MENTION the name Jimmy Boyle to music buffs of my generation and it rings a bell of an accomplished composer and jazz pianist.
Then, the Penangite was perhaps the most famous composer of Malay songs. I vividly remember listening to his songs when I was growing up in the 1960s.
The son of the Penang Eurasians behind the iconic Putera Puteri (sometimes spelt Putra Putri), Boyle’s notable compositions included Untuk Negeri Kita, Chendering, Jauh Jauh, Ingat Ingat, Bunga Negara, Sang Bayu, Ke-Hulu Ke-Hilir, Pantun Melayu, Gemaran Bulan and my favourite song, Putera Puteri.
A momentous occasion in Boyle’s life was when one of his compositions, Kemegahan Negaraku (My Country’s Majesty), was chosen to be played at the inaugural raising of the Malaysian flag on Aug 31, 1957.
One of Boyle’s best known compositions, Untuk Negeri Kita, was adopted as the Penang state’s anthem in 1972, a year after his passing.
He composed the music and wrote the lyrics for this song.
Not only was Boyle a prolific composer, he was also an equally well-known pianist, who learnt to play the piano from his mother who was a piano teacher.
He wrote close to 350 songs during his lifetime and some of his songs, such as Putera Puteri, were familiar to many who learnt it in school.
Boyle endured hardship during the Japanese occupation after being incarcerated.
He was a student of St Xavier’s Institution in Penang and returned to his alma mater as a teacher soon after the war.
One day at the request of British officers in Penang, he formed a band and entertained them with some music over dinner at the Runnymede Hotel. And this was the beginning of his music career.
Subsequently, Boyle also performed at the Minden Barracks, which is now the site of Universiti Sains Malaysia, and at the RAAF base in Butterworth.
Friends who knew Boyle remember him as a man who had music in his veins and some even regarded him as a musical genius.
His songs were patriotic in nature and blended harmony with an unyielding love and passion for his country.
Boyle was destined to compose patriotic songs and we definitely need more of such songs in our polarised society today.
Among other prominent musicians who hailed from Penang at that time included David Yeoh, Ahmad Merican and Datuk Seri Ahmad Nawab.
Boyle’s musical legacy lives on through his son, James, a graduate of the prestigious Berkley School of Music in Boston.
In 2006, jazz fans had the opportunity to see James perform in Penang under the name, James Boyle and The Ragged Tigers.
In 2010, there was another performance during the Fringe Festival, followed by a similar concert in 2016, which was organised by Paul Augustin.
Augustin was familiar with the main movers of music in Penang and like Boyle, he had a great passion for jazz.
James has also written a book on his father entitled, The Music and Legacy of Jimmy Boyle.
In memory of his father, James recorded another of his father’s famous songs, Chendering, with a well-known singer, Bizhu, at the Penang House of Music.
Chendering, which was written in 1960, is about a beach in Terengganu. Boyle was an avid admirer of the Malaysian countryside.
James has performed with notable Malaysian music luminaries over the years, including the late Paul Ponnudorai.
James paid tribute to Ponnudorai and his band, Paul Ponnudurai and The Handsome Coconuts, and he had acknowledged them as a good learning curve for him.
Ponnudorai, who passed away in 2012, had himself backed up some of Malaysia’s renowned recording artistes, including Datuk Sudirman Arshad.
He co-produced Sudirman’s hit song, One Thousand Million Smiles, together with jazz maestro, Michael Veerapen.
Many of the younger ones today find it difficult to name a favourite local jazz player, unless they click on YouTube or Google it.
They are oblivious to the names of renowned personalities of the past like Ahmad Merican, Alfonso Soliano and Boyle.
In the 60s and 70s, pianist Ooi Eow Jin was one of the nation’s most sought-after composers, having written hits for singers like Sudirman.
Boyle was the epitome of a good musician, composer and popular teacher.
But the most eye-catching virtue he possessed was that he was a true Malaysian patriot, definitely a rarity these days.
Besides being nationalistic, his songs were soothing to any musical ear as it was often blended with jazz music.
Rising above all the races and cultures, Boyle’s songs instilled a sense of patriotism in our country.
He was definitely another towering Malaysian in every sense of the word and he did more for national unity than the oratory of most in power.
Boyle passed away at a relatively young age of 49 in 1971, after succumbing to intracerebral haemorrhage.
Even after more than five decades since his passing, he is still well remembered by many in my generation for the music and songs he composed. Many of his songs are like a timeless beauty.
Perhaps, he was one of the most talented music composers Malaysia has ever produced.
To my surprise, such a prominent musical figure is still unfamiliar to many of the younger Malaysians.
It is time that these celebrated personalities of the past be accorded their due places in the music annals of our country.
Sadly, currently there is a dearth of local jazz talent in the country compared with our glorious yesteryear.
Boyle was not accorded the due recognition for his immense contributions to the Malaysian music scene.
The federal and Penang state governments should posthumously bestow an honour to this legend for his immeasurable contributions to the local music industry.
It would be a befitting tribute if a prominent landmark in Penang is named after this music icon.
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