Tan Sri P. Ramlee

In the 1950s, P. Ramlee joined forces with his spouse Saloma to reshape Malaysian music for good, introducing contemporary Western instruments into the longstanding dondang sayang ensemble. Although he retained romance as his central lyrical focus, Ramlee’s singing infused Malaysia’s Arab-rooted classical heritage with a distinctly European accent. His push toward Western sounds left a mark on later artists, most prominently Zaleha Hamid, Sharifah Aini, and Herman Tino.