Asiah Aman

In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Aman is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Asiah.

Asiah Aman
Asiah in 2016
Born	Asiah binti Aman 29 November 1931 Straits Settlements (present-day Singapore)
Died	30 July 2024(2024-07-30) (aged 92) Changi General Hospital, Singapore
Other names	Nona Asiah
Years active	1940s–1975
Spouse	Ismail Kassim (m. 1955)
Children	5; including Iskandar
Awards	Cultural Medallion, 2016 Singapore Women's Hall of Fame, 2022

Asiah binti Aman (29 November 1931 – 30 July 2024), also known by her stage name Nona Asiah, was a Singaporean singer and actress. Her career started in the 1940s where she worked as a singer during the Japanese occupation. Asiah's first film role was in 1948 when she sang on Malay film Chinta.

She went on to perform throughout the 1950s and 1960s before retiring in 1975, working as a singing teacher from the 1970s to 1980s. For her contributions to music, she was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 2016 and inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame in 2022.

Early life and career

Asiah was born on 29 November 1931 in the Straits Settlements (present-day Singapore) to Hajar Rahmah, a bangsawan singer, and Aman Ahmad, a musician. She lived in a shophouse unit at Allanby Road. Her mother Hajar was a Malay Singaporean who worked as a prima donna for the Dean Tijah opera troupe. Her father Aman came from Pontianak, Indonesia, and worked as a painter and musician.

During the Japanese occupation, Asiah developed a love interest with a Japanese officer, Watanabe Makoto, who was impressed by their bangsawan performances and he invited Asiah and Hajar to Japanese classes so they could learn Japanese and perform bangsawan in Japanese.

Asiah and Hajar learnt katakana at Cathay Building, with soldiers sending them to different camps in Seletar and Tengah to perform for soldiers. After these shows, they mostly received payment in cigarettes and food before being sent back to Cathay Building. This was Asiah's first experience performing and singing.

After the surrender of the Japanese, Asiah got her first paying job as a singer at Radio Malaya in 1946, apart of a band called Tiga Serumpun. While working there, she taught Malay through songs when the station started broadcasting in schools. Asiah was soon offered a contract by His Master's Voice Company and recorded her first song, a Malay cover of "Bésame Mucho", in 1949 on the Pathe label, becoming an instant success. This was also when she developed her stage name, Nona Asiah, which was suggested by her mentor Zubir Said, whom she also covered multiple songs of.

Singing and acting career

Following this popularity, she recorded many more songs such as "Sumbangsihku" and "Chiumku Lagi" along with becoming the vocalist of the Malay Women's Orchestra. In 1948, she made her film debut as a singer in Malay film Chinta (1948) starring Siput Sarawak and S. Roomai Noor whom she, and fellow singer P. Ramlee in his debut, sang the parts for respectively. In 1949, Asiah joined a female Malay band, Wanita Kronchong Orkest, and performed at their debut performance at New World Amusement Park.

In the 1950s, Asiah travelled and performed overseas in Brunei and Sarawak with the Malay Women's Orchestra, making $400 to $500 a month. During this time, she still worked at Radio Malaya, hosting a radio show and recording for His Master's Voice Company. In 1951, Asiah had a main role in Malayan Film Unit's Pelangi (1951) alongside Ismail Kassim. The film also featured songs by Zubir Said that were sung by Asiah, Ismail, and Sani Naneng. In 1962, she was a part of a "cultural mission" to territories in Borneo and performed with other artistes.

In 1975, Asiah "retired" when she gave her final live performance at Radio Televisyen Malaysia where she performed multiple Malay songs in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Through the 1980s and 1990s, Asiah conducted singing workshops for children on Mat Yoyo.

Personal life

In 1955, Asiah married Ismail Kassim, a Malay singer whom she had previously met whilst working at Radio Malaya. Ismail died on 17 September 1994 in a motorcycle accident. She had 5 children with him, spending most of her time taking care of them and teaching them music. Her children include Cultural Medallion recipient Iskandar Mirza Ismail (1956–2014), host Najib Ali, music director Indra Shahrir Ismail, and author Rilla Melati.

In 2016, she was awarded the Cultural Medallion alongside artist Koh Mun Hong. In 2022, she was inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame.

Death

On 30 July 2024, Asiah died at Changi General Hospital of heart complications. She had been at the hospital for the past two months suffering from heart, kidney, and lung problems.