THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDIAN POP MUSIC IN MALAYSIA
Definition of Pop music
The word “POP” is derived from popular. So, the term ‘Pop Music’ referred to ‘Popular Music’. The term indicate specific stylistic traits such as emotional singing, lyrics about love and feelings, danceable beat, clear melodies, simple harmonies and repeating structure. So that people can catch it easily and join in. These criteria of Popular Music or ‘pop music’ make it received and appreciated by the largest group of audience.
Pop music usually depends on reproductive technology as phonograph, tape recording and burnt in Compact Disc (CD). This type of music popularized through films, radio and television. It is also constantly changing in styles and derived from electronically amplified music form. Therefore, pop music can be defined as recorded and broadcasted music.
Indian Pop Music in Malaysia
According to my study and experience, the immigrants, especially from South India (most of them are Tamils from Tamil Nadu, India) brought with them their musical culture such as drama, dance, classical music (carnatic music), folk music and culture. As early as 1930's before independent of Malaysia, these musical forms of music have been played and performed by professionals and amateur performers.
So far the Tamils are the only major ethnic group that actively involved in recording and broadcasting their musical culture through media than other ethnic group that migrated from India before independence of Malaysia in 1957. Therefore, the Indian Popular or Indian Pop Music in Malaysia refers to Tamil Popular Music in Malaysia.So, the Indian Popular or Pop Music should be called or addressed as Tamil Popular Music or 'TPop'.
Even though, the musical culture of Tamils evolves within Carnatic Music, the influences of western musical forms in films have major affections in the developments of Tamil popular music. The Indians especially Tamils in Malaysia formed music bands for their musical needs and entertainment. These music bands and musicians sing and played the songs from Tamil films in 1950s.
These film songs and music infused some western elements and instruments in their musical activities such as clarinet, violin, double bass, accordion and percussions like drum set, bongo, tambourine, maracas and kabasa.
According to my experiences and in my point of view, The development of Tamil Popular Music in Malaysia can be divided in three major eras. The first era is 1960 to early 1970s, the second is from late 1970s to 1980s, and the third era is 1990 till now. These time frames are also parallel with the technological development in recording devices. There for, the development of the Tamil pop music in Malaysia also can be divided in three technological era. Those are The vinyl records era, the tape recorder (cassette) era and the compact disc (CD) era.
The 1960s
This era is the starting point in Tamil popular music in Malaysia. Songs have been recorded in vinyl records and broadcasted by Radio Malsysia “Rangkaian Merah”. The earliest vinyl record that can be heard is a product of Mr.Re.Shanmugam (Radio Malaysia) and his colleague in that era Mr.P.Ramaiyah (Penang). According to my experiences they are the pioneer in Indian Pop Music in Malaysia