Thursday 26 February 2009

Radio Revisited

Radio was my first love. But let’s just say when I first flirted with radio, I didn’t have the right assets for it. I was far too shy, my voice was too, too timid and soft, even after several sessions of voice production. But I remember my first Drama Minggu Ini with Shuhaimi Baba gosh, didn’t she just drill me into talking out loud and clear.

Anyway, inspite of all the limitations, I joined the radio newsroom of RTM when I was still a student; taking down weather reports (hujan di sana sini) and typing down stories from stringers carrying loads of equipments during assignments.

I met the likes of Yahya Long Chik, Patrick Teoh, Constance Haslam, people whose voices I grew up with. I was then able to put voices to faces, so to speak. And I really admired them.

It wasn’t until London that I went into radio wholeheartedly. And for this, I must thank my friend Aziz Ibrahim who was at the BBC Malay Service in the late 70’s when we arrived. He introduced me to the big man honcho, Mr Colin Wild, a kind genial man who spoke good Indonesian Malay and trained me in the art of broadcasting. To cut the story short, BBC, I think provided the best training for radio broadcasters and for that I am most thankful. Thus my forays into the world of journalism began, speaking to the world, everyday at 1.30 London time from that big building straddling Kingsway and The Strand.

The expected announcement from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to close down the Malay section came in 1990. Someone had leaked the story to the Financial Times, and I rushed to the office to be met by seven men in grey suits. They apologised about the leak to the press, expressed concern and more apologies because they couldn’t do more to save the Malay Service which had been around from before the war, if I am not mistaken. Broadcasters then had included people like Tun Suffian.

But BBC had prepared me for life ahead, I picked up the pieces and started life a new, but I still had lingering feelings, wonderful memories of life in radio.

So, you can imagine my excitement when I was asked to be a special guest for Sounds of Malaysia, (nusoundradio.com) a community radio service, where one hour every Sunday was given to broadcast for the Malaysian community.

I had butterflies in my stomach through, ……..

(I don’t know how to explain this. My writing was interrupted by a phonecall, that brought me back to those BBC days, a phone call from someone in the Indonesian service, someone I have not heard from since he retired. It was Pak Brahim, who was appointed Senior Producer of the Indonesian Service at the same time I was appointed Senior Producer of the Malay Service. He wanted to know the phone number of Ishak Nengah and Aziz Ibrahim. There must be some thing here at work, I don’t know, and it is quite eerie!)

Yes, back to the interview at the studio in Forest Gate. Like I said, I had butterflies in my stomach but Miriam, who is the DJ, promised that it was going to be very casual. And once we were in the studio, headset in place, I was transported back in time.

We were then joined by DJs from Traxx FM DJ Par and DJ Fad Da Dilly’ O and from then on we were in our own world.

We talked about the Pak Cik sailors and my life as a freelance journalist and before I knew it, Miriam said why not present the programme on 1st March (Sunday 3pm – 4pm London time , Malaysia 11pm – 2 pm ) as she is going to be away.

So, the butterflies are back flying in my stomach. I have lined up a few items, and hey, if you want to request any songs (and if we can find them), please do! You can email me here – zwan_uk@yahoo.co.uk or leave your requests in my blog.

Please do so before Saturday – we need to see if we can find the songs. And as we have very limited time, one hour – I think we can only play a few songs. The first seven minutes are taken up by news and advertisements.

So, do tune in to www.nusoundradio.com or 92FM this Sunday.

58 comments:

Kak Elle said...

KT congrats for you:)I ank request lagu dondang sayang bolih tak?...hehe

NanaDJ said...

Kak Teh,
Congratulations, you must really be very good. Not surprising since you have been trained by those maestros from RTM. Wish I had the opportunity to listen to you. Those days we really have radio presenters/DJ(?) with golden voices, the likes of Yahaya Long Chik, Constance,Alan Zacariah (remember him?), the glam lady Nurlidar Saidi (Datin Paduka), Patrick Teoh et al and later on Nor Amin, Zainaldin Zainal... So many have fallen in love with those voices. But these days the DJs are chirpy, chatty, likeable like Aznil Hj Nawawi(am a fan of his) but they just don't have the VOICE. A pity!
All the best to you.

Pi Bani said...

Pernah tersasul tak on air, Kak Teh?

Hazia said...

radio world... must have been interesting yeah?:)

Kenny Mah said...

The memories, the butterfiles, the sound of your golden voice on the air waves... Ah, the songs of Kak Teh on the ray-dee-oh... ;)

ray said...

Komen Pak Malim kucing ray yg alim.

Kak Teh,

I'm so happy I herd U on the radio, says the cat who went to a rodeo. I normally sleep around 11 pm, especially if I'm working early morning the next day. But for U, it was worth waiting for! says the cat while wearing a pinafore.

SkyJuice said...

Wow! All the best, Kak Teh. I'm sure you'll be fine. :-)

Roti Kacang Merah said...

Lagu "Chik Chikebum Bunyi Lagu" by Saloma. To all pokcik sailors, Kak Teh, Tuan AG dan semua warga Melayu yang mendengar. Dengan ucapan -- la ni tiap-tiap petang kat KL hujan lebat kilat petir sabung menyabung woh. Cemuih gila!

Also... GOOD LUCK KAK TEHHHH!

KG said...

Kak Teh,

Tu dia orang lama bercakap...hmm, from your story can tell the wealth of knowledge and experience that you have, i tabik you...

The last session, tunggu punya tunggu, I tertidoq! I'll try to stay awake this time round...mintak lagu "Tunggu sekejap" but cant remember the singer, boleh ka?

Good luck!

Memorable trails... said...

Salam K Teh..
Finally I could get a glimpse of you..Yeah I like those oldies presenters especially Mustaza Maah..His voice and his look..lady killer sungguh..Dia orang ada ummph!!Look at radio and tv presenters now,pagi-pagi dah cakap merapu and the discussion sometimes not educated at all.We can know their level of education from the talk.Minus Aznil lah..he has points when talking.Sorry ya k teh..sebab kecewa sangat.

Ezza Aziz said...

KAk Teh,
nak request lagu Mengapa di rindu nyanyian Saloma/Uji Rashid buat adik blogger Almari Resepi , Nita di Sheifield,UK ..dengan pertanyaan..bila lagi nak update Blog tu..Dengar kabar nak dapat baby lagi..Semuga sihat selalu di sana.

KT..nampak macam pro saja kat konti tu...

Kama At-Tarawis said...

Welcome back to the airwaves, Kak Teh... hoping to hear you soon..

RozIlah Kamarudin said...

Wah... first time, i know a celebrity personally..(even though via virtual world..)

I am so happy for u!!!

ZABS said...

Salam Kak Teh,
Saya pun membesar dengan mendengar radio. Salah seorang penyampai yang mungkin mempunyai suara yang agak menarik bagi saya ialah Ramli Abu Bakar, pernah berjumpa dengannya ke?

Kak Teh said...

Kak elle, nanti i nak tanya depa ada lagu dondang sayang atau tidak. Insyaallah.

NanaDJ, Oh, I am not that good. and I wasnt trained by those RTM greats because my short stint at RTm was just as a trainee. Tak dekat microphone pun. Oh yes, Nurlida saidi. I think my husband still has a great crush on her!!!
I was interviewed by Zainaldin zainal once and spent half the time in the studio trying to suppress my laughter as he was so funny. My husband was listenting to the interview in the car and was quite annoyed thatI was laughing BUT what he couldnt see was Zainaldin Zainal wearing my pair of earlings that I had put on the table.

Kak Teh said...

Pi Bani, hahahaha! Funny that you should ask that because just last week (and you know me and my spoonerism) well, I was talking about Pak Cik sailors and their acting career. And I said, Pak Man Tokyo acted with Timon Semplar!!!(Instaed of Simon Templar!) I was very careful about this, because Salman Rushie almost always turned out to be Rahman Shurdie.

Kak Teh said...

Hazia, yes I think there's a lot that Radio can do but it is a pity that not many people tune in to radio these days.

Kenny, hehe, Golden voice?? dont know about that.

Kak Teh said...

Pak Malim, terima kasih kerana tak tidur menunggu kak teh, kata kak teh sambil makan berteh. Kak teh sungguh terharu, kata kak teh sambil siang ikan cencaru.

SkyJuice, Thanks. I hope it'll be alright on the night!

Kak Teh said...

Roti , wow , itu lagu sungguh lama - we will see, kalau tak ada we will still dedicate a song to the Pak Cik sailors! Thanks.

KG, hahaha, that is so funny! You tunggu and fell asleep, and now you want to request the song "Tunggu sekejap" How apt. I love that song. Tunggu sekejap, wahai kasih, tunggulah sampai hujan reda..(?)mari ku dendang, dalam pelukan asmarakuuuuuu!!!

Kak Teh said...

Madam Gold, ya, I have heard of Mustaza Maah but I have never met him. AM sure his voice must be good.

Ezza, insyaallah. Kak teh pasti akan mainkan lagu Uji sebab kak teh pun peminat dia.

Kak Teh said...

Puteri, I am just filling in. Am feeling quite nervous. But I will make sure that I have someone in the studio to chat with.

Rozi, kak teh bukanlah celebrity. Cuma orang di sebali tabir.

Zabs,malangnya kak teh tak pernah jumpa ramli abu bakar. Kak teh tak lama di RTM, cuma sebagai trainee. But I dealt a lot with them when I was the senior producer at the BBC. Dengar suara, tak pernah tengok muka.

Wan Nordin Wan Hussin said...

When I was growing up, there's a radio presenter and dramatist named Tengku Mariam. At one time I had this inexplicable feeling that she is our mekyam ...

I remember Constance Haslam as the host for Pertandingan Akhir Bakat TV where Suhaili Shamsuddin was one of the winners. Can you play one of Suhaili's songs, if possible. Ah, her VOICE. Just incomparable. Thanks, and enjoy the DJ Kak Teh.

Kak Teh said...

GUIKP, I met up with Constance Haslam two years ago at a fashion show in Paris. Her voice i still delicious!!!

Ooooh shuhaili's song! I can remember KuSayang pada mu...love that song. Will try to find it.

DrSam said...

Wow Kak Teh! A radio celeb in the making ni :)

Looking forward to hear your sweet voice again (hope this time the streaming is good). Since there is no lagu 11 malam, then Lagu 3 pagi by the Late Tan Sri P. Ramlee boleh?

p/s: managed to get my hand and finished reading the manuscript by Tan Sri Aishah Ghani. Great book!

Madam Tai Tai Again said...

Kak Teh,

Are you going to spin songs aje ke or will you be interviewing someone or will you talk about a particular topic or all of the aforementioned?

Wish I could hear your voice on the radio. You do look like someone with a nice voice. Good luck with this venture, Kak Teh!

The Ceramic Designer said...

congrats kak-teh.. nice and nostalgic to be back in familiar territories, eh? remember kak-yong also from radio? or was it tv-programme? kak-yong and abang-chik or something like that..? kak-teh kenal tak? i'm having her & siblings over for sunday lunch this weekend..

Mama Huptihup said...

kak teh,

tahniah!! seronoknya...experience saya jd DJ hanyalah dia sekolah menengah masa hari keluarga :D...tu pun terketar2...

i pun suka dj radio yg bercakap tenang2...bkn mcm sesetgh radio yg djnya terjerit2 tah apa2 pepagi buta...so lah sakit telinga :D

The Ceramic Designer said...

kak-yong is a tengku something bt tengku ishak.. now should be in her fifties.. most likely tengku mariam..??

Unknown said...

hi Kak Teh,

Thanks so much for sharing!! I will definitely be tuning in to listen to your voice!! And I am so excited cos I will then be able to match the voice to your writing voice.

I am sure you will do a brilliant job.

All the best to you.

cheers,
Paula

Pak Tuo said...

Salam Kak Teh,

Nice hearing you live on air.
Well,when I first got back home late 88,I was on a talk show on our Radio Nasional late nite show 'Jejak Perantau'.Late nite chat on travelling .Tak berapa pasti masih ada lagi ke programme tu.All the 'putau alam' stories.heheh...
Anyway,it was an intresting few week chating with the DJ of my travel kind of The travel Of Gavin Young stories.
It was way before broadcasting goes internetting.
Yes,me too,was with Radio Asti,Italy for a bit.
Its a long story........
Able to handle 'conti panel'.

Anyway how was the 'High Table Dinner'?

Wassalam.Salam to abang.Looking forward to hear you this Sunday.Anyway one could record the show using real.com.

Anonymous said...

Wow! Kak Teh, I've pencilled it into my diary and will definitely be tuning in.

david santos said...

Hi, Kak Teh!
have a wonderful day.
Your posting is fantastic. Really beautiful.
Have a nice weekend!!!!!

david santos said...

Hi, Kak Teh!
have a wonderful day.
Your posting is fantastic. Really beautiful.
Have a nice weekend!!!!!

KG said...

Kak Teh,

Bukan apa, am now about 20 weeks pregnant, with 5 kids on tow...food and sleep are my indulgence now...tu yang terzzz tu!

Kak Teh said...

KG, really??? I know how you feel. Been there done that - or rather been there felt that. I am downloading songs - and found your Tunggu Sekejap! So, let's hope everything goes according to plan!

Kak Teh said...

Dr Sam, you've got the book? wow! that's fantastic - I was impressed by what the great lady did at that time. I think the fact that she wrote, given the constraints and limitations, was really plausible.

Wokay, am going to find - Pukul Tiga pagi.

Kak Teh said...

MTT, Insyaallah there will be someone on the studio with me. You can listen to the radio online - just log in on www.nusoundradio.com and then click here to listen - it must be 3 pm london time - and I dont knw what that is in Dhaka. Do try, okay?

Kak Teh said...

CD, Kak Yong is indeed Tunku Mariam, But i have never met her. ohh if she is over at your place - tak payah lah dengar sebab nanti kak teh nervous kalau ada professional yang dengar.


Lyana, i will bear in mind not to terjerit-jerit - cakap dengan tenang. Kalau kak teh nervous pun, kak teh akan cuba tenang.

Kak Teh said...

Paula, haiyaaaa, shy laa. But yes, thanks, if you are still not sleepy - do listen.

Pak Tuo, dinner was nice - but of course I wasnt at the high table - manalah boleh! Nice to know that you did the salam perantau. I wish I had known about it.

Kak Teh said...

andrea, you too? oh oh lagi nervous!

david santos, thanks for the visit.

Ida Hariati Hashim said...

Kak Teh,

I had the opportunity working with Yahya Long Chik's wife (can't remember her name pulak). I was 16 then. I did some recordings for Radioa Pendidikan Malaysia, masa tu studio next to Matic (now Saloma Bistro) in Jalan Ampang.

I was nervous initially as the lady was strict, pronunciation in English kena betul2, so, byak kali la trials la.

My secret (well not anymore) is to be the editor of a radio programme, as I love to play all sorts of songs.

I flirt with the radio too..I have won many prizes on air! I like to call the radio to share my views to the whole nation. I believe I can never do without the radio.

Good luck!

Kak Teh said...

Ida, kak teh pun tak tau nama wife dia. and wow you too dabbled in radio and at a young age too!

I think I went straight into briadcasting in radio before i was interviewed on radio. gementarnyaaaa!!!

Sweet Serenity said...

hi mak teh, here are my requests:

1. Through the years by Kenny Rogers to Pak, Happy 72nd b'day.
2. Still by Lionel Ritchie to the late Pak Pipi, who without him I'll never be able to appreciate the songs of yesteryears.
3. Right here Waiting by Richard Marx to my beloved hubby.
P/s if n/a then gantilah with whatever yang suitable.
Tq, love, oli

Shazwi Shafie said...

Assalamualaikum..
Hello auntie.. Awi here.. we met at Harrods recently, remember? :)
I took some pictures of you at the 'Malaysia in Harrods' event.
Here's my e-mail add: shazwi89@hotmail.com.
Hope to hear from you. Nnti Awi hantar gambar kpd auntie thru e-mail.

Kak Teh said...

Oli, amboi banyaknyaaa! Will play one for Pak because Its his birthday - the rest nanti mak teh main lain kali when/if they call me back. OK?


Awi?? Is this the good looking young man who took pictures with me at Harrods and was my wonderful companion to Dublin and back? hehe! Welcome to my blog ! yes, am looking forward to see the pictures of me hard at work!

mekyam said...

sounds like you're back in your element. way to go, girl! :D

btw kt,

oddly enough, radio is still immensely popular in the US. people here watch a lot of tele but they also tune in to many sydicated radio shows, both local and national.

radio hosts and djs are almost as well-known here as tv talking heads. for example, ryan seacrest of american idol has one of the most popular morning radio shows aired from so cal.

other famous US radio names which people outside may have heard (because they are known names in other media as well) would be, in random genres: howard stern, garrison keillor, amy goodman and those neocons jerks, rush limbaugh and bill o'reilly.

Kak Teh said...

Mek yam, let's see whether the elements' still there! :)
Yes, in the UK too radio is still popular - you can tune in to radio and still do yr work, and can switch off when you have guests, unlike tv - in malaysia people tend to swicth on tv when guests arrive as if - that is the centre piece.
A lots of radio presenters here are also very well known.

Sweet Serenity said...

Hi mak teh, thanks for the spin. It was difficult to listen to coz it kept stopping to stream and rebuffer. At any rate, thanks. Check out my blog for Tok's dazzling million dollar smile! Luv, oli

[danial][ma] said...

hej! kak Teh...do download your peice of radio interview to the blog...i could not be able to access the radio with my mac...;-)

_deli said...

Salam KT,
Lama den_nai tak singgah kemari. KT sihatkan?

Radio. Your first love and mine too. Yes! I remembered those days when I waited for "Drama dalam Syair" & "Drama minggu ini" that was aired at 4:00pm to 4:30pm. Mondays and Wednesdays. Rasanya RTS bukan RTM. I was not even a pre-schoolers yet. That was what, 40 odd years ago!!!

Itu pun kalau memori tak kabur dan bercelaru. La ni tak dak siapa yang nak bersyair-syair lagi...

Kak Teh said...

Oli, i know that people in malaysia have problems with the streaming but my friends in US can hear okay. thanks for listening and i think couldnt have detected the sebak sound in my voice when i introduced the song.

Kak Teh said...

danial, i am having big problems downloading it - apparently blogspt doesnt take mp - so i have to put pictures in movie maker to make it a video - and I am doing it now. You will see whether i succeed or not.

Kak Teh said...

Deli the talkshows on british radio are very entertaining and worth listening to. I wish we can do soemthing like this.

Syaor- ish kak teh masih lagi bersyair!

DrSam said...

TQ very much Kak Teh! The many hiccups and frequent buffering on the streaming didn't put me off. I waited until I heard a broken Pukul Tiga Pagi tuned in :) That really made my day! TQVM and can't wait to listen to the recorded audio uploaded in this blog.

Have a nice day!

[danial][ma] said...

hej! Kak Teh...thanks for your effort...will wait for the posting...;-)

Kak Teh said...

Dr Sam, I am touched that you actually waited. I hope you can hear the interview and the songs more clearly from the video.

Danial - there you - it is already in the blog.

lalalala said...

I am proud of my grandfather, Yahya Longchik, and the other radio announcers of RTM.. :)

Kak Teh said...

thank you for the visit. we are all proud of him as well!