Boosting Penang's musical heritage as an attraction

Republished from New Straits Times, Mar 9, 2022,
with the author’s permission. Read the original here.

By Yong Soo Heong

ON THE fourth floor of Komtar Complex in downtown George Town, Penang, lies a cultural oasis that showcases various “gems” related to the state’s pre-eminence in the performing arts and broadcasting industries.

Unfortunately, its prominence is masked by stores selling computer peripherals, fried chicken and souvenir knick-knacks before visitors can locate an escalator that takes them to this extraordinary place. 

Known as the Penang House of Music (PHoM), it’s a jewel in the crown among local music aficionados who care about Penang's musical heritage, and a labour of love by its founder, Paul Augustin, a self-taught 62-year-old Eurasian musician from the state, now a musical “historian”, curator, researcher and archivist.

The “house” promotes Penang as the motherland of musicians in the country. It came into being on Nov 21, 2016 under the Penang Musical Heritage Project in line with the state government's aim and vision to establish a heritage and creative arts city.

It traces facets of Penang’s musical journey from the 1900s when the British colonials held sway, Japanese Occupation in early 1940s, return of the colonials in the mid-1940s, the halcyon days of pre-Independence, the glory days of the Swinging Sixties right up to the Buoyant Seventies.

Of course, no presentation would be complete without its most revered star, P. Ramlee.

The legendary actor-singer (along with his heart-throb, Saloma) holds a special place among many better-known Penang-born or raised entertainers like Ahmad Daud, Ahmad Nawab, Zainal Alam, Rubia Lubis, Jimmy Boyle, Ooi Eow Jin, Albert Yeoh, Richard Hoon, Lee Yee and David Arumugam, to name a few.

PHoM also captures the journey of how the local populace entertained themselves in the past, how the different local communities celebrated their festivals with music and performances thrown in, including Penang's famed song, dance and tongue-in-cheek satirical routine — the boria.

Special mention must be made of the presence of a radio studio where visitors can briefly be deejays and record audio presentations for keepsakes and a diorama of a coffee shop in the 1960s complete with a jukebox and a Rediffusion audio box.

It wouldn’t be out of place to say that a fair number of the exhibits mirrored what people usually saw in 1960s, when Paul himself grew up with a host of top-notch musicians, as well as pursuits like requesting their favourite songs to be played on the airwaves.

Also on display are the then immensely popular magazines like Movie News and Majallah Filem that highlighted soon-to-be screened films and sizzling celebrity gossip.

Two exhibits stood out: one, a cubicle where you could listen to golden oldies by pressing a song list on a tiny computer screen at the side; the other, a modern audio-visual screen depicting the Chinese “wayang” puppet shows where the costumes could “change” at will with every movement of the viewer's hand!

Moving forward and thinking aloud, a more strategic location befitting its strategic role could be the old Penang City Council building near the Esplanade, or the rather neglected AIA Building in Lebuh Bishop or one of the bungalows belonging to Penang Institute in the leafy suburbs of Jalan Brown.

The first two locations would add lustre to the touristy attractions in downtown George Town and augment PHoM’s foot-traffic.

The suggestion to be in Penang Institute's serene environs, besides its ample space for exhibits and visitors, is also to complement the latter's research into what makes Penang tick since PHoM had also ventured into research, documenting and digitalising its collection.

PHoM’s archival efforts reflect Paul's mission about building Penang’s (and subsequently Malaysia's) musical repository for posterity to benefit future generations.

Such noble endeavours could also complement the work done by local universities as PHoM’s treasure trove is constantly sought after by researchers on the state’s illustrious local musical journey.

It all depends on how the powers-that-be in Penang aspire to boost PHoM as a musical heritage attraction while the “house” also sifts through an increasing storehouse of valuable documents and artefacts to augment the state's contributions to Malaysia’s “musical treasures”.

• Datuk Yong Soo Heong is a former chief executive officer and editor-in-chief of Bernama. Read more about him here.