Dondang Sayang legend Mohd Baharim still burns with passion

MALAYSIANSKINI | Veteran exponent of traditional Malay art form Dondang Sayang, Mohd Baharim Mohd Sharip has just been bestowed the honour of a BOH Cameronian Lifetime Achievement Award.

The 78-year-old received the recognition during the awards ceremony held on May 14 at Stage 1 of the Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre (PJPAC).

He joins a list of luminaries: the late Krishen Jit (2002), Ramli Ibrahim (2003), Faridah Merican (2004), the late Dalang Dollah Baju Merah (2005), the late Syed Alwi Syed Hassan (2006), Professor Ghulam-Sarwar Yousof (2007), Lee Lee Lan (2008), and The Temple of Fine Arts (2009).

It was hard to pin down Baharim for an interview because he is still very much in demand, performing regularly at public events, weddings and dinners.

Born in 1944 in Kampung Bertam Ulu, Malacca, he is the son of a police officer who was a good violin player. His grandfather was a violinist as well as a Dondang Sayang performer.

Baharim learnt how to play the violin and sing from his grandfather as well as other veterans in this field. Traditional music is in his blood and he received a lot of encouragement to pursue it.

A life of singing ‘love ballads’

In an interview with Malaysiakini, he said, “I started singing professionally when I was 23 years old. I would sing dondang sayang, ‘cak kun cak’, and modern music.”

He had his own ‘cak kun cak’ (upbeat local dance music) band that evolved into a Dondang Sayang band and became a well-known artiste of this genre.

Listed as an intangible cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (Unesco), Dondang Sayang, is a traditional Malay art form that is still played in Malacca by the Malays, Baba Nyonya (Andre Goh’s timeless rendition of Mas Merah), the Chetti, and the Portuguese communities.

The word dondang sayang literally means love ballad and it is one of those performing arts that we don’t see much of in the mainstream music world.

Baharim has devoted the last five decades of his life to performing Dondang Sayang and has five albums to his credit.

In 1983, he was given a chance by Malacca RTM to record a performance for a radio broadcast and this led to the recording of his first album titled “Mawar Biru”.

He has won several Dondang Sayang competitions over the years and to date has recorded 42 songs.

Roots in ‘pantun’ poetry

Where his music is concerned, Baharim says he has not faced any challenges when it comes to pursuing his passion.

His traditional music idols are SM Salim, M Daud Kilau and Ahmad Jais. “Bunga Ros by SM Salim is my favourite song,” he said, adding that his favourite singing partner is Aishah Khamis.

A good “pantun” is essential for a good Dondang Sayang song and he is an avid writer of poems and is estimated to have written almost 2,000 of them.

“I get my inspiration from things that go all around me and kind deeds,” he said, who then recited:

Daun cempedak gugur melayang,

Daun kuini gugur merata,

Kalau tidak berdendang sayang,

Hilanglah seri budaya Melaka.

(Cempedak leaves fall off and float,

Quini leaves fall all over the place,

If you don’t sing dear,

The Malacca culture will disappear.)

Most Dondang Sayang performers tend to be in their golden years and one hardly hears of young people pursuing this art form full-time.

Baharim thinks it is because Dondang Sayang is not highlighted as much as other traditional singing art forms and there are hardly any workshops or courses held to teach younger people.

Nonetheless, he is happy that Dondang Sayang has received its due recognition internationally and has been listed as an intangible cultural heritage by Unesco in 2018.

“I think it will help attract more people, especially young people, to learn Dondang Sayang,” he said.

As for receiving the BOH Cameronian Lifetime Achievement Award for his work over the decades in keeping a traditional art form alive and still in demand, Baharim said, “I really did not think that I would be selected and honoured to receive a lifetime achievement award.

“I am moved and grateful because, in this day and age, there are still people who appreciate Dondang Sayang.”

He points out that Dondang Sayang’s survival depends on public acceptance of this unique art form.

“I feel we need to engage with school children and adults so that they become more familiar with this type of music.”

Baharim is currently attached to Institut Warisan Melaka (Inswa) teaching singing and rebana (tambourine) in schools around Malacca as part of a special programme.

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