Datuk Datuk (or its variant Dato or Datu) is a Malay language, Malay honorific title commonly used in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as well as a traditional title by Minangkabau people in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Use of the title various between loc ...

Ramli bin Sarip (born 15 October 1952), also known as "Papa Rock", is a Singaporean musician, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He is also one of the pioneers of Singapore's rock scene. Ramli was the front man and lead singer of the Singapore-based heavy metal-rock group Sweet Charity until 1986. He was given the title of 'Datuk' by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of the State of Malacca on the occasion of the latter's birthday in 2013.

Career

1964–1986: Sweet Charity

Established in 1964, the Singapore-based Malay rock band Sweet Charity had Ramli as its frontman and lead singer until he left in 1986. Sweet Charity was reportedly so successful in the 1970s to the 1980s that they ignited a "rock explosion" in both Singapore and Malaysia.

After 1986: Solo career and other endeavours

For some time, Ramli was signed under

Warner Music Warner Music Group Corp., commonly abbreviated as WMG, is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and the third-largest in the gl ...

. Ramli is credited as the "first Malay rock singer to hold two solo concerts at the

Istana Budaya The ''Istana Budaya'' or also known as the ''Palace of Culture'', is Malaysia's main venue for all types of theatre including musical theatre, operetta, classical concerts and opera from local and international performances. It is located in t ...

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...

." He was awarded the COMPASS Artistic Excellence Award in 1998. He formed five-piece band, Sangkakala, to serve as his backing band. A 1990 Malaysian

Hari Raya Puasa Eid al-Fitr () is the first of the two main festivals in Islam, the other being Eid al-Adha. It falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide because it marks the en ...

television special ''Bersama Ramli Sarip'', in which Ramli hosted, was released on the first day of the season. Three years later,

Radio Televisyen Malaysia Radio Televisyen Malaysia (, Jawi: ; abbreviated as RTM, stylised as rtm), also known as the Department of Broadcasting, Malaysia (; Jawi: ) is the national public broadcaster of Malaysia, headquartered at Angkasapuri, Kuala Lumpur. Establi ...

had imposed a seven-year ban on him due to him maintaining his long hair, which was a strict performing no-no from the broadcaster at the time. Ramli was a vocalist for the 2011 remake of "

Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or more human occupants, and sometimes various companion animals. Homes provide sheltered spaces, for instance rooms, where domestic activity can be p ...

". As of 2011, Ramli has released 12 solo albums. He also starred in ''

Talking Cock the Movie ''Talking Cock the Movie'' is a Singapore film released in May 2002. It is the brainchild of Colin Goh, founder of Singaporean website, TalkingCock.com, which satirises local current affairs and politics, highlighting the importance of supportin ...

,'' a Singaporean satirical film in 2002. In 2019, after being critically criticised and lambasted for sung the "soulful" and "soul-stirring" version of Singapore's national anthem, he stays low profile for quite some time, whereby even Dr. Rohana Zubir (daughter of the late

Zubir Said Zubir Said ( ; 22 July 1907 – 16 November 1987) was a Singaporean composer most notable for composing the national anthem of his country, "Majulah Singapura" – "Onward Singapore". A self-taught musician, Zubir also worked as a score arr ...

who was the original composer) came out to criticise heavily the rocker's rendition in an open letter in public, she wrote that, "Sadly, the revised rendition of 'Majulah Singapura' lacks the quality, the oomph, of a national anthem. It is rather tortuous to listen to." She further added: "The people of Singapore are wonderfully creative but this creativity should not extend to meddling with the musical score of the country's national anthem. This is one area where there should not be change. It is also important for Singaporeans to be proud of their history and to respect individuals, such as my father, for their contribution to nation-building."

2019 National Day Parade

In 2019, Ramil Sarip performed "Majulah Singapura" at the National Day Parade.

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

* : **

Companion Class II of the

Exalted Order of Malacca The Exalted Order of Malacca () is the third-highest state order of Malacca which is conferred by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca. The order was constituted in 1978 by Yang di-Pertua Negeri Syed Zahiruddin along with the Premier and Exalted ...

(DPSM) - Datuk (2013)

References

External links

Ramli Sarip
at

Discogs Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...

{{Authority control 1952 births Living people 20th-century Singaporean male singers Singaporean people of Malay descent Singaporean Muslims Singaporean emigrants to Malaysia Singaporean male film actors 21st-century Singaporean male actors 21st-century Singaporean male singers