Google Malaysia today celebrates one of the country’s most talented musician, the late Sudirman Arshad, with a Google Doodle dedicated especially for him.
The Google Doodle ― that can be seen when you access the Malaysian version of the Google landing page ― was created in honour of the legendary singer-songwriter’s contribution to the nation’s entertainment scene.
Sudirman’s music has left an imprint in Malaysia even to this day as some of his more popular songs such as ‘Tanggal 31 Ogos’ and ‘Balik Kampung’ can still be heard during the festive occasions of Malaysia’s Independence Day and Aidilfitri, respectively,” Google said in a statement about the Doodle.
Sudirman was born on this day in 1954 in Temerloh, the youngest of seven children in his family.
He died in February 1992, aged 37, due to pneumonia.
“His passion for singing and entertaining came to him at an early age, which was encouraged by his siblings and neighbours who were more than happy to let him entertain them,” the statement continued.
Sudirman broke out into the industry after winning the Bintang RTM singing competition in August 1976, has been known among other as the “Singing Lawyer”, having studied law at the University of Malaya where he successfully juggled classes and his love for singing.
Sudirman has also dabbled in acting, journalism, writing, business, and charity.
“Sudirman possessed a voice that is instantly recognizable when heard on local radio stations and TV. As a musician, he was loved and known for his versatility as he sang songs of various languages to extraordinary choreography,” said Google.
In his most legendary performance, Sudirman held an open-air concert on Chow Kit Road in April 1986, drawing a 100,000-strong crowd on a Monday night — Malay Mail
