Legendary Singaporean composer Hashim Said, best known as S Atan, sadly died at the age of 75 last Saturday, 16 November. The musician reportedly passed away at his hom in Taman Bukit Kajang Baru, Selangor, due to a lung infection.
The late musician was the genius behind several iconic Malay songs throughout his career, including Hari Raya hits like 'Dari Jauh Ku Pohon Maaf' by Sudirman, 'Menjelang Hari Raya' by DJ Dave, 'Hari Mulia' by Sheila Majid and 'Cahaya Aidilfitri' by Black Dog Bone.
S Atan was buried yesterday (Sunday) morning at Sungai Kantan Muslim Cemetery in Kajang, Selangor – with notable celebrities in attendance including famed musicians Jamal Abdillah and M Nasir.
"In terms of composing, he was an expert...I was jealous of many of his songs because they were so good. I knew I couldn't recreate them because they were born out of different situations," M Nasir said when speaking to Astro Awani.
DJ Dave also paid tribute to his friend when talking to Bernama, "Today, I mourn the loss of a dear friend whom I deeply respected, a musical genius who brought life to countless unforgettable songs, including my hits 'Menjelang Hari Raya' and 'Kawan Setia'."
S Atan grew up in Geylang, starting out as conductor at Singapore Broadcasting Corporation’s Kalungan Nada Orchestra before joining EMI Malaysia as a composer. His legacy lives on through his voluminous discopgraphy, which contains over 1,000 songs.
