The Sad Story Behind the Singer of 'Dari Kerana Mata', Raja Azmi Raja Ambiah
It is hard for us to imagine that behind the great name and the golden era of P. Ramlee, there was actually a sad story at the end of his life, and he passed away in very destitute and heartbreaking conditions.
Raja Azmi Raja Ambiah was born in 1923 in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, and was better known by the name R. Azmi. For the information of our loyal readers at orangperak.com, R. Azmi was actually one of the most popular Malay singers, on par with P. Ramlee from the 1950s to the 1970s. Do not be surprised to know that his songs were frequently played and his voice often broadcast on radio stations in Malaysia and Singapore. It was the uniqueness of his voice that made him perfectly suited to sing Hindi-rhythm songs. Today, we have Datuk Irwan Shah Abdullah (born Dhammi Jagjit a/l Sukhdev), or better known as Dato DJ Dave, who continued R. Azmi's legacy in singing Hindustani-rhythm songs with Malay lyrics after R. Azmi passed away.
R. Azmi moved to Singapore and was hired as a backing singer and supporting actor at the MFP Studio located on Jalan Ampas. It is worth noting that R. Azmi was an artist of the same generation as Tan Sri P. Ramlee and Tan Sri S.M. Salim, having participated in the 1947 Radio Talent program. In terms of acting, R. Azmi once acted in a film titled 'Bapa Saya' and was also a backing singer for films produced by Malay Film Productions Ltd. Additionally, he once acted and sang alongside P. Ramlee in the film 'Anjoran Nasib'. Like P. Ramlee, R. Azmi was also skilled at singing and composing songs.
The sky is not always bright; R. Azmi's popularity began to decline in the early 1960s. R. Azmi's name began to fade, and he was forced to support himself by singing at funfairs and on the streets. You should listen to his song titled 'Nasib Penyanyi' (The Singer's Fate), as it is said to depict the true life of R. Azmi. At the age of 51, R. Azmi passed away on February 28, 1974, due to asthma at the home of a headmaster in Klang, Selangor. It is said that his life around the 1970s was so destitute that he had no place to live, and he was cared for by a headmaster until he took his final breath.
For those who do not know, there is actually a film made to commemorate R. Azmi's contributions. It is a film starring the late Hani Mohsin Hanafi that completes the picture of R. Azmi's life. It is a musical and romantic film titled 'Jimi Asmara', which was released in 1995 and directed by Erma Fatima. Among the popular song titles sung by R. Azmi are as follows:
- Bercerai Kasih
- Cahaya Bulan Di Air Tenang
- Dari Kerana Mata
- Di Bawah Bulan Purnama (duet with Rokiah Wanda)
- Dunia Sekarang
- Hore Hore Samba
- Hati Rindu
- Hatiku Kecewa
- Helo Helo Sayang
- Ingin Ku Berjumpa
- Kalau Ke Singapura
- Kerana Mata
- Kalau Sudah Tergoda
- Malam Bahagia
- Mata Keranjang
- Memikat Hati
- Nasib Penyanyi
- Pak Hitam
- Renungan Di Senjakala
- Rindu Kalbu
- Siputih Kuning
- Si Cantik Manis
- Senyuman Yang Manis
- Terimalah Salamku
- Air mata Kasih
- Puncak Bahagia (duet with Lena)(1953)
- Tasek Madu (duet with Lena)(1950)
- Penghidupan Baru (duet with Rubiah)(1951)
The singer of the popular song 'Dari Kerana Mata', R. Azmi, had become the idol of millions of fans with his songs and film roles, but in reality, he was alone in his room when his life reached its end, as he had no children or family to mourn his passing, only his fans who stood by him.
