Rasa Sayange

"Rasa Sayange" or "Rasa Sayang" (pronounced|rasa sajaŋeː) is a folk song of the Malay Archipelago sung in Malay. Although no official facts recorded, this song was believed to be created by an Ambonese man, the late Paulus Pea (born in 1907).Fact|date=January 2008

Controversy

A controversy erupted in 2007 after the Malaysian Tourism Board released the Rasa Sayang Commercial, an advertisement used to promote Malaysian tourism industry.Fact|date=January 2008 Indonesians claim that Malaysia unfairly claimed ownership of the song . [cite news|publisher=New Straits Times|accessdate=2008-01-21|title=Jakarta: Inform us when using our songs|url=http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Saturday/Frontpage/2130429/Article/index_html|date=2008-01-12] Some Indonesians have accused Malaysia of heritage theft. [cite news|publisher=Bernama|accessdate=2008-01-21|title=Indonesian Lawmaker Accuses Malaysia Of Heritage Theft |url=http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/printable.php?id=288075|date=2007-10-07] because according to Indonesian copyright laws, they proscribe that folklore is one of intellectual property rights that is owned and controlled by the nation-state. [ [http://209.85.175.104/search?q=cache:mXG_ax2WJAEJ:www.rsi.sg/english/theasianjournal/view/20071015175732/1/.html+%22origin+of+pantun%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=26&gl=my 403 Forbidden ] ] Malaysia in return claimed that the song belongs to people of the Malay Archipelago, Malaysians and Indonesians alike. [cite news|publisher=The Star|accessdate=2008-01-21|title=‘Rasa Sayang’ belongs to everybody, says minister|url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/1/12/nation/19988592&sec=nation|date=2008-01-12]

Facts

* When Indonesia was under Dutch colonization, it was claimed that the Dutch East Indies Government made a tourism promotion using this song in the background before World War II. The filem, title Insulinde, was produced in 1925 classified as silence movie. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1001514/ Insulinde] A copy of digitalised movie is distributed via Video-Youtube.com, but original filem yet to be located.Fact|date=July 2008
* Rasa Sayang Eh is also a Malay film published in 1959. [Filem Malaysia. [http://www.filemkita.com/filem/r/rasa_sayang_eh_01.html Rasa Sayang Eh (1959)] .] [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3wuNi6qe2k&feature=related youtube of 1959 filem produced in Malaya.] ]
* The song was sung in a scene of a popular 1960 Malay film Antara Dua Darjat directed by P. Ramlee. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0277581/ Antara Dua Darjat (1960) ] ] [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMbwakJGtG8 youtube dari filem Antara Dua Darjat.]
* "Rasa Sayange" song was recorded by PT Lokananta, Solo, Indonesia on August 15, 1962 on gramophone disc. The master copy of this first record is still kept by PT Lokananta. This is the third known recording of this song.
* The gramophone disc was distributed as souvenirs to the participants of the 1962 Asian Games IV in Jakarta, and the "Rasa Sayange" song was one of the Indonesian folklores on the disc, together with other Indonesian ethnic groups' folk song such as Sorak-sorak Bergembira, O Ina ni Keke and Sengko Sengko Dainang
* Since 1960's "Rasa Sayange" song has been introduced to kindergarten children, making it one of the most popular folk song in Indonesia.
* The use of 'e' at the end of 'Sayange' is the dialect tone of Ambonese, which distinguish them with the other ethnic groups in Malay Archipelago.
* Besides Malaysia and Indonesia, the song is also popular in Singapore, and is often sung at social events and dinner parties.

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4bZhZIYbwk Rasa Sayang Song In Dutch Documentary]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ki3C_5jM-4 'Rasa Sayange' Indonesian version (Video-Youtube.com)]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu-nfKFDSB8 Malaysian Tourism advertisement with Rasa Sayang in the background.]
* [http://indo.coolmusiclyrics.com/liriklagu/musik-daerah/rasa-sayange Lyrics of Rasa Sayange in Indonesian]

References