Of Mamak stalls and Malaysian weather: Sinitic languages and identity in Ah Niu (阿牛)’s sinophone Malaysian pop music

Abstract

Malaysia is home to a sizeable ethnic Chinese community that speaks several Sinitic languages. As such, it is not only an importer of Sinophone culture, but also an important site of Sinitic-language cultural production. In the field of popular music, Malaysia has been a hotbed of many transnational Sinophone talents whose Malaysianness, however, has often gone unnoticed. Nevertheless, some international artists such as Ah Niu have consistently showcased their Malaysian identity. Through a close reading of his songs, I aim to show how the use of Sinitic languages conveys Malaysianness and presents local features, thus challenging the opinion that only culture expressed in Bahasa Malaysia has the right to be considered as having national value. Moreover, I demonstrate that the use of Sinitic languages in Ah Niu’s musical production is an example of how such languages can express a thriving local identity that goes beyond Chineseness and the center-periphery dynamics.

Keywords

• Sinophone pop music
• Ah Niu
• Malaysian identity
• Sinitic languages
• Mandopop