Langit Biru - from love song to environmental battle cry

I didn't realize that our songs, while most are about love, would have such strong environmental influence years later.

You see in the 80s, there was an initiative called The Blue Sky initiative spearheaded by California (the California of Tomorrow or Calot). Calot was the catch phrase when I was working in a refinery then. In the mid-90s, at one refinery in Balongan, Jawa Barat, the engineers would always be telling me about the Langit Biru initiative they were undertaking.

All these undertakings are about a clean air and a cleaner environment. Many of these initiatives originated from California which has a very strict environmental regulations and we would always be looking towards California for our directions.

It is also apt that I found out this morning in the The Sun that California was suing the US government for blocking the state 's tough new standard on greenhouse gases emitted by automobiles.

Welcome to the state of California. And they are not alone - fifteen other states are joining the California's suit.

Good luck California.

In the meantime, back here in Kuala Lumpur, I just found out (say less than six months ago) that Langit Biru is actually an old Malay song. And I guess it would remain just a song here.

I have always like this song by Sanisah Huri. It was made popular by her in the 70s when I was growing up. I thought that, like many of her songs, this is strictly hers. But I didn't know actually it was not. Not until Klasik Nasional a couple of months ago started airing the original version by Djuita.

I love both versions, to be honest. I thought I would never be able to say that. I would always thought that the original version of any song would be THE version for me. All others, ciplak!

But not this one. Both are equally beautiful in their own right.

While I had always like the song in th 70s, I didn't know the title. Afterall, there was no love in langit biru. I would not have thought that would be the title until Klasik Nasional.

I found these two versions while I was waiting for the RC shop at Amcorp to open last Sunday. Browsing one stalls I was amazed to find one stall with literally hundreds of old songs that you would not get anywhere else.

It is a heaven on earth in as far as old music is concerned.

I, for one, am not that familiar with Djuita. Did she has many other hit songs? I am not too sure. But one thing for sure, I am impressed with the musical arrangement and the sound, eventhough it was recorded in the 50s. For sure it sounds like a decent piece unlike many of the songs churned out by our 'songstress' nowaday, which to me, was produced just to make sure that she has a new album to her name, and reap more money for the record company.

Even though I didn't plan to buy anything, in the end I bought 12 CDs and I promised myself and the seller that I would come again and buy the rests - just to make sure I have all the oldies that I love so much in my collection.

I would not have to wait for Klasik Nasional to air them for me no more.

Yeah, this is like a mimpi yang tak jaga-jaga, and please don't wake me up.

Listen to both Langit Biru version here.