Book 'Just for the Love of It' Chronicles Penang's Popular Music Evolution from 1930s to 1960s

The book 'Just for the Love of It: Popular Music in Penang, 1930s–1960s' explores the island's musical history as a reflection of its cosmopolitan, multiethnic culture. Compiled by Augustin, founder of the Penang Island Jazz Festival, and arts advocate Lochhead, it serves as a nostalgic, nonacademic index. Illustrated with ads, newspaper cuttings, and photographs, the design replicates mid-twentieth-century aesthetics. Early sections introduce musical styles like ronggeng, a fusion of Portuguese and Malay influences from Malacca, boria from Persia, and bangsawan from Bombay, alongside the rise of the leisure industry in the early 1900s. The focus shifts to music distribution, highlighting radio stations that initially kept the Second World War at a distance, with Penang's economy booming until British desertion in December 1941 and Japanese arrival. Radio later became a tool for propaganda. Postwar years saw cinema emerge as a key music distributor, with Western popular music influencing local scenes, including Beatles-style kugiran bands, and commercialization replacing traditional forms like ronggeng with trends such as the twist and mashed potato, while boria transitioned to heritage culture. The book includes a CD and was featured in the Winter 2016 issue of ArtReview Asia, offering a lighthearted guide to Southeast Asian modernity.