Rasa Sayang
"Rasa Sayang" (pronounced [ˈrasa 'sajaŋ], literally "loving feeling") or "Rasa Sayange" (pronounced [ˈrasa 'sajaŋɛ]) in Indonesia is a folk song from the Malay Archipelago,[1][2][3][4] popular in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
Being a pantun, "Rasa Sayang" has an alternating rhyming scheme of ABAB with equal syllabic lengths to maintain rhythm, with the sole exception being the opening verse, which has a different syllabic length with the other verses. Divided into two, the first and second line are often unrelated from the third and fourth, the first and second line is used to establish a rhyming pattern while the third and fourth line is the desired message to be given to the listener.
In Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore
[edit]| "Rasa Sayang" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Language | Malay |
| English title | A Loving Feeling |
| Genre | |
"Rasa Sayang" (also known as "Rasa Sayang Hey") is a Malay folk song. The basis of "Rasa Sayang" is similar to Dondang Sayang and Malay folk songs, which take their form from the pantun, a traditional ethnic Malay poetic form.[5]
| Malay lyrics[6][7][8] | English translation | Poetic English Translation |
|---|---|---|
|
Rasa sayang, hey! Buah cempedak di luar pagar, Pulau pandan jauh ke tengah, Dua tiga kucing berlari, Pisang emas dibawa berlayar, |
I've got that loving feeling, hey! The cempedak fruit is outside the fence, Pandan Island far in midst, Two or three cats are running around, Pisang emas brought on a sailing trip, |
I've got that loving feeling, hey! Where cempedak tree grows without the fence, The Pandan Island is far from land, Two or three cats are running around, With golden plantains sail away, |
In Indonesia
[edit]| "Rasa Sayange" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Language | Ambonese Malay |
| English title | A Loving Feeling |
| Genre | |
"Rasa Sayange" is an Ambonese Malay folk song,[9] a Malay creole originating from Maluku, specifically Ambon.[10]
| Ambonese Malay lyrics[11][12][13][14] | English translation |
|---|---|
|
Rasa sayange Mana kancil akan dikejar Kalau ada sumur di ladang |
Oh, I've got that loving feeling If there's a mouse-deer, we'll chase it If there's a well in the field |
Another more modern variant with an additional Indonesian verse goes as follows:
| Original lyrics[15] | English translation |
|---|---|
|
Rasa sayange Jalan-jalan ke Surabaya Kalau ada sumur di ladang |
Oh, I've got that loving feeling Take a vacation to Surabaya If there's a well in the field |
2007 Malaysian tourism response
[edit]Controversy over the song's provenance came to a head in 2007 when the Malaysian Tourism Board released the Rasa Sayang Commercial, an advertisement used as part of Malaysia's "Truly Asia" tourism campaign.[16] Some Indonesians have accused Malaysia of heritage theft. Indonesian news sites reported that it is a song of the Maluku Islands, that it has appeared in early Indonesian films and recordings.[17] Around a thousand Indonesians demonstrated outside the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta in November 2007 to protest the use of "Rasa Sayang" and other cultural items such as Reog Ponorogo in such adverts.[18] In order to prevent what they considered cultural appropriation, the Indonesian government started making an inventory of such songs as cultural properties of the country.[17]
Malaysia in turn argued that the song is widely sung throughout the Malay Archipelago, and that it belongs to the people of the archipelago, Malaysians and Indonesians alike.[19] In cases where people have been migrating, trading and intermingling for centuries in a region, it may be difficult to make claim of cultural property.[20] Malaysian Tourism Minister Adnan Mansor stated, "It is a folk song from the Nusantara (Malay Archipelago) and we are part of the Nusantara.".[16] The Malaysian Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage, Rais Yatim, recognize that "Rasa Sayange" is a shared property, between Indonesia and Malaysia.[21]
Early recordings and uses
[edit]In 1938, a British documentary film titled "FIVE FACES" features "Rasa Sayang" as one of the background songs.[22][23]
In a report from the Singaporean newspaper The Straits Times on May 10, 1958, an unnamed singer in British Malaya confessed to having sung the "Rasa Sayang" in front of a public audience for the first time over 20 years ago.[24] This suggests that the song was already known and performed publicly as early as the 1930s.
In 1939, "Rasa Sayang" was among the songs played on Penang radio.[25]
In 1943, "Rasa Sayang" appeared in the Japanese film Marai no Tora, which depicted the exploits of a Japanese secret agent Tani Yutaka in Malaya during the World War II.[26]
In 1950 and 1954, "Rasa Sayange" was used in the soundtracks of Indonesian films Darah dan Doa and Lewat Djam Malam directed by Usmar Ismail.[27]
In a report from The Straits Times on August 20, 1958, The World Assembly of Youth (WAY) conference held in New Delhi has officially adopted the beloved Malayan folk song “Rasa Sayang” as its theme tune.[28]
In 1959, a comedy film in Malay language titled Rasa Sayang Eh was produced by Cathay Keris in Singapore.[29]
On April 1, 1959, "Rasa Sayang" was performed by Malay students from Malaya in Sydney during an exhibition held to raise funds for the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), which was officiated by the wife of the Malayan High Commissioner, Datin Gunn Lay Teik.[30]
In 1960, George de Fretes released an album titled Indonesian Classics No.1, it features a variety of Indonesian folk songs including "Rasa Sayange".[31]
In 1960, the Hindi version of the song was used in the movie Singapore, sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi.[32]
In 1962, the Lokananta Solo record company distributed LP records as souvenirs to the participants of the 4th Asian Games in 1962 held in Jakarta, the LP included several Indonesian folk songs including "Rasa Sayange".[33][34]
In 1989, Singaporean singer-songwriter Dick Lee produced a rendition of the song while including patriotic descriptions of Singaporean culture.[35]
See also
[edit]
- Dondang Sayang
- List of Indonesian folk songs
- Music of Indonesia
- Music of Malaysia
- Music of Singapore
- Pantun
References
[edit]- ^ Jonathan H. X. Lee & Kathleen M. Nadeau (2010). Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife. ABC-CLIO. pp. 769. ISBN 978-0-313-35066-5.
- ^ Lim, Shirley Geok-lin; Smith, Larry E.; Dissanayake, Wimal, eds. (1999). Transnational Asia Pacific: Gender, Culture, and the Public Sphere. University of Illinois Press. p. 122. ISBN 978-0-252-06809-6.
- ^ Iwabuchi, Koichi; Muecke, Stephen; Thomas, Mandy, eds. (2004). Rogue Flows: Trans-Asian Cultural Traffic. University of Washington Press. p. 105. ISBN 978-962-209-699-8.
- ^ Gerwyn Elidor David Lewis (1992). Out East in the Malay Peninsula. OUP South East Asia. p. 142. ISBN 978-967-65-1594-0.
- ^ Brakel, L.F.; Balfas, M.; Bin Osman, M. Taib; Gonda, J.; Rangkuti, B.; Lumbera, B.; Kahler, H. (1976). Handbuch der Orientalistik: Literaturen, Abschn. 1. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill Academic Publishers. p. 135. ISBN 90-04-04331-4.
- ^ "The Rasa Sayang Song". Rasa Sayang USA. Archived from the original on 2010-04-08. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
- ^ "Koleksi Lirik Lagu Rakyat". Imnogman. Retrieved 2016-05-30.
- ^ "Pantun Rumpun Melayu". Retrieved 2016-05-30.
- ^ Sujudi, Achmad (2011). "Dari Pulau Buru ke Cipinang". elibrary.bapelkesbatam.id. ISBN 978-602-8561-18-1. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
- ^ Rianjani, Olivia. "Lirik Rasa Sayange Lagu Daerah Maluku, Makna, dan Chordnya". tirto.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ^ "Lirik Lagu Rasa Sayange - Lagu Daerah Maluku". kumparan (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ^ Mustinda, Lusiana. "Chord dan Lirik Lagu 'Rasa Sayange' yang Jadi Materi Belajar dari Rumah". detikhot (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ^ Atika, Maya. "Lagu Daerah Maluku Terpopuler, Lagu Ceria dengan Pesan yang Bagus Untuk Pendengar". Demak Bicara (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ^ Pertiwi, Christina Agustin. "Makna Lagu Rasa Sayange Lengkap dengan Lirik Lagunya - Inteligensia - Halaman 2". Makna Lagu Rasa Sayange Lengkap dengan Lirik Lagunya - Inteligensia - Halaman 2 (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ^ Bola.com (2023-03-17). "Lirik Lagu Rasa Sayange, Karya Maluku yang Pernah Mengisi Pembukaan SEA Games 2017". bola.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ^ a b "Folk song sparks row between Indonesia, Malaysia." Tourism Indonesia. 3 October 2007.
- ^ a b "Malaysia Merebut Kekayaan Indonesia". Liputan6.com (in Indonesian). 2007-10-28. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
- ^ Ying Chan Ho (2018). Special Relationship in the Malay World. ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute. p. 357. ISBN 9789814818179 – via Google Books.
- ^ "'Rasa Sayang' belongs to everybody, says minister". The Star. 12 January 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
- ^ Gillespie, John; Peerenboom, Randall (2009). Regulation in Asia: Pushing Back on Globalization. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781135249144 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Malaysia Akhirnya Akui Rasa Sayange Milik Bersama". antaranews.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2020-07-11.
- ^ Sejarah Melayu (2023-10-06). The oldest Lagu Rasa Sayang recorded (1938). Retrieved 2025-06-23 – via YouTube.
- ^ Shaw, Alexander (1938). "FIVE FACES | colonialfilm". www.colonialfilm.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2024-10-07. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
- ^ The Straits Times, Page 6 (1958-05-10). Young thugs make 'Feeling of Love' taboo. Retrieved 2025-09-18 – via NewspaperSG.
{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle, Page 12 (1939-07-31). Page 12 Miscellaneous Column 1. Retrieved 2025-09-18 – via NewspaperSG.
{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Tiger of Malaya": The Body Remembers What the Archive Cannot, Asian Arts Media Roundtable, 27 September 2018, retrieved 2020-07-11
- ^ Biran 2009a, pp. 360–364.
- ^ The Straits Times, Page 1 (1958-08-20). Now 'Rasa Sayang' Is theme for WAY. Retrieved 2025-10-16 – via NewspaperSG.
{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Rasa Sayang Eh, Singapore Film Locations Archive, 7 February 2015, archived from the original on April 6, 2015, retrieved 2020-07-11
- ^ Berita Harian, Page 2 (1959-04-29). PAMERAN MALAYA DI-SYDNEY. Retrieved 2025-10-16 – via NewspaperSG.
{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ George de Fretes And His Suara Istana - Indonesian Classics No.1, 1960, retrieved 2025-07-28
- ^ Hindi version of Rasa Sayange from movie Singapore (1960), 1960, retrieved 2025-08-03
- ^ "Pemusik Maluku Bahas Lagu Rasa Sayange dengan Gubenur". Detik.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- ^ "Ditemukan Bukti Lagu "Rasa Sayange" Asli Indonesia". Tempo.co (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2020-07-08.
- ^ Lee, Dick (1989). "Rasa Sayang Dick Lee" (video). youtube.com.
Bibliography
[edit]- Biran, Misbach Yusa (2009a). Sejarah Film 1900–1950: Bikin Film di Jawa [History of Film 1900–1950: Making Films in Java] (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Komunitas Bamboo working with the Jakarta Art Council. ISBN 978-979-3731-58-2.
