A Research on the Making and Creating of Popular Music

Abstract

The study aimed to observe how the Nasyid music genre has evolved in Malaysia over the past two decades (1996-2016) from the artists' points of view. The word Nasyid stems from Arabic, which means 'to sing or chant'. The study aims to shed light on Nasyid, taking into account different points of view on the evolution of the term over the period under investigation. The research addresses the so-called 'Raihan phenomenon' of the late 1990s, which led to a boom in Nasyid as a genre of popular music. This thesis investigates not only the Nasyid genre but also the larger environment and context in which it exists. It also studies the changes relating to musical instruments and musical style, analyses the lyrics and languages of the music, the evolution of pictures and the changing retinue of the participants in this musical genre. Furthermore, this research addresses the scope and structure of the music business and the marketing practices that surround Nasyid in Malaysia. Multiple analysis approaches, in-depth interviews, content analysis, and participant-observation fieldwork are only some of the qualitative research techniques used in this study. Over 11 months (September 2015–January 2016 and April 2016–September 2016), researchers spoke with professionals in the Malaysian music industry, including Nasyid singers, composers, lyricists, arrangers, musicians, scholars, media professionals, music retailers, and related organisations and recording labels. This study's findings and outcomes demonstrate the rapid expansion of Nasyid over the two decades under consideration. The final section of the study provides a brief overview of the three most important findings: (i) the difficulty in defining Nasyid and popular music; (ii) the similarities and differences between Nasyid and popular music in Malaysia; and (iii) the business models used within the Nasyid genre in the Malaysian music industry. Appropriate suggestions are made to aid in the future preservation of this music by taking into account the training methods for educating up-and-coming Nasyid artists. The goals of this thesis are to (i) educate international scholars in the fields of ethnomusicology and popular music studies about Nasyid and related music genres; (ii) educate participants in Nasyid and related music genres about the structure of the industry; and (iii) present ideas on the business models deployed and provide suggestions for improved economic outcomes.