# Daisy Devan > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Daisy_Devan > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Daisy_Devan.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_Devan > Source revision: 1296904282 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Daisy E. Devan** (1928-2009) was a Singaporean businesswoman and producer, called "Singapore's Mother Music".[1] She was inducted into the [Singapore Women's Hall of Fame](/source/Singapore_Women's_Hall_of_Fame) posthumously, in 2018. She was also the executive producer of the original recording of [Majulah Singapura](/source/Majulah_Singapura), Singapore's national anthem, when Singapore separated from Malaysia in 1965. ## Early life Devan was born in [Malaya](/source/Malaysia), the daughter of Indian parents.[2] ## Career Devan worked in the [rubber industry](/source/Rubber_industry_in_Malaysia) with Société des Matieres Premieres Tropicales,[3] before becoming involved in the music business.[2] She was [Artistes and Repertoire](/source/Artists_and_repertoire) Manager of [EMI](/source/EMI) in Singapore beginning in 1957.[1][4] Her discoveries included [The Quests](/source/The_Quests)[5] and [Sarena Hashim](/source/Sarena_Hashim), and she promoted the work of [Kartina Dahari](/source/Kartina_Dahari),[6] [Anita Sarawak](/source/Anita_Sarawak), Taiwanese singer [Tracy Huang](/source/Tracy_Huang), and [Sharifah Aini](/source/Sharifah_Aini).[1] She also set up Singapore's first [record-pressing](/source/Record_press) factory in Jurong, as well as several EMI retail outlets.[3] In addition to popular music, Devan recorded traditional Malaysian music in various languages and genres. In 1965, she produced the first official recording of [Singapore's national anthem](/source/Majulah_Singapura). After she retired from the music business in 1981, she and her husband ran a [health food store](/source/Health_food_store).[3] Devan was one of the founders of Singapore's Business and Professional Women’s Club.[3][7] She was a judge for *Discovery Talentime 1975*, a musical talent contest on [Radio Television Singapore](/source/Mediacorp).[8] ## Personal life and legacy Daisy Devan was married to Albert Devan. She had been a widow for sixteen years when she died at her home in [Clementi](/source/Clementi,_Singapore) in 2009, aged 81 years.[6] In 2017, a program about Devan, *When Mother Music Comes to Tea* by [Khir Johari](/source/Khir_Johari), was featured at the [Singapore International Festival of Arts](/source/Singapore_International_Festival_of_Arts). In 2018, she was posthumously inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame.[3][9] ## References 1. Johari, Khir. ["A Tribute to Singapore's Mother Music"](https://www.fom.sg/Upload/ckeditor/48.%20Passage%20Sept-Oct%202017%20FINAL.pdf) *Passage* (September/October 2017): 16. 1. ["She Leaves Her Desk to Run a Home--Then It's Time to Study"](https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19550127-1.2.189?ST=1&AT=search&k=Daisy%20Devan&QT=daisy,devan&oref=article). *The Straits Times*. 27 January 1955. p. 12. Retrieved November 7, 2020. – via NewspaperSG. 1. ["Daisy Devan"](https://www.swhf.sg/profiles/daisy-devan/). *Singapore Women's Hall of Fame*. Retrieved 2024-03-03. 1. ["Malaysia High on New Year"](https://books.google.com/books?id=rCgEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Daisy+Devan%22+Singapore&pg=PA14). *Billboard*. January 16, 1965. p. 14. 1. Chua, Henry & Toh, Christopher (3 April 2014). ["How The Quests' Shanty shaped Singapore's pop scene"](https://www.todayonline.com/entertainment/music/how-quests-shanty-shaped-singapores-pop-scene). *TODAYonline*. Retrieved 2020-11-08. 1. Thomas, Sujin (April 1, 2009). ["'Mother of Local Music' Dies at 81"](http://singaporeobituaries.blogspot.com/2009/05/ob-mother-of-local-music-dies-at-81.html). *The Straits Times*. p. B8. Retrieved November 7, 2020. 1. ["Business and Friendship are her Interests"](https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19560726-1.2.148.1?ST=1&AT=search&k=Daisy%20Devan&QT=daisy,devan&oref=article). *The Straits Times*. 26 July 1956. p. 12. Retrieved November 7, 2020. – via NewspaperSG. 1. ["Suzanna's 'Loving You' Wins the Judges' Hearts"](https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19751205-1.2.65?ST=1&AT=search&k=Daisy%20Devan&QT=daisy,devan&oref=article). *The Straits Times*. 5 December 1975. p. 10. Retrieved November 7, 2020. – via NewspaperSG. 1. Tan Tam Mei (2018-03-25). ["12 women role models inducted into Hall of Fame"](https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/12-women-role-models-inducted-into-hall-of-fame). *The Straits Times*. Retrieved 2020-11-08. ## External links - Sarena Hashim, ["EMI, Where Dreams Came True"](http://sarena-hashim.blogspot.com/2014/05/emi-where-dreams-came-true.html) *Reminiscences* (May 5, 2014). A blogpost about Devan, by one of the artists she mentored. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Daisy Devan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_Devan) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_Devan?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.