..p.ramlee and me..

..when he died in May, 1973, I was a 26yr-old youth madly in love ..his songs were always on my lips and his movies in constant replay in my mind.. and much later, when karaoke was the rage, any sessions was not complete without his songs being sung..'Gelora" being the top choice for duets with girlfriends andwives ...and when 'Bila Larut Malam' was played, friends present will automatically go into 'kura-kuca' mode..

..P. Ramlee will always be part of my life, even almost 40 years after his death..I have seen most of his movies..and know most of his songs..even those that I did not know, I know snatches of it..

..but as to whether his songs and films has had an influence on me, I cannot really say..even though his films had a message for everyone...from etiquette on living together in communal houses, renting individual rooms, to the comical disasters of having more than one wife..and to the conflicts of a prodigal son...

..who does not know and quote his famous, 'Aiya..hidup susah, mati pun susah'?

..I supposed, like everyone else, I watched his films and cried and laughed, but never really took to heart what he was trying to say.. contented to just escape for a moment into his world..

..yet everyone that I know had one time or other, sang his song, or watched his movies... I remember as a kid, sitting on the steps of my grandfather's house, bellowing 'Engkau Laksana Bulan' to the full moon with my cousins until a shout from grandmother put a stop to it..

..bits and pieces of him is in everyone of my contemporaries..and even in present generations, being exposed to countless reruns of his films on television..

..we know his songs..and we enjoyed his films..we can remember parts of the dialogue..but as to what he was trying to tell us, we do not hear..we just do not bother to take heed of his messages..
..and that is a pity..and, in a way, we had failed him..we failed him miserably..

..but one song and one scene that is forever etched in my mind is 'Joget Si-Pinang Muda.' ..the beat is catchy, foot-tapping and finger-thumping rhythm, the lyrics simple...and the teasing between a husband and a wife, complete with that tongue smirk of Zaitun, goes straight to the heart..

...yes, I enjoyed the joget... as he flirted with Zaitun..but the message, that the relationship between a husband and a wife should sometimes be fun..be flirtatious.. be sexy.. is lost..which is a pity..




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