Saloma

Salmah binti Ismail (22 January 1935 – 25 April 1983), better known as Saloma, was a Singaporean-Malaysian singer, film actress, trendsetter, and fashion icon who became famous in the late 1950s. Her voice was often described as "lemak merdu"—full, rich, and sweet.

She recorded with EMI, releasing EPs like Dendang Saloma (1957), Bunga Negara (1963), and Aslirama (1972). Among her most popular songs were "Selamat Pengantin Baru" and "Bila Larut Malam." She also acted in films such as Azimat (1958) and Kaki Kuda (1958), with notable roles in Seniman Bujang Lapok (1961) as Cik Salmah, Ragam P. Ramlee (1964), and Ahmad Albab (1968) as Mastura. In 1978, she was named Biduana Pertama Negara (First National Songbird) for her contributions to Malaysian music, and in 1990 she was posthumously awarded the title Puan Sri as the wife of Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr. P. Ramlee.

Family and early life

Born on 22 January 1935 in Pasir Panjang, Singapore (then part of the Straits Settlements), Saloma was the third daughter of Ismail Osman and Umi Kalsom Mahban, with seven siblings. Her older sister Mariani was an actress; her younger paternal half-sister Aminah Ismail (stage name Mimi Loma) and Jasmaniah Ismail also became singers. As a child, Saloma loved singing and often told her sister Mariani about her dream of becoming a singer.

By age five, she was already performing with local street bands. After her parents divorced, Saloma and Mariani moved with their father to his hometown, Tanjung Karang, Selangor, where they lived with him and their stepmother. During World War II, they worked in the paddy fields.

Unable to adjust, the sisters returned to Singapore without their father, living with their mother and stepfather, Mum Yusoff, a musician in a keroncong group called The Singapore Boys, which performed at the New World Cabaret. When Saloma was 13, her stepfather brought her to the cabaret and introduced her to the audience. She sang "Seven Lonely Days" by Georgia Gibbs, and her voice impressed the crowd; she continued with more songs, marking the start of her singing career.

Early career: 1949–1953

Her voice first reached local radio when her stepfather took her to see his orchestra perform on Radio Malaya. The scheduled singer, Rokiah Hanafi (known as Rokiah Wandah), did not appear, so Mum Yusoff persuaded Saloma to sing the planned songs.