Malaysia

The song Adaik Bachinto, is sung in the Minang language, and while it is similar to Indonesian, it is a bit difficult for me to make out. ‘Adaik’ is probably the equivalent of ‘adik’ which means younger sibling, but can also be used by women to refer to themselves in relation to their male partner. ‘Bachinto’ probably has some relation to ‘cinta’, or love. Thus, the song would appear to be about Wirdaningsih’s love for a younger sibling or her love for her partner. Any Minang speakers out there who can help out on this?

There is a tasty fuzz break in the middle of the song. Wirdaningsih still performs in Indonesia and Malaysia. Her younger sister, Irni Yusnita, was also a popular performer in the 60s and 70s.

Wirdaningsih and Dorado Sound Unlimited - Adaik Bachinto

F. Abdullah has three songs on this record. The best in my opinion is Hasrat Chinta (Longing for Love). The record also includes one song with Zainorin M. Don and Rosiah Chik, Kaseh dan Chinta (Love and Affection). This is a more traditional-sounding call and response song, but with a very up-tempo backing from the Family’s. I have heard one of Zainorin M. Don’s songs from the EP shown on the back cover and it has a slightly jazz feel.

Rosiah Chik is the best known of the artists on this record (at least to me). She died in 2006 at the age of 75 and had a career in music over six decades. While she recorded a lot of popular music she is remembered also for her efforts in keeping the public aware of traditional Malaysian music and singing-styles.

The Family's with F. Abdullah - Hasrat Chinta
The Family's with Zainorin M. Don and Rosiah Chik - Kaseh dan Chinta

Ahmadi Hassan made numerous albums during the 1970s and 1980s, but then disappeared from the music scene and concentrated on business. He was sentenced to a years gaol in the early 2000s for illegal money transactions. In the meantime he released his first album for many years. Unlike his earlier pop albums his latest release is Nasyid music; music inspired by Islamic teachings set to Arabic rhythms. The album won the best Nasyid album award at the 2007 Malaysian Music Awards.

Ahmadi Hassan - Kemana Nona

All songs on the record are written by B. Ahmad, who was presumably a member of the band. There are two slow songs and two faster songs on the record, a fairly standard formula for Malaysian and Indonesian records from this period, but all songs have some garage-style guitar playing, so I have included them all. One of the slower songs is Seruan Pertiwi (Cry of the Homeland), which appears to refer to the conflict between Malaysia and Indonesia, and because of that I would date this record as no later than late 1966.

The other songs are Mengapa Menghilang (Why Is It Lost), Pesanan Ku (My Message) and Setia Menunggu (Faithfully Waiting). The Playboy label belonged to the Ngee Fat Record Company.

Steven Farram

When I first heard of Rocky I was reminded of Anthony Burgess’s stories based on his experiences in Malaya in the late 1950s. In one of those stories four young small-town Malays, besotted with American rock ’n’ roll, spend their days sitting in cheap cafes practicing the English they have learnt from American films. Each day one of the four wears the uniform they bought cheaply from a hard-up British serviceman. Not an army uniform, rather a pair of drainpipe trousers, a serge jacket with a velvet collar and a string tie. I imagined that Rocky Teoh came from a similar background, but was surprised to learn that he came from a slightly later generation. When 19 year old Rocky cut his first record in 1965 other teenagers around the world were being swept along by Beatlemania, but Rocky Teoh dreamed of being Elvis Presley.

Rocky’s recording career was brief, from 1965 to 1967, but he is said to have released in that time two singles, twelve EPs and two LPs, but I haven’t seen all of these. Many of the songs Rocky recorded were ones that had been made famous by Presley previously, but he was not entirely an imitator as he sometimes used different arrangements and also recorded some of his own songs, such as his second release, Jacqueline, dedicated to his girlfriend, later his wife. The tune for Jacqueline is an adaptation of a Chinese popular song, a technique utilised by Rocky in some of his other compositions as well.

Rocky and his band toured throughout Malaysia and Singapore from 1965 to 1967 and also toured in Thailand in 1966, always playing to packed houses. Rocky certainly projects the image of a cool rocker on his record covers and I can imagine he spent considerable time in front of the mirror perfecting his smile-cum-sneer and Elvis-like stance. Many of Rocky’s old recordings have recently been re-issued on CD by the Rocky Teoh Fan Club. You can visit their website here: http://www.rockyteoh.com/ You can also see more photos of Rocky on this site.

Rocky Teoh - I Gotta Know
Rocky Teoh - Jacqueline
Rocky Teoh - Memphis Tennessee
Rocky Teoh - What'd I Say
Rocky Teoh - Blue Suede Shoes

History, photos and music submitted by Steven Farram. Be sure to check out Steven's previous articles on Nancy Sit, Lilis Surjani, S. Mona Rita, Koes Bersaudara and Dara Puspita.