Da’ KRUsader’s Manor™

Jul

Anugerah 2009 Episode 6 Review…

Categories: Anugerah 2009
Tags: Anugerah 2009, Catty, Hafizah Naser, Kunjung Whitaker, Nani Sulaiman, Nora Baharom, Sarah Aqilah

Anugerah

(Photo courtesy of Mediacorp Suria)

I’m back again with another review. Throughout the night sitting in the Mediacorp TV Theatre, I was racking my brains trying to find words to describe the show as a whole. And it dawned on me that this entry is not gonna be so lengthy as previous ones, cos I believe a lot has been said in the past, and to repeat some of the points will only make me sound like a broken record. It was interesting to see if the female contestants last night would maintain their high standards a fortnight ago or would they raise the stakes even higher or fall a notch lower due to pressure of the competition.

Anyway, it’s nice to see that there are a few blogs or sites giving their opinions on Anugerah 2009 and its contestants with every episode. I’ve always maintained that all these sites add colour with their different perspectives and approach. Though our opinions might defer, I believe all of us complement each other and I see no form of competition, in the form of ratings or popularity. This is how media should be like. Where one is perceived to lack or come up as short, and I agree my domain has its own shortcomings, the other adds a different value or dimension with their strengths. Respect and salutations are in order to all.

DSCN3349

Last night, Indra Shahrir reprised his role as last week’s guest judge along with the three resident judges. Like the previous week also, the theme for tonight was “Ikon“, of the Singaporean female version. The female contestants paid tribute to two of our living legends, Anita Sarawak and Rahimah Rahim, singing some of the hits that made these respectable divas household names even to this day. Most definitely and as cliche as it may sound, the challenge on the girls last night was to improve from the last round and prove that it was no flash in the pan. The following are the voting formats for the female contestants:

SMS to 73388: ANU Contestant Code
Telepoll: 1900-112-770_ (Last digit being contestant’s number)

Each vote via SMS or Telepoll costs $0.60 each and those with prepaid cards are not able to cast your votes. Voters who are 18 years and below should seek parental permission. This service is brought to you by MediaCorp Pte Ltd. Tel: 6877 7132.

Voting for contestants appearing in Episode 6 began on Tuesday, 7 July 2009, 8.30pm till Tuesday, 14 July 2009, 6pm. These are the following codes you should vote for this week, along with my individual reviews of their performances:

DSCN3356

HAFIZAH NASER

SMS to 73388: ANU 1 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7701

The “Queen of Wigs” or the judges’ “Cili Padi” was given the honour to open the round this time. I had half expected Kunjung to be singing Anita Sarawak’s “Seksis“, but the impetus was instead taken up by Hafizah to kick start the show. While the energy was good, her vocals did not match her power in showmanship and her nimbleness in dancing. It was another spunky performance as we know that Hafizah is capable of, but it came up short as she was chasing the tempo in certain parts of the song, resulting in her being breathless and at times, flat.

DSCN3359

SARAH AQILAH

SMS to 73388: ANU 2 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7702

After the highs of the previous round, Sarah Aqilah had earned the tag of “Power Balladeer” by the judges and she followed that up with an almost consistent performance singing Anita Sarawak’s “Bawalah Daku Pergi“. I used the words “almost consistent” because she sounded a bit suspect on the lower registers, maybe due to jitters, but she was simply perfect on the higher notes. Just that her performance last night did not radiate the same aura that she exuded two weeks ago. I agreed with the judges that she was too comfortable for her own good and needs to diversify to show her versatility.

DSCN3363

CATTY

SMS to 73388: ANU 3 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7703

Catty should be applauded for heeding the advice of the judges to try singing a song of a more upbeat tempo. She was commendably good as we know what her vocals are made of, but she was a bit hesitant to go all out with the dance moves, perhaps mindful of her vocals going off. Looking at Catty last night actually reminded me of watching Liza Hanim. There was just something about Catty, I dunno if it was the outfit, the moves, the facial expressions, the vocals or even the performance as a whole, which reminded me of the vocal powerhouse from Klang. But Catty should learn to enjoy the performance and not come off as tensed, cos that’s what she was tonight and it showed in her glum expressions at certain points.

DSCN3376

NORA

SMS to 73388: ANU 4 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7704

Nora continues to impress weekly and I for one am astounded that her vocal techniques seem to improve as she progresses. Like a graphical indicator on a chart that continues to rise. Ann Hussein told her to open up and express herself more. I dunno how singing a sappy song like Anita’s “Bisikanlah Cinta” should make her be more expressive but I do notice a certain pose which Nora is fond of doing. If Dayang Nurfaizah is fond of pointing with her index fingers whilst singing, Nora is fond of clenching her fists whilst performing on stage. That’s something which I feel could possibly be a trademark.

DSCN3383

NANI

SMS to 73388: ANU 5 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7705

During the introductory video montage prior to her performance, Nani had said that she was to sing Rahimah Rahim’s “Jika Begini“. That recorded footage was taken last Wednesday. Somehow, there was some technical complications and she only got her confirmation on singing a different song, “Bebas“, only on Saturday. It seemed something was etched at the back of her mind as she came off a little unfocused. Watching her live and then watching the tape when I got home and considering the trouble she had to go through having lesser days to practice on the song, I’d like to think that she actually did ok, but it was patchy at best. I think moving around and having to dance in those high heels also affected her vocals somewhat.

DSCN3386

KUNJUNG

SMS to 73388: ANU 6 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7706

The star of the night by a mile. The moment I heard that the theme for tonight would pay a tribute to Anita Sarawak and Rahimah Rahim, I just knew whose song she would perform, knowing what a class act she is. And seeing that she was the last contestant, it was no surprise that she was in a position to blow away the whole competition. Like Wawan, Kunjung loves taking risks in changing the style of the song that she is supposed to sing. One thing Wawan can emulate from Kunjung is to be consistent with his vocals even when he alters a song to suit his tastes. Her rendition reminded me of Farah Asyikin’s “Di Pangkuan Pilu“, slow on the off and then exploding halfway through. As polished as Kunjung is, again I must say, I am worried for her as I have seen on the Net people clamouring for a Singaporean to win the competition. Personally I feel people should just respect the rules and appreciate genuine talent when they see one. Music should afterall transcend borders and nationalities.

Group Performances:

For the first group which consisted of Hafizah, Sarah Aqilah and Catty, the standout in terms of showmanship had to be given to the former for her display of exuberance performing Rahimah’s “Gadis & Bunga“. Hafizah just packs so much energy and nimbleness in that small frame. Sarah and Catty, even though they were good vocally, somehow failed to match Hafizah’s energy since the song called for them to be a little more outgoing. Sarah and Catty need to be braver at letting themselves go when it comes to a song of a more upbeat tempo.

DSCN3402

The second group??? What can I say about their performance singing Anita’s “Antara Yang Manis“??? When you have strong vocal exponents in Nora and Kunjung in it, even Nani who was patchy earlier on, stood toe to toe with her group members in terms of showmanship, harmony and individual vocal ability. If Nani had maintained this form earlier on, who is to say she doesn’t deserve a spot in the semi-finals??? This was easily the best group performance throughout the competition so far and only enhanced Nora and Kunjung’s reputation, while redeeming Nani’s as well. Another thing that grabbed the attention of the people around me during the performance was Kunjung’s posture at the end of the item.

Summary

As much as Indra Shahrir tried to neutralise the impact made by the young ladies as compared to the young men and said it was 50-50 to him, I’m sure most of us would agree that the female contestants still maintained their grip as the better performers amongst the genders. Though my hairs did not stand as in the previous round and I always use it to gauge how well I’m blown away by any performance, Kunjung came close to making me experience that in her solo segment. She is definitely in a league of her own and I hope that people would look beyond trivial barriers like nationalities to crown the champion. Remember the onus is on you to choose who is best suited to represent us in future and I don’t mean just by performing in annual Salam Lebarans.

DSCN3405

From the previous weeks’ group performances, there were signs that we were seeing better coordination, synergy and team work between the contestants as the weeks progressed. As harsh as most of us were with regards to their performances as a group, we should all at least try to understand that these young upstarts are no professionals. They are not even at the stage where they can say they are learning to walk. However, in terms of effort and wanting to learn, you can see that they do listen to the judges’ comments and try to apply them in their following performances.

DSCN3406

One thing I’m thankful enough to be given the opportunity to cover the weekly shows is for me to get to know some of the contestants and learn a bit on what they do between one show to another. And learning dance steps, being aware of formations, having to sing and even having to do little skits during their performances in the space of a few days is no easy matter. Which is why there is a difference in the way I review this season’s Anugerah as compared to the previous one, in that I’ve observed and learnt without being too critical as before.

DSCN3407

Next week we will learn which of the top 2 male and female contestants get a shoo-in into the semi-finals. We would also learn which of the six eliminated so far in the Top 20 would get a chance to redeem themselves in the Wildcard Round to be scheduled in a fortnight’s time and earn the last two spots in the semi-finals. Till then, keep those votes coming in for the ladies…

Jul

Be True To Yourselves…

By Pujangga Malam™ 2 Comments

Categories: Uncategorized

Nowadays when I’m very much caught up with the Anugerah 2009 season, the only entry I would make would be my weekly reviews. And then I’m back to my own hibernation mode again before reappearing again the following week. From initially being a personal blog, this domain has slowly evolved into an entertainment one. Which gives you an idea why I seldom update this blog unless I really have something to talk about, review or revisit again.

I like honesty in people, the kind that they are true to themselves. It’s a trait that easily draws me closer to a person, even if honesty can sometimes bring a lot of extra baggage, which can be excruciatingly painful cos the truth would hurt. Likewise honesty draws me closer to an artiste and makes me appreciate him or her as a person and someone who strives hard in their respective crafts. As cliche as it may sound, “Honesty is the best policy“. If you are otherwise, one fine day, the beans will be spilled and perhaps there would be of no use crying over spilt milk.

Which is why I hope that up-and-coming artistes like our new batch of Anugerah contestants as well as those that are already established, would succeed without having any skeletons in the closet or deceive the fans through cunning ability spinning yarns after yarns of crap. One can put up a false front in front of the public, pull the wool over the eyes of the legions of fans, but shit catches up with the bull eventually since the latter needs to defecate afterall. In other words, one can only go so far with bullshit but life has a way of revealing dirty little secrets through time and when one least expects it.

When one is under contract, please jolly well honour it even if unhappiness creeps in, due to creative differences or any other niggly problems. The English dictionary did not give meanings to words like “negotiate”, “discuss”, “sort out” and ”compromise” amongst others, to add sugar and spice nor be space fillers in its pages. In fact whatever visions and creative elements that come into play should be put forward before signing on the dotted line. If one cannot come to a decision early on, with regards to the shaping of destiny and vision, then there is no point signing on and tearing the contract up halfway down the road when feeling that the creative juices have been stifled.

Maybe one can lay claim that their visions have altered somewhere along the way or that things are not working out as it should be, but attitude, responsibility and maturity comes into play when there is a problem and facing them head-on. It is most definitely unethical announcing the words “I Quit” without first nipping things in the bud or at the very least air whatever grievances so some compromise could be exercised. By keeping quiet, others would think your wavelengths and theirs run parallel to one another. Plus one just does not walk out on a legal-binding contract thinking it’s a piece of worthless thrash. Mind you, this thrash could land a person in trouble big time and effectively kill whatever dreams they have of making it big. In any industry or working life out there, any breach of contract is liable to some form of penalty and in turn reflecting on one’s responsibility or lack thereof.

As it is our local Malay music industry is a small one, too small for one’s liking. We have different forms of media competing with one another for sales and ratings when they should be complementing with one another. Heck we only have two radio stations of which only one can proudly lay claim to playing the latest hits. The market is small, the consumers are few and most are still generally sceptical on the quality of our artistes. This is the sad fact and reality of our local Malay music industry. Such is the state of the industry, that one should not complain about not getting enough shows and promotions on a regular basis. Be aware of what is going on around us and be realistic over what is happening in our small industry. Too much exposure could be detrimental as well.

A management can only do so much in terms of promotions, interviews, photoshoots, making sure their artistes remain in the higher echelons of the popularity charts and getting shows here. If one is not confident of the market here, discuss with the management about spreading wings and flying elsewhere to try and blossom, building up a tactical strategy with their knowledge on the ground. Be humble and most definitely, be patient. Not expect instant rewards and recognition with every single composition released. Like how Rome wasn’t built in a day, do not expect money to fall from trees with the snap of the fingers. Some take months to succeed, others years while the rest ended up switching careers. There should be a lot of realistic thinking and homework done before diving in.

In any industry or working environment, no management would want their artistes to crash and burn. Neither would they want to milk their subordinates for all they are worth and run away with the loot cos they know they will have to face the legal music if it happens. All decent management out there would want their artistes to succeed and create a name for themselves after much investment. Wouldn’t it reflect badly on their reputation and stand as well if things were to go awry??? Whatever plans the management have, it is definitely done with calculated measures, especially if the management has years of experience in the industry to know what they are doing. Everyone wants to make money but most of them think money can drop from the sky anytime.

If one has 2000-odd members signing up to be a fan in the respective fan pages, do not expect all 2000-odd to come to every show and performance. Do not complain quietly that you only see the same 20-odd faces at every show. Why Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza is a shining beacon to follow is that she never says a bad thing about her loyal legion of fans. The entertainment line is a business, an intricate one but normally not that difficult to understand. Be thankful the same set of followers are still willing to support, scream your name, buy you gifts even, every time you go up on stage. Not everyone is free or have the means to follow their favourite artistes around all the time. Likewise not everyone who clicks to be a fan is a genuine one. Most click on them out of invitational courtesy, some to increase their network, while others just thinks it’s cool to be associated with an artiste. The day the genuine and loyal fans ditch their favourite artistes, would be the saddest day of their lives cos their worth has just become less.

Be thankful that there will always be an ever caring and protective arm around your shoulder, shielding you away from any possible backlash from your own fans or the community, when the paparazzis come a-calling, catching you in the act with your pants down. Cos too many of our local acts think they can get away with misdemeanours done mostly with the opposite sex or through various forms of intoxications. We are afterall, living in a society that is still conservative and sensitive. Being in the public eye, one should know better than to do things that could jeopardise their growing reputation as an established brand in the industry.

This entry, even though it looks as though I’m dissing someone or some people, it has to be said that it is also a reminder I want to share with all local artistes out there because I want to see our small industry succeed, without having to go through nasty episodes, which would eventually lead to a lot of unhappiness and ostracising. Everything that is to be done should be from the heart, laced with integrity and filled with unbridled honesty. That’s how one achieves blessed sustenance in any work or endeavour that we put our will into. I am very sure that most of our local acts are true to themselves and honest in their approach to their craft. For that, I will always continue to support our industry, no matter how much we seem to lack in several areas of professionalism.

Jul

Anugerah 2009 Episode 5 Review…

By Pujangga Malam™ 9 Comments

Categories: Anugerah 2009
Tags: Anugerah 2009, Asila Osmera, Azhar Raz, Catty, Chirul, Hafizah Naser, Hairani Hassan, Hydir Idris, Kamsani Jumahat, Kunjung Withaker, Nani Sulaiman, Nora Baharom, Sarah Aqilah, Sein Ahmad, Wawan

Anugerah

(Photo courtesy of Anugerah 2009’s Official Website)

Finally I get the chance to review the previous day’s episode. Apologies if some of you had entered this domain only to find that I have not updated it with my thought’s on the programme. Before I move on, I would just like to take this opportunity to apologise to the people around me on Tuesday night for not switching off my handphone, cos I totally forgot that it was not on silent mode. It was a bit embarrassing really, especially when you’re seated at the front row. I’ll make sure the same thing won’t happen again the next time.

DSCN3277

The show continued its ode to Singaporean artistes by honouring the likes of Ramli Sarip, Jatt Ali and Othman Hamzah in the “Ikon” theme set for this week and the next, when the young ladies take centrestage again. I think one of the positive aspects of this year’s reality show is that there is that push to include more local songs into the mix and for that I applaud Mediacorp Suria for taking such a stand. By honouring these evergreen songs in these two weeks, it gives the younger generation the opportunity to learn what their parents had listened to back in their heydays.

DSCN3274

The resident jury of Eddy Ali, Ann Hussein and Gani Karim were joined by guest judge Indra Sharir, no stranger at all to our local music scene. I like his commenting style, meticulous and rather serious. Whenever he commented, it felt as though you could hear a pin drop. Such was the silent intensity the auditorium felt whenever he opened his mouth to speak. Surprisingly so far, I have nothing gravely negative to comment about judge Eddy Ali as in years past, cos I tend to agree with most of his comments on the contestants.

DSCN3275

I think the only complaint, or plea for that matter, that I want to make, cos I know they are gonna read this, is for the contestants to inform their sets of supporters to be more cultured when they are in the auditorium. I saw a great improvement from the last time the male contestants took centrestage, whereby their rowdy and boisterous supporters could not keep their mouths shut even when the hosts were talking or when the judges were giving their opinions.

DSCN3296

Yesterday, we did not experience any wisecracks or unwanted comments from them. However, one incident left a sour taste in the mouth. During one of the transmission breaks, some of the female contestants made their way to the washrooms. Some of these heavily-induced testosterone jerks took the opportunity to race down from their seats to the walking gallery and screamed the girls’ names right in front of their faces. Such gentlemanly act, don’t you think??? Idiots!!!

DSCN3294

The ones who qualified to the next round…

The first quarter of the show however had the spotlights on the young ladies who performed last week. It was one that I think most people dreaded to know, me included, cos all of them were great last week and set the bar for the whole competition. I’m sure it would be gut wrenching for the two eliminated cos they certainly do not deserve to go out. But a competition no matter how intense or mild it is, is still a competition. And results sometimes are too ruthless to digest. C’est la vie mademoiselles!!!

DSCN3281

Yanie looked forlorn even before the results were announced…

The first to be eliminated was Yanie. I wasn’t too pleased about it, neither was Ms. Manager who was seated to my right covering for Gumbira.com, cos both of us like Yanie’s tone and uniqueness in bringing a song in her own original style. However, at the same time, I wasn’t too surprised since the judges did not give her good reviews last week, particularly Ann Hussein, who seemed as though she had an axe to grind with Yanie, if you had watched last week’s episode.

DSCN3282

Asila too looked grim…

As for Asila, when it came down to her or Kunjung, it was no surprise that she would go, since the judges were so into the latter’s performance last week. Also, even though I said Asila did well last week, on hindsight when I watched the repeat telecast last Friday night, she did come across as pitchy in quite a few areas so in that respect it was inevitable. Coupled with the fact that both Asila and Yanie were in the bottom two (consolidated rankings based on judges’ scores and sms votes) when they performed in Episode 1, it was hardly surprising that fanbase also played a part in their elimination.

DSCN3284

Nani was all smiles knowing she emerged first in the rankings…

Before I delve into the gentlemen’s performances, the following are the voting formats for the contestants:

SMS to 73388: ANU Contestant Code
Telepoll: 1900-112-770_ (Last digit being contestant’s number)

Voting for contestants appearing in Episode 5 began on Tuesday, 30 June 2009, 8.30pm till Tuesday, 7 July 2009, 6pm. These are the following codes you should vote for this week, along with my individual reviews of their performances:

DSCN3299

Azhar Raz

SMS to 73388: ANU 1 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7701

Azhar sang Black Dog Bone’s “Andai” in his own style, which at times reminded me of Anugerah 2001 winner Rudy Djoharnaen, in the way he expressed his emotions while singing the song. Week in and out, Azhar never fails to impress with his immaculate voice control. He has an extremely polished technique that I would definitely loathe not to see him grace the Grand Finals on 11th August 2009. His downside is perhaps his looks, which could be a major factor when it comes to voting by viewers out there who I could see are more into Hydir and Sein. Like Catty, he needs to sing a song of faster tempo to challenge his vocals and performances. Ballads are becoming chicken feed for him.

DSCN3308

Kamsani Jumahat

SMS to 73388: ANU 2 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7702

During the start of the show when they did the initial introductions on the contestants, there was only one person I was reminded of when I looked at Sani. Yes people, his whole get up reminded me of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The late singer’s wardrobe used to have similar-styled outfits like what Sani wore last night. But if his performance and dance moves to Othman Hamzah’s “Gadis Melayu” were anything to go by, I am still seeing Hyrul Anuar in Sani, but slightly more hyper. Sani did well to conquer the whole stage, his last performance where the judges commented on him not doing that, was definitely taken to consideration and applied. Though I liked the prancing around and crowd interaction, his vocals suffered as he was left breathless and found wanting. It doesn’t help that at certain points, most notable when he had to reach the high notes, his nasal voice was clear for all to hear.

DSCN3310

Chirul

SMS to 73388: ANU 3 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7703

Chirul was at best, mediocre in the last round, and it was there for all to see with his lacklustre showing, which did not do justice to Fauzie Laily’s “Selalu“. But he was a different creature last night, a more confident and cool performance which I know he is capable of. However, it was slightly spoilt when he played to the crowd by breaking into a short dance move ala Taufik Batisah after singing the first few lines. A song like Ramli Sarip’s “Bukan Kerna Nama” should be more melancholic, but not too stoic. He needs to inject a little bit of seriousness to the kind of songs he sings in future if he wants people to take him seriously. While he did much better than the previous round, he still fell slightly short and sounded too casual at certain points.

DSCN3315

Wawan

SMS to 73388: ANU 4 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7704

By now, rearranging the songs that he is supposed to sing has become a regular fixture in his repertoire. There are two ways to look at this trait in Wawan. First off, he will be a decent composer in time to come when he has all the time to compose songs. But right now, he has to remember that his vocals are under scrutiny. If in future he composes his own song to his tastes, then so be it. But when he sings somebody else’s compositions, he has to follow the standards set by the original composer, even if he rearranged it to his style and is required to sound more original than the original. He came off a wee bit short on the lower registers. I cannot fault him on the high notes though, as well as the intense facial expressions when singing Jatt’s “Merpati Putih“, cos he put an incredible amount of emotions into the song.

DSCN3324

Hydir

SMS to 73388: ANU 5 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7705

The crowd favourite sang Sweet Charity’s “Teratai” with so much intensity on his face, that I felt at times he seemed to be overdoing it. Even when the judges were speaking to him, he had with him a mixture of confused, “blur” and surprised look, the kind which is becoming a source of irritation for yours truly watching him weekly. Hey, I don’t deny the fact that amongst all the guys, he has the most promise, potential and marketing ability to win this competition, but he would do well to tone it down lest others might think that he’s acting cute, when he already is to the swooning young ladies out there. His vocals I felt were on par as the previous round, a surprise really to hear the judges saying he fell a notch lower this time. He is another one who needs to challenge himself by singing a song of a more upbeat tempo to show his versatility.

DSCN3327

Sein

SMS to 73388: ANU 6 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7706

Being the last one standing amongst the veterans of this competition, I expected more from Sein, because he impressed me the most in the audition rounds amongst the likes of Ize, Izam and Harman. Right now, he is playing with fire and I for one am thinking he is being extremely gullible to the fact that he has only his looks to bank on and his fans to save him from elimination. Bearing in mind only the top two will progress to the semi-final rounds, he needs a very strong fan support to help him progress cos I’m very sure the judges were not at all pleased with his performance. Other than forgetting his lyrics and doing the unnecessary moves towards the end of singing Sweet Charity’s “Zakiah” (which was sung in the same arrangement as Jinbara’s version), there was nothing outstanding about Sein’s performance other than the word “Elimination” staring right back at him. In such a critical stage like this, the small mistakes are magnified, especially when the rest have set a certain amount of standard to follow.

Group Performance:

Group 1 consisting of Azhar, Kamsani and Chirul sang Black Dog Bone’s “Anekaragam“. Their performance showed how they were enjoying themselves on stage. Azhar impressed as usual with his vocals, Chirul with his theatrics and Sani with his dance moves. Harmony-wise I thought they were better than the second group. Watching the three of them reminded me of P. Ramlee, S. Samsudin and Aziz Sattar in Bujang Lapok. They had the crowd in stitches with their antics.

DSCN3344

Wawan, Hydir and Sein in Group 2 sang Sweet Charity’s “Jangan Lama-Lama“. Surprisingly, Sein was a standout, atoning his previous debacle in the solo segment. He should have been at this level much earlier. Hydir was the most hyper of the three while Wawan was finding it difficult to keep up with his colleagues both in steps and vocals. Harmony was patchy at best with Sein’s voice the one that I could hear because he was the one with the highest key of the three. Not a good gauge of their performance as a whole in my opinion.

DSCN3345

After the euphoria and hair-raising experience I felt last week with the female contestants, this week’s episode left me somewhat a notch disappointed even though I know the difference in standards between the guys and the ladies is a bit too glaring and should not be compared. So far, only Azhar and Hydir have shown us that they are capable of carrying the flag for the males, but the rest need to buck up a hell lot if they want to progress further. Something new happened in this episode and with the number of contestants dwindling down to just six, they were given the opportunity to speak to the audience prior to singing. Which is good, cos it would give them a good grounding when they appear in public in future to interact with the audience.

DSCN3346

The ladies finalising their songs for next week…

Also, after a month of watching them performing in groups, I tend to agree with my friend IzaRR from Izone.sg that the segment seems to be more a filler and source of entertainment, rather than being in a competition. Cos to repeat what he had pointed out in his own Anugerah 2009 review, most of the performances so far have been amateurish, with little teamwork and harmony, with everyone vying to be the most dominant voice, perhaps to impress the judges and voters at home. Perhaps retaining just the solo segments with the contestants singing the whole song, would give us a fairer amount of opportunity to judge their respective potential cos afterall Suria is gonna crown a solo winner and not a boyband or girlgroup.

DSCN3348

Thank you all once again for the beautifully recorded piece…

It was a pleasure meeting the contestants after the show ended and I really felt honoured for the fact that they were all game enough to record that short clip I put up in the previous entry, even though it was clear on their faces that they had had a long day. For that I thank them and to Netty for helping me initiate the gesture. Also to Zuraidah for being a very gracious host. Till the next week…

Jun

A Message For You By The Anugerettes…

By Pujangga Malam™ Leave a Comment

Categories: Anugerah 2009
Tags: Anugerah 2009

Ok I have to apologise if my Anugerah Episode 5 Review is put on hold and not uploaded on the same night as what I have been doing for the past few weeks. I will upload it by this Thursday latest as I am quite occupied with stuff at work and at home. Hopefully you’ll understand, but before I end this short entry I would love to take this opportunity to thank the Top 12 Anugerettes once again for this message that they have for you dear visitors of this domain:

Jun

Anugerah 2009 Episode 4 Review…

By Pujangga Malam™ 6 Comments

Categories: Anugerah 2009

I’ve just returned from Mediacorp’s TV Theatre and I must say my hairs are still standing from what I’ve seen and heard so far this evening. The night was a far cry from last week where all the male contestants could be judged according to their various flaws and strengths but tonight, whatever flaws there were on display, it was quite difficult to detect unless one is really analytical and diligent enough to watch the taped programme again or very experienced in this industry.

For those who religiously follow this reality show, I’m sure you would agree with me that tonight, the ladies did much, much better than their male counterparts, so much so that I’m finding it tough to predict who would remain and who would be unfortunate enough to be eliminated. Even the judges admitted towards the end of the programme that they would be having a difficult time to tabulate the results and giving the scores to the respective young ladies.

DSCN3198

Continuing from last week’s theme of “Rentak Kita“, the female contestants tonight sang songs by mostly female Singaporean artistes, save for Hafizah Naser who sang Fuad Rahman’s cover of “Bila Rindu“, but even then, that song is a duet with Mira. For those who have been crying out for female talents to come forward, tonight was a good night to immerse yourselves on the songs sung by our local female artistes. Thank you Suria for giving our female artistes due recognition by having the contestants sing their songs.

Personally I felt that overall, besides the performances, the night was a great one for me and the majority in the audience. I must put it on record that I salute and thank all the supporters of the female contestants for not repeating what we experienced last week with some of the rowdy and boisterous supporters of their male counterparts, which I had mentioned in the previous entry. If only future weeks will be this good. We can hope but it’s all up to them in the end.

DSCN3199

I know this particular paragraph is very much irrelevant to this review, but another reason why I said it was a good night for me was also because I met my old schoolmates in secondary school, Shikin, and her brother Rizal after the show. They happen to be Nora Baharom’s elder siblings and it has been 15 long years since I last met them. I still remember Rizal who was so scrawny back then and now he’s already a father of two. God how time flies. Anyway Nora was also an ex-student of Beatty Secondary School like us, but she entered about four years after I graduated, so I didn’t know her like I knew her elder siblings.

The judging panel remained the same as last week, which meant the guest judge, Mr. Hassan Salleh, was given the opportunity to balance his comments for the boys last week, with the girls this week. His comments are short, concise and to the points with no frills. Gani??? Well I think I’ve said enough about him last week. Suria needs to find a better judge with a better command of Malay on their judging panel in future. This week was no different and no better.

DSCN3205

Awaiting their respective fates…

And so, let’s touch on the two eliminated male contestants tonight. Ize Suliman and Izam ended their journeys tonight, period, as there might be a slim chance for them to return in the Wildcard rounds. Ize’s elimination wasn’t a surprise to me and I had expected him and Sein to be eliminated based on their performances alone last week. However, Sein has his fanbase to thank for and Ize lost out due to perhaps not having the former’s rub of green. Which was what I had mentioned last week when I commented on Ize in that he was in danger of elimination unless his fans have their way.

DSCN3219

The looks on their faces summed it up for them…

Izam I felt was a tad unlucky. Compared to Chirul and Sein who were toying with their luck, I thought he did nothing much wrong last week. Even when I watched the repeat show on Friday night, I felt Izam has one of the clearest voices and tones amongst the male contestants. Again the fanbase factor could have been a probable unkind factor to him. If looks are the basis of supporting your favourites, then I think we can just make Sein and Hydir the finalists already. Be smart voters, be smart!!!

DSCN3222

Relief written on their faces…

Anyway did anybody notice Fauzie Laily’s slightly nasal voice or even his pale outlook??? Yes, the young man has not been feeling well for the past week and I felt he should be given recognition for having the courage and professionalism to carry on with the show. My utmost salute to you bro for a job well done in your current state. You even provided comic relief by mispronouncing the female contestants’ names, which literally brought the house down.

DSCN3220

Before I dissect the ladies’ performances, the following are the voting formats for the contestants:

SMS to 73388: ANU Contestant Code
Telepoll: 1900-112-770_ (Last digit being contestant’s number)

Voting for contestants appearing in Episode 4 began on Tuesday, 23 June 2009, 8.30pm till Tuesday, 30 June 2009, 6pm. These are the following codes you should vote for this week, along with my individual reviews of their performances:

DSCN3256

NORA BAHAROM

SMS to 73388: ANU 1 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7701

How ironical this week when the first contestant in the previous round (Sarah Aqilah) ended up playing musical chairs with the last contestant in that round (Nora) this week. It was interesting to see how both would fare tonight since the pressure of being first and last is quite different. Whilst Sarah did very well in the last round being the first contestant, Nora set the benchmark for the night with a controlled display of Azyza’s “Pengharapan Ini“. So much so that my hairs stood for the first time tonight.

DSCN3223

Her only downside in my opinion is that she tends not to smile as much as we all would like her to. Nora has the most natural beauty amongst the female contestants and she would do well to enhance it by smiling more. An sms from a viewer called upon ex-Beattrites (that’s what Beatty Secondary School students are called) to vote for Nora and I am very much inclined to do that after seeing her backing up her good looks with a good performance worthy of advancing to the next round.

DSCN3267

HAIRANI HASSAN (YANIE)

SMS to 73388: ANU 2 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7702

A lot has been said about Yanie over the past fortnight in online scribes and the public sms system, with regards to the uncanny resemblance in name with Hariani Hassan Bakri, another Anugerah alumnus. I wonder if people ever bothered to do their homework before shooting their mouths off or having short memories as to whether the two of them actually looked alike or not. Even their styles of singing are very much different with the more experienced Hariani more polished especially when singing traditional tunes.

DSCN3226

Yanie sang Nurun Nuwarrah’s haunting hit “Kau Ingin Ku Miliki“. While the fast tempos in the song was a bit challenging to her, especially when it came to stealing inhales of air, I thought she did the song some justice by singing it in her own style. I especially loved the end bits when she gave them a more R&B feel as compared to the original’s more straightforward style. She could do well to inject a bit of feel and emotions to the song to land more credence.

ASILA OSMERA

SMS to 73388: ANU 3 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7703

DSCN3233

Asila reminds me of Ning Baizura at certain angles or my eyes could be playing tricks on me. But there’s no resemblance whatsoever to the Malaysian songbird in terms of vocal prowess. While Asila did not impress me much in the previous round, she was a different package altogether tonight. She even captured my attention singing Eka Mairina’s “Sesungguhnya Cinta” with nonchalance and ease, pulling off the high notes as though she was snapping her fingers. She was another who made my hairs stood tonight.

DSCN3269

HAFIZAH NASER

SMS to 73388: ANU 4 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7704

I did say a fortnight ago that I preferred Hafizah with long hair as she looks more like a doll that way. I think inadvertently she heard my pleas so it was back to wearing a wig tonight and how the audience too loved it as I could hear the people around me saying how adorable she looked, especially since she is the shortest amongst the girls. Her sense of style tonight reminded me of Avril Lavigne – spunky and feisty. No wonder the judges labeled her a “Cili Padi“.

DSCN3237

During the introductory video montage, she said that her favourite local singer is Fuad Rahman. Naturally she chose to sing Fuad’s hit duet with Mira entitled “Bila Rindu“, a cover from an original Indonesian song sung by Inka Christie (correct me if I’m wrong please). She started off well actually but when it came to the high notes, she suddenly sounded a bit suspect. She has to have better control of high notes as she also did not come across as confident in the previous round when it came to hitting them.

SURIANI SULAIMAN (NANI)

SMS to 73388: ANU 5 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7705

DSCN3240

Nani was a big surprise in my opinion. Right from the audition rounds, I thought she only has her seductive looks to help sway the votes in her direction, but lo was I made to eat humble pie tonight!!! She sang Nurun Nuwarrah’s “Bila Kasih Menyepi” from the official soundtrack of “Jeritan Sepi 3” with aplomb. I could not detect much wrong other than the fact that she played it safe by sticking to the same style as Nurun and going slightly pitchy towards the end. Even then, one cannot detect unless you listen to it again.

KHATIJAH ABDUL RAHMAN (CATTY)

SMS to 73388: ANU 6 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7706

DSCN3245

Catty just goes from strength to strength with each episode that I feel she’s getting too comfortable in her zone sometimes. Like what judge Eddy commented, this is her forte and strength. It would do her a world of good if she breaks away from that zone and sing a song of a faster tempo. That way, we can then get a better gauge of how she is as a singer, whether she can be versatile or not. Catty by the way, sang Eka Mairina’s “Cipta Kasih“.

KUNJUNG WIDE WHITAKER

SMS to 73388: ANU 7 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7707

Kunjung continued where she left off in the previous round and that was by showing the masses how an entertainer controls the stage with excellent showmanship. When I look at her, I am reminded of how Anita Sarawak performs on stage. Kunjung made Salma’s alternative-rock song “Irama Rindu” into a laidback, cabaret-styled piece. It was risky but one that definitely paid off in the end. The only thing that could be a downside is her wavy or shivering voice, whichever way you look at it. There is also the fact that there could be a possible conspiracy theory cooking up with regards to the public wanting a pure Singaporean to win this competition.

DSCN3273

NUR SARAH AQILAH

SMS to 73388: ANU 8 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7708

Sarah rounded off the night by keeping my hairs firmly standing with an immaculate performance of Nana’s “Lafaz“. It was slightly shaky at the start if one was able to notice, perhaps due to jitters, but she grew as the song went on. She nailed it on the head when she pulled off the high notes in the chorus, earning the tag as “Best Performer of the Night” by the judges. I stop short of giving her that tag as I felt that at least four or five of them deserved to share that award together tonight.

GROUP PERFORMANCES:

As for the group performances, Group 1 which consisted of Nora, Yanie, Asila and Hafizah sang Maiya Rahman’s “Nongkrong” while Group 2 which had Nani, Catty, Kunjung and Sarah in it sang Norazela Rosli’s “Bisanya Amnesia“. In Group 1, Nora caught the eye, continuing where she left off and being extremely confident with her dance steps. Hafizah was a standout, especially since she forgot her steps, but she made up for it with her vocals. The group was good in harmony as well.

Group 2 had arguably the better vocal powerhouses in Catty, Kunjung and Sarah. Somehow their performance was a bit short in my opinion. Sarah forgot her lyrics while their group harmonising went a bit off, perhaps each one wanting to show off her vocal strengths to impress the voters. Trust me, this isn’t new as I have seen more experienced singers than what we saw tonight, fighting it out while sharing the same stage, wanting to be the more dominant voice.

DSCN3265

You know after tonight, it gives me great pleasure to inform you that our country is not short of female talents. They have, all these while, been crying out for your support and tonight I thank all eight young ladies for proving that there is no dearth of female talents in our small industry with their performances. They proved that they are so much stronger than the guys, who we can see the good ones and who are mediocre. But the young ladies are different, all of them were good and deserve to go to the next round.

Given a choice, I would just crown the most deserving female as our Anugerah 2009 winner, bearing in mind someone like Hydir or Azhar Raz have what it takes to succeed as well. I think as of tonight, the guys have to up their ante ten-fold if they want to achieve something from this competition. Your votes would be a lot meaningful to each and every contestant competing in Anugerah 2009. Remember to vote smartly and wisely!!!

Jun

Anugerah 2009 Episode 3 Review…

By Pujangga Malam™ 11 Comments

Categories: Anugerah 2009
Tags: Anugerah 2009

I just got home from Mediacorp TV Theatre, my virgin experience sitting in a live Anugerah televised event and this was all thanks to the kind invitation from Mediacorp Suria. I must say it was an experience that made me feel bittersweet. The sweet part was seeing the competition live as compared to watching it on television and taking in the atmosphere. The bitter part was having to listen to the incessant wisecracks coming from uncivilised people in the audience who could not shut their mouths when they were supposed to.

Look, nobody is preventing you from shouting yourselves hoarse for your favourite contestants, but when the hosts were presenting or when the panel of judges were giving their views, you jolly well shut your bloody gaps instead of drowning the atmosphere with your cacophony. Too many people, especially from the Sein Ahmad and Azhar Raz camps, had too much to say, too many unneccessary things to voice out. I’m sure some of this uncalled-for quips could be heard by the viewers at home. Let me put this nicely to you in Malay: “JANGAN MALUKAN BANGSA DENGAN PERANGAI KORANG YANG TAK BERTAMADUN!!!” Really, in this age of modernisation, some people dunno when to be rowdy and when to respect watching a live show.

DSCN3163

Zaibaktian being interviewed by Dyn Norahim, Warna 94.2FM deejay who was the pre-show host…

Back to the show, this week and next week, the contestants sang and will sing songs from Singaporean artistes from 2005 onwards. This is the reason why the theme for both weeks will be “Rentak Kita” as per mentioned in my last entry. Joining the resident panel of judges who need no introduction by now was RIA 89.7FM’s Programme Director, Mr. Hassan Salleh. The show was graced by the presence of local artistes sitting in the front row like Zaibaktian, Elfee R. Ismail, Aliff Aziz, Syarif (Sleeq), Didicazli, Syed Azmir and Ross Revalina amongst others, while the second row was made up of the female contestants “taking a break” this week.

Rewind back to what happened last week where it was a mad rush seeing all twenty contestants performing, I was eager to see how the boys perform today and given the opportunity to sing slightly longer than the previous week, which to me wasn’t such a good gauge as they only had 30 seconds at best. To me, a better gauge would be singing half a song. That’s where you can clearly capture their emotions to the songs they sing and get a better idea on how they execute the songs. I hope in future rounds they would get to sing a bit longer.

DSCN3195

Stylish or too girly??? You be the judge…

Before I say more, I just wanna voice my displeasure at how the boys are being styled. Actually I wanted to say this last week but did not do so as I thought it was a one-off. But when I saw it again just now, I can’t help but have to bring it up in this entry. While the military get-up looked slick on the boys, the make-up on their faces somehow made them looked more feminine than they should. Male contestants do not have to put too much make up on their faces. A little powder would do. What we have been seeing for the past two weeks is that they had a thick wad of powder on their faces and lip gloss that really showed as though they had put on lipstick as well. I would expect the ladies to be all made-up but the guys??? C’mon, I’m sure we don’t want them to look like those at Changi Village do we???

Another thing I did not feel comfortable watching was the dance choreography when the contestants performed as a group in the last segment of the show. The dance steps came across too girly for my liking. For the benefit of doubt, I would perhaps point to the fact that the boys are not natural dancers to know whether their steps made them look more girly or not. Perhaps also, they were too mindful of their coordination and having to sing at the same time that made them looked more graceful than they should. I dunno, I just felt my eyes were feeling a bit sore from watching them dance. Can we have more manly steps in future, Mr. Eddy???

DSCN3196

Ok this review is turning into a review of complaints. I guess I will finish my round of complaints by saying Gani Karim and Ann Hussein need to brush up on their Malay. While Ann’s vocabulary is limited (she doesn’t have much to say really), Gani seemed more at ease expressing his views in English. When he realised he had to express it in Malay, he jumbled the words up and at times made the audience laugh. Even Eddy Ali was seen grinning away at how Gani was finding it difficult to voice out his opinions. Ann also seems to stray away from her standing as vocal coach, preferring to comment on how handsome a particular contestant she likes looks, rather than how they performed vocally.

DSCN3174

But for all the negativities, one point I need to highlight is that I saw a complete turnaround from last week’s excitement by the hosts to the point they were competing with each other for who would trip on their words the most. There was none of those just now and all I saw was an extremely confident and polished performance by both hosts. And I hope they would maintain that level of confidence as the weeks progress. A strong host anchoring a big event like this is needed to carry the show forward even if the spotlight is on the contestants. Like I told Fauzie afterwards, he did great and it showed.

Finally my thoughts on each contestant tonight:

DSCN3175

Kamsani Jumahat – He sang Merah’s “Cintaku“. The song has that rockish edge to it. The boy was also dressed for the occasion. Sadly, there was nothing rockish about the performance even though it was a confident one. He did nothing wrong vocal-wise, but lacked the charisma to carry it off. Could do well to make use of the space on stage to strut around and give facial expressions which best befit how a rock song is performed.

DSCN3177

Ize Suliman – He sang a song penned by local songwriter Jaliboy called “Kau Bintangku“. It doesn’t take a professional vocal coach or musician to detect that Ize was unsure at the start, lagging behind the tempo of the song. But to his credit he eventually regained his composure and did the song some justice. However, he lacked crowd interaction and feel. In danger of elimination unless his fans save him via their smses.

DSCN3179

Wawan – This was the guy who was the best male contestant last week as shown in the charts, which meant he got to choose his group members in the group segment. From my observations of this boy, he is fond of tweaking the songs he is supposed to sing and rearranging the song to suit his taste. Last week I said I tend to hate the songs he sings, but this week, I take back my words and say his rendition of Rauzan’s “Kasih Mengapa” was beautifully done. A pity however, his vocals fell short and was a bit pitchy towards the end. I just hope it is not a sign of complacency on his part.

DSCN3182

Azhar Raz – He continues to put in an almost flawless performance this week. When it comes to nailing a song with the snap of the fingers, you can always count on Azhar to pull it off, especially when the song is as difficult as Iskandar Ismail’s “Adakah Mungkin“. The potrayal of emotions to the song is evident for all to see, but in terms of crowd interaction, he still needs to improve. A pity however that his set of fans seem to spoil it all with their wisecracks and constant bellowing from where they were. He was the best up to this point.

DSCN3183

Chirul – He made Fauzie Laily an extremely happy person for singing his song “Selalu“. But Chirul did not make the judges and this person reviewing, happy persons watching his performance. Seeing him from the audition rounds, we know he has lots of potential and in the words of Gani Karim, he has the most manly voice amongst the male contestants. His performance just now was patchy to say the least and he went flat several times towards the end. There should be a consistency to his performance if he wants to progress further.

DSCN3187

Izam – I noticed that Izam loves to sing songs of a rockish nature. Nothing wrong with that actually cos that’s where his strengths lie and what his voice is suited to singing. I think he listened to the comments made by the judges on Kamsani and used them to his advantage when singing Merah’s “Andai“. Cos what we all saw was a confident performance complete with playing with the microphone stand and strutting all over the stage. Even though the showmanship was good, vocal-wise he seems to lack the cutting edge of a rocker. He also did not exude the aura of a champion.

DSCN3190

Sein Ahmad – One of the crowd favourites solely for his looks, he needs his fanbase to up their ante on their sms-es if they want him to emerge as champion. He came across as one of the weakest in my opinion, going flat on the low notes. Even though to his credit, he tried to open up and do a bit of dance steps to Zaibaktian’s “Lelaki Baru“, it was actually irrelevant to a song of that nature. He also showed no emotions when the song is supposed to make one regret of his “wrongdoings” and wanting to turn over a new leaf. He needs to learn to feel the song he sings.

DSCN3194

Hydir Idris – Surprise!!! Surprise!!! Our birthday boy of the day emerged as the best performer of the night!!! Actually it’s no surprise that he was the best performer. He has been going from strength to strength with each round and just now, he just changed my opinion last week, from being a potential semi-finalist to a possible champion this week. It was there for all to see. His performance was well-measured, his voice was extremely soulful singing Aliff Aziz’s “Nyala“, even better than the original version with all due respect to Aliff. With looks to go along, this boy is THE PACKAGE they are looking for. It was no wonder the whole auditorium went berserk no matter which camp they supported. He had them all under his thumb. He would do well not to let all the hype get to his head. It was touching to see him overcome with emotions and crying when the show was over, listening to the audience singing him the birthday song.

Group performance – I think both groups gave patchy performances at best. It was a matter of who made the least mistakes to get the judges’ nod of approval. The group consisting of Wawan, Azhar, Ize & Kamsani sang Didicazli’s “Sederhana” while Chirul, Izam, Sein & Hydir sang Syed Azmir’s “Ke Alam Rahsiamu“. The former group did not do well as a unit, with their harmony going off and Wawan especially was guilty of not replicating his performance from last week. One wonders if he sings better with a female by his side or a male cos clearly his duet with Kunjung last week was one of the best we’ve seen so far in the competition for their intense chemistry. The latter group did slightly better and collectively, they stood out with their nonchalance. Even their harmony was good.

DSCN3170

And so, we await till next Tuesday, to see which two of the contestants will be booted out from the competition. In case you dunno how you can do your part in voting for your favourites, you can refer to my previous entry on how you can go about doing so. Till then, hope you guys like this review and thank you to Fauzie Laily for helping me piece some of the missing puzzles. He knows what I’m referring to…

Jun

Prelude to Anugerah 2009 Episode 3…

By Pujangga Malam™ Leave a Comment

Categories: Anugerah 2009
Tags: Anugerah 2009

Watch the Top 8 Male contestants in Episode 3 of the new Anugerah season – 16 June 2009, 8:30pm only on Mediacorp Suria!!!

The following are the voting formats for the contestants:

SMS to 73388: ANU Contestant Code
Telepoll: 1900-112-770_ (Last digit being contestant’s number)

The theme for tomorrow’s competition is “Rentak Kita“, meaning the contestants will have to sing songs from Singaporean artistes. Voting for contestants appearing in Episode 3 begins on Tuesday, 16 June 2009, 8.30pm till Tuesday, 23 June 2009, 6pm. These are the following codes you should vote for this week:

Kamsani Jumahat (172)

KAMSANI JUMAHAT

SMS to 73388: ANU 1 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7701

IZE SULIMAN

SMS to 73388: ANU 2 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7702

Muhamad Safuan Husen (358)

WAWAN

SMS to 73388: ANU 3 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7703

AZHAR RAZ

SMS to 73388: ANU 4 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7704

CHIRUL

SMS to 73388: ANU 5 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7705

Muhd Hairizam Mohamadan (634)

IZAM

SMS to 73388: ANU 6 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7706

Muhd Hussein Ahmad (36)

SEIN AHMAD

SMS to 73388: ANU 7 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7707

HYDIR IDRIS

SMS to 73388: ANU 8 or by Telepoll: 1900-112-7708

Your votes would be a lot meaningful to each and every contestant competing in Anugerah 2009. Vote smartly and vote wisely!!!

P.S. Thank you and credits to Siti Zalinah Adam of Mediacorp Suria for the kind information.

Jun

Updated APM 2009 Nominations List…

By Pujangga Malam™ 5 Comments

Categories: Anugerah Planet Muzik 2009

When I first came up with the list about a week ago, I had warned everyone that it wasn’t the confirmed list as I might have missed out on several names or I had heard wrongly in my haste jotting down the list whilst the nominations were being announced on air. Quite a few sites quoted me on the list and I felt kinda bad that it had to be highlighted to their respective site visitors, knowing that some of the nominations were wrong. So here it is, I present you the complete APM 2009 Nominations List:

Persembahan Vokal Terbaik Dalam Lagu Bagi Artis Baru Lelaki (Best Vocal Performance In A Song By A New Male Artiste):

Afgan – Terima Kasih Cinta

Aizat – Hanya Kau Yang Mampu

Dirly – Sampai Ke Ujung Dunia

LoBow – Kau Cantik Hari Ini

Nubhan – Ada Untukmu

Persembahan Vokal Terbaik Dalam Lagu Untuk Artis Baru Wanita (Best Vocal Performance In A Song By A New Female Artiste):

Aura Kasih – Mari Bercinta

Ayu – Hanya Di Mercu

Cinta Laura – Hey Baby!

Nana – Lafaz

Stacy – Aku Stacy

Yuna – Dan Sebenarnya

Persembahan Vokal Terbaik Dalam Lagu Untuk Duo / Kumpulan Baru (Best Vocal Performance In A Song By A New Duo / Group):

D’ Masiv – Cinta Ini Membunuhku

Hello – Ular Berbisa

Hujan – Pagi Yang Gelap

Kotak – Beraksi

ST12 – PU.S.PA.

Kolaborasi Terbaik Dalam Lagu (Best Collaboration In A Song):

Be’te – Dewiq Feat. Ipang

Bersamamu - Joe Flizzow Feat. Junior Arif

Hikayat Cintaku – Glenn Fredly Feat. Dewi Persik

KepadaNYA – Taufik Batisah Feat. Hady Mirza

Mantera Beradu – Malique Feat. M. Nasir

Sujud – Mawi Feat. KRU

Artis Lelaki Terbaik (Best Male Artiste):

Afgan – Confession No. 1

Aizat – Percubaan Pertama

Reshmonu – Harapan

Taufik Batisah – Suria Hatiku

Tompi – My Happy Life

Artis Wanita Terbaik (Best Female Artiste):

Bunga Citra Lestari – Tentang Kamu

Misha Omar – Misha Omar

Mulan Jameela – Mulan Jameela

Nikki – Hawa

Siti Nurhaliza – Lentera Timur

Duo / Kumpulan Terbaik (Best Duo / Group):

Andra & The Backbone – Season 2

Hujan – Hujan

Kotak – Kedua

ST12 – PU.S.PA

Yovie & Nuno – The Special One

Lagu Terbaik (Best Song):

Dia Milikku – Yovie & Nuno (The Special One)

Laskar Pelangi – Nidji (Laskar Pelangi Official Soundtrack)

Matahariku – Agnes Monica (Sacredly Agnezious)

Pagi Yang Gelap – Hujan (Hujan)

Terima Kasih Cinta – Afgan (Confession No. 1)

Terserah – Glenn Fredly (Glenn Fredly Private Collection)

Album Terbaik (Best Album):

Confession No. 1 – Afgan

Hujan – Hujan

Kedua – Kotak

Percubaan Pertama – Aizat

The Special One – Yovie & Nuno

Artis Singapura Paling Popular (Most Popular Singapore Artiste):

Aliff Aziz

Didicazli

Fauzie Laily

Hady Mirza

Hyrul Anuar

Imran Ajmain

Merah

Nurun Nuwarrah

Sleeq

Taufik Batisah

The Sallys

Zaibaktian

Artis Malaysia Paling Popular (Most Popular Malaysian Artiste):

Aizat

Anuar Zain

Bunkface

Estranged

Faizal Tahir

Hujan

Mawi

Meet Uncle Hussein

Misha Omar

Siti Nurhaliza

Stacy

Yuna

Artis Indonesia Paling Popular (Most Popular Indonesian Artiste):

Afgan

Agnes Monica

Bunga Citra Lestari

D’Masiv

Gita Gutawa

Hijau Daun

Kotak

Nidji

ST12

The Changcutters

Ungu

Yovie & Nuno

Artis Serantau Paling Popular (Most Popular Regional Artiste)

Singapore: AhliFiqir, Aliff Aziz, Hady Mirza & Taufik Batisah

Malaysia: Faizal Tahir, Hujan, Meet Uncle Hussein, Siti Nurhaliza

Indonesia: Afgan, Agnes Monica, Nidji, ST12

Lagu Singapura Paling Popular (Most Popular Singapore Song):

Andai – Merah

Berserah – Taufik Batisah

Gelora Jiwa – Raven

Impianku – Didicazli Feat. Sleeq

Kau Ingin Ku Miliki – Nurun Nuwarrah

Lafaz – Nana

Lelaki Baru – Zaibaktian

Novela Cinta – Ross Revalina

Pilihan Aku – Sleeq

Rela Setia – Didicazli

Sementara – Cradle

Teman Istimewa – Taufik Batisah

Jun

Anugerah 2009 Episodes 1 & 2 Review…

By Pujangga Malam™ 6 Comments

Categories: Anugerah and Anugerah 2009
Tags: Anugerah 2009

Anugerah 2009 has begun in absolute earnest and it has been a lukewarm night by my standards. After a rousing beginning from the likes of Hyrul Anuar, Eka Mairina and Aliff Aziz singing the theme song for this year’s competition ”Bintang Anugerahku“, accompanied by the 20 contestants, things suddenly became a little awry when Fiza O twice tripped on her words, probably forgetting the voiceover cue that was supposed to precede her presentation.

Subsequently throughout the whole hour of the programme, both hosts took turns tripping on their words, probably due to the excitement and jitters they felt inside. But in terms of confidence, Fiza who plies her trade as a deejay with RIA 89.7FM, naturally grew as the minutes progressed. But anyway, this wasn’t a show about the hosts, it was about the 20 contestants who are vying to be the next big thing in our local music industry.

Tonight, joining the panel of resident judges Eddy Ali, Ann Hussein and Gani Karim was Adil Hussein. My apologies for not knowing who this guy is but from his various comments throughout the night, the choice of selecting him was commendable as he gave good, constructive views, even if he came across as dead-pan. The judges as a whole, shared almost the same sentiments as myself. Just that I don’t understand why Eddy Ali loves Sheila Abdul so much that he had to mention her name twice, when only one of her songs was sung and that was towards the end.

Looking at all the songs that were performed, sharp-eared viewers would have noted the fact that none of the songs sung were from a Singaporean artiste. This was made deliberate as there will be different themes weekly. Tonight, the theme was an open one, which meant songs by Indonesian and Malaysian artistes were performed. There will be themes solely on Singaporean artistes as the weeks progress so fret not all you local music lovers out there.

However my only complaint was, why were some songs that were performed (eg Sheila Abdul’s “Lepaskanlah“, Mila’s “Ilham Di Mataku” and the one sung by Wawan which I have no idea what was the title to it, even after googling the lyrics), seemed alien or have not been aired on local radio??? I think for the viewers to vote how well the contestants perform and sing, they too need to know the song, so that they could judge fairly. More radio-friendly songs need to be performed in future weeks in my opinion.

For the first time this season, there will be 2 formats for viewers to vote. One is via SMS, the other via 1900 call-in number, as opposed to the mandatory sms voting system in the past. More votes are expected to be made with this new system of voting especially those who are not keen on wasting sms-es. So far nothing has been said about how much one is expected to pay if they were to call the voting lines. Or I might have missed it. Please do correct me if I’m wrong. Right, here are my thoughts on all the contestants:

Sarah Aqilah – She sang Ayu’s “Hanya Di Mercu“. She surprised me big time with her execution of the song as my only memory of her during the auditions was, she was a dead-ringer of Ziana Zain, from the vocal style right down to how she portrayed her presentation on stage.

Hydir – This boy (he’s only 17) is set for the big stage. His voice belies his age. His boyish charm is sure to bring in the votes and with his looks, he backs it up with a deep, controlled voice. Singing Nubhan’s “Ada Untukmu” was an excellent choice. My bet to go to at least the semi-finals stage.

Mel – She sang Hanya Memuji, a song that challenges a person to go high and low and having to dance to the beat. She came across quite flat, but only because I detected the nervousness and jitters in her. However I think she atoned herself during the group performance where they sang “Let’s Dance Together“, but only just.

Sein Ahmad – This Anugerah “veteran” was good during the audition rounds, but tonight he did not impress me with a low-key performance of Republik’s ”Hanya Ingin Kau Tahu” and especially the group performance where they sang BBB’s “Let’s Dance Together“. For someone who is experienced in this field of play, I expected more from him. He looked kinda overawed with the occasion.

Kunjung – This sassy lass is a natural product from Indonesia’s production line of singers. Her rendition of Ratu’s “Lelaki Buaya Darat” was oozing with confidence and it would be very surprising if she falters early. She needs to work on her crowd interaction though.

Azhar Raz – My favourite from the audition rounds. His vocal gymnastics are a joy to behold. He also made Hazami’s “Mungkir Bahagia” so easy to execute. He needs to prevent himself from being overconfident cos his facial expressions do hint of that at times. Other than that, I just love the way he puts so much feel into the songs he sang.

Hafizah – I didn’t quite like the short hairdo. I still prefer her with long hair cos she looks like a doll that way. She sang Melly and KD’s “Cinta“, not an easy song. Though it did not reach the wow levels, her performance overall was commendable. She grew more confident as the minutes progressed.

Wawan – I like this boy’s confidence on stage as his showmanship smacks of a seasoned performer. Somehow he has this knack of making me hate the song he sings. The song he performed was already alien enough to me even after I had googled the words on the Net, but what made it cringing was his slang, which he could do away in future stages, depending on how far he progresses.

Shera – Contrary to what the judges said about her, I think she was one of the top five female contestants tonight. I like her rich voice and I think if she was given a slower tempo song to sing instead of Jaclyn Victor’s “Di Bawah Pohon Asmara“, she would nail it well. Again, jitters could have hampered her performance tonight.

Ize – Another Anugerah “veteran”. He showed lots of poise, confidence and control singing Marcell’s “Jangan Pernah Berubah“. I think along with Hydir, this guy has a chance to go far, with looks being his plus points as well.

Asila Osmera – The judges didn’t like her performance. So did I. She was too nervous, too static for one’s liking. For her sake I hope she improves and shed away all those stage-frights she might have been having. I felt it was easy to connect with her cos she sang Ziana Zain’s song “Menadah Gerimis” which is no stranger to the listening masses.

Afyq – I wasn’t impressed when the top 20 contestants were named and his was in it. Nothing during the audition rounds gave me the impression that he would go far other than the fact that his fate might be down to the young girls out there. Dafi’s “Bila Terasa Rindu” was easy on the ears, but the performance wasn’t spectacular.

Izam – Amongst the Anugerah “veterans”, he was the one that impressed me the most. Very confident, very rockish performance. I think he’s really dead serious in wanting to go further than the last time round. Nidji’s “Biarlah” was done well even if he lagged a bit during the start.

Catty – This young lady continues to impress with her performance. She made a difficult song like Agnes Monica’s “Matahariku“ sounded so simple to sing. And to think many others tried but failed during the audition rounds. Her weight might be a mitigating factor but we should all look beyond that and not let a rough diamond slip away. She is definitely one to look out for.

Ain – His was another name I did not expect to make it to the Top 20 and he looks a little too dreamy for my liking. HijauDaun’s “Suaraku Berharap” was an easy song to sing, without having to challenge his vocals. Commendable effort but doesn’t have the aura of a champion.

Yani – I laughed when I saw a comment made by a viewer who sms-ed about her earlier in the programme. That person said Yani had already recorded an album. I think that person must have mistaken her for Hariani Hassan Bakri, another Anugerah alumnus. However, even Hariani has not gotten the opportunity to record an album yet. This Yani however got her bearings right singing Misha Omar’s “Ku Seru“. But she still lacks the wow factor.

Chirul – He was one of the few I had earmarked during the audition rounds with his deep voice and stage presence. And it was there for all to see when he sang “Cinta Ini Membunuhku” by D’Masiv. His falsetto however needs some tweaks cos it made his voice become flat.

Nani – I remembered her from the audition rounds because she gave a flirty performance on stage. There was nothing of the sort tonight and I felt she was in danger of elimination as she looked a little unsure when she sang Mila’s “Ilham Di Mataku“. The choice of song could have been a distraction to her but I thought she made amends when they sang as a group, singing Jaclyn Victor and Rio Febrian’s “Ceritera Cinta“.

Kamsani – Right from day one, this young man reminds me so much of Anugerah 2005 winner Hyrul Anuar. From the hairstyle to the showmanship, everytime I watch him perform is like watching Hyrul on stage. He would be mindful enough to steer clear from the comparisons if he wants to progress further. But he did no wrong singing Matta Band’s “Jatuh Cinta Lagi“.

Nora – She was another I did not quite fancy when her name was announced to be in the Top 20. I felt back then that her looks were more her winning factors. But she proved me wrong when she sang Sheila Abdul’s “Lepaskanlah” without a hint of going flat nor pitchy. Granted I have not heard the song before, but I felt she did nothing wrong. Fair play to her.

Results At A Glance:

And so, Ain, Afyq, Shera and Mel were eliminated tonight. I kinda expected Ain, Afyq and Mel, but not Shera as I felt she was one of the better ones but in this kind of competition, you need to have a solid fanbase and kind remarks from the judges to help you stay in the competition and I felt she didn’t get that.

shera

Shera

Ain

It was nice to see Rancour in action with their new single “Biarlah” cos I feel that their career paths have stagnated somewhat after winning last year’s Anugerah Band competition. It doesn’t help that some of them have a day job as civil servants, which is preventing them from pursuing their musical careers further.

afyq

Afyq

Mel

In summary, the results were fair and justified. The contestants have for the past month been going through different forms of classes, from vocals to styling and it showed on stage the difference between what I saw during the third round auditions and tonight. One thing they should all learn is to let go of their shackles and enjoy themselves on stage. Once all the jitters go away, they would then be able to express themselves better.

Jun

Anugerah 2009 Kicks Off Tonight!!!

By Pujangga Malam™ Leave a Comment

Categories: Anugerah

Anugerah 2009 will debut tonight 8.30pm on Suria.
Catch the 20 Anugerettes in action and vote for them in the following format:

Nur Sarah Aqilah Jamil (219)

Nur Sarah Aqilah Binte Jamil (Sarah Aqilah)
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 1
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7701

Muhd Hydir Mohd Idris (39)

Muhd Hydir Mohd Idris (Hydir Idris)
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 2
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7702

Melissa Sailla Isa (480)

Melissa Sailla Isa (Mel)
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 3
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7703

Muhd Hussein Ahmad (36)

Muhd Hussein Ahmad (Sein Ahmad)
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 4
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7704

Kunjung Wide Whitaker (297)

Kunjung Wide Whitaker (Kunjung)
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 5
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7705

Azhar Hamid (427)

Azhar Amid (Azhar Raz)
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 6
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7706

Hafizah Naser (444)

Hafizah Naser
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 7
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7707

Muhamad Safuan Husen (358)

Muhamad Safuan Husen (Wawan)
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 8
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7708

Shahirah Jamaludin (495)

Shahirah Jamaludin (Shera)
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 9
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7709

Muhammad Idris Suliman (Ize Suliman)
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 10
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7710

Nur Asilah Mohd Osmera (628)

(Nur Asilah Mohd Osmera) Asila Osmera
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 11
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7711

Muhd Afiq Bakry (605)

Muhd Afiq Bakry (Afyq Bakry)
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 12
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7712

Muhd Hairizam Mohamadan (634)

Muhd Hairizam Mohamadan (Izam)
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 13
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7713

Khatijah Abdul Rahman (530)

Khatijah Abdul Rahman (Catty)
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 14
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7714

Nohrain Abdul Rasid (Ain)
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 15
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7715

Hairani Hassan (259)

Hairani Binte Hassan
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 16
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7716

Ahmad Hairul Md Salleh (Chirul)
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 17
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7717

Suriani Sulaiman (Nani)
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 18
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7718

Kamsani Jumahat (172)

Kamsani Jumahat
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 19
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7719

Nora Baharom (538)

Nora Baharom (Nora)
Vote via SMS to 73388: ANU 20
or Vote via call-in: 1900-112-7720

VOTING STARTS TONIGHT FROM 8.30PM – 10PM.

Tonight’s event will kick off in the first 90 minutes and will take a half hour break before resuming at 10:30pm, where four contestants, 2 guys and 2 ladies will be eliminated… All the best to the 20 contestants tonight!!!

P.S. Thank you to Siti Zalinah from Mediacorp Suria for the information and photographs of the respective contestants. All photographs belong to Mediacorp Suria. Please credit them if you want to reproduce these photographs.

Da’ KRUsader’s Manor™

Anugerah 2009 Episode 6 Review…

Be True To Yourselves…

Anugerah 2009 Episode 5 Review…

A Message For You By The Anugerettes…

Anugerah 2009 Episode 4 Review…

Anugerah 2009 Episode 3 Review…

Prelude to Anugerah 2009 Episode 3…

Updated APM 2009 Nominations List…

Anugerah 2009 Episodes 1 & 2 Review…

Anugerah 2009 Kicks Off Tonight!!!

Pages

Twitter Update…

Admin Login

Recent Posts

Archives

Bloodlines

Celebrity League

League of Extraordinary Bloggers

Blog Stats