I've listened to the Independence Day song for 2013. I am deeply, undeniably, completely saddened. One of my friends stated he lost his appetite after one listen. I concur with his good taste. I refuse to embed it on my blog. Google "joe farizal, tanah tumpah darahku". The Malay Mail puts on its extra pink rose-tinted glasses to have a look at this piece. I'm a hater, and this blog already states its mission to bitch about other people, so let me put on my critic's hat (made from off-season West Virginia badger fur with pregnant camel skin lining) and bust out a few words.
First the music. We have tons of composers with international credibility and experience, for example the lovely people in this site, (a bit atonal and experimental for my taste but at least they have tons of musicality), can't they commission a song from them? Oh right, they are mostly Chinese composers right, too much artsy fartsy type, allergic la hoy... Haiya.
Seriously, it's a bore hearing a quasi-march song every year with repetitive uninspired motives. I can forgive capitulations, even the Masters use them time and again but I will not forgive lack of inspiration. You have one whole year to compose a decent Independence Day song, and this is the best that you can come up? Che vergogna. I mean, pizzicato WTF? Have you ever heard a rousing pizzicato passage? (Don't quote me the third movement from Beethoven's Fifth or I'll scream a high D at you). And synth. Why not just ask Lady Gaga to write a new anthem?
And the saddest thing is that they can't even hire a decent band or orchestra or "human" performers. Everything is sampled. God knows in Klang Valley alone we have one symphony orchestra, several municipal bands and countless school bands/orchestras and session musicians. We have Juilliard-trained composers, lyricists and singers, and we get stuck with a parody of a song exulting "Kita halilintar". Is this supposed to be a tie-in to "Percy the Lightning Thief"? Because that was also a flop.
Then the vocal line. Which is fine and isn't so bad when you take an instrumental point of view. But come on, all those roulades (ha!) doesn't really scream patriotic spirit does it? You want straight, linear phrases preferably in the middle voice, which allows legato and more importantly maximal volume. This is a song which is going to be sung by everyone, including by people who don't have musical training. You definitely want a song like Perajurit, to this day the best march song ever written in Malaysia.
And why do the theme ends on F#? Any composer worth his/her salt know that note isn't exactly a good place to start or end a phrase if you're writing a vocal piece for mass consumption (as opposed to solo pieces). And on a fucking "A" vowel at that. Are you trying to strangle many people simultaneously? Tip: google "passaggio". No choir director is going to accept that kind of writing. You want something which everyone can sing, not just the sopranos. [Edit: I'm aware that one can always transpose, but the fact there is a choral version of this song made that point moot.]
Finally the lyrics. As I understand it the lyrics are written by our Minister of Communication and Multimedia. And it shows. He falls into the trick of assigning a syllable to every note, which is amateurish for lack of a better word, which would've been fine if the smallest note value in this song is a half-note, which is clearly not. I am not one to say bad things about our esteemed leaders, but please sir, leave these things to people who are paid to do them, had spent years perfecting their art, and actually know how to do their job well.
And I'm supposed to understand that the lyrics are about the Lahad Datu debacle. Fine and dandy. But really, there's no one else in the whole of Peninsular Malaysia better to write the lyrics? Good luck hoping for them to ask someone from Sabah, no, someone from fucking Lahad Datu, a guy or lady who lived THE WHOLE THING HIMSELF/HERSELF, God forbid right? Malaysia Boleh! (And I'm allowed to say this because I'm a Sabahan, so screw you back). Someone actually wrote up on the interwebs that the lyrics have deep meaning. I'm sorry sir; Salina had deep meaning (if you look behind the pseudo-autobiographical details). Usman Awang's "Anjing Itu" had deep meaning. *This* is fluff, hiding itself behind words like "putera-puteri" and "halilintar".
I sound like a bitter man. Well yeah I'm fucking bitter. I deserve to be, when France had fucking Berlioz arranging the anthem, and USA had fucking Sousa, and UK had Handel, Purcell and motherfucking Arne. But whatever right [wall-slide, wiping bitter tears].
First the music. We have tons of composers with international credibility and experience, for example the lovely people in this site, (a bit atonal and experimental for my taste but at least they have tons of musicality), can't they commission a song from them? Oh right, they are mostly Chinese composers right, too much artsy fartsy type, allergic la hoy... Haiya.
Seriously, it's a bore hearing a quasi-march song every year with repetitive uninspired motives. I can forgive capitulations, even the Masters use them time and again but I will not forgive lack of inspiration. You have one whole year to compose a decent Independence Day song, and this is the best that you can come up? Che vergogna. I mean, pizzicato WTF? Have you ever heard a rousing pizzicato passage? (Don't quote me the third movement from Beethoven's Fifth or I'll scream a high D at you). And synth. Why not just ask Lady Gaga to write a new anthem?
And the saddest thing is that they can't even hire a decent band or orchestra or "human" performers. Everything is sampled. God knows in Klang Valley alone we have one symphony orchestra, several municipal bands and countless school bands/orchestras and session musicians. We have Juilliard-trained composers, lyricists and singers, and we get stuck with a parody of a song exulting "Kita halilintar". Is this supposed to be a tie-in to "Percy the Lightning Thief"? Because that was also a flop.
Then the vocal line. Which is fine and isn't so bad when you take an instrumental point of view. But come on, all those roulades (ha!) doesn't really scream patriotic spirit does it? You want straight, linear phrases preferably in the middle voice, which allows legato and more importantly maximal volume. This is a song which is going to be sung by everyone, including by people who don't have musical training. You definitely want a song like Perajurit, to this day the best march song ever written in Malaysia.
And why do the theme ends on F#? Any composer worth his/her salt know that note isn't exactly a good place to start or end a phrase if you're writing a vocal piece for mass consumption (as opposed to solo pieces). And on a fucking "A" vowel at that. Are you trying to strangle many people simultaneously? Tip: google "passaggio". No choir director is going to accept that kind of writing. You want something which everyone can sing, not just the sopranos. [Edit: I'm aware that one can always transpose, but the fact there is a choral version of this song made that point moot.]
Finally the lyrics. As I understand it the lyrics are written by our Minister of Communication and Multimedia. And it shows. He falls into the trick of assigning a syllable to every note, which is amateurish for lack of a better word, which would've been fine if the smallest note value in this song is a half-note, which is clearly not. I am not one to say bad things about our esteemed leaders, but please sir, leave these things to people who are paid to do them, had spent years perfecting their art, and actually know how to do their job well.
And I'm supposed to understand that the lyrics are about the Lahad Datu debacle. Fine and dandy. But really, there's no one else in the whole of Peninsular Malaysia better to write the lyrics? Good luck hoping for them to ask someone from Sabah, no, someone from fucking Lahad Datu, a guy or lady who lived THE WHOLE THING HIMSELF/HERSELF, God forbid right? Malaysia Boleh! (And I'm allowed to say this because I'm a Sabahan, so screw you back). Someone actually wrote up on the interwebs that the lyrics have deep meaning. I'm sorry sir; Salina had deep meaning (if you look behind the pseudo-autobiographical details). Usman Awang's "Anjing Itu" had deep meaning. *This* is fluff, hiding itself behind words like "putera-puteri" and "halilintar".
I sound like a bitter man. Well yeah I'm fucking bitter. I deserve to be, when France had fucking Berlioz arranging the anthem, and USA had fucking Sousa, and UK had Handel, Purcell and motherfucking Arne. But whatever right [wall-slide, wiping bitter tears].
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