti kepada UMNO/BN pada pilihanraya nanti.

3) Seperti yang diketahui umum beliau jelas enggan meletak jawatan kerana menganggap diri beliau tidak bersalah dalam isu tersebut. Aku tidak berminat untuk mengetahui sama ada beliau bersalah atau tidak, yang aku pentingkan sekarang ini ialah nasib UMNO/BN pada pilihanraya nanti. Pada aku beliau perlu meletak jawatan, samaada benar atau salah, itu perkara nombor dua. Yang penting ketika ini ialah reputasi UMNO/BN mestilah baik di mata rakyat. Jika beliau sayangkan UMNO/BN, beliau perlu meletak jawatan "full stop". Jika beliau tetap berkeras enggan meletak jawatan, PM perlu campur tangan.

4) Masalah dengan pemimpin politik sekarang ini, ialah tiadanya budaya sedia meletak jawatan. Pada mereka jawatan yang disandang adalah jawatan seumur hidup. Pemimpin yang beintegriti tinggi, adalah pemimpin yang sedia meletak jawatan jika merasakan diri sudah menjadi liabiliti kepada negara dan parti. Pemimpin ini terdiri dari golongan yang mempunyai "single mindset" yang sayangkan parti dan negara. Pemimpin jenis ini jelas berkurangan di kalangan pemimpin - pemimpin politik ketika ini.

5) Pemimpin terdahulu seperti Dato' Onn, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Hussein Onn dan Tun Mahathir adalah contoh pemimpin yang sayangkan parti dan negara. Mereka merupakan pemimpin yang berintegriti tinggi yang sedia meletak jawatan jika berpandangan khidmat mereka tidak lagi diperlukan atau diri sudah tidak mampu menyumbangkan sesuatu kepada parti dan negara. Integriti mereka jauh lebih tinggi daripada pemimpin sekarang yang ada di kalangannya naik hasil daripada politik wang atau rasuah.

6) Pemimpin - pemimpin ini adalah pemimpin - pemimpin hipokrit, yang lebih pentingkan poket sendiri, yang tiada penghayatan tentang erti perjuangan sebenar seorang pemimpin. Tidak perlulah dinamakan setiap seorang daripada mereka, yang pasti sikap jengkel ini telah menonjolkan hati budi  masing - masing. Baik dari yang bersikap kurang ajar terhadap pemimpin lama yang banyak sumbangan kepada negara dan parti, ada yang manis muka tetapi bermasam hati, malah ada yang bermain politik dalaman menjatuhkan sesiapa sahaja yang tidak sehaluan dengan mereka dan ada juga budaya mudah lupa di kalangan pemimpin ini. Inilah budaya politik orang UMNO dan orang Melayu.      
 

Politics

1) To most of us, politics is about seeking power, enriching oneself and family, nothing more than that.

2) There's no doubt, some of politicians did engulfed in corruption. Neither UMNO/BN nor opposition parties could escape from being labeled with corruptions. Its all the pot calling the kettle black. When UMNO/BN politicians accused for being corrupted while staying in power, opposition did the same thing too. PAS for instance, bribe the voters by promise them a stairway to heaven if they voted PAS candidates, PKR in Selangor is equally corrupted as previous leadership of UMNO/BN, in fact their de factor leader Mr. Anwar Ibrahim has engulfed himself with abnormal sex activities and corruptions as well. Because of corruption was too obvious, the general public perception towards politicians remains skeptical and prejudice.

3) Politics supposed to be regarded as a means of helping and defending the right of one community or certain group of people they representing. Because of too many shits being done by politicians, politics has been put to inappropriate place. It was so Pathetic.   

4) If we go back to history of UMNO during 1946, it was about defending the right of Malays and to abolish Malayan Union. When UMNO under leadership of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al Haj, the focus of struggle shifted to seeking the independence from the British. After independence, its all about keeping and maintaining independence and filling with the values of being independence. These all has been done by politics, whether we like it or not, it is all the truth.

5) But after 54 years of independence, politicians turn to be more greedy, self centered, not knowing the true values of being politicians, not knowing it was a responsibility granted by people to serve people, not the other way around of believing that the people who has to serve him, the position that has to be proud of, not that has to be a responsibility granted by the people.

6) That is why, we have seen a lot of politicians walkabout to any functions or to any place together with his/her entourage. His/her courtier would always act boastfully, thinking they have reached to pinnacle level of society that should be enviable. That its so Malay.