Teuku Zakaria

P. Ramlee was a Malaysian actor, filmmaker, musician, and composer famous in modern-day Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Southern Thailand. He is regarded as a prominent icon of Malay language entertainment. His contributions to the film and music industry began when he made his acting debut in Singapore for Malay Film Productions in 1948. He reached the height of his career there throughout the 1950s before declining in the 1960s when he moved to Kuala Lumpur to work for Merdeka Film Productions. Although acclaimed for his career in Singapore, Ramlee was denounced in Malaysia during his life, with his career only facing retrospective resurgence there decades after his death. Ramlee was born on 22 March 1929 to Teuku Nyak Puteh Bin Teuku Karim and Che Mah Binti Hussein. His father, Teuku Nyak Puteh, who was a descendant of a wealthy family in Aceh, migrated from Lhokseumawe in Aceh, Indonesia, to settle in Penang, where he married Ramlee’s mother, who hailed from Kubang Buaya, Butterworth, North Seberang Perai and were domiciled at the Sungai Pinang suburb of the capital, Georgetown (where his birthplace museum still stands today). Ramlee received his education from the Sekolah Melayu Kampung Jawa (Kampung Jawa Malay School), Francis Light English School and then to Penang Free School; in all he was registered as "Ramlee" by his father, because his name Teuku Zakaria was not suitable with other children at that time. Reportedly a reluctant and naughty student, Ramlee was nevertheless talented and interested in music and football. His studies at the Penang Free School were interrupted by the Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945, during which he enrolled in the Japanese navy school (Kaigun Gakko). At a cultural festival in early 1948, where he sang his own composition "Azizah", he was spotted by director B.S. Rahjans who invited him to work as a back-up singer for Shaw Brothers studio films, based in Singapore. He accepted, and the next few weeks saw him working as a clapper-boy, assistant cameraman, and continuity person in addition to singing. His first acting role was in Cinta (1948) as a villain. In the next 18 years under the Malay Film Production unit of Shaw Brothers (popularly known as the Ampas Road studio) he acted in, composed music for and eventually wrote and directed dozens of Malay movies ranging from historical dramas to contemporary comedies. He won several acting and composing awards at the Asian Film Festival in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1964 he moved to Kuala Lumpur where he made another 18 films under the Merdeka Studio. He is believed to have composed about 250 songs, and was involved in over 60 films throughout his career. Among his best known songs are "Getaran Jiwa", "Dendang Perantau", "Engkau Laksana Bulan", "Joget Pahang", "Tudung Periok", "Di Mana Kan Ku Cari Ganti" and "Azizah". The songs Ramlee wrote were featured in his films, performed by Ramlee himself or by other artists. He also collaborated with other composers such as Ahmad Jaafar, Osman Ahmad, Yusof B., Zubir Said, and S. Sudarmaji. His songs are still popular and have been covered by many singers, such as Sheila Majid, Siti Nurhaliza, Khadijah Ibrahim, and M. Nasir. Ramlee married three times. His first wife was Junaidah Daeng Harris, whom he married in 1950 and divorced in 1955. His second wife was Noorizan Mohd. Noor, whom he married in 1955 and divorced in 1961. His third and last wife was Saloma, a popular singer and actress, whom he married in 1961. He had two biological sons, Mohamad Nasir and Arfan, and five adopted children, Sazali, Safarina, Betty, Zakiah, and Sabarudin. Before dawn of 29 May 1973, P. Ramlee died at the age of 44 from a heart attack and was buried at Jalan Ampang Muslim Cemetery, in Kuala Lumpur. His death was mourned by millions of fans across the region. He was posthumously awarded the Malaysian honorific title of Tan Sri in 1990 and the Singaporean honorific title of Datuk Amar in 2009. He was also honored with a museum at his birthplace in Penang, a memorial hall at the site of his former residence in Kuala Lumpur, and several roads and buildings named after him. His films and songs have been preserved and restored by various institutions, such as the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS), the Malaysian National Archives, and the Asian Film Archive. His legacy continues to inspire and influence many artists and filmmakers in the Malay world.