The Person I Admire

In Malaysia, I would prefer to choose Sudirman, because he makes me so close to Malay culture,


Dato' Sudirman Haji Arshad DIMP, JMN, AMN, AMP (25 May 1954 – 22 February 1992) was a Malaysian singer and songwriter. He was known as the 'Singing Lawyer', the 'People's Singer' and the 'Elvis of Malaysia'.

Career

Music

Possessing of a clear piercing tenor with a surprising breadth of range and dynamic control especially at the extreme high end, Sudirman's voice was instantly recognizable every time one of his songs are played in local radio or television. His ability to act through his voice is evident from songs such as "Bercanda di Pasiran Pantai", a Latin-flavored duet with Anita Sarawak which displayed the sultry quality of his voice. His unique talents had helped him to win many local competitions from Bintang RTM Best Singer (1976) to Muzik-Muzik TV3 Best Performer and Berita Harian Popularity contest Most Popular Artist. He topped Malaysian, Brunei and Indonesia charts with songs such as "Merisik Khabar", "Milik Siapakah Gadis Ini" and "Salam Terakhir".[2] Songwriters who have supported him in the past include S. Atan, Manan Ngah, Michael Veerapan and Syed Harun. Even today, his songs are popularly played especially during National Day and Eid Fitr.

Sudirman was also the first Malaysian singer to perform at The Paddock at the Hilton of Kuala Lumpur in 1983[3] and was the singing ambassador for companies such as Proton, Malaysia Airlines, Honda Cup and honored pioneer card member with Hong Leong Bank. He was known for his versatility and sang Malay, Indian and Chinese songs with outstanding choreography. He was even known to have sketched the portrait of a fan while singing.

Sudirman's songs topped the charts with every new album that he released. There was a time when his song "Merisik Khabar" climbed up to the #1 position for two months while his second song "Milik Siapa Gadis Ini" from the same album came in second and stayed at the top for a few weeks after "Merisik Khabar".
In 1989, Sudirman won the title "Best Performer" at the Asia Music Award 1989 contest at the Royal Albert Hall, London. There, Leslie Cheung (Hong Kong), Anita Sarawak (Singapore), Epo (Japan), Kuh Ledesma (Philippines) and many other singers represented their respective countries.[5]




As Sudirman was known by many as "Malaysia's No 1 Entertainer", he was chosen to perform for Malaysia's SEA Games closing ceremony in 1989 and many others such as the opening ceremony of Sepak Takraw competition, Merdeka, New Year and other national functions. In most cases, he would use his own money to ensure a successful concert.
 
Sudirman Arshad also had a strong fanbase in Singapore, as evidenced from a large turnout during his concert at the Kallang National Stadium in August 1987. People came from all classes, races and ages. Kelvin Tan Look Siew, Director of Singapore Armed Forces Music & Drama company, said, "We wanted to bring down a prominent artist from the region and Sudirman's name automatically cropped up."
EMI London took him on to work together with Stock, Aitken & Waterman (British producer trio who took on Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Rick Astley) for the world market with a song titled "Love will Find a Way". He was brought to The Beatles famous Abbey Road Studios and recorded the album, but died soon afterwards.



Awards


    Albums


    Studio albums

    • Teriring Doa (1977)
    • Aku Penghiburmu (1978)
    • Perasaan (1979)
    • Anak Muda (1980)
    • Lagu Anak Desa (1980)
    • Lagu Dari Kota (1981)
    • Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star (1981)
    • Lagu Cinta (1982)
    • Abadi (1982)
    • Images (1983)
    • Orang Baru (1984)
    • Lagu Dari Sebuah Bilik (1984)
    • Kul It (1986)
    • Orang Kampung (1986)
    • Asia’s No. 1 Performer (1989)
    • Salam Terakhir (1992)
    • Sudirman - Jauh Di Sudut Hati (1992)
    • Sudirman - Balik Kampung (1993)
    • Sudirman - Setelah Kau Tiada (1995)

      Compilation albums

      • Koleksi 16 Lagu-lagu Terbaik (1986)
      • Pilihan Sentimental Emas (1987)
      • Lagu-Lagu Rakyat (1989)
      • Koleksi Klasik (1991)
      • Sudirman - DwiDekad (1996)
      • Nilai Cintamu (2000)
      • Sudirman - 24 Greatest Hits
      • Sudirman No.1 (2002)
      • Sudirman Penghibur No.1 (2002)
      • Sudirman II 40 No.1 Dalam 1 (2003)
      • Memori Hit Sudirman (2004)
      • Sudirman - Memori Sentimental Hit (2005)
      • Sudirman -Dwi Intan
      • Sudirman - Timeless (2006)
      • Koleksi Emas Aidilfitri
      • Alunan Sukma Sudirman & Sharifah Aini
      • Memori Hit Melayu Deli
      Sources : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudirman_Arshad
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