Filed under: Brunei
The word Kugiran is abbreviation of “Lively Guitar Group” from the Malay words “Kumpulan Gitar Rancak berirama”.
As early as 1960 the Kugiran bands began to emerge in Malaysia and Singapore. The standard instrumentation for these bands at that time, was three electric guitars – lead, bass and rhythm – and a drum set. Normal six stringed guitars were used to play the bass line roughly until 1963, when proper four-stringed bass guitars became available in Malaysia.
These “electrified” guitar bands were much louder than the earlier folk oriented Skiffle groups and the more Lounge type bands as typified by P. Ramlee with accordions and bongos, which quickly fell out of fashion. The Kugirans eventually replaced the jazz trios and quartets in hotels and club circuits across Malaysia. It was P. Ramlee himself who christened these early rock groups with the name kugiran.
The era of the Kugirans was short lived. Around 1969, there was influx of bands and singers – like Ernie Djohan and Lilis Suryani – from neighboring Indonesia who started to get more airplay on radio stations in Malaysia and Singapore. The following year, Radio Television Malaysia unofficially banned Indonesian music and initiated a policy that gave preference to Malaysian artists. But by that time, most of the Kugiran bands had gone out of style and the musicians had either moved on or given up.
But not all of the Kugiran bands were from Malaysia or Singapore. One of these bands was from Brunei – Kugiran Irama Perindu. The band released three singles on the Olympic label of Singapore. After lead singer Dayangku Aminah left the band, she was featured along with three other singers – or “penyanyi” – on a single with the band The Sand Blues. Later she recorded least on single with The Sandpipers as her baking band, both of these records were also released by Olympic. As for The Heavy Machine or the label United Enterprise, there is no information available.
Catalog number UE 111 on Sharikat United Enterprise of Malaysia. No release date given.
Filed under: Brunei
Hussein J. Tuah was from Brunei.
According to Merv Espina, Brunei was “one happening joint” back in the Sixties, and was very cosmopolitan. Merv has been researching the sole product of Brunei’s film industry, Gema Dari Menara (Voice from the Minaret), which was produced in 1968. Apparently the film features a few bands and exotic dancers. But much like that film, the music scene is Brunei has almost no information…
From what I have been able to find, it appears that all of the musicians from Brunei went to Singapore to record, and there was only one label that issued records by Bruneian artists. I did manage to find a little bit about Hussein J. Tuah & D’Acrobats’ J. B.’s is Management / Label: Times Record Company:
Around 1960’s in Singapore, Times Record was a record company which released Malaysian EP’s and LP’s, on labels such as Olympic, Eagle, Sea Lion, etc. There record labels had competition with international recording companies such as EMI and Philips. In the 1960’s there were many artists and singers and records under Times management, so audience can listen them.
D’Acrobats’ J. B. were from Johor Baharu, Malaysia. They released a handful of other singles as the backing band for other Malaysian singers such as Yusoff Ahmad and H. Anuar for the Universal Label.
If you have any information, please contact me.
Catalog number T.R.C. 1032 on Olympic Records of Singapore. No release date given.
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I recently received some more information from Merv Espina. His name is actually Hj. Tuah, and not J. Tuah. The big H in on the cover was a stylistic graphic design choice. You can see it on his first single, which was released on the SOR Records label of Singapore. Hussein worked as a teacher, and one of the subjects that he taught was English. He continued singing, and became a popular patriotic singer.
Filed under: Brunei
♬ Rindu
Kugiran Irama Perindu were from Brunei.
Brunei is a country located on the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the states of Sarawak and Sabah of East Malaysia. Brunei, the remnant of a very powerful sultanate, restored its independence from the United Kingdom on January 1st 1984.
What little information I have been able to find about Kugiran Irama Perindu is about their Management / Label: Times Record Company.
Around 1960’s in Singapore, Times Record was a record company which released Malaysian EP’s and LP’s, on labels such as Olympic, Eagle, Sea Lion, etc. There record labels had competition with international recording companies such as EMI and Philips. In the 1960’s there were many artists and singers and records under Times management, so audience can listen them.
This song is from their first single. I do know that they released at least two other singles, one of which is pictured here. The liner notes on the back of that record reads:
Only one time when Time Record, which was popular with Olympic label has recorded some new songs with Irama Perindu, it’s also popular in Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, and Malaysia. These songs were playing on radio stations and a night club in Brunei. With a new songs which was playing in our edition will make you had a romantic feeling. Thank you and enjoy our songs!!
Thanks go out to Anton Pulung of Red Chamber for the translation.
Catalog number T.R.C. 1033 on Olympic Records of Singapore. No release date given.
