WHOSE SONGS ARE THEY?

THERE are some quarters who find pleasure in seeing two parties at loggerheads. The press is especially guilty of this. ``Fights'' are sometimes concocted as a ploy to help sell papers. At other times, these fictitious quarrels serve as publicity stunts for the artistes concerned.

The album, Syyh...Syafinaz, which pays tribute to 10 classic songs by veteran composer Datuk Ahmad Nawab, has been at the centre of much recent controversy. The ``problem'', though, is nowhere near the scale that the press made it out to be.

On one hand, there's a seasoned composer/arranger/musician, unhappy about the reworking of beautiful classics. Then there's jazz songstress Syafinaz, who believes she's doing justice to what many deem are excellent pieces that cannot be improved upon.

To be fair, both parties were anxious to contribute their best to the effort. When Syafinaz finally recorded the album, with help from renowned composers/arrangers Ahmad Izham, Mac Chew, Aubrey Suwito, Helen Yap and Jenny Chin, the effort was met with much disapproval from hardcore conservative fans of Ahmad Nawab.

At the initial stages, Ahmad Nawab refused to give his go-ahead to the project but eventually relented after getting positive feedback from non-Malay fans and the majority of urban listeners.

One singer who takes an exception to other people rendering her songs as she feels a special attachment to them is Uji Rashid. For example, Kali Terakhir Ku Lihat Wajahmu is dedicated to the singer's adopted sister who died in a road accident. Uji was upset when she heard Syafinaz's jazzy and fresh interpretation, Kemesraan. Syafinaz's version sounds much better though the original is melancholic and melodic.

``It is MY song. I don't even sing it in public places or in any other singing functions,'' said Uji.

Her reaction provoked maestro Ahmad Nawab to come up with yet another icy statement.

``When I wrote the song, she didn't even know about it. So, how can she claim that it is her song?'' said the bemused veteran in an exclusive interview recently.

There were no further comments from Uji so the matter died down. Other singers who gave their blessings to Syafinaz include DJ Dave (Hanya Mimpi), Salamiah Hassan (Surat Terakhir), Sharifah Aini (Oh Di Mana and Tiada Maaf Bagimu) and Khatijah Ibrahim (Ku Sangka Siang Kiranya Malam).

For Syafinaz, it doesn't matter who does what. The most important thing is that the end result is satisfactory.

``I am honoured to have this chance to sing Ahmad Nawab's compositions. It is brilliant work and what we (the arrangers included) tried to do was to enhance the songs further without trying to mar their beauty,'' said the music and vocals lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara.

The end result is indeed brilliant. Syafinaz delivers each and every song with much gusto and flair.

Truly enjoyable was the way her vocals linger playfully and stylishly on some consonants. Syyh...Syafinaz can be considered a collectible - for many reasons. These include the fresh and upbeat arrangements by the respective arrangers, Syafinaz's strong vocals and the songs being the work of a home-grown legend, Ahmad Nawab.

The recording, mixing and mastering were done at four studios, Playtime, Babyboss, Incognito and Nearfield, starting from early this year.

As for the controversy, Syafinaz believes everyone has the right to express what they feel.

``I've tried my best to give the song a distinctive delivery style. Some may not like it, some do. That's often the case in any album. I treat this as a special project and I am quite satisfied that most of the songs turned out the way I wanted them to,'' said Syafinaz who will stage a grand launching of the album early next month at the Emporium Grand Cafe in Kuala Lumpur.

For Ahmad Nawab, Syyh...Syafinaz is quite close to what he would have done if he were to rearrange the songs.

``I feared that the `soul' of each song would be lost. Each song has its own characteristics and was specially written with the respective singers in mind. If it was a DJ Dave number, no other singer will sing (the song) better than he does. The same goes for Sharifah Aini, Khatijah Ibrahim and Broery Marantika,'' said the veteran of some 2,000 songs.

While it is true that EMI Records holds the copyright to the songs, Ahmad Nawab still has unofficial ``claim'' over the songs.

``They are still my songs. No one can deny that. How I toiled, squeezed my creative juices to come up with the melodies, no one knows. Each song holds a different memory for me.''

It is easy to understand why Ahmad Nawab is passionate about his songs. The fact that he doesn't like any ``new'' arrangers to mess around with his songs should not come as a surprise.

``Just like P. Ramlee's songs ... they all speak of his soul, capturing the very essence of the man himself. Try to disintegrate the melody by giving the arrangement a new lease of life; see if you can do it. It is quite impossible really. The same goes for my songs.''

This music genius has a note of advice: ``Arrangers who feel they want to re-arrange my songs should first tell me, discuss it and study them. Get to know the composer, then study the songs. Only then, will they be able to do justice to MY songs.''

BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 5/7/2001