What’s the festive season without feel-good music? Festive songs are not just catchy; they also resonate with listeners, reminding us of the beauty of the season and the joy of being with loved ones.
And Hari Raya Aidilfitri has no shortage of musical masterpieces. From Saloma’s “Selamat Hari Raya” to M Nasir’s “Satu Hari di Hari Raya”, there are plenty of songs that truly capture the essence of the celebration.
With this in mind, FMT Lifestyle asked five Malaysian creative artistes to share the Raya songs they love the most. Here they are, in their own words.
• ‘Pulang di Hari Raya’ by Noor Kumalasari
Chosen by Leaism, singer-songwriter
Every time we would go shopping when I was a kid, this song would always come up. It reminds me of my great-grandma in Parit Buntar, Perak; we would often make kuih raya with this song in the background.
I feel the only way you can sing this is by smiling!
“Kerinduan seakan memanggilku pulang (as if my longing were calling you home)” is one of the sweetest sentences in the song. “Kerinduan” could be the smell of my great-grandmother’s ikan masak pindang, or her kuih makmur – or even just her.
• ‘Balik Kampung’ by Sudirman
Chosen by Fuad Alhabshi of Kyoto Protocol
I’ve been a fan of disco since a young age, and this is the funkiest of the lot. Every time I hear this track, it never fails to plunge me into nostalgia.
Something not often touted is the superb production value of the recording itself. It puts all of us music producers who are aided by modern technology to shame as we cannot best a song released in 1984.
• ‘Lambaian Aidilfitri’ by Jamal Abdillah and Saleem
Chosen by Jack Malik, poet
“Lambaian Aidilfitri” invokes a melancholy feeling. Even its opening lines are truly memorable: “Suara takbir berkumandang membisik di hati / sebak terasa di dada kuteringat kampung halaman (the muezzin’s voice echoes throughout my heart / as I clench my chest remembering my hometown)”.
The lyricist, Lan Mamat, really manages to capture the essence of being “anak dagang” or “perantau” (both mean “traveller”), and the song really works with the powerhouse performances of Jamal Abdillah and the late Saleem.
This song “confirm tangkap leleh”, especially if you’re a student studying overseas. It also hits differently now, due to the Covid-19 years. Fuad Rahman also performs the best cover of this evergreen tune.
• ‘Suasana Hari Raya’ by Sharifah Aini
Chosen by Bihzhu, singer-songwriter
My core memories of Hari Raya revolve around this song, because growing up as a kid in the ’80s, this song was everywhere.
At a young age, when I hadn’t made my own friends yet or wasn’t old enough to sort out the logistics of open houses, I would tag along with my parents who visited their friends and colleagues to makan for Raya.
No matter which house, whether I sat at a dining table or on a mat on the floor, this song would be there. So the nostalgic factor hits hard for me.
I really like its instrumental opening riff, it’s so “meriah” and iconic. As a child, the one line I recognised was “ketupat rendang sila nikmati kawan (please enjoy this ketupat and rendang, friends)”, so it’s still my favourite line today!
• ‘Dendang Perantau’ by P Ramlee
Chosen by Azmyl Yunor of Azmyl and the Truly Asia
This is the ultimate Raya song, with an instantly memorable killer guitar hook. The song’s pathos and classic Malay fatalist melancholy captures the essence of what Hari Raya is culturally: longing to be with loved ones.
It also captures the conflict of modern and traditional lives; the need to leave the comforts of home and the familiar to earn a living or start anew.
It’s about the blues of the wayfaring stranger in the big bad city (or abroad) who is unable to “balik kampung” for Raya and is missing family, including a sweetheart. Or perhaps the protagonist is soldier or a member of the civil service away on duty.
While its minor key hardly sounds celebratory, the song reminds you of your roots and that one can’t turn back time no matter how ruefully one regrets something – which is easy to forget in this increasingly busy and self-centred world.