MALAY ghazal is a tradition of sung poetry that traces its origins to the influence of Hindustani ghazal practices, which include harmonium and tabla as the main instruments.
It also consists of violin, gambus, maracas, and cymbal instruments accompanied by vocal rhythms. Malay ghazal is popularly performed at weddings and formal celebrations, particularly in Johor.
In the 19th century, ghazal was a tradition performed as entertainment among the nobility in Riau-Lingga.
Through the established relationship between the Johor government and Riau-Lingga, dignitaries from Johor learned about this art and introduced this art form to the Sultan of Johor.
From then it became a popular traditional art form of the Malay community in the State of Johor.
Mohd Karim Abdul Rahman, 74, also known as Pak Karim Seri Melati, is a master of the ghazal tradition of Johor. He was born in 1949 in Kampung Parit Patah, Pontian, Johor to a family of Felda settlers.
During his childhood, he became interested in the ghazal tradition and enjoyed listening to his father and uncle playing ghazal instruments. He used to follow them on their performances and help them unload their musical instruments.
"Ghazal is indeed from Johor like Melaka has dondang sayang and here it is called original ghazal, which is different from ‘ghazal pati’," said Pak Karim.
There are two types of ghazal found in Malaysia, where the Johor Malay ghazal has Hindustani influence while the Kedah Pati Ghazal is more inclined to Arabic.
According to him, there are many famous ghazal composers from the Middle East and also India. Among them are Amer Khusrou, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mehdi Hassan, Jagjit Singh and Ghulam Ali.
"According to tradition, ghazal musical instruments consist of the harmonium box, tabla, violin and gambus in addition to maracas and tambourine as accompaniment," said Pak Karim.
He added "but now there is also a mixture of modern musical instruments such as bass guitar and also electric guitar where it is not wrong but the originality of ghazal must be applied".
Pak Karim received exposure to this ghazal music as early as 12 years old, where he recalled, "Since I was a child, I was interested in dabbling in this ghazal, where I followed my late father and also my uncle and aunt.
"My father is indeed a man of artistic abilities, where he can play the violin and the harmonium in addition to being able to sing." That is where Pak Karim's ghazal journey began, where he migrated from Parit Patah to Felda Bukit Batu before going to Johor Bahru after that.
Gradually, he learned how to play the instruments and started performing with them. He used to get paid three to five ringgit per show. He is a founding member of the Seri Melati Ghazal Group, which was established in 1969.
Pak Karim was the lead singer and lead guitarist. In 1973 he recorded a vinyl with Maimunah Mohammed titled Seri Melati Ghazal Vol 2 under Tatex record. Seri Melati Ghazal Group was the first Ghazal group in Malaysia that recorded Ghazal music on a vinyl record.
Pak Karim was also the head of the Ghazal Music Section at the Johor Cultural Park. Through that body, he has brought ghazal music to accompany traditional dancers to the international scene.
Since the 1980s, he has performed all over the world including countries such as Turkiye, Holland, Switzerland, India, Dubai and Paris.
"These Parisians in the 80s didn't know where Malaysia was, but they knew Kuala Lumpur or Penang. So when we went to Paris, we brought a map to show them the location of Malaysia," shared Pak Karim.
In order not to drown in this current of modernisation, Pak Karim often adds new breath to his ghazal music. He also stated, "If we perform now, apart from playing original ghazal music, we also play the latest songs such as slow rock or even dangdut."
The Seri Melati Ghazal Group is still managed by him and his wife.
"These young people find it a little difficult to appreciate ghazal songs, so we play songs that suit their souls," Pak Karim added. He and Seri Melati Ghazal Group were also the first ghazal group to record a ghazal album with dangdut rhythms in the 1980s.
Among Pak Karim's unforgettable memories throughout his ghazal playing career is when Seri Melati was called to perform in Mersing, "When we were invited to perform at Pemanggil Island, I was very impressed with the reception given to us when we arrived.
"We were treated like sultans, complete with umbrellas. And the reception we received during the performance was very lively even though we played from Isyak until dawn," he shared.
Now Pak Karim is still active in playing ghazal where his recordings can be viewed on the Seri Melati Ghazal Johor Bahru Facebook page.
"The artistic blood that flows from my father goes on through my son and also my grandson," he said who wants his great-grandson to inherit his skills.
"I also used to teach at the Johor Art School but due to the lack of allocation, it has not been continued," he added.
Pak Karim is a recipient of the Adiguru Fund by the Cultural Economy Development Agency. He has conducted classes on ghazal using the funds.
"Many practitioners of this ghazal music are gone and their knowledge is not continued. Hopefully, I will be able to pass on my knowledge to the public," said Pak Karim. Yayasan Warisan Johor also focuses on uplifting Johor arts including ghazal by producing related programmes. – The Vibes, February 18, 2023
Adiguru Cendana is a community arts programme that aims to sustain the development and ensure the continuity of Malaysian traditional art forms, implemented by Cendana (Cultural Economy Development Agency) in collaboration with cultural organisation Pusaka. A total of 34 masters of traditional arts throughout the country have received Adiguru Cendana grants.
