Wandly Yazid
Encyclopedia
Hj Wandly Yazid was a musician
, composer
and arranger
for Malay film music in the 40’s to the 60’s. He is renowned for composing Gurindam Jiwa, the theme song for the classic film of the same name. Fondly remembered as Pak Wandly, he is highly regarded for his contribution to the film and music industry in Singapore
and Malaysia.
, West Sumatra
, Indonesia
into a family of educators. He was educated in Dutch
primary and high schools, and graduated from the Teachers Training Institute, West Sumatra.
.
In 1947, this Minangkabau lad came to Singapore, where the Malay film industry was thriving. Here, he studied piano arrangement under Mr Concordio Soliano, violin under Mr Raquiza and Mr Paul Soliano, and saxophone and clarinet under Mr Paul Martinez.
, violin
, clarinet
and saxophone
, and write music scores, he formed the Wandy Yazid Orchestra, Wandy Five and the Megawati Orchestra (with The Radio Malaya) in 1952. He composed music for films like Angin Berpesan and Pacar Putih, by the Nusantara Film Company, and the award-winning Hassan's Homecoming by the Malayan Film Unit. He was also a violin
ist and member of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra
.
Wandly founded the Fajar Record Company in 1959, where he composed and arranged songs, and accompanied singers like Julie Sudiro, Orchid Abdullah and Rosiah Chik
. He also trained those who later became successful including Ernie Djohan and Rafeah Buang.
In 1964, he was appointed Music Director
of Cathay-Keris Films (see Cathay Organisation
), at the age of 39. He composed and arranged songs and background music for many classic films, and was renowned for Gurindam Jiwa, the lovely theme song for a romantic film of the same name. Originally sung by R. Ismail and Rafeah Buang, with lyrics by Hamzah Hussein, the song remains an evergreen favourite for many until today. He also composed and arranged music for other classic films like Hang Jebat, Jalak Lenteng, Lancang Kuning, Panglima Besi, Kasih Ibu, Naga di Tasik Cini and many others.
A prolific and versatile composer, he also composed and arranged songs and background music for television programmes like Pesta Pop, as well as radio programmes. A violinist and member of the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation
(SBC) Orchestra, he then formed his own band, Café Vienna Trio, with Mr Ahmad Jarr and Mr Ahmad Sahab, playing classical
and commercial music. He also gave solo piano performances at major hotel establishments.
. His watercolour paintings were exhibited at:
He died on 5 Aug 2005 at his Aljunied
Crescent home. He leaves behind his wife, Hjh Iswanar Wahid, and five children – three of whom hold a masters degree, and one a bachelors.
(NAC).
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
for Malay film music in the 40’s to the 60’s. He is renowned for composing Gurindam Jiwa, the theme song for the classic film of the same name. Fondly remembered as Pak Wandly, he is highly regarded for his contribution to the film and music industry in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Malaysia.
Background
Wandly Yazid was born on 24 February 1925 in SulikiSuliki
Suliki is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Korsze, within Kętrzyn County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland.Before 1945 the area was part of Germany .-References:...
, West Sumatra
West Sumatra
West Sumatra is a province of Indonesia. It lies on the west coast of the island Sumatra. It borders the provinces of North Sumatra to the north, Riau and Jambi to the east, and Bengkulu to the southeast. It includes the Mentawai Islands off the coast...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
into a family of educators. He was educated in Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
primary and high schools, and graduated from the Teachers Training Institute, West Sumatra.
Music
Introduced to music during his primary school days, it was only when he was a schoolteacher at 17 that he decided to study music. He learnt the violin and clarinet under teachers Pak Hamid and Mr I Bree, and the piano, as well as watercolour and oil painting under Mr Wadiki, in BukittinggiBukittinggi
Bukittinggi is one of the larger cities in West Sumatra, Indonesia, with a population of over 91,000 people and an area of 25.24 km². It is situated in the Minangkabau highlands, 90 km by road from the West Sumatran capital city of Padang. It is located at , near the volcanoes Mount...
.
In 1947, this Minangkabau lad came to Singapore, where the Malay film industry was thriving. Here, he studied piano arrangement under Mr Concordio Soliano, violin under Mr Raquiza and Mr Paul Soliano, and saxophone and clarinet under Mr Paul Martinez.
Achievements
Able to play the pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
and saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, and write music scores, he formed the Wandy Yazid Orchestra, Wandy Five and the Megawati Orchestra (with The Radio Malaya) in 1952. He composed music for films like Angin Berpesan and Pacar Putih, by the Nusantara Film Company, and the award-winning Hassan's Homecoming by the Malayan Film Unit. He was also a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist and member of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is a 96 members professional symphony orchestra. Its main performing venue is the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore although it has also toured widely in Asia, Europe and the United States...
.
Wandly founded the Fajar Record Company in 1959, where he composed and arranged songs, and accompanied singers like Julie Sudiro, Orchid Abdullah and Rosiah Chik
Rosiah Chik
Rosiah Chik or Rosiah Abdul Manaf was Malay traditional singer particularly of asli and ghazal songs, made famous in the 1960s-1970s in Malaysia. She was also known as Mak We among the people of the industry and her fans.-Personal:...
. He also trained those who later became successful including Ernie Djohan and Rafeah Buang.
In 1964, he was appointed Music Director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
of Cathay-Keris Films (see Cathay Organisation
Cathay Organisation
Cathay Organisation Holdings Limited is one of Singapore's leading leisure and entertainment groups. It has the first THX cinema hall and digital cinema in Singapore. The group has operations in Singapore and Malaysia.-The early years:...
), at the age of 39. He composed and arranged songs and background music for many classic films, and was renowned for Gurindam Jiwa, the lovely theme song for a romantic film of the same name. Originally sung by R. Ismail and Rafeah Buang, with lyrics by Hamzah Hussein, the song remains an evergreen favourite for many until today. He also composed and arranged music for other classic films like Hang Jebat, Jalak Lenteng, Lancang Kuning, Panglima Besi, Kasih Ibu, Naga di Tasik Cini and many others.
A prolific and versatile composer, he also composed and arranged songs and background music for television programmes like Pesta Pop, as well as radio programmes. A violinist and member of the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation
Singapore Broadcasting Corporation
Singapore Broadcasting Corporation was a partially privatised mass market media conglomeration, which dominated the entire television and most of the radio broadcasting industry in Singapore during its existence...
(SBC) Orchestra, he then formed his own band, Café Vienna Trio, with Mr Ahmad Jarr and Mr Ahmad Sahab, playing classical
Non-Western classical music
"Classical music" and "art music" are terms that have been used to refer to music of different cultural origins and traditions. Such traditions often date to a period regarded as the "golden age" of music for a particular culture....
and commercial music. He also gave solo piano performances at major hotel establishments.
Later life
Retiring in 1992, he continued to perform, and taught music to the young. Not only was he a musician, but an artistArtist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
. His watercolour paintings were exhibited at:
- 2001: Contemporary 2001, by Association of Artists of Various Resources (APAD), Singapore Calligraphy Centre
- 2005: Lakaran Warisan, by Taman Warisan Melayu (Malay Heritage CentreMalay Heritage CentreThe Malay Heritage Centre is a cultural centre in Singapore to showcase the heritage, culture and history of Malay Singaporeans. Located at Sultan Gate of Kampong Glam, the 8,000 square metre centre was launched on 27 November 2004....
)
He died on 5 Aug 2005 at his Aljunied
Aljunied
Aljunied is a sub-urban area located in the eastern part of the city-state of Singapore. Named after Aljunied Road, it was formally agricultural land which has since been heavily urbanised and presently comprises a variety of landuses...
Crescent home. He leaves behind his wife, Hjh Iswanar Wahid, and five children – three of whom hold a masters degree, and one a bachelors.
Awards & recognition
- 1953: Award for Best Documentary, by Malayan Film Unit for Hassan’s Homecoming. Highly commended background music by Wandly Yazid.
- 2001: Jasawan Agung Minang (Meritorious Minang Award), by Persatuan Minangkabau Singapura or Singapore Minangkabau Association (SMA).
- 2001: COMPASS Meritorious Award, by Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS).
- 2002: 7 Magnificent Composers (7 Tokoh Muzik), published by Association of Malay Singers, Composers and Professional Musicians (PERKAMUS). Recognition of outstanding composers Wandly Yazid, Zubir SaidZubir SaidZubir Said was a Singaporean composer originally from the Minangkabau highlands of Indonesia who composed the national anthem of Singapore, "Majulah Singapura"...
, Osman Ahmad, Yusoff B., Ahmad Jaafar, P. RamleeP. RamleeTan Sri Datuk Amar Dr. P. Ramlee, was a Malaysian film actor, director, singer, songwriter, composer, and producer. Due to his contributions to the movie and music industry and his literary work, he is often considered the icon of Malay entertainment in Malaysia, Singapore, and Sumatra .-Biography:P...
and Kassim Masdor.
- 2003: Simfoni Layar Perak, a concert by MediaCorpMediaCorpMedia Corporation of Singapore, better known as MediaCorp, is a group of commercial media companies in Singapore, with business interests in television and radio broadcasting, interactive media, and, to a lesser extent, print publishing and film-making....
, held at Esplanade, SingaporeEsplanade, SingaporeThe Esplanade is a waterfront location just north of the mouth of the Singapore River in downtown Singapore. It is primarily occupied by the Esplanade Park, and was the venue where one of Singapore's largest congregation of satay outlets until their relocation to Clarke Quay as a result of the...
. Due recognition to renowned composers and music arrangers of Malay film and music from the 1940s to 1960s, including Wandly Yazid, Yusoff B., Zubir Said, Osman Ahmad, P. Ramlee and S. Sudarmaji. - 2005: Dendang Temasek (Melodies of Temasek), published by PERKAMUS. Compilation of essays on traditional Malay music with special mention of Wandly Yazid and his songs.
- 2006: Persembahan Muzik 7 Lagenda (Remembering the 7 Magnificent Composers), performed by the Pentatronics, a 4-piece group, held at Library@Espalanade, Singapore as a tribute to the legendary seven.
Membership
Hj Wandly Yazid was a member of COMPASS; PERKAMUS; APAD; Niniek Mamak (Council of Advisors), SMA; and National Arts CouncilNational Arts Council
National Arts Council is the name of a number of national bodies which oversee government funding of the arts.*Australia Council for the Arts*National Culture Fund of Bulgaria*Canada Council*Cayman National Cultural Foundation*Arts Council England...
(NAC).
See also
- Malays in SingaporeMalays in SingaporeMalays in Singapore are defined by the Singaporean government using the broader and antiquated "Malay race" concept, rather than modern-day Malay ethnic group. Although Malays have inhabited the area that is now Singapore since the 17th century, most of the Malays in Singapore today are immigrants...
- Cinema of SingaporeCinema of SingaporeDespite having a flourishing Chinese and Malay film industry in the 1950s and 1960s, Singapore's film industry declined after independence in 1965. There were a few films that featured Singaporean actors and were set in Singapore, including Saint Jack and They Call Her Cleopatra Wong...
- Cinema of MalaysiaCinema of MalaysiaThe cinema of Malaysia revolves around a small film industry that dates back to the 1930s. At present, Malaysia produces about 20 feature films annually, and between 300–400 television dramas and serials a year apart from the in-house productions by the individual television stations. Malaysia also...