About the song Nona Nona Zaman Sekarang:
I was lucky enough to have parents who thrived on English, Mandarin, Indonesian, Dutch pop songs and folk music. As a teen I enjoyed the songs they played on the radio and gramophone records. Some of them are still popular today and it's going back to the 1950's . This one is called 'Nona Zaman Sekarang.'
There's a newer version by Sandra Reemer, recorded probably in the 1960's when folk songs had revivals and became popular again with new rendition of 'Kopi Susu', 'Nina Bobo' and 'Bengawan Solo' by pretty singers like Anneke Gronloh and Reemer.
These hits topped the music charts in our region and possibly in Europe too as many people of Dutch origin in RRI (Republic Ra'ayat Indonesia) migrated to Holland and the West during the Soekarno regime in the 60s.
But this song is different. 'Nona Zaman Sekarang' or Modern Day Women was composed by our own Singaporean Yusoff B. in the late 1940s. Some of his other songs include: 'Semarak Hati,' 'Suka Sama Suka' and 'Wanita dan Teruna.'
He was one of superstar P. Ramlee's music mentor when he first joined Malay Film Productions. Ramlee's early songwriting was influenced by Yusuf B's music arrangement and style. Ironically, Yusuff B would borrow ideas from the late Ramlee when composing his own songs.
Singers who performed it initially was A. Rahman, R. Azmi, Julia and a host of Indonesian and Malay singers. Sandra, a Dutch singer of Indonesian origin, took the opportunity and made it a big hit. Apparently her version is still the most popular.
The word 'nona' means a young lady, like 'miss' in English. The song is about how bold young ladies are compared to those who lived in earlier times - no one can interfere nor prohibit their dress code. These ladies with their short, transparent clothes and painted red cheeks have triggered much controversy and have either confused the male species with their attitude or aroused their sensuality, possibly the latter.
Lyrics by Yusof B. Literal Translation
Nona-nona jaman sekarang Ladies of today's generation
tak boleh ditegur, Don't comment
tak boleh dilarang Nor forbid them.
bajunya pendek, Their blouses are short
bertambahlah jarang And more transparent
itu menjadi hati gembira To make hearts flutter
(Make hearts happy).
First Verse:
nona jangan bikin keliru Ladies don't confuse us
tidakla kenal cina melayu Unrecognisable if Chinese or malay
pipinya merah pula disapu Cheeks are red and painted too
sekarang sudah jadi tak tentu Causing much bewilderment.
Second Verse:
dalam dunia banyak musuhan In this world of aggression
yang non dibuat perkara yang sopan Ladies, be more careful
dalam dunia banyak penggoda Or be teased, bothered
banyak yang jadi rusak binasa And fall into disrepute.
Written more than half a century ago, the lyrics painted an Asian society so different from today with strict moral values that many listeners, especially women, would question now.
A kebaya is a traditional blouse-dress combination worn by women in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Burma, Singapore, southern Thailand and some parts of Cambodia. It is sometimes made from sheer material and usually worn with a sarong or batik kain panjang, or other traditional woven garment such as ikat, songket with a colorful motif.
