KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19 — The ride from his home to his workplace in Universiti Malaya (UM) should take only 15 minutes, but it often ends up longer due to the traffic.
He lives in Kerinchi, a neighbourhood flanked by several busy highways and near major medical centres. Traffic jams were inevitable during rush hour.
The traffic situation could have easily riled up anyone, but he chooses to keep himself calm by listening to the soothing voice of the late legendary Malaysian singer and silver screen idol, Tan Sri P. Ramlee.
“I have two CDs of songs sung by P. Ramlee and his wife Saloma. I listen to them nearly during every ride to and from work.
“He has such a melodious voice. Malaysia is so lucky to have such a national treasure,” he said to Bernama.
Such praises for the country’s legendary artiste are commonly heard among Malaysians, but rarely do we hear of such appreciation from a Russian-born such as Assoc Prof Victor A. Pogadaev.
Never tiring
Pogadaev, who taught Russian culture and language in UM, was so captivated by P. Ramlee’s songwriting abilities that he could not help but sing several lines from the song Tiada Kata Secantik Bahasa during the interview.
The 68-year-old said he never tired of listening to P. Ramlee’s voice. A potrait of P. Ramlee’s hangs on his room wall.
“I would put on his songs wherever I go. During our holiday to Tanjung Bidara, Malacca, my wife and I listened to him throughout our drive to and back.
“Initially we did not know all the lyrics, but the repetitive listening enabled us to eventually memorise them,” said the father of three.
Pogadaev finds the clever amalgamation of traditional melodies with modern beats in P. Ramlee’s songs awe-inspiring.
It is therefore unsurprising that to this day, there has yet to be another composer, singer or songwriter that could rival the multi-talented P. Ramlee, he said.
A rare star
It has been nearly five decades since P. Ramlee passed away in 1973, but this is one star that even the younger generation would recognise today.
P. Ramlee, whose real name is Teuku Zakaria Teuku Nyak Puteh, was born in Butterworth, Penang.
He had undisputable talent and creativity, which he showcased, among others, as a film actor, director, singer, songwriter, composer and producer.
His films are laden with messages, humour and storylines that stand the test of time.
Pogadaev is especially captivated with Hang Tuah, one of P. Ramlee’s films often aired on television.
Soul singer
His interest in P. Ramlee’s works begun in 1970, when he was selected for a student exchange programme between Malaysia and Russia.
Pogadaev, who was studying the Malay language at the Moscow State University, spent a year in UM to strengthen his command of the language.
It was at the Dewan Tunku Canselor (DTC) in UM that he first encountered P. Ramlee and heard his songs.
“DTC was the largest hall in Kuala Lumpur then. All major shows and concerts were held there. As luck would have it, P. Ramlee came down to do a concert while I was a student there.
“As soon as I heard his voice, I became mesmerised. It was as if he sung not with his voice but his soul. I can still remember that when I went up close to take a photograph of him, he raised his hands and mouthed a “whoa” at me, grinning,” he recalled, laughing.
Amazed that such a talented performer would be so humble and friendly with his fans, Pogadaev started digging up more information about him after the concert.
He was also a fan of Saloma and bought the records and cassettes of both icons to bring back with him to Moscow.
Collecton
His interest in P. Ramlee never waned even after returning to Russia.
He shared his passion for the artiste’s works with his wife, three daughters and even his students while he was lecturing in Russia.
“The language P. Ramlee used in his songs makes for excellent teaching material.
“Back then, only the songs were in a format available to play. We were not able to play P. Ramlee films as it had yet to be made available in recorded formats,” he said.
As fate would have it, he was offered a lecturing position in UM some 30 years later.
Pogadaev, who is also a fan of the late national laureate Datuk Dr Usman Awang, immediately seized the chance to return to Malaysia.
This time around, he was able to secure DVDs of P. Ramlee’s films for his own collection as well as for gifts to his former colleagues teaching Malay language at the Moscow State University.
“P. Ramlee’s work is, until today, used at the universities in Russia as reference. Students love it,” said Pogadaev, who has over 10 P. Ramlee DVDs in his collection.
Relevant
Many of P. Ramlee’s films are social commentaries relatable across geographical borders, and often wrapped in comedy.
This makes his movies relevant throughout the ages.
In addition to that, his films are a good study in Malay culture and identity for Russian university students, said Pogadaev.
“P. Ramlee fights for social rights through his works. He is good at writing a story that depicts human beings as the same, despite their social status. To him, everyone has a role to play in society.
“The film Penarek Becha, for example, is written in such a way that helps the audience understand even such a vocation is of importance,” he said.
To help the students further understand P. Ramlee’s works, Pogadaev published several articles on the legendary icon, in addition to the encyclopedia on Malaysia in Russian.
“I have so much awe for this man that I went to his grave in Ampang to pay my respects. He is an artiste of the truest sense, and there is no one else like him.” — Bernama
