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Anugerah Skrin Auditions…

Yesterday was the first day of Anugerah Skrin 2010 auditions held at Caldecott Broadcast Centre. It was a totally different experience personally for me after covering last year’s Anugerah auditions held at East Point Mall. For one, it felt more personal and most importantly I did not feel as stuffy having to mingle with the crowd as there wasn’t any supporters allowed to cheer the contestants on. This approach was very much deliberate, as it would give the contestants the perfect atmosphere to switch off from their surroundings and concentrate on the random scripts given for them to act out in front of the judging panel.

As opposed to my counterpart, Iskandar, who came early in the morning to cover the event, I only arrived at about 2:45pm, just in time to see the batch that had queued up since noon to go in for their auditions. It had rained since morning and when I arrived, it was still drizzling, but certainly the weather did not dampen the hopes and expectations of the hundreds who came. From that batch that had gone in when I came, I noticed there were a few familiar faces that had come to previous auditions, be it Anugerah or Anugerah Skrin, some as far back as 2001. I admire their passion, perseverance and resolve in trying their luck again and again to get noticed as a new face on television.

Noor Liyana was a Top 10 finalist in the previous Anugerah Skrin competition. Her experience certainly helped her in getting a pass to the next round.

For those who got through the first round, good for them, as it showed that the gap in between previous years’ auditions and the current one had made them learn what is to be expected and that they have improved on their shortcomings. But it is also not a guarantee that they would ace through subsequent rounds of auditions and when they get into the competition proper. For those who still did not get past the first round after years of trying, I wonder if a bit of self-reflection and realism would kick in and that they are better off doing something worthwhile other than harbouring dreams of being a television star. Sometimes the grass is greener elsewhere or the fact that it is written that their destiny is not in this line.

Mr Hamed Ismail, Khairudin Samsudin and Mdm Neng Hayati were the judges in Room 1…

I’m not trying to be the spoilsport and wet blanket here cos I used to share the same dreams as them when I was younger. Though it is good to have confidence in one’s abilities, I believe only through observing and learning how the industry is like, how it works, experiencing continuous rejections and looking at one’s own reflection in the mirror would reality sink in, no matter how much it bites. I’m not a looker to begin with, nor have the patience to wait on others, which are part of what this industry is about. That is why I stressed upon the importance of doing their homework before coming to the auditions two entries ago. For the record, I’ve never gone to any auditions before to test my abilities, so sour grapes and cynics wanting to sharpen their knives to get back at me should know that I’ve done my self-reflection even before I jumped the gun.

Whereas Alfiah Abros Meah, Aryati Tyeb Papar & Johari Abdul Aziz were the judges in Room 2…

Speaking of that entry, I pointed out that “… too many people come for auditions unprepared, wearing indecent and improper clothes, having unkempt hair, wearing sandals and flip-flops and worse still, they looked as though they just woke up from the bed!!!” I still saw these things being replicated at the auditions. Those I observed being rejected were mostly stammering or uncomfortable speaking in the language, when their identity cards clearly state which race they belong to. If the very basics like linguistics and communication skills are too difficult an obstacle to clear, then how do you expect to memorise scripts and getting the feel of your characters once the camera starts to roll??? You have to be comfortable speaking in your own mother tongue.

This sibling pair experienced mixed emotions when the elder sister got through but the younger brother did not…

Then there are those who were still not dressed appropriately. Ladies, if you are blessed with ample bosoms, you don’t have to wear cleavage-bearing outfits screaming for them to be spilled out. If you wear tight-fitting pants, make sure you’re covered strategically so that we’re not treated to seeing “camel toes” or the shape of your butts. For the plus-sized, though I respect the confidence you have to wear what you wore yesterday, please in future do not wear “sarung nangka” outfits cos they are sore to the eyes and magnify your unsightly flabs two to three-fold. To the guys, I know K-Pop is in, but you don’t have to colour your hair, make them unkempt or wear caps which multiply the “Mat” factor in you especially when you wear tappered jeans. There is a way of making your hairstyle and fashion sense presentable. I don’t have to list each and every single thing out here cos you’re supposed to do your respective homework. Remember that first impressions count.

Congratulations to those who had gotten the all-important pass to the next round and work on your flaws which the judges had pointed out during the auditions. Their tips and useful advice will go a long way to shape your subsequent performances so please heed them. The same goes to those who have failed to make the cut. Use them to better yourselves for future auditions…

Sunday, 21 March 2010 | Categories: Anugerah Skrin, Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Critical Thoughts Of My Own…

I’ve resisted typing this entry ever since I saw the various unhappy tweets from those who had attended the recording of the above-mentioned programme at Caldecott Broadcast Centre on 6th February 2010, a day after the Suria Elektra event. That particular weekend the guest panelists on the show included Anang Hermansyah and Edry, one third of the KRU brothers from across the Causeway alongside Kak Hanim (Mohd Salleh), Berita Harian‘s Entertainment Correspondent, no stranger to the local Malay entertainment industry, who was the resident judge throughout the recording of the Popagenda series. Why I decided to finally type this entry was because I felt the need to voice out on several issues I have been observing but keeping mum and reading a comment that appeared in Berita Minggu today, which I have scanned for your reading pleasure:

For the uninitiated, Popagenda, which is the brainchild of DuaM Productions, whose head honcho is also the host of the show, Najip Ali, is a new variety programme, that has been airing on Suria for the past month or so. In each episode, two local singers, and an established guest artiste would showcase their talents to the guest panelists who are industry people experienced enough to know what they are talking about. The singers would sing songs of their own / their own choices if they have yet to record a single, sing a song belonging to the established guest artiste for that particular episode and answer questions put forward by Kak Hanim, as a test to their media-savvy skills. If you had caught the first few episodes, you would have noticed that the panel of assessors are no slouches when it comes to making good, quality and award-winning music. Ajai, who is no stranger here and Yuvie, one half of Indonesian duo Yuvie & Nuno had been the judges in the earlier episodes.

I did not attend the recordings but from what I heard, there were a lot of unhappy voices from the audience who were shocked and taken aback by what Edry had commented on some, if not most of the contestants. Not meaning to defend this old friend of mine, but he has always been someone who is not afraid to speak his mind and calling a spade, a spade. Even when I first got to know him some fifteen years ago, I was initially left stunned when I heard his less than flattering comments towards some people, that I myself got kinda turned off at the very first impression. But after knowing and hanging out with him, I believe it’s his hard-driven nature and unsatiable hunger for success that has made him into the millionaire that he is now along with his two siblings. Brutal in his honesty, genuine in his approach and achieving success in what he does for a living are traits, I believe, and ample reasons why the good people at DuaM chose him as one of the guest panelists.

Granted KRU might not have been great live performers during their heydays and I think they know that themselves, nor have they produced artistes of legendary calibre under KRU Music Group but artistes like Indigo, X-Factor, Phyne Ballerz, Elite, Ezlynn, Juliana Banos, Adam and indirectly Feminin, can be considered relative successes being newbies in the industry in the past, even though cynics would gleefully point out that they rely more on their looks than talents. Still not convinced??? Anita Sarawak, Rabbani, Ella, Mawi and many other established artistes have also entrusted him to help produce some of their hit singles / albums. Their company’s stock grew even more when they branched out into making movies and tapping on the usage of modern technology into their films where most Malaysian film directors and producers have yet to jump on the bandwagon, perhaps due to budget constraints.

Of late, one of their latest films, Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa, have gained international recognition when it was picked for distribution in 25 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and the Middle East after it was exhibited at the recently-concluded European Film Market in Berlin. They have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Universal Studios in Hollywood, for distribution rights in North America once filming is completed. And that could only mean more dough coming into their coffers. He might have been a failure in the past to get into the hearts of Indonesian fans, but I’m sure the group had been one of the phenomenons of the 90s in Malaysia and over here. But again as I’ve said earlier, this entry is not about defending Edry. Neither is it to hype about his achievements to make him look good. Nor is it to extol his comments as examples to follow.

Instead I would like us all to ponder upon every comment that was made in the previous few episodes shown and also those that have yet to be televised, by each one of the guest panelists. We definitely want our local Malay music industry to thrive once again like two to three decades ago. And the only way for it to go up is for experienced and knowledgeable hands to give us a dose of reality check so that we can better ourselves and be well prepared. Singing is not just about holding the microphone to your mouths and being able to carry a tune. Anyone could do that, even myself. Nor adding dancesteps and groovy moves to your repertoire will make you an outstanding performer. A performer’s standing should be of some style and substance so that those who watch, will appreciate even if they are not loyal fans or supporters. Off-stage, the ability to carry one’s self in public positively, the presence of mind to answer (or evade tactfully) questions and being media-savvy (minus the controversies), will definitely put one in good stead.

Too many acts have been one or two-hit wonders. Just look at Anugerah Planet Muzik since its inception and you will begin to wonder what has happened to so-and-so, not only in our local industry but also in Malaysia and Indonesia as well. Not many have survived so long till this day especially our local acts. It is sad to see the likes of Bhumiband, Kaleidoscopicuriosity, Karim Supnan and many more, not maintaining their longevity in the scene as they are all worthy acts. To attain longevity in the scene, one needs to have a certain amount of passion, originality and humility. Popagenda is definitely a positive step in that direction to see whether our budding acts are ready to take the next step to spread their wings and share their talents with the region. The sensitive ones would say the guest panelists were being too critical and uncouth, while the cynical ones would say that Popagenda only brought out the worse in our pool of local artistes, but this is where they learn to improve and work on their flaws.

As was pointed out by the comment in Berita Minggu about Sarah Aqilah, we all know what a great singer she is and witnessed her grow from strength to strength in the weekly Anugerah 2009 series. However that was in the past. The episode of Popagenda which she was featured in and could be classified as being in the current context, did not paint a true picture of what we know she is definitely capable of. If you had studied her body language, her somehow troubled facial expressions and slightly apparent lack of confidence during her performances in that particular episode, they were not good advertisements of her true abilities to the panelists, who I believe are also on the lookout to help market our local acts in their countries or at least collaborate with them for future projects. She also seemed unsure of answering the question directed to her during the question-and-answer segment with the media, which prompted Kak Hanim to lament that both she and Faizal Isa had blindly answered them.

Even though Anang had performed with her the day before at Suria Elektra, Edry was seeing her for the first time and we all have heard of the old adage “First impressions count” once too often. Granted I have to admit he was perhaps a little overboard and kinda exaggerated when he questioned how did she become champion, but I cannot fault Edry for directing it to the fans who voted and judges for giving a false sense of hope to someone who is yet ready to cross the Causeway. You have to recall how a certain judge during the Anugerah 2009 series kept on putting her on the pedestal and saying how she was ready to be a superstar and all, but the truths were laid bare during the show, simply because she did not perform to expectations and did not give the impression she was ready. As such you cannot blame Edry as what he commented was based on what he witnessed. To be fair, he did pass on useful advice that she could still make it abroad, provided she reinvents herself and create an identity of her own. So I hope people would look at it in one big perspective and not take things out of context and do selective hearing as we are all so fond of doing. There was certainly no hidden agenda nor hatred towards Sarah. She can only get better after this and I know she can.

I hope whatever negative comments that were passed throughout the series by any of the guest panelists would not be taken to heart nor make our artistes lose faith in their own abilities. Neither should they take these comments for granted and hope that their loyal fans’ support would be enough to see them through their respective careers. There is so much a fan’s support can do, but if there is no substance, then the non-fans would also not be convinced that you deserve to be respected and that you’re living in your own deluded world. If you take it in the local context, as of right now, the fan support is simply not enough, likewise the number of shows they can be involved in unless they sing at clubs for a living. If it is enough, our artistes wouldn’t harbour any thoughts of seeking greener pastures nor wanting to gain experiences elsewhere. No matter how good and successful you are over here, you might not get the same amount of success elsewhere and vice-versa. It has been proven without having the need to drop any names. Before taking the leap and plunge, please equip yourselves with the basic know-hows on what it takes to be a performer that people in the region could sit up and take notice of.

Learn also to accept criticisms - positive, negative, brutal and harsh and use them to better yourselves. The most amusing part to all these hoo-ha is the fact that the artistes themselves haven’t made much noise about nor complained about it (at least not in the open…), but the fans have been quick to go all defensive and downright sensitive. I had wondered for quite some time if we are ready for a show like Melodi or Terjah but after reading the fans’ comments, I don’t think we are, not even close to a million miles yet. We are so used to hearing all the nice and sugary stuff that sometimes it has made us all become too complacent and happy with what we have in our hands. A little pinch on the bums can result in controversy of epic proportions and or make our worlds come crashing down. Wake-up calls like Popagenda is a good gauge to see how ready we are for edgy shows and the fans are sad to say, clearly not. Yes the fans here have the major say here, but what about fans over there when the time comes to cross over??? I’m sure the mentalities are much different and their acceptance will not be so accomodating unless you are original.

This episode brings me back to the time when Rafaat Hamzah was sensationally slated and slammed left, right and centre in the papers for being too critical and harsh towards the contestants when the inaugural Anugerah Skrin competition was going on four years ago, him being one of the two mainstay judges, the other being Najip Ali himself. Even when we have someone experienced, a local, who knew what he was talking about and dishing it out in his own way, the public jumped and bayed for his blood. Some even went as far as to ask the organisers to remove him from the judging panel. And I remembered on the subsequent episode henceforth, he protested by simply refusing to open his mouth or comment much. Four years on and I expected our mentality to have made some progress but apparently it has not.

We should all be thankful that the mainstream media here for all their misgivings and sometimes lack of support for local talents (I say this because I seldom see them unless it’s for big / grand occasions, which is why alternative media like us bloggers have come to the fore. But to be fair, Kak Hanim does go to most of them…), are not as brutal as those in Malaysia and Indonesia. If comments like Edry‘s or Anang‘s can be considered too harsh for us, then I’m afraid our artistes will be slaughtered and annihilated by the various media sources once they take the bold step to venture abroad and these people are not forgiving at all. Our Asian Idol himself has experienced that before, even though we understand how guarded he is with personal questions, but it was misconstrued by the media there as him being aloof. We all know the kind of questions that the media abroad are capable of asking, and just by watching Melodi and Terjah on TV3, sometimes we even feel as though we want to bash up the journalists ourselves for being incredibly insensitive with the angles they’ve chose to concentrate upon.

But the mainstream media here could also do their part in getting to know our local acts better, reporting more on them, doing respective homeworks before sharing it with the masses, attending more indie events and not wait to be invited just because they are already established. I was particularly miffed when a part-time journalist wondered what happened to Aliff Aziz and why is he so quiet of late, ever since news of his controversy last year came to light. This person also lamented that Aliff has his mood swings and one day would greet and another day would not. I ask myself, whether this person really made the effort to get to know the guy personally or not, to pass off negative comments like that. For one, this person does not even know that he is now serving his National Service. Secondly, to say it out on a national medium on his character is akin to slender. As mainstream media, I’m sure they know that the masses would read, hear and believe what was being said since they are either published, aired or televised.

For the record, I’m not close to Aliff nor his family, but this young man would stop whatever he is doing and come over to greet me personally if he sees me from afar as my past experiences can vouch for. And I’m not even a journalist nor part of mainstream media to be accorded such respect to begin with!!! What does that tell you??? Aliff being someone who meets a lot of people and fans cannot be expected to remember each and every single person he meets. Likewise this fact goes with all artistes and normal people like us. If I’m being equally anal, I could also say that there is a certain artiste who greets me only when I’m in the presence and company of people in the industry and hype about it. But have I done that before this??? No, in fact I would still give this artiste the benefit of doubt that I am just a nobody and of course could be forgiven for not knowing who I am, even if we had been formally introduced before. It is time we start getting to know our local acts better and minimise reporting on artistes abroad or spreading gossips through hearsay. It doesn’t lend credibility to one’s worth, efforts and professionalism as an entertainment journalist.

Most importantly the genuine intentions of artistes in general coupled with sincerity and passion for your craft should shine through without the need to try too hard to win over fans and people from the industry. You need to question yourself why do you want to become an artiste, a performer, an entertainer or a singer??? Do you want to be one in the hope of being popular??? Or because your goal is to achieve awards and appear on red carpets on an annual basis??? Or you take great joy in fans clamouring at your feet??? Or do you just want your music to be heard and appreciated and if good things come your way, then all the better??? There is an art to charming the listeners and audience who are your consumers, and this does not include giving away personal achievements nor gifts at almost every available opportunity. You can do it once or twice, but if it gets done once too often, people might question whether you are sincere or if it’s part of your gimmick / showmanship to woo the neutral fans over.

As I had mentioned before in my “Be True To Yourselves” entry last July, always be thankful that you have a core group of supporters willing you on at every single show or appearance you perform or make, who would defend you at every single opportunity when the chips are down and look beyond your flaws no matter how glaring they are. These are the same people who will never tire of supporting, scrimping their weekly pocket money just to travel to the places you’re performing at or buying gifts for you, and taking photographs with you. At almost every show or concert I go to, I will practically see the same faces over and over again. Not that it is a bad thing, far from it, but these are the very people who deserve pats on their backs for their endless and undying support, and I take my hats off to them for being so loyal, come rain or shine. We definitely do not get this kind of rousing support before Singapore Idol was conceived.

Never ever complain about taking photographs or receiving gifts from the same person over and over again. Unless you are genuinely sincere nor understand the essence and meaning of being an artiste, you will never know nor understand the feeling of making someone happy just by obliging with a photograph and smiling with a lot of warmth as a form of appreciation, which in turn would make the fans go home happy and being able to sleep soundly, heartened by the fact that every dollar spent on travelling, buying tickets to watch you, buy you gifts etc were all worth it. I was once a groupie and part of the fan brigade. As such, I totally understand what it means to feel appreciated by the artiste I adore because I know how it feels to be a loyal fan. Again and again I say, why Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza is where she is now, is because she is sincere and appreciative towards all her fans. I repeat the sentence I made in that entry: “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…“

This small industry of ours is very small, still in its infantile stages. You can’t expect people to start liking and supporting with every performance you make. Like trust and respect, it grows over time. Whoever that supports you there and then, treat them with the same amount of respect and love that they have accorded you. Never question sensitive things like whether they only come to support you if it’s a free show, and not otherwise. It is already so difficult for artistes here to gain the support of the masses. One of the challenges being faced is to go beyond the loyal and core group of supporters and attracting the new / neutral ones who are still sceptical of the scene or more inclined to listen to K-Pop, which seems to be the in-thing these days or Western music. Whoever you have now as your fans, please appreciate and treat them kindly. Always remember that without them: YOU ARE NOTHING!!!

Sunday, 14 March 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Happy 61st Mama!!!

It’s been more than five months that you’ve been in a coma and till today, we’ve not lost any hope nor given up on seeing you up and about like before. Today is a very special day in your life. But it would be even more special if you could wake up from your deep slumber and see your second grandson for the first time. We miss your warmth, we miss your jokes, but above all else, we miss you.

On your 61st birthday, I pray that Allah will bestow upon you the extra strength to open your eyes and see us all again. You are and will always be our inspiration, our guide and our shining light when it comes to fighting the odds and overcoming obstacles in life. You have beaten the odds in surviving the worst, your willpower even in your state of unconsciousness is an admirable example. Happy Birthday Mama!!! I’ll see you later today…

Saturday, 13 March 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Piala Dollah Kassim | Leave A Comment »

Festival Melayu Ada Celebrates Its First Anniversary…

Long-time readers of this domain would note the fact that I have been an ardent and loyal supporter of the Festival Melayu Ada (FMA) event when it was first conceived and had its successful run circa March-May 2009. Celebrating its first anniversary, the good people at Cokelat Events & Production have decided to resurrect the event in tribute to Hajjah Esah Cafe. The kind people of the cafe had been a strong advocate and supporter of the FMA series, allowing the artistes to use their outdoor premises for the shows to be realised. Now that the cafe is about to close down, the event not only will celebrate its first year of existence but also as a form of gratitude to the cafe.

Looking at the line-up of artistes on the poster, I see familiar names and regulars of past FMA events like my distant cousin Ard (Adha), Zaibaktian, Boy Raven, NSA (No Strings Attached), Tengku Nurlela, Diana, Samsuri, Elmi Zulkarnain, Shafyre, Rafaat Haji Hamzah and Nizamulmuluk. One year on, they’ve added new acts to the list like Aqmal, Diorama and Kraton who are all nominated at the upcoming anugeraHitz.sg event. A pity though that I am unable to attend the event as I have prior engagements with the family. But I do hope that you guys would set your Saturday, and if possible Sunday as well, aside to support this event as the acts on show are of decent quality…

Best of all, the whole event is FREE!!!

Thursday, 11 March 2010 | Categories: Festival Melayu Ada, Uncategorized | Tags: Ard, Baron Bros, Boy Raven, Chal & D'Fellas, Crossover, Diana Nightingale, Diorama, Elmi Zulkarnain, Farinaz, Kraton, Masya, Murni Mastan, Najib Soiman, Nizamulmuluk, No Strings Attached, Rafaat Hamzah, Revive, Rizal Alias, Samsuri, Sanif Olek, Shafyre, Tengku Jaafar, X-Clusive, Zaibaktian, Zul Salleh, Zulfadli | Leave A Comment »

RIA Big Bash Flashback…

2010 seems like a special year for our local Malay entertainment industry thus far. Mediacorp Suria turned ten years old late January. By mid 2010, we will be seeing new faces who would be gracing our television screens in the near future when the second edition of Anugerah Skrin comes along. Last Saturday 27th February 2010 at the Canning Ballroom, Raffles City Convention Centre, for those who attended, we witnessed the launch of the Malay Artistes Association to look after the welfare of Malay artistes and industry movers in this country. And for the first time, 2010 will see our first local Malay music awards presentation show on 3rd April 2010. Landmark events all around, which also includes the twentieth anniversary of the existence of RIA 89.7FM.

Over the past two decades, RIA 89.7FM has evolved from a station that inspires its listeners through its tagline ”Radio Inspirasi Anda” to a station that plays music according to the current generation’s trend (“Tren Generasi Terkini“). There was a time when Dangdut was the in thing and boybands were the craze. RIA certainly lived up to their tag by playing songs from these genres / eras. Its tagline has since been updated to “Tren Muzik Terkini“, in line with its role in playing the latest hits. RIA has also inadvertantly taken up the role of a station that promotes our local acts through the constant airing of their new singles upon their release. Of late, their weekly RIA Chartz, which reflects the weekly Top 20 requested songs in the station, has shown a healthy number of local songs in it. As recently as the previous weekend before last ending 28th February 2010, of the Top 5 songs on the charts, the top three belonged to local acts with Hady Mirza‘s “Angkasa” at the pinnacle. This past weekend he topped the charts again for a thirteenth straight week!!!

With the rise in number of local acts making their marks in our local Malay music industry, it was no surprise that RIA marked their first outdoor event for 2010 called “RIA Big Bash“, to celebrate their twenty years of existence, with an all-local line-up. I’ve been to countless shows organised by them and have also performed on a number of occasions after winning the Impersonation Category at Kriatif RIA 1997, one of their many organised talent competitions. I must say the response in attendance has always been resounding. But what I felt was something special for “Big Bash“, an A-classed event by their standards, was the fact that they did not feel the need to invite artistes from across the Causeway to grace the occasion. It definitely was a statement of intent for them to show how far our local acts have progressed over the years and that the audience would come and give their support. It also helped that we had Hady Mirza and Taufik Batisah performing that night, sure bets for bums on seats, as the main attractions. Though I knew all along it was deliberate, but if it ever was a gamble to have an all-local line-up, it certainly paid off as the event was a sell-out.

Besides the local acts and the twentieth anniversary of the station being the draws of this event, the night also saw the announcement of the Top 20 songs over the past two decades aired by the station. Since the end of December 2009, listeners were invited to cast their votes on which songs have been their favourite ones since RIA was incepted on 1st December 1990. They were given a list of 100 songs to choose from. How the 100 songs made the list can only be answered by the good people working in the station. But I was quite surprised that songs like KRU‘s “Awas” and “Ooh La La” did not make it to the list, monster hits back in 1995 and 1996 that defined the group, but “Di Dalam Dilema” (the list reflected the song as just “Dilema“) did. There were also other absentees which I thought deserved to be on the Top 100 list to choose from, but I guess they already have their hands full coming up with one and try to include songs from different artistes as much as possible. I think if I had come up with the list, Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza would have at least ten of her past hits on it.

This entry though it will be quite lengthy with photographs that I have taken that night, I will just comment or caption as I go along. For the record, “RIA Big Bash” was held at Republic Polytechnic‘s The Republic Cultural Centre on 21st February 2010 at 8.00pm (the show actually started approximately 8.20pm). It was brought to us by main sponsors Breeks Cafe and Seoul Garden Restaurant. The event was also in support of Tabung Amal Aidilfitri charity fund.

This percussions group call themselves “Sambateria” and they opened the show with their rousing performance which made us all want to get up and dance along with them…

There was something distinctly fresh about how dikir barat group Si Anak Seni performed that night right after Sambateria. They ditched their traditional outfits and broke away from the norms of what you would expect from a normal dikir barat performance by taking up the different musical instruments and playing to a song honouring RIA 89.7FM, its segments and presenters, which they specially composed for the bash. A pity that the sound system did not fully give them a good account of themselves. I was straining my ears trying to figure out what they were singing.

The hosts that night and the previous morning show hosts on RIA, Aura Shai and Hafeez Glamour. Their antics certainly entertained the audience and gave each performance a smooth transition between one another.

This three-piece band, The Lion Story, is famous for the catchy ditty “Kucing Kemari” which they performed that night, along with another single. They remind me a lot of those bands from school gigs, clean cut and definitely with loads of potential.

Ever the charmer, Didicazli serenaded Ms Zakiah Halim to Jamal Abdillah‘s 1991 hit “Kekasih Awal Dan Akhir“, which came in 17th on the Top 20 list of popular songs on RIA over the past two decades. He dedicated the song as his way of saying thank you to her and the station for believing in his music when he first started off as a singer.

He then followed up his performance by singing his latest hit single “Takkan Kembali“…

S.K. (Suriani Kassim) and T.G. (Tahar Ghalib), two very popular radio presenters previously on RIA‘s roster and now at Warna 94.2FM, rolled back the years when they performed the classic hit “Dua Insan” made famous by first M. Nasir & Yunizar Hussein, and then Ezad from Exists & Iva Virginia. It was heartening to see S.K. in the pink of health after what she went through some time ago. Coupled with the fact that their performance was backed up with still footages of previous RIA events over the past twenty years, I felt a lump in my throat, getting nostalgic watching and reminiscing them. I was also momentarily stunned when I saw a photo of myself featured during the Tingkap Tingkap 897 event in 1997 a few months after my group’s win at Kriatif RIA and we were invited to perform.

Zaibaktian always gets a resounding reception from the audience whenever he comes on stage. A very warm and likeable character, he performed his two hits “Dunia Yang Fana” and “Ejen Cinta” that night…

I think it is fair to say that the only female artiste on show that night, Nana, blew the whole auditorium away with her two songs. Rather than singing her hit “Lafaz“, she sang two songs that made it into the Top 20 hits of the past two decades, Misha Omar‘s “Bunga-Bunga Cinta” and Aishah‘s “Janji Manismu“. My hairs stood on end listening to her. Somebody of her calibre should be creating storms and causing ripples in our local music industry and I hope she gets all the support she needs. I for one thought that she should have been one of the longer standing performers in Singapore Idol Season 1 alongside Jeassea Thyidor.

The night not only saw performances by local acts, even the RIA presenters had something up their sleeves for the audience. Of late DJ KC has been practising street magic skills, of which he has incorporated into his weekend hosting events for weddings and functions alike. Though not many knew of this new-found interest and skill of his, that night, he showed his abilities to the audience alongside RIA‘s Programme Director, Mr. Hassan Salleh. Generally everyone was impressed. Just that I felt that it was a bit too draggy as they invited some of the audience to participate in the segment. It was a Sunday afterall and a lot of people had to work the following day.

From the amateurs, the centrestage then belonged to the professional, none other than Imran of Illusi fame. He wowed the audience with a few tricks like making himself disappear on stage and in his place was Fiza O, before reappearing at the back of the auditorium. He also made Nity Baizura and Aura Shai appear on stage. God knows how he did those tricks. However, certain sections of the audience especially those at opposite ends, saw through him. He has to make sure that in future, his surroundings are well covered and that no one should be able to detect his flaws.

Proceedings were then halted for awhile as RIA‘s presenters, current and former, came on stage to cut its twentienth anniversary cake. It was heartwarming to see some of the former presenters being invited and able to attend the event. Azmi Sempoi who was based in Kuala Lumpur, made the effort to come all the way down just to see his former colleagues. Some of them like Fiza O and Azlin Ali, were overcome with emotions upon seeing him. He is now based in India on a business venture.

Boy Raven who was supposed to perform alongside Man Toyak, ended up performing alone. He is seen here singing his current hit on radio “Kesuma Jiwa“.

Boy‘s second set came with a surprise. He sang “Mentera Semerah Padi“, which came in ninth on the Top 20 list of songs over the past twenty years on RIA, alongside Didicazli and Zaibaktian, to the cheers of the audience.

Kraton was up next. This RIA Band Remix champion in 2008 received mix reviews from many quarters. While most people did not like their rendition of Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza‘s “Cindai“, me included, I felt that overall, they were a breath of fresh air with their elaborate costume and unorthodox showmanship. The male singer, Jufri, pranced around and kept jumping up and down the stage. Fortunately there were no pregnant ladies seated at the front row, lest they would have gotten unwanted shocks and trauma, especially since he was wearing a special kind of contact lens that made him look scarier. He certainly performed like a man possessed that night. I for one love their hit single “Fanaq” as it reminds me a lot of ”Puspasari Penawar Puteri“, made famous by the now-defunct Malaysian rock group Metalasia and Ning Baizura sometime in 2004.

Since its inception, RIA 89.7FM has organised several talent competitions for aspiring artistes and performers to showcase their talents. Over the years we’ve had competitions like Karaoke 897, Kitalah Bintang, RIA Band Remix and Kriatif RIA amongst others. Such competitions have been good foundations for artistes like Hetty Sarlene, Rudy Djoharnaen, Mansor Warren, Izzla (Malaysian artiste), X-Tech, Kraton and many more. So it was apt that during the event, Styles From Beyond, who were the winners of Kriatif RIA a few years ago and also participated in 2008‘s The Dance Floor competition on Channel 5, were invited to showcase their talents once again.

The twist to their performance was they had Fiza O and Nity Baizura dancing along with them and the two of them did not look out of place at all. Yours truly also belong to the Kriatif RIA alumnus but I don’t think my group would be relevant in the current context had we been invited to perform, seeing that we were only impersonators of KRU and the real McCoy have since cooled off to concentrate more on their music and filming empire. Anyway, we’ve had our time and what great memories they were. My only regrets were the lack of videos and photographs of our past performances. If only YouTube was invented earlier.

I could sense the restlessness amongst the audience when Styles From Beyond were performing as the night was getting late. But all those feelings disintegrated when Hady Mirza came onstage to sing “Merpati“, which came in third on the Top 20. He even took time to come down and shook hands with everyone seated on the front row. And what is a Hady performance nowadays without his gargantuan hit “Angkasa”??? I have to repeat again that it is tops for thirteen weeks now on the current RIA Chartz, a phenomenon of sorts.

Taufik Batisah‘s appearance towards the end was a no-brainer. But I was surprised that his song “Usah Lepaskan” came in first on the Top 20 list of songs. Not that I have any doubts or have an axe to grind with Taufik, far from it, but it reflects the current demographics and patterns of voters out there, not to mention preferences. Had this poll been done in 2000, there will be no surprises as to which singer or song would top the charts. However Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza could be pleased with the fact that three of her previous hits “Cindai“, “Aku Cinta Padamu” and “Percayalah” made it to the list, thus making her the top artiste over the past two decades. That’s another no-brainer really given how much she has achieved in her career spanning fifteen years and counting.

What was unique about Taufik‘s performance was the fact that the producer of RIA Big Bash, RZ himself, came on stage to sing the first few verses and chorus of “Usah Lepaskan“, just to keep the audience in suspense, anticipating the arrival of the first Singapore Idol onstage. Though he forgot the lyrics at some point, I thought RZ did a decent job singing the song. The tiredness on his face was evident and I knew he has been spending long hours at work preparing for this big-scale event. Taufik followed up his performance singing “Tiada Dua“, a song that is fast gaining its admirers. But it is not a surprise to me at all. Taufik seems to have the Midas touch in that any single of his that is introduced to the listeners, it will surely be a guaranteed hit. No question about it.

The last act of the night belonged to the RIA male presenters who formed a band amongst themselves and are simply called RIA Band, with DJ KC on vocals, Brader Bo on lead guitar and RZ on drums. Apologies as the identity of their guest bassist was lost on me though. The band, which was formed during the first Band Remix competition back in 2007, performed Ricky Martin‘s “Livin’ La Vida Loca” and literally burnt the house down with their virtuoso and energetic performance.

It was also a nice gesture for them to call up Zan Sofiyan, one of its original members, and Azmi Sempoi to perform on stage with them halfway through the song to signal its finale. And what a finale it was with Brader Bo smashing his guitar. It truly felt like watching a proper rock concert.

RIA Big Bash was overall, a resounding success in my opinion, not because I’ve been a loyal listener since 1st December 1990, or because I used to be an intern back in 1998 or for the fact that I regard some of the presenters as good friends. The main thing for me is that for a big-scale event like this, RIA can pat themselves on the back for being able to attract a full house (the empty seats in the auditorium I believe, belonged to representatives from sponsors and invitees who did not turn up) and most importantly without the need to call upon a guest artiste from Malaysia or Indonesia. It was an all-Singaporean affair which in itself is a landmark and progress that we have made over the years to see our local Malay music industry bloom. Indeed since its inception, RIA has done a commendable job to introduce and support local acts, even to the point of granting airplay to songs which do not meet the basic quality standards.

However, there were flaws that could have been avoided. The day of the event which was on a Sunday was top of the list, bearing in mind that the next day was a Monday and people had to go to work or attend school. It was too evident when the show started almost half an hour late and certain segments were too draggy or absolutely redundant. The magic show for instance could have just been done by KC or Imran. The opening acts involving Sambateria and Si Anak Seni I felt was just a repetitive segment which could have been done either by fusing their respective genres or limited to just one. With so many acts on show, there was a tendency of the old adage of too many cooks spoiling the broth rearing its ugly head.

The event also felt like a repeat of last August‘s Rentak Singapura event organised by both RIA and Warna 94.2FM. Even though I did not attend that event due to personal commitments, the main artistes on show that night (Taufik, Hady, Zaibaktian, Nana and Didicazli) were also the same headliners on 21st February 2010. Not meaning to take anything away from the five talented singers, I believe we still have other acts patiently waiting for their opportunities to make themselves be heard and seen. But I can understand why they were chosen because they have their own sets of loyal supporters who would go the distance in supporting them. As a result, we saw that the event was a full house. The sound system was also left to be desired as the vocals of the singers were sometimes drowned by the music that accompanied them. Which was a pity really cos the talents on show certainly deserved better justice to their performances.

The positive side of it is that this event is only the first of many for 2010 and one could expect more local acts to be invited for upcoming ones in store. I just don’t want to hear something like so-and-so is a golden child to so-and-so or this person charges lesser that’s why he / she was invited. Have heard of such things like that across the Causeway and I don’t want our industry to suffer the same thing. Have yet to anyway, that’s why I’m just throwing caution to the wind. Not pointing fingers at anyone in case some of you feel that way. Jealousy breeds contempt in so many ways and what I brought up has happened before, so I wouldn’t like to see it repeated here. Before I end this entry, here is the full list of Top 20 songs on RIA over the past twenty years:

Top 20 Songs on RIA 89.7FM (1990-2010)

Usah Lepaskan – Taufik Batisah
Demi Waktu – Ungu
Merpati – Hady Mirza
Cindai – Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza
Percayalah – Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza
Kaulah Segalanya – Hazrul Nizam
Janji Manismu -Aishah
Dealova – Once (Dewa 19)
Mentera Semerah Padi – M. Nasir
Mungkin Nanti – Peterpan
Kenangan Terindah – Samsons
Seribu Tahun – Imran Ajmain
Bunga-Bunga Cinta – Misha Omar
Aku Cinta Padamu – Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza
Cenderawasih – 2D
Menghitung Hari – Kris Dayanti
Kekasih Awal & Akhir – Jamal Abdillah
Bilang Saja – Agnes Monica
P.U.S.P.A. – ST12
Hijau – Zainal Abidin

Sunday, 7 March 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Aura Shai, Azlin Ali, Azmi Sempoi, Boy Raven, Brader Bo, Didicazli, DJ KC, Fiza O, Hady Mirza, Hafeez Glamour, Hassan Salleh, Imran Illusi, Kraton, Man Toyak, Nana Karia, Nity Baizura, RIA 89.7FM, RZ, Sambateria, Si Anak Seni, Styles From Beyond, Suriani Kassim, Tahar Ghalib, Taufik Batisah, The Lion Story, Warna 94.2FM, Zaibaktian, Zakiah Halim, Zan Sofiyan, Zarina Safuan | Leave A Comment »

Glenn Fredly Lovevolution Concert Reminisced…

I know I’ve been holding this entry back for quite some time because I wanted to space out my entries. It didn’t help that the last entry I did was of more importance for the sake of public awareness. At least I know you’ll be coming back for more. Another reason why I procrastinated on this entry was because I dunno what to talk about in the first place, other than the fact that Glenn Fredly is a charismatic singer, whose voice and stage presence alone are enough reasons for someone to part his hard-earned money to watch him perform up-close and live.

However, the ironical thing is that, no matter how great and inspiring Glenn Fredly is as a crooner and soul balladeer, personally I’ve never held him in high esteem nor mention his name in the same breath as one of my favourite artistes like vocal male powerhouses Anuar Zain or Imran Ajmain for instance. Even his popularity in these parts is more or less subjected to a few hit singles like “Januari“, “Sedih Tak Berujung“, “Happy Sunday“, “Cuma Kamu” and “Dengarkanlah“, the duet he did with Malaysian songbird Amy Mastura. Quite a mystery to me as he has a voice which could melt a woman’s heart and transport them to dreamland just by opening his mouth to sing.

However, I do appreciate the God-given talents this Ambon native possesses and boy does he have it in abundance??? I almost forgot that I actually own two of his earlier albums in my CD collection entitled “Kembali” which was released in 2000 and “Selamat Pagi, Dunia!” released in 2003. I bought the former because I fell in love with his song “Kasih Putih” the first time I heard it on radio. The latter album, with his greatest hit “Januari” and “Terpesona“, a duet he did with Audy, was considered his best-selling album to date, spawning a repackaged version in 2004, which contained two other hit singles “Akhir Cerita Cinta” and ”Sedih Tak Berujung“.

And so you might wonder, why did I spend my hard-earned money to watch someone I do not list as one of my favourite artistes nor hold him in high regards??? Well the answer goes way back to 2007 when Glenn Fredly held court to his first concert here in Singapore at the Rock Auditorium, Suntec City Mall. That concert coincided with his “Happy Sunday Tour” and for those who went, would remember seeing Taufik Batisah, our first Singapore Idol, in the audience. Back then, the concert was a sell-out event and he literally tore the roof down and had the audience rushing forward and dancing to his songs. It certainly helped that such a venue did not result in the kind of hefty ticket pricing that Esplanade usually commands, which meant that a lot of Indonesians working as domestic workers here were able to enjoy the concert.

In case you’re wondering if I’m looking down on these workers for their lack of spending acumen, the answer is no, cos I did stumble upon a blog site belonging to an Indonesian who said that her fellow countrymen who came to watch Glenn Fredly‘s Lovevolution concert were mostly from the richer class. Upon reflection I thought it was quite a fair comment, seeing the tickets that the Esplanade had set, are about a third to half of what these domestic workers earn monthly and I don’t think many of them would want to part with their hard-earned money just like that. Still on the subject of the ”Happy Sunday Tour” concert, well what a show it was, as one could really see the Indonesian audience letting their hair down, as compared to their Singaporean counterparts, who are normally dead-pan when watching concerts, the Malay ones that is.

Another factor which swayed me to watch the Lovevolution concert was the fact that it was promoted as being his last concert tour before he retires. Well the word “retires” certainly did come out from his mouth when he held a press conference to announce the concert tour and the launch of the Lovevolution album on the same day as the concert. Though rumours have been rife about his health condition, the actual reason he gave was to return to his hometown to open a production house and social foundation that would guide the potential youngsters to achieve their dreams of seeing their musical talents recognised. Even then, the health rumours still have not gone away and continue to linger even after the man has explained himself. With those factors in mind, I got myself front-row tickets, which to me came as quite a bit of a surprise as I had expected people to snap the tickets up the moment they got wind of Glenn‘s retirement plans.

When I entered the Esplanade Theatre, I was extremely surprised to see only the first level stall and circle seats were filled up and there was no one on the second, third and fourth level. This was something new to me as past events and concerts held at the Esplanade Theatre that I attended were relatively sold-out events. As I made my way to my seat, I spotted a few familiar faces, notably Didicazli, Wawan (Anugerah 2009 finalist) who were seated at the fourth row and Mr. Hassan Salleh, Senior Programme Director of RIA 89.7FM and his wife, who were seated just behind me and my missus. I also noticed Fauzie Laily and friends seated at the other end of the second row. Familiar faces, all with one intention – To enjoy watching a class performer strut his stuff one last time on our shores.

My old football buddy, Fauzie Laily, truly enjoyed himself there… By the way, tomorrow 22 February 2010, his official website, www.fauzielaily.com will be launched at 2:22pm… Do look out for it!!!

And we were not disappointed throughout a concert which was supposed to last 105 minutes. In fact it went on for slightly more than two hours. Even though most of the songs were lost on us due to their unfamiliarity and lack of airplay here, that did not stop the audience from tapping our feet and clapping along to the beats of the songs sung by Glenn that night, who continuously quipped that he felt blessed to realise his dreams of performing at a world class venue like the Esplanade, a legacy which would live long in his memory. True to his soft spoken nature, he addressed the audience with such sincerity and warmth, the ladies just couldn’t help themselves by displaying their love for him with constant shouts-out of “I love you Glenn!“

Backed by a tight unit of six sessionists and one musical programmer, Glenn oozed a certain kind of sexiness and charisma on stage which not many are able to exude. Shifting from playing the guitar and the piano intermittently, Glenn was in his element, whipping up the audience into standing up and dancing along to his songs, just like the last concert he did here in 2007. Though the man is known for his sappy ballads and tear-jerking songs, some of his catchy R&B-infused songs performed that night were given elegant touches of jazz, a dash of funk, a sprinkle of pop, a dose of salsa, and even a pinch of disco at different points, leaving memorable impressions on the minds of those who were there to witness it first-hand.

His lead guitarist and saxaphonist in particular, were the side attractions, coming forward to play their instruments alongside Glenn and dancing along with him. Like most musicians who credit the late Michael Jackson as a massive form of inspiration to their respective works of art, he even paid tribute to the “King of Pop“ in one segment by singing “Human Nature” and “The Lady In My Life“. When he broke into his more familiar tunes on these shores, the audience could be heard singing along. Especially when he sang “Januari”, it was melodious to hear the whole arena acting as his back-up vocals and singing with gusto. It is afterall his monster hit here that still receives constant airplay, even though the song is already more than six years old.

Lovevolution marks Glenn Fredly‘s latest chapter in his music career. The songs in the album represent his experiences throughout his journey, the hits, the misses, the love, the heartbreaks all culminating into one masterpiece of an album. And he took great pains to say that it is because of love that he is still standing as a musician and love itself that brought him to the Esplanade to realise his dreams of performing there. Though he reflected wistfully on his two failed marriages, he said it actually made him an even stronger person and believe that love when it comes in future, would give it the perfection that his previous experiences had almost given him. Always positive, truly optimistic this fella.

Fauzie with Ibrahim Hashim (theatre activist), DJ KC (RIA 89.7FM), Rafil Kamaruddin (Organisational Excellence Executive with MUIS), Fiza O (RIA 89.7FM) and Janna Jauhar (Labels of Love)…

It has to be said also that this concert had its fair share of sacrifices made on his part. For one, Glenn had to miss his younger sibling’s wedding on the same day of the concert, a landmark event that he regretted not being able to attend, but still found time to give props and dedicated a song to the newly-weds. The build up to the concert day also made him stay away from seafood or food that have elements of them in it, for fear that his health would prevent him from giving the audience a good performance. It has afterall been well-documented that late last year, he suffered a setback due to problems to his digestive systems. Due diligence and care towards his health were of paramount importance in only giving his absolute best for the audience to remember him by in this concert.

Mr. Hassan Salleh, Ms. Zakiah Halim (Vice President, Malay, Indian & Expatriate Programming, MediaCorp Radio), Fiza O & KC enjoyed the concert as their smiles were testament to it…

What was initially meant to be a “retirement” actually turned out to be a form of hibernation and rest from the entertainment scene in Indonesia. For how long he would be out of the scene that he has given so much dedication to for the past fifteen years, only time will tell and only he will decide when is the right time to return. But what was important was the legacy he left, the indelible impressions he had worked so hard to leave behind, the sweet memories he would want his fans and those who appreciate his music to remember him by. The Lovevolution concert, with him performing at least twenty-one songs that night, was one and a testimony that Glenn Fredly is indeed an entertaining performer, a genuine and professional class act, who deserves every title that is bestowed upon him especially the one that I subscribe to the most that is, ”The King of Indonesian R&B“…

P.S. In what is now slowly becoming a regular feature of this blog and I’ll try to feature more artistes to do a promo of their works, albums, upcoming shows, dramas they’re acting in in future entries, God willing, I leave you with a message from Fiza O:

Sunday, 21 February 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Didicazli, DJ KC, Fauzie Laily, Fiza O, Glenn Fredly, Hassan Salleh, Wawan, Zakiah Halim | Leave A Comment »

Of Basic Ethics & Sincere Intentions…

Some of you reading this who follow me on Twitter or if you’re in my list of contacts in Facebook would have noticed my rants this past Tuesday. In my rants, I voiced out my unhappiness towards an initiation and public announcement on Berita Harian on the days leading up to the recent Kawin-Kawin Makan-Makan exhibition at Singapore Expo Hall 6B, over the past Chinese New Year weekend, that a Dollah Kassim Soccer Academy was to be launched on Tuesday, 16th February 2010 at 6:00pm. Just to give you a sample of how the advertisement looked like in case you might have missed out on it as well, I’ve taken the liberty to scan it for you:

If it wasn’t for the wife’s sharp eye for details, I think my family members and I would not have seen the advertisement ourselves or be made aware of it. So you must be wondering why am I feeling absolutely pissed off about it, rather than feel honoured that my uncle would leave a legacy to remember him by, by having a football academy to his name??? The answer is too elementary and even an idiot could tell us the straight answer.

In anything we do in life, if it involves using someone else’s name, or if we were to borrow something that belongs to him or her, what must we do first and foremost??? I’m sure anyone out there would know that the answer is a no-brainer and that the most basic thing to do is to seek the permission of the person or his next-of-kin. Even in intellectual property rights, due approval is needed before someone can make use of its contents or risked being faced with legal action. If I had not informed my cousins and aunt about it, and I only informed them on Sunday night when I went over to visit Uncle Dollah at his home, they too would not have known about this.

The person who initiated this idea, simply forgot the most basic of rules and that was to seek the permission of Uncle Dollah‘s family to use his name or introduce the idea of having a football academy to his name. We’re not uncivilised and uncultured people. Which was why, to give this person the benefit of doubt, we all waited for him to personally contact Uncle Dollah‘s family up till this past Tuesday itself, but he never called. It was only when my cousin Ezaad was on his way to the Expo, did he receive a call from ex-international Malek Awab, asking him to come down and witness the so-called “launch”.

Look, if you are freaking sincere about doing something noble and a service to Uncle Dollah‘s family as well as the community, why aren’t you brave enough to call my cousin yourself??? Why do you need to have a third party doing the dirty work for you, and that too at the very last minute??? How would anyone of you out there feel if someone uses your father’s name for their own benefits without having the courtesy to inform you of their intentions??? Does it sound genuinely sincere at all that you only contacted my cousin through a third party, that too, when he himself already made the decision to go down and see it for himself??? I am sure that anyone reading this would understand the anger seething within my family’s ranks that someone in his haste to come up with a noble idea, could mess it up big time. But it didn’t end there.

When Ezaad talked to him backstage prior to the so-called “launch”, he was given the idea that it was all a misunderstanding and that no mention of the launch of the football academy was to be made since the family had not sat down to discuss its possibility. What was supposed to happen on stage was to collect funds for Uncle Dollah via auctions made on football stuff donated by Malek Awab himself, as this person was highly inspired by what Perkamus did the previous month at the last Mega Wedding & Lifestyle exhibition. Ezaad also told me that Malek Awab himself had his reservations about this project simply because it is on a voluntary basis and wondered how long it can sustain. And so Ezaad and I waited for the event to unfold. What was promoted to start at 6:00pm, ended up starting at 7:30pm. Typical huh??? *snigger*

You can imagine the shock on our faces when the emcee on stage, Syah Ibrahim, announced that the “launch” of the football academy was on. Malek Awab, this smart aleck of a guy and another person whose identity was lost on me, were invited up on stage to launch the football academy. After the initial introductions were made, Ezaad himself was asked to come on stage to receive a token, which was actually a flimsy piece of paper folded in three and stapled at the sides. What was inside it, I didn’t want to know cos just by the look of it, reflected how much sincerity went into it.

By then I was already fuming mad and had half the mind to go up on stage and say that this launch was a no go. Ezaad himself was initially reluctant to go up on stage as he too was royally pissed, but he had the presence of mind and compassion to not spoil the event. To his credit, he thanked everyone for all their help, donation and prayers towards Uncle Dollah all these while, without mentioning anything about the launch or the football academy. I am extremely proud of my cousin that even in his state of anger and embarrassment, he still kept his cool and dignity. I doubt I could maintain that stance, given my short-tempered nature.

The smart aleck then went on to promote that whoever is interested to participate in the football academy and if they’re 16 years old and below, could come down to Compassvale Primary every Sunday at 8:30am for training. That particular line literally had my blood at its boiling point and I was really bursting at the seams. What happened to the so-called non-mention of the football academy launch made earlier??? And there wasn’t even any auctions made as well.

To rub salt to my family’s wounds, they immediately held interviews backstage with a Channel News Asia staff to announce the launch of the football academy. Thankfully Ezaad was on hand to inform the producer not to release the news as the family had not made a firm decision on this. The way we see it, this smart aleck seems to want to use Uncle Dollah‘s name to attract more aspiring young footballers to train under him, seeing that he already is doing some coaching on the said day and time. For all the names of the ex-internationals mentioned in the advertisement, only Malek Awab turned up to “support” the event, but I believe he too is very much sceptical about it and we do not hold it against him for going through the motions.

My whole family is up in arms over this matter and we all regard this as a very serious and grave issue. Cynics out there would question the fact that we’re being ungrateful to people who have voluntarily come forward to offer their goodwill services to help in Uncle Dollah‘s cause. While we appreciate the kind gesture, we are extremely upset and vexed that Uncle Dollah‘s name is bandied about without getting his immediate family’s approval, nor discussing with them personally of plans to have this academy going. Not only that, they were also not told how the football academy is going to be run, what constitutes its administration, who are the people behind it, who is responsible for its licensing, funding and logistics cos even if it’s done voluntarily, the issue of money is never ever too far away.

It is also not so easy to launch a football academy without first getting its proper accreditation from the Singapore Sports Council, Football Association of Singapore and Ministry of Community Development, Youth & Sports. I wondered if all these factors had been taken into consideration or not prior to announcing to the whole wide world on the existence of this football academy??? If things were to go wrong, who is supposed to be accountable for the mess, Uncle Dollah or his family members, or the people who volunteered to run it??? Whatever it is, if things were to turn sour, the first thing the public will clamour for blood is Uncle Dollah‘s, simply because his name is used. I’m sure nobody would want to witness the day a legendary national sportsman’s name being dragged down the mud and losing his honour through irresponsible means and characters.

I hope whoever was at Singapore Expo that day when this so-called football academy was launched, would not be taken in easily and that no kids out there would have high hopes of joining it cos it surely is not going to happen and I believe my aunt and cousins are hell-bent and adamant against it. As a family, we did have initial plans to set up a football academy under Uncle Dollah‘s name and these plans were discussed prior to his unfortunate deterioration of health. If this project is ever going to materialise, then the legend himself would have the final say and would be overlooking the proceedings, not any strangers out there, not anyone from the local football fraternity, most definitely not even ex-youth players who claim to be ex-international players.

Initially I did not want to publish this entry, because we were supposed to hold an emergency meeting with this person before this week is out. But he put it off to next week and I cannot have kids or parents who were at the Expo that fateful Tuesday believing that this football academy is genuine and approved by the relevant authorities as well as Uncle Dollah‘s family, and perhaps turning up this Sunday thinking they are really training under the umbrella of Dollah Kassim Soccer Academy. Nobody in our family died and appointed this person our decision maker. Whatever innovative ideas you have, you jolly well get the necessary approval and do your bloody homework. Don’t assume and jump into wild conclusions that what you are doing would be a service. You’re only making things worse for the family!!!

THE WHOLE FAMILY DEMANDS A PUBLIC APOLOGY FOR USING UNCLE DOLLAH’S NAME WITHOUT OUR APPROVAL!!!

Friday, 19 February 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Anak Wayang Promo…

I had given my word to a good friend of mine that I would be putting this promo up by the past weekend but as I had other commitments to look into, I could only upload this today. Apologies dear friend, hope you don’t hold it against me for not keeping my word. Anyway, I hope for those of you who have the time and would like to immerse yourself in a theatre production, then I suggest you keep the dates and times mentioned below free. Attached with this promotional poster is the synopsis of the production, which I have edited to give it an edgier outlook:

ANAK WAYANG

Sri Warisan Som Said Performing Arts Ltd will be producing “Ának Wayang“ a dance theatre, as a tribute to all performing arts activists also known as “Anak Seni“, who have contributed in abundance, in the effort of promoting “Performing Arts” in Singapore, through dance, theatre and music.

Sri Warisan has invited Sri Mahligai, Sri Anggerik Bangsawan and Sriwana, names that are synonymous in the local traditional Malay dance and music fraternity, to collaborate in this grand production.

Initiated and conceptualised by Mr Adel Dzulkarnaen Ahmad and Marina Yusoff as the Script Writer and Director, the ultimate goal of “Ának Wayang” is the assembly of the new-generation teams of the respective four traditional performing groups in one production, thus providing a platform and avenue to gain artistic experience and cohesiveness amongst them. They are our future and our hope; they are Singapore’s “Anak Wayang“.

“Anak Wayang” portrays how the journey of an “Anak Wayang” begins and experiences, way back in the 1920’s. Beginning with scenes from the kampung / village to the Bangsawan era, the journey would then shift to the booming film industry back in the days of Jalan Ampas, highlighting the sacrifices made by ”Anak Wayang” to be a full time performer in the 1950’s. For those of you who miss the days of yore, flashbacks depicting the Dondang Sayang club in the 1980’s would be a walk down memory lane to savour. Also in a surprising twist in scenes of the future, ”Anak Wayang” will make inroads by going global & international, progressing and achieving success in the modern, technology era.

This production will also feature Shahril Wahid, a renowned theatre activist, dancer, presenter & Mediacorp Suria’s freelance artiste. Shahril came to the fore in the local Malay entertainment industry when he was crowned the inaugural Anugerah Skrin winner (Male Category) back in 2006. Since then he has played a variety of roles on television, of which the recent one as a handicapped and paralysed character in the drama series “Gerimis Di Hati“, has been touted as his best performance to date.

Wednesday, 17 February 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Adel Dzulkarnaen Ahmad, Marina Yusoff, Shahril Wahid, Sri Anggerik Bangsawan, Sri Mahligai, Sri Warisan Som Said Performing Arts Ltd, Sriwana | 1 Comment »

A Teaser For You…

My blog stats jumped today and it is not surprising what was the common name or search term that was used to stumble upon my domain. No prizes for guessing what or who it is. Seems to me, there are a lot of curious people out there. I hope nobody passes baseless judgements based on what they viewed or read in the papers today. It is already traumatising for the person involved and I don’t think she would be so stupid as to upload it herself. It is a screwjob, full stop. We all make mistakes in life. Please do not victimise her further nor ostracise her from society. No matter what cynics would say, we should all protect her from being made an example of what home-made videos of that nature could do to one’s career, life and well-being in the long run.

On to more positive news. I attended the Suria Elektra Media Session just now at Royal Plaza On Scotts. Before I upload my entry on it, I would just like to give you a bit of teaser, and I know all you ladies out there will be drooling over it… Click on it, and enjoy!!!

P.S. Thank you once again Mr. Taufik Batisah for singing my favourite song and recording your greetings for my blog. All the best for tomorrow night’s performance!!!

Thursday, 4 February 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Fiesta Famili @ Hougang Central Court…

I’ve been very busy these past few days at work and at home with my little tykes. As such, I simply have no time to update this blog on the events I attended of late like the birth of my nephew Mohammed Emraan, Fiesta Suria @ East Coast Park and the first Misteri Jam 12 outing of 2010. Plus this weekend promises to be a packed affair with the Suria Elektra Media session tomorrow afternoon at Royal Plaza On Scotts, the Suria Elektra event on Friday night at Mediacorp TV Theatre (unconfirmed going as yet as I’m still without a ticket), Fiesta Famili @ Hougang Central Court on Saturday afternoon and Glenn Fredly‘s Lovevolution Concert in the evening at the Esplanade Theatre.

I’m gonna update all these events I attended and would be attending at my own sweet time, so I hope you guys will be patient and bear with me. I’m afterall doing all these on a leisurely basis. Work, family, football and social time are still my priorities in that order. But of course I will try to update at least twice a week. Note the keyword “TRY”. Hahahah… In the meantime, here’s the promotional poster for this Saturday afternoon’s event at Hougang Central Court. A good thing that it’s just two MRT station stops away from home. At least I will not be rushing like a mad man…

Wednesday, 3 February 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Fiesta Suria Programme Line-Up

Details of Fiesta Suria

Date	Saturday, 30 January 2010
Time	10am – 9pm
Venue	East Coast Park, Meyer Coast, Area B2 (Near Big Splash)
Admittance/ticketing	Open to public. All media invited (Kindly RSVP to contacts listed in media release).
Hosted by	Suzairhe Sumari and Fauzie Laily
Local artistes	Hyrul Anuar (Anugerah 2005 Winner), Sarah Aqilah (Anugerah 2009 Winner), Maiya Rahman (Anugerah 2007 1^st Runner Up), Kunjung (Anugerah 2009 1^st Runner up), Wawan (Anugerah 2009 2^nd runner up), Chirul (Anugerah 2009 3^rd runner up), Catty, EVE, Syed Azmir, Khairil Yusoff, Zaibaktian, Nana Idol, Rancour (Anugerah Band Winner 2008), Sleeq (Popular Rap Duo), Revalina, B8, Bloco Singapura, Shabir (Vasantham Star 07) and many more!
Guest foreign artistes	Malaysia’s Nurul Huda, Izwan Pilus, Kat (Mentor) and Indonesia’s Intan Nuraini

Programme Line-up

Time	Items
10.00am	Collection of 1000 exclusive Suria premiums HPB’s healthy lifestyle workout by Kebayarobics group
11.00am	Suria’s Beach Soccer Challenge (Suria artistes VS the Public)
1.00pm	Opening by hosts and Bloco Singapura
1.15pm	Stage Performances
3.30pm	Arrival of Guest-of-Honour
4.30pm	Stage Performances
7.30pm	“Movie-under-the-stars” premiere screening of Papadom
9.00pm	End of Event

P. S. Apologies for publicising this a bit late as I was caught up with work…

Saturday, 30 January 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

CTKD Album Sales Promo…

Purchase “CTKD” album at the CD booth this Saturday, 30th Jan 2010 @ Suria Fiesta 2010 at East Coast Park B2 near Big Splash from 10am - 9pm.

The CD will be sold at a special promo price of $14.00 only and the first 100 buyers will receive a complimentary gift specially from

Siti Nurhaliza Productions.

Get it fast and listen to the two sensational voices and songs of

Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza and Kris Dayanti…!!!

Location: SURIA FIESTA 2010 @ East Coast near Big Splash

Time: 10am – 9pm

(Photo and information courtesy of

Siti Nurhaliza Productions Sdn Bhd)

Tuesday, 26 January 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

S-League 2010 Charity Shield: SAFFC vs AIK Solna

I had the opportunity to watch a live S-League match in ages last Thursday night (21st January 2010), albeit the opponent was not from these parts. I think the last S-League match I watched live at the stadium was when Sengkang-Punggol FC was still known as Marine Castle FC. Yes it was that long ago. Back then my uncle, Syed Ismail, was its head coach and as I was staying at Hougang where the team is still currently based at, I had the opportunity to watch my uncle’s team in action, even though their performances left much to be desired, due to a tight budget and lack of quality players in their ranks.

National player, Shaiful Esah scoring with a trademark free-kick that took a slight deflection as early as the tenth minute…

Anyway, at last Thursday night’s match at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium, home of last year’s and eight-time S-League champions, Singapore Armed Forces Football Club (SAFFC), the new season began with the traditional Charity Shield curtain-raiser, with the home team playing against the current Swedish Allsvenskan champions AIK Solna. It was a good opportunity to see our local team pit their wits against a team which is considered a few notches higher in standard and fitness than them.

Ezaad chatting with Mr Zainudin Nordin, President of the Football Association of Singapore and the Swedish Ambassador, Mr Par Ahlberger during the half-time break.

And if you had watched the news bulletin on television or read the newspaper reports for the past week leading up to the game, you would have also noted that the match was a special occasion, as proceeds from ticket sales to the game and 2010 calendars being sold during the match itself, would be donated to Uncle Dollah’s medical fund. On top of that, the Football Association of Singapore as well as kind sponsors and donors alike had pledged more than $70,000 to the cause. Certainly an occasion like this was a heartwarming one for my uncle’s family, in that we did not expect people to still remember his exploits as well as the joy he used to give football fans back in his heydays. We were certainly heartened by the turnout which newspaper reports had estimated at around 2300 people.

The final score… Note the houses in the background. They certainly have the best and free views during match days at the stadium…

The match too was an enjoyable one to watch with both teams testing each other at both ends of the goal. Our S-League champions themselves looked as though they could retain their championship again come the end of this season. They might have lost a few stalwarts in Therdsak Chaiman & Alexander Duric amongst others, but they have also beefed up their squad with ten new additions, notably national players Mohd Noh Rahman, Hyrulnizam Juma’at and Indra Sahdan. Along with their new foreign imports and the spine of their championship-winning team intact, they would be difficult to dislodge and the gritty performance against the Swedish champions said a lot about this team’s potential.

SAFFC posing for the cameras after receiving their respective medals…

The one that caught my eye was the forgotten man, Ahmad Latiff Kamaruddin. I personally would take him back to the national team if I was coach of the team and replace Ridhuan Mohd on the right flank. At least he is willing to take his men on and direct potshots at goal which the latter simply has no self-belief in doing so, as pointed out by Raddy Avramovic himself. So please do yourself a favour Raddy, and pick Ahmad Latiff in your next squad. I believe in life we all make mistakes. If the guy is overlooked time and time again for his past misdemeanours, I think for the past two seasons I’ve yet to hear something bad or negative about him. Anyway Ridhuan has had one too many chances without much success and should not be made the golden boy who could not be dropped.

Ezaad receiving the donation cheque from our guests of honour…

Before I end this entry, I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank the Football Association of Singapore, sponsors, well-wishers, donors and the fans who came to watch the match the other night. The $82,000 received in total would definitely go a long way in helping Uncle Dollah‘s family in footing his medical expenses which is about $2000 in average per month. May you be rewarded for your kind efforts and sincerity for this noble cause. Also to the players of SAFFC who kept their promise to play for Uncle Dollah. You guys were great and did yourselves proud by playing above your potential and not letting the Swedish champions walked all over you. Good luck for the coming season ahead lads!!!

Saturday, 23 January 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Rentak Cilik Comes Alive!!!

Friday, 15 January 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Misteri Jam 12 Outing Details…

NIGHT OF MYSTERY EXPEDITION!!!

Date: 30 January 2010

Time : 10pm – 3am

Number of Pax: 40 participants only

For more information on fees and the outing, please call

82257922 (Puan Rosy)

Visit interesting places in Singapore, do not miss the opportunity to participate in this expedition!!!

Limited to 40 pax only…

Prepare your cameras, video recorders and your spirit!!!

Friday, 15 January 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Konsert Sinaran Hati Gemilang Recap…

(Graphics courtesy of Mediacorp Suria)

MediaCorp Suria has been a strong supporter of charitable causes such as “Ikhlas“, “Azam“, and recently, “Project Hope“. This is the fourth year that Suria and Tabung Amal Aidilfitri Trust Fund (TAA) collaborated in producing a mega charity show to raise funds for the less fortunate. The 2-hour charity show called Sinaran Hati Gemilang, was televised live on Suria last night at MediaCorp TV Theatre.

Huda Ali & Khairudin Saharom given the honours to host the event…

Anchored by Khairudin Saharom and Huda Ali, who is now making waves across the Causeway as a protege of renowned movie director / producer Datuk Yusuf Haslam, the charity show was themed “Gemilang“ which signified luminescence and resplendence. It was also a night where the event featured four multi-talented and outstanding individuals who were main contributors to the show’s segments namely: Mr Iskandar Mirza Ismail (recipient of Anugerah Jauhari 2003 and Cultural Medallion 2008 – Music), Madam Som Said (recipient of Cultural Medallion 1987 and Anugerah Jauhari 2009 – Dance), Mr Isa Kamari (recipient of Cultural Medallion 2007 – Literature) and Mr Almahdi Al-Haj also known as Nadiputra (recipient of Cultural Medallion 1986 – Theatre).

Didicazli, the TAA Ambassador for 2009 / 2010 performing his current hit single “Takkan Kembali“…

Sinaran Hati was graced by performances by Asian Idol Hady Mirza, Sarah Aqilah, Kunjung Whitaker, Ahli Fiqir, Shahril Wahid and Didicazli. Indonesian songbird, Rossa, also made a special appearance singing “Hey Ladies“, “Hati Yang Kau Sakiti” & “Ayat-Ayat Cinta“. A segment of the show that showcased Madam Som Said‘s contribution was performed by dancers from Sri Warisan and narrated by her daughter-in-law, television personality Marina Yusoff.

Shahril Wahid exuded so much class and emotions during his poetry recital act…

Last year, TAA had hoped in raising $1 million in its 1-year campaign with MediaCorp Suria and MediaCorp Warna 94.2FM. Judging by the donations received last night through the phone-ins and contributions by private organisations, I believe they had surpassed that target. Sinaran Hati tickets that were priced at $19 and $49 respectively and all proceeds from ticket sales were channeled towards the TAA Trust Fund.

Donations can also be made through TAA telepoll lines:

1900 112 9010 for a $10 donation
1900 112 9050 for a $50 donation

The telepoll lines are now open till 28 February 2010.

The current duo of AhliFiqir, Mawar Berduri and Daly ending off the poetry recital segment…

I’ve had a few people asking me whether I would be doing a review on the night’s show when I was at the reception afterwards. I simply said “No, I don’t think so…“, as it was meant to be a mellow and toned-down affair, with the aim and intention to raise dollars for the less fortunate and needy as depicted by the various clips and acting segment during the show. I was also down with a bad case of flu last night, suppressing myself from coughing and sneezing till my eyes teared. A wonder how I held my ground the whole night staying till the end. All that added up to me not having the mood nor feeling the need to do a review but if views were to be shared then I’ll just give brief thoughts on the show.

Rossa, looking all-splendour performing “Ayat-Ayat Cinta“… Rumours have it certain sections of the media weren’t pleased with her for cancelling a scheduled interview but rumours are definitely meant to be taken with a pinch of salt and not to be taken wholesale cos there’s always two sides to the story. If it really happened, I’m sure she had her valid reasons…

As a show, overall I felt there was a distinct lack of punch and aura, a feel-good factor that was missing, the “X-factor“ you might call it. Cos it felt like watching a weekly variety show. However, it has to be stressed upon that this was to be expected and forgiven, as this wasn’t a glammed-up show filled with all the pomp and razzmatazz to honour the movers and shakers of the industry over the past year or a happy and fun occasion like “Pesta Pesta Pesta” or “Anugerah Grand Finale“. This show was meant to tug at the heartstrings, and some cynical ones might add “pockets”, but this was all definitely for a good cause, to give a reality check on the less fortunate living in our midst. Of course it did not have to be too sombre for one’s liking but I believe you catch my drift.

Hady Mirza giving his all singing “Angkasa“…

Which leads me to the conduct of certain sections of the audience during the show. Yes I appreciate and respect the fact that you were showing your love and appreciation to your beloved artiste / idol on stage. But you have to remember in what setting and atmosphere were you at. Add to the fact that you have distinguished guests-of-honour also in attendance. Screaming like mad women throughout your favourite artiste’s performances not only irritated the others in the auditorium, it was also a show of disrespect to the guests that you simply have little / no sense of decorum and dignity in an event of that magnitude. There is a time and place for such show of affections but definitely not at last night’s event and most definitely not throughout the whole song the artiste was singing, which in turn led him to momentarily lose focus. We still have a long way to go in realising when to do something and when not to do it or when we are overdoing it. It happened at last week’s Bagaikan Sakti concert and it happened again last night.

The finale…

I thought the artistes involved were excellent in their delivery and execution and they have to be lauded for putting up generally good performances on the night. I personally liked Shahril‘s and Kunjung‘s poetry recital of Isa Kamari‘s “Tubuh Kurus” (hope I got the title right), but AhliFiqir‘s presence towards the end of that was like a “What was that all about?” moment for me, as it was too brief and nothing more than just a few seconds on stage. But at least they came back to perform again, of which the title of the song they performed was lost on me, cos the flu was distracting me by then. I would have given Hady‘s performance of his hit single “Angkasa“ a thumbs-up too, if not for some of his overzealous fans. But who can forget the little boo-boo written on the cheque that was given by Mediacorp to TAA??? I don’t think I need to elaborate more on that already.

The performing artistes taking photographs with our guest-of-honour…

The post-event reception was so-so in terms of star factor. Besides the likes of Shah Iskandar, Norfasarie, Lydia Izzati and Fadhlur Rahman, there were not many artistes who came to watch the event as I believe this was more to honour the donors, sponsors and dignitaries who have contributed to the TAA cause. The performing artistes themselves did not stay long at the reception, preferring to change back to their normal clothings once the guest-of-honour Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean left the vicinity. I did not take much photos myself as I could not get good shots due to where I sat in the auditorium and also the fact that the reception was devoid of star power. What I have included in this entry were what I considered the better ones. Kudos to Mediacorp and TAA for achieving their target!!!

TV personalities, Norfasarie, Fadhlur Rahman & Shah Iskandar enjoying the sumptuous spread…

(Some of the information included in this entry were courtesy of the joint press release by Mediacorp Suria and TAA Trust Fund.)

Saturday, 9 January 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: AhliFiqir, Didicazli, Fadhlur Rahman, Hady Mirza, Huda Ali, Khairudin Saharom, Kunjung Whitaker, Marina Yusoff, Norfasarie, Rossa, Sarah Aqilah, Shah Iskandar, Shahril Wahid | 1 Comment »

Konsert Bagaikan Sakti Review…

(Promotional poster courtesy of Esplanade Theatres by the Bay)

2010 began with a bang during the Countdown event at Marina Bay with a quarter million revellers, yours truly included, ushering the New Year watching the eight minutes worth of fireworks display. 20 hours into the dawn of the New Year at the same vicinity, The Esplanade Theatres by the Bay to be more precise, two regional artistes that need no further introductions were on hand to stamp their mark and affirmed their par excellence statures to the eagerly-anticipating audience. It also meant, I were to begin 2010 with something substantial to fill this blog which was in danger of going into oblivion towards the end of last year.

The stage setting all set for the concert…

Rumours of this concert had been bandied around sometime in September 2009 but was only let slipped and confirmed by Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza in an off-the-record conversation with a journalist in October. The journalist was only too pleased to share this piece of good news to the readers and from then on, it was a case of waiting when the announcement was to be made official. A month on, I was alerted by the email alert by Esplanade that the show would be on New Year’s Day itself, an excellent start to 2010 for any decent music lover who appreciates the talents at disposal.

Aubrey Suwito on keyboards was the musical director for Dato’ Siti‘s set. At the back on drums is Ujang…

Due to overlooking my inbox, I only managed to purchase the tickets three days after they had started selling it. Which meant, I missed out on my customary front row seating. However, I was told that the first two rows were blocked for media and sponsors. I had to settle for Row 13, which was a major concern, as I was open to being approached by the ushers to put away my camera, seeing how strict they are with the photo-taking. I tried to apply for media passes, a special dispensation perhaps, but I was told that it wasn’t possible. So I clung to the hope that I could do the same technique I did during Anuar Zain‘s concert back in 2008. What technique I did, well it’s up to you to let your imaginations run wild. It also helped however, that it was a live televised event, so the ushers were not busy moving around to stop people from taking photographs or recording clips.

Dato’ Siti kicked off her performance with Nirmala…

I only collected my tickets right before the show, which meant I only knew the exact hall to go to once I had them in hand. When I booked the tickets, I did not go through the online method but I called Sistic straightaway to ask for the nearest possible seat to the stage. I had assumed that with two of the biggest names in the regional Malay music industry, they would have held it at the Concert Hall, which would attract more people to attend. As it is, when I found out that it was to be held at the Theatre Hall instead, I thought that the two performing artistes deserved more fans to watch them. On the flip side of it, a slightly smaller venue would make the setting more intimate and of course adding to the exclusivity of it all.

A classic pose for photographers in the arena to snap at…

What was special about this concert was the fact that the two legendary artistes were paired for the first time in a concert. Yes you’ve heard it right, they have never staged a concert together nor performed their duet “Bagaikan Sakti” live before this. Or so I was told. Which was a bit strange in my opinion, seeing how the song was the essence to the hit movie “Puteri Gunung Ledang“. But there is a time for history-making to be made. 1st January 2010 would be a date to be remembered, not only to the witnessing audience in the arena, but to the millions watching at home live via Astro. And for that, we have to thank Amin Hussen, the head honcho of Beyond Events, and his team for putting together this landmark event.

From top to bottom: Steve Thornton on percussions, Lee Sze Wan on 2nd keyboards and Pa’ang on ethnic percussions…

Even before we entered the arena, I could feel the anticipation in the air, that feel-good aura emanating from the watching audience who were eagerly making their way inside. Meeting Anugerah 2005 winner Hyrul Anuar along the way in, he shared that he was so excited about the concert, a feeling he felt as though he was the one who was slated to perform. Being the massive fan of Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza that he is, I could relate to his excitement as years ago, I too was in the same shoes as him, before marriage and family diminishing those feelings. I have to admit that I’m less of a fan now, not following her progress as much as in the past, with age, life’s priorities and responsibilities being major reasons for the apparent slow down. But me and the missus would never miss her shows here wherever possible.

Dato’ Siti performing “Bukan Cinta Biasa“…

For a live event, I was surprised the show did not start on time, or perhaps the eight minutes lag was for commercial reasons only known to the watching audience at home. But the delay was very much forgiven when the lights in the arena dimmed and the sessionists began playing their respective instruments to signal the start of the concert. I had expected M. Nasir to kick off the concert but true to the old adage of ladies going first, the onus to start the ball rolling fell on the shoulders of Dato’ Siti herself and she did not disappoint, surprising the audience by appearing amongst the dancers instead of from the raised platform on top of the stage. The silhouette that appeared from the platform, turned out to be one of the female dancers impersonating her. It was a gimmick that some had expected, since the introduction of “Nirmala” was apparently her recorded voice from the original track taken off her “Sanggar Mustika” album.

Here she’s performing “Biarlah Rahsia“…

I will not relate every single gimmick or what happened during each song per se, but during the first hour of a concert that had no intermission, the audience was brought back in time to her old hits like “Cindai” and to her more recent one, “Ku Percaya Ada Cinta“. Each song sung depicted her journey as a performing artiste for the last decade or so, with some telling stories of her own love life. Of the ten songs she sung during her set, one of them “Ada Masa Mata“, which was composed by none other than M. Nasir himself, made its debut during the concert having never performed anywhere before this. The song however, can be found in her “Lentera Timur” album (Thank you Azhan for correcting my earlier mistake. I stand corrected… ). Certain songs were also given fresh injections, with “Ku Mahu” given a touch of salsa and “Ku Milikmu” synergising with Beyonce Knowles’ “Crazy In Love“, making it a dance-fest of sorts. I’ve never seen this legendary living diva danced and moved so much in past concerts but I guess experience has taught her a lot and she is one performer who continues to improve and not resting on her laurels. It could also mean I’ve been detached from watching her perform for a considerable amount of time to be surprised with this aspect of her performance.

Showing off her dance moves whilst performing “Ku Mahu“…

Speaking of her experience being an artiste for half her life thus far, she seemed more relaxed and at ease bantering with the audience, though it has to be said at times one could detect that she was feeling a bit nervous performing in a concert of this magnitude. Even if at times the apparent nervousness betrayed her from the sound of her voice, she was still able to poke fun at herself and her critics for paying too much attention on her dressing and what she does on stage that could start tongues wagging. Though she has 14 years of experience (15 if you include her formative years during Bintang HMI in 1995 which she won) under her belt, she still admitted to feeling nervous before stepping on stage, or whether she would get her dance steps right or otherwise, or if she could hit the high notes when it mattered. That’s the mark of an artiste who continues to strive for perfection and concerned in giving only the best to the paying and watching audience.

Ending “Ku Milikmu” in style…

However, I just feel that this was a concert that for once, Dato’ Siti had to play second fiddle to the music maestro on both sides of the Causeway. How else could we explain the numerous calls for “Nasir” to appear, halfway through her set??? No matter if he is now a Malaysian citizen, Singaporean fans still regard him as one of our own and a shining example to follow for artistes and musicians alike who want to make a name for themselves across the Causeway. And when she started to sing “Kesuma Jiwa” from the 60s movie “Hang Tuah“, it was the cue for his arrival, as rapturous applause greeted the arrival of “the moustachioed one”, who appeared via the raised platform at the top of the stage. Singing “Ghazal Untuk Rabiah“, “Suatu Masa“, “Mawarku” & “Lagu Gembira“, the magic of this concert truly came to life when both were on stage.

M. Nasir appearing from the raised platform singing “Kesuma Jiwa“…

Dato’ Siti did a stellar job at warming up the audience for what to expect during this concert cos when M. Nasir took centrestage, one could feel the energy from the audience already bursting at the seams. We were definitely not disappointed as he began taking us back in time with hits like “Hati Emas“, and “Sahabat Gua“. He even managed to tug at the heartstrings in memory of his late wife, when he sang his haunting composition “Srikandi Cintaku“, which was made famous by the group Bloodshed. Another one that had me singing along was “Milik Siapakah Gadis Ini“, a massive hit back in the 80s when I was still a primary school kid. This was another one of his compositions which he said he has never performed before and hoped to do justice singing it. I thought his version and the late singer’s were special in their own right. The beauty and essence of the song still remained intact, even if he did not stretch his vocals like Allahyarham Sudirman did.

Kicking off their set properly with “Ghazal Untuk Rabiah“…

And what is a concert featuring M. Nasir without “Mentera Semerah Padi“, “Raikan Cinta” and “Ada” to totally rip the roof off the arena??? He practically had the audience in his grasp right from the word “Go”. If there was a mosh pit or had I been sitting right at the back, I would have stood up and danced all night. Yes, his music is indeed infectious, not that we don’t know already. The best part about his set was that, unlike Dato’ Siti‘s, his was a one-man show with no back-up dancers to add colour to his performances nor taking short breaks for costume changes. His music, showmanship and energy were truly remarkable and this was helped by a strong cast of sessionists led by renowned music directors Aubrey Suwito for Siti‘s set and Aznan Alias for his. Familiar faces like Steve Thornton on percussions and Ujang of Exists fame on drums were also on hand to lend the concert a touch of elegance with their musicianship.

Bantering in between their songs…

By the time M. Nasir finished his set of ten songs, his jacket was off and one could see clearly how wet his shirt was due to perspiration, not helped by the warm glare of the stage lights. So it was only apt that he went back for a change of clothing and both singers appeared on stage again via the raised platform to sing their duet “Bagaikan Sakti“, which was also the title of this concert. I thought that singing that song proved to be the final song but apparently the second set for both singers featured two more songs with them performing another one of his old hit “Dua Insan“, a duet made famous by him and Yunizar Hussein almost three decades ago, and “Hanya Semalam“, a song composed by him and lyrics written by Siti herself specially for this concert.

M. Nasir absorbing the energy, judging by his intensed look…

Watching them singing seven songs together split into two sets, I’m sure for those who watched, they would agree that both entertainers definitely have this spark and chemistry to be duet partners that would leave a lasting legacy like the likes of Anita Sarawak & Ismail Haron or Ramli Sarip and Dato’ Khatijah Ibrahim amongst others. Even M. Nasir himself admitted that for decades he has been searching for the perfect duet partner and for the first time that night, he claimed that he had finally found her. And who are we to disagree cos they were both simply spell-binding and immaculate in delivery, hitting the high notes with such nonchalant ease, bantering and poking fun at each other. It was no surprise that when the three-hour concert ended, they had the majority of the arena according them the due respect that they rightfully deserved by giving them the standing ovation.

He was all melancholic when he sang “Srikandi Cintaku“…

Due to the fact that Dato’ Siti‘s last major concert at the Esplanade in March 2008 did not have any autograph-signing session and based on the same thing occuring after Anuar Zain‘s concert in November the same year, I had anticipated the same thing would be happening again. But I was surprised when I heard that there was to be one held and that we had to buy the official merchandise being sold outside the theatre to have any chance of meeting the two concert protagonists. I was already in the queue when news of the session was being broadcasted by word of mouth as I wanted to buy her two latest offerings “Tahajjud Cinta” and “CTKD“, her duet album with beleaguered Indonesian diva, Kris Dayanti. After purchasing, the missus and I duly joined the queue hoping to say “Hi” to someone we have not met up close and talked to for almost five years now.

The man packed so much energy in his songs that he practically nailed the audience under his thumb…

The wait to meet them felt long even though the security personnel were waving away the fans quickly so as to allow more to get their opportunity. Halfway through, we were told not to take photographs with them as it was slowing down the queue. What was supposed to be a 45 minutes affair, turned out to be only about half of that. It was just our rotten luck that the session stopped just as we were about to greet her, as M. Nasir had left by then (word has it he left cos he got bored that he had no official merchandise to sign on, as those that were being sold were Dato’ Siti‘s), but not before he stopped to take a last photo with yours truly. But I have to highlight why Dato’ Siti is so endearing to her legion of fans to this date, is because she does go the extra mile to please them, no matter how minor it may sound.

After a change of costume, both came back on stage for their second set. No prizes for guessing what song they were singing…

Yes, the session might have stopped abruptly, but she personally told the security personnel to allow her to go up to them to apologise for not staying longer than she would have liked to and so that she could shake hands with as many as possible, and I believe we were not disappointed. I certainly did not, as she acknowledged me with the familiar cheeky smile she used to greet me whenever we met in the past, and that look never changed even though it was our first meeting in a long while, with both our marital statuses changed. Though our short exchange was just the customary pleasantries, the warmth of acquaintanceship was still there. It’s rare to find someone who’s high up on the pedestal as Malaysia‘s number one singer, having millions of fans in the region, but still remembering you even after so long. It was definitely the icing of my 31st birthday even though it came a day late. Some established artistes, and I could name a few, could learn a thing or two with regards to being sincere with their fans.

He finally found his perfect duet partner after decades of searching…

And so, Konsert Bagaikan Sakti had left an indelible mark in the memories of those who had been fortunate enough to bear witness to such a landmark event. It definitely has set a high standard for future concerts to come in 2010 and I for one felt that three hours were still not enough. It is never enough when it comes to the likes of M. Nasir and Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza. Even without much fanfare or aggressive promotions by the organisers, the tickets were all sold out in less than three weeks. That shows that with reputable brand names like them, you can be sure that no amount of compromise were to be expected as you are guaranteed value-for-money in quality with their performances. Every single one who watched it live or from the comfort of their homes would agree that that was simply breathtaking and definitely a good start to the year. Take a bow Beyond Events, M. Nasir & Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza. You definitely have set the benchmark for 2010!!!

Never one to disappoint her fans, Dato’ Siti is a class act to follow for all aspiring and known artistes hoping to win over hearts. Sincerity definitely goes a long way and she is a shining beacon in this respect…

I end this entry with the full list of songs performed on the night by order of performances:

Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza‘s set:

Nirmala
Lagu Rindu
Ada Masa Mata
Cindai
Bukan Cinta Biasa
Ku Percaya Ada Cinta
Biarlah Rahsia
Ku Mahu
Ku Milikmu
Destinasi Cinta

Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza & M. Nasir‘s first set:

Kesuma Jiwa (Prelude to first set)
Ghazal Untuk Rabiah
Suatu Masa
Mawarku
Lagu Gembira

M. Nasir‘s set:

Hati Emas
Sahabat Gua
Bukalah Hatimu
Srikandi Cintaku
Sentuhan Listrikmu
Milik Siapakah Gadis Ini
Juwita Citra Terindah
Mentera Semerah Padi
Raikan Cinta
Ada

Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza & M. Nasir‘s second set:

Bagaikan Sakti
Dua Insan
Hanya Semalam

Sunday, 3 January 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Beyond Events, Dato' Siti Nurhaliza | 5 Comments »

Month of Birthdays…

December is a special month for my family. At least six of us celebrate our birthdays and for two of us, our wedding anniversaries. The best part is that my daughter has the honour of kicking the month off on the 1st while her father ends it off today, the last day of the year, to go along with my wedding anniversary. We’ve had a few mini celebrations so I’m just gonna upload them for your viewing pleasure beginning with Syahindah Adawiyah‘s.

My two princesses…

Syahindah posing with her gift given to her by Uncle Ezaad & Aunty Julie. Thank you both for the lovely present. The couple celebrated their 4th wedding anniversary on 3rd December…

My firstborn is now three years of age and will be attending nursery school next week…

Then we had a celebration for my nephew Eshaan at his home on 12th December. The theme of the party was Thomas & Friends. The food was simply awesome. A pity I had to check my calorie intake.

The two cousins born just 8 days apart…

My younger sister, Nurul, celebrated her 21st birthday (7th December) by holidaying in Dubai with my elder sister, Farah. Below is a somewhat embarrassing situation for the latter when we celebrated her 34th birthday (18th December) at F.I.S.H on 20th December 2009. The mastermind was of course the one seated to her left. But it was all in good-natured fun.

We did not get to celebrate my dad’s birthday on Christmas Day and the weekend that followed due to a wedding that he needed to help out and Hari Asyura. I dunno what’s in store for mine today, but I don’t care if we celebrate or not cos it’s just another day to remind me that I’m a step closer to my grave. Every living day is a blessing on its own as I love and cherish every family member, friend or colleague that I have. Material stuff are bonuses, if any. At least we have the fireworks at Marina Bay to look forward to and the “Bagaikan Sakti” concert on Friday at the Esplanade. I thank you Allah for 31 years of my life and I hope you would continue to grant me more good health, wealth and sustenance plus your blessings for the family, Insya Allah…

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my wife for 4 wonderful years of marriage. We’re not perfect and we do quarrel from time to time but without patience and tolerance from one another, I don’t think this would ever work. I love you lots sweetheart and with each passing year, it grows even more…

2009 has been a relatively good year for me, even though I spent the last quarter living like a single parent, no thanks to wifey’s never-ending work commitments and of course my dear uncle’s heart condition which put a lot of things in perspective. I’m pleased to announce that as of yesterday, he is now discharged from the hospital and recovering at home. On behalf of Uncle Dollah‘s family, we thank you for all your endless support, words of encouragement and prayers rendered.

Still on the topic of football, the highlight of the year for me had to be meeting my favourite team in the flesh during their pre-season trip to Kuala Lumpur in July, staying at the same hotel as them and bumping into some of the players in the lifts and at the gym. Best of all, I’ve got to take a photograph with the grand daddy of them all, who shares the same birthday as me. Happy 68th Birthday to you Sir Alex Ferguson!!! May you continue to guide the team in good health and spirit. I will never forget my meeting with you and how nice you were even when your minders were not. By wishing me well and calling me “son”, that was definitely the highlight of my trip…

Thursday, 31 December 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Congratulations Sezairi Sezali!!!

(Photo courtesy of PureVolume.com)

Last night’s unexpected win for this 22-year old young man was a huge lesson that for all the talk of image-selling and marketability factor, what Singaporeans in general look for in a winning Idol are the factors of humility and likeability, two traits that best describe our newly-crowned champion. I thought this season’s Singapore Idol competition was closer and tougher than the previous two, with Sylvia Ratonel being the favourite coming into last night’s Grand Finale, especially since she had the strong backing of the three judges.

Sezairi might not be as good-looking or suave as his predecessors, but in his own right, he is a talented musician, a soulful crooner, a picture of calm and serenity in the face of adversity week in and week out. But above all that, he has never let down the audience with his confident performances and moreso last night when he delivered three knock-out punches when it mattered. Sylvia I have to admit, was my favourite from the beginning of the competition, but somehow when the crunch time came, she was a bundle of nerves and looked as though she was overawed by the occasion. Sezairi took control right from the start and listening to him sing “Touched By An Angel“, one could feel his emotions and soul being put forth with more sincerity and feel than Sylvia. Which was why for the first time this season, I was inclined to finally cast my votes and to the person I felt deserved it more.

Yes, Sezairi‘s win is another feather in the cap for our community and I’m very proud of him, as much as I was proud of Taufik Batisah and Hady Mirza winning in the past. But I’m not looking at it as a win for the community, but a win for Singaporeans in general because I believe the votes were cast without prejudice nor biasness, without having to see the colour of one’s skin to sway the voter’s decision. All the racist talks being bandied around yet again over a Malay winning this competition I believe, came from people who did not do their part by voting or voting enough. It doesn’t matter if we were to have a Malay representing us or a half-Filipino. The fact is they are Singaporeans and I’m sure they are proud to carry the flag no matter where they go.

Sezairi‘s win I would like to add, brings a little ray of sunshine to the community which has been portrayed a bit negatively by our media scribes of late. I guess I don’t have to list down one by one what they are. I also don’t wish to be the wet blanket or party pooper, taking the limelight away from Sezairi, as alleged by a few snide remarks I got last night when I Twitted that we can do better academically as well. Yes we are good at football and singing, that’s a given fact and reflected by yesterday’s Berita Minggu article, but what I meant was actually we can do better in other aspects to add on to these two fields cos I’m sure we have gifted and unpolished diamonds waiting to make a name for themselves in many others. I was accused of killing the moment for the boy when people should actually look at things in the bigger picture. We can be happy and celebrate this win, but do not forget that with every success, we always have to remain grounded and spare a thought for those who might be lacking in our midst.

To Sezairi, you are very much worthy of being an Idol winner, of representing Singapore as a singing ambassador, and above all, of being able to be a positive role model to the community and nation. I look forward to you gracing our music industry, stamping your mark as a performer and spreading your wings as a talented composer and musician. Enjoy the moment, embrace the win, cos you deserve it for not only being one hell of a singer with soul, but for remaining true to yourself by staying humble, likeable and sincere. No one should begrudge you for that nor take it away from you. I certainly don’t… Congratulations Champ!!! Your journey has just begun…

Monday, 28 December 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Sezairi Sezali | 6 Comments »

Viva Muzik Singapura

(Graphics courtesy of Mediacorp Suria)

VIVA MUZIK SINGAPURA

A free outdoor concert for all, featuring the best of local acts!

Date	Tuesday, 22 Dec – Thursday, 24 December 2009
Venue	Dhoby Ghaut Green (next to Dhoby Ghaut MRT)
Dress Code	Smart Casual

Recording Schedule
Local Acts	Recording Day/Date	Time
*Hyrul Anuar, Maiya Rahman, Rancour, EVE & Sleeq*	*Tuesday, 22 December 2009*	*6.30pm*
*Syed Azmir, Hazrul Nizam, Ahli Fiqir, Fuad Rahman, Chirul, Wawan, Stoned Revival, Eka Mairina, Merah & Nana*	*Wednesday, 23 December 2009*	*4pm*
*Sarah Aqilah, Fauzie Laily, Kunjung, Imran Ajmain, Tengku Adil, Zaibaktian, The Marilyns, The Sallys & Bloco Singapura*	*Thursday, 24 December 2009*	*4pm*

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Viva Muzik Singapura will be recorded into an 8-episode variety programme.

The show will debut on 5 January 2010 at 8.30pm on Suria.

Telecast Details

Title

Genre

Episodes

Telecast Day/Date

Time

Viva Muzik Singapura

Variety

1 – 5

6 – 8

Tue, 5 Jan 2010 – 2 Feb 2010

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 – 1 Mar 2010

8.30pm

9.30pm

Tuesday, 22 December 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Disappearing Act…

I’ve not been actively blogging since Anugerah 2009 ended. And I only had one entry before this to show for, that I have not retired. I really have to apologise to each and everyone of you who come in and see the same header and entry greeting you. But the time away from blogging, I just feel as though I have inadvertently retired. Well at least it kinda feels that way. I seemed to have lost the zest in airing my commentaries. I wonder if age has caught up on me. Or whether I’ve lost interest due to happenings in my life over the past four months. Or because Twitter has now taken over in voicing my views albeit in its shorter format. I just can’t find any joy or interest in blogging at the moment. This blog, arguably renowned for its take on happenings in the local Malay music industry is now officially “a white elephant“. I’ve not attended a music event since Anugerah ended and that goes to show how detached I am from something I have loved doing all these years. And surprisingly, I don’t miss it all. Strange isn’t it coming from me???

Speaking of happenings, I had ended the last entry by hoping to share good news with everyone. Sadly, my uncle is still in a comatose whereas as we all know by now from the media scribes, Sarah Aqilah lost her younger sister. It’s just ironical that I had posted the last entry about an hour before she passed on. May Almighty Allah bless her soul and place her amongst the dwellers of Jannah…

The last third of 2009 hasn’t been that good for me, in all aspects of my life. And I don’t wish to pour my thoughts out and rant about it, something which I did on quite a regular basis in this blog. Even when I’m unhappy with someone, I choose to let it slide rather than bang my head on the wall. I guess in life you can’t expect people to like or accept you for what you believe in. I’m too old for petty fights now even when I see people hitting out at me via their Tweets, blogs or Facebook statuses. It’s a low blow which I prefer having them come straight up to me and telling it like real men and gracious ladies. And to think one of them said 11-a-side football is for real men. Obviously those who play street soccer and futsal are sissies then??? Seems to me there are people who think only from their own deluded perspectives.

But in the grander scheme of things, I guess everyone’s entitled to their own opinions and if they are negative, I’ll just take them into consideration and do a bit of self-reflection cos there could possibly be some elements of truth if we were to put ourselves in their shoes and think the way they do. Sometimes, it’s best to keep your enemies closer to you cos they are the ones that keep you in check when you get all complacent. Heck, I’ve even been less critical of the team I hate most in world football given their current predicament, not to mention being less chuffed about my beloved team even when they are still a decent bet for title honours come the end of the season. Again that just shows how detached I am from a lot of things lately that I found so much profound joy in doing before. Or maybe the joy and responsibilities of parenthood make you couldn’t care less about the trivial and mundane stuff…

I hope to fill this blog more before the year is out. And not make this title header a continued legacy…

Friday, 4 December 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

I’ve Not Retired…

Looking at the date today and the date I last posted an entry in my blog, I’m two days short of exacting two months away from the blogging world. Yes, I’ve been away far too long and the cobwebs have since started to appear. Maybe I have nothing interesting to note. Maybe I’ve held back on expressing my thoughts and views. Perhaps and at times, I do feel like announcing my retirement from blogging. I don’t think anyone would miss me if I were to do that as I know there will always be replacements, even if they are not like-for-like out there.

For those of you who have been following my blog for years, you would know that I normally take a month-long break from blogging during Ramadhan. This is my way to minimise whatever wrong / hurtful words I might say when I pour forth my thoughts. Anyway, it is also my way of showing respect for the month by minimising all worldly affairs and yes, that includes the entertainment industry which I always have a vested interest in.

Maybe this time, I took a longer break than expected. But that’s because I have nothing interesting to say or upload. If I were to describe to you how I celebrated Hari Raya this year, to me, I’ll just be jumping on the bandwagon that most bloggers who celebrate the festival would do. Speaking of which, I must say, I only celebrated the festival for a good three days and that’s it. I guess it is safe to say Hari Raya for me as a family this year has been the worst. Not only did we not have the time to visit family and friends due to the wife having to work on weekends and coming home till late midnight on a normal weekday, my daughters have also fallen ill. Add to the fact that my most favourite uncle, none other than our national footballing legend Dollah Kassim, is in hospital, I just hope people out there would understand and forgive us if we are unable to attend whatever functions or open house events you have invited us for. Not to mention visiting the homes of my first-level relatives. Hari Raya for us this year has been an absolute bummer.

family

Us having dinner at Newton Food Centre on 30 September 2009…

Speaking of Uncle Dollah, I don’t think I need to describe what happened and what is wrong with him as the national daily prints out there have done us the yeoman service the past week updating on his condition. It is absolutely surreal to see him in such a state having only met and having dinner with him only four days before he was struck down with the cardiac attack. Our family cannot thank everyone enough for their support, visits and words of encouragement in difficult times like these. We are forever indebted by all your prayers for him as he fights his way back to consciousness and health. Also to those who made the time and effort to visit him in hospital.

My deepest regrets also go out to our Anugerah 2009 champion Sarah Aqilah who is also in the same boat as us, awaiting for signs of improvement on her younger sister Oshin, who is in the next ward to Uncle Dollah‘s. I sincerely hope we would all have happy endings to share with one another very soon…

Wednesday, 14 October 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Anugerah 2009 Grand Finals Review…

Anugerah

(Photo courtesy of Mediacorp Suria)

After three months of hard work, sweat and tears, beginning with 1013 would-be contestants on 2nd & 3rd May 2009 and finally down to the Top 4 finalists, Anugerah 2009 reached its penultimate and closing stage on Tuesday 11 August 2009 with a new winner being crowned, thus adding another name to our ever-growing list of artistes in our small local Malay entertainment industry.

From what I gathered from the general masses, this win by Sarah Aqilah, a female, is very much welcomed and long-awaited. To some, it was a wait too long. A female has finally broken the monopoly and dominance held by the males since 2004 when Noorhaqmal (Aqmal) won that year’s Anugerah competition and Taufik Batisah was crowned the first Singapore Idol winner, followed by Hyrul Anuar in Anugerah 2005 (incidentally all four finalists were males), Hady Mirza in Singapore Idol Season 2 in 2006, and Aliff Aziz in Anugerah 2007.

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But prior to this coronation, I was left feeling sympathetic towards the only non-Singaporean in this competition through no fault of hers. In one of my previous reviews I did highlight the fact that there were voices of discontent with regards to her participation in the competition. And it all came to a head when earlier in the day, on RIA 89.7FM whereby the morning show had a segment on listener’s thoughts on the final, a lot of calls via phone-ins and smses were made from narrow-minded listeners to vote for a true-Singaporean. Even a local personality’s Facebook status had a similar tune to it, which made it all the more deploring given the fact that this person makes a living out of moulding the future of our generation.

To the voices of discontent, though I applaud your patriotic feelings, I believe they are very much misplaced. Especially when it comes to music and entertainment. Music is universal, it is diverse, and very much beautiful. Besides football, I think the only other language that can unite the world is the language of music. It should transcend all barriers and is to be enjoyed by everyone. As such we should not look from where the entertainer hails from to appreciate his or her talents. Acknowledge good talent not because of nationality but through his or her own God-given abilities. Even the online forum site of Anugerah 2009 was filled with hate-inclined messages towards Kunjung and poor Chris, her husband, had to go in and defend his wife. I cannot be proud of my fellow countrymen if their attitude stinks like this.

I hope as we move on over the years, this backward mentality would be scrapped from our minds cos I have nothing much to say except shame on each and everyone of you who have this mindset. Reading the disgraceful and uncouth smses on national television left such a sour taste in the mouth. So what if she is a Permanent Resident (PR)??? That does not make her any less willing to represent us if given the opportunity to do so in future. Even PRs are required to serve National Service as far as I know, since I had a few of them serving along with me during my time a decade ago. Please correct me if I’m wrong here in case there are changes to the rules or my knowledge of the Constitution is not up to par. Nowhere in the rules of the competition did they state that non-Singaporeans were not allowed to compete. Even our Channel 8 counterparts opened up their search for new stars to non-Singaporeans and nobody complained.

DSCN4017

From the media release that I received, the Results Show aired on the Tuesday before last, garnered the highest-rated episode-to-date with more than 190,000 viewers tuning in. The number of votes tripled over the years with more than 30,000 votes received via sms and telepoll lines throughout the competition. Hosted by the resident anchors for this season, Fauzie Laily and Fiza O, the Grand Finals was a two-hour affair graced by the likes of Imran Ajmain, AhliFiqir, Art Fazil, Noryn Aziz and Anugerah 2007 winner Aliff Aziz. Not forgetting the eliminated contestants from the Top 16 also made a brief comeback accompanying Aliff during his performances at the start and towards the end of the show.

Joining the resident judges Eddy Ali, Ann Hussein and Gani Karim were Singaporean-born singer/composer Azmeer [he of the "Harapan Semalam" (duet with Amy Mastura) and "Zuriat Cinta" fame back in the 90s. For those of you from the younger cohort who can't recall, he was the composer for Datuk Siti Nurhaliza's haunting hit "Purnama Merindu" from her Adiwarna album back in 1998.] and Suria Record Sdn Bhd‘s Director of Artiste & Repertoire, composer and executive album producer, Zulkifli Majid. The latter is also no stranger to the industry having been involved with 2 By 2, the group famous for singing revival songs back in the late 90s. The show was graced by a live band called “Soul Brothers” led by renowned composer Indra Shahrir. It was added with pizzazz by four back-up singers under the tutelage of Irwan Mahpoel, two of them Adam and Afiqah having entered Anugerah in 2005 and 2009 respectively, the latter only reaching the Top 50 in this year’s competition. Oh and if my eyes did not fail me, Fyno of Cucu Datuk Merah fame was also in the backing vocals group.

DSCN4162

The Anugerah trophy design…

A brand new trophy was revealed on Tuesday night in celebration of Anugerah‘s success over the past decade. The trophy design was a collaboration between Suria and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). Students took on the design of the Anugerah trophy as a special project that is part of their school work. The winning trophy design was selected from over 100 designs and will be used for future Anugerah competitions. The new Anugerah trophy was designed by Muhammad Nasrul Bin Roslin, a third-year Visual Communications student from NAFA. He was inspired by the letter “A” that stands for “Anugerah” and excellence. The prism-shaped trophy also symbolises the strong foundation that escalates to greater heights. The curvatures represent in motion and versatility of the winner.

For the record, the four finalists – Chirul, Sarah Aqilah, Wawan and Kunjung – performed four songs from their own selection where they got to showcase their individuality and identity, a viewer’s choice, a specially composed song by Suria Record Sdn Bhd and duets with professional singers like Azyza, Eiss, Maman and Nana. Originally I presumed that one of the songs to be performed by each finalist was supposed to be selected by the judging panel but somehow I think they did away with that and instead focused more on how the finalists would flex their muscles singing songs they were more comfortable with, rather than having to be “forced” to sing a song that did not suit their tastes. I guess my foreword is long enough already and I wouldn’t want to bore you any further with more informative details. Now on to the individual reviews proper.

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DSCN4012

The show kicked off with Aliff Aziz singing the Anugerah theme song “Bintang Anugerahku” along with the four finalists as well as being accompanied by the ousted contestants from the Top 16 and afterwards the finalists were given the opportunity to warm up with Glenn Fredly‘s “Dansa“. It was obvious from the sound system that it was a lip-synch performance by them, probably to save their energies for what lay ahead. However, they need to master the art of getting their synchronisations right. Kunjung was guilty of mouthing off the words wrongly during her part. Somehow Asilah Osmera caught the eye with her energetic dance moves as compared to Kunjung. Surprisingly Sarah, whom I’ve noted before that she does not come across as convincing singing a song of a more upbeat tempo, sounded good. I dunno if this was because it was recorded and all she had to worry about was the choreography. The evening would unveil itself and answer all my questions.

FIRST ROUND

DSCN4020

Chirul – Ular Berbisa (Hello Band) – Own Choice

I thought it was a good start to the show which showcased Chirul‘s youthful exuberance. Or so I thought. He has the voice to carry off the song well and I liked the way he sung it, especially since he executed the falsetto parts flawlessly. Rewind back to Episode 3 when he was chided for not doing it properly. I think he has improved in that respect over the course of the competition. His only downside in my opinion when singing this song was not to conquer the stage with a more energetic showing and letting himself go as the song called for more strutting and prancing around. Chirul still came across as too laidback and relaxed for someone who wanted to win this competition.

DSCN4025

Sarah Aqilah – Rawan (Azharina) – Viewer’s Choice

The competition’s “Power Balladeer” as coined by Gani Karim, stuck to what she does best – singing ballad songs. Like most of the time she sings these kind of songs, she started off slowly but eventually grew as the song progressed and somehow you knew Tuesday night was gonna be a special night for Sarah Aqilah when she hit the chorus and high notes. The judges’ comments on Sarah were also dead give-aways by the end of the first round, which personally to me, ended the competition even before it began in earnest. The showing of the public votes only served to prove my thoughts spot-on on Sarah. My only complaint about this performance of hers was her outfit, cos it made her look as though she was expecting a baby. No offence to Sarah or her stylist.

DSCN4030

Wawan – Ketahuan (Matta Band) – Viewer’s Choice

From the semi-finals stage where he sang Diorama‘s “Sanubariku“, Wawan continued to impress yours truly with this rendition of Matta Band‘s “Ketahuan“. I’ve heard the original as well as the dangdut version by Dewi Persik. But this was something different altogether. This version was injected with a touch of jazz-swing to it and the performance was coloured by Wawan and his backup dancers in Broadway-styled outfits. Ann Hussein wasn’t impressed with the performance but I thought it was daring and fresh from Wawan and should be commended for trying out something he has not done so far in the competition. Ann‘s comments on him proved conclusive on how the evening was gonna shaped up.

DSCN4036

Kunjung – Rembulan (Kris Dayanti) – Viewer’s Choice

I think it is fair to say that Kunjung is a big fan of the Indonesian diva cos she sang at least two songs from her throughout the competition with a third one afterwards on the night. But contrary to the original version which is of mid-tempo, Kunjung actually sang the other version of the song which is of a more upbeat tempo, and it became a dance-fest that had me bobbing my head to the beats. I think it was infectious enough to make people groove along with her if it had been a different setting than the Mediacorp TV Theatre. I know the judges love her for her showmanship, I do too, but I felt because of the disgraceful noises made by certain quarters, she was losing a battle trying to win over the voting public. The public voting charts certainly did not lie. It has to be said that with this performance, no other contestants could hold a candle to her for showmanship.

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SECOND ROUND

Group Performance - Tanpa Ku Sedar

This song was specially composed by Ihsan Mustafa (hope I got the spelling of his name right) and Zulkifli Majid for this Grand Finals and the winner of Anugerah 2009 would go on to record this song as a single in their debut album. The challenge for the quartet was to memorise and get the feel of this song within a few days before the Finals. It is unfair for me to comment on whether they sang the song well or not given the fact that it was my first time listening to the song and have not gotten myself acquainted to it, but judging by the facial expressions and body language from the contestants, Sarah seemed at ease with the song and it helped that she rekindled her partnership with Chirul from the previous round in this performance. A ballad song of this nature was also chicken feed for her.

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THIRD ROUND

Chirul - Hanya Kau Yang Mampu (Aizat) - Viewer’s Choice

One of my favourite songs of all time and I had hopes that Chirul would bring some justice to the song. Alas, he mixed up the last two lines of verses one and two and I guess it went downhill henceforth. His continued lackadaisical outlook on stage also did not sit down well with yours truly and the panel of judges, to the point he was chided by Azmeer for being too relaxed and not ready to go to war. Perhaps he knew that he had no chance of winning judging by his earlier performances and the constant updating of what was happening on the voting charts, but it was still not a good reason for him to allow the other three favourites to win at a canter without giving them a good fight.

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Sarah Aqilah - Hati Yang Kau Sakiti (Rossa) - Own Choice

If her detractors and non-voting masses were still not convinced by her earlier performances, I guess this one would have clinched it for her once and for all. To me, it was game, set and match. The emotions she put into the song were spot-on, so much so that this was probably the best performance of the night, worthy of her coronation as the competition’s champion. Oh and my hair stood for the first time that night listening to her hitting the high notes. The smses by the voters also jumped from 36% to 41%, indicating it was only a matter of time before we saw the crowning of a new champion. And again it has to be said Gani Karim has a knack of revealing things and spoiling the excitement with his comments, though I have to add I enjoyed his colourful analogies throughout the competition.

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Wawan - Semua Untuk Cinta (Mike) – Own Choice

Wawan wasn’t known to sing something soulful and R&B-ish before this. And I was surprised he actually experimented with this genre to add that wee bit of colour and versatility to his repertoire. He did capture the mood well, but at times he looked a little uncertain. A few parts were also slightly pitchy, especially the lower registers. Approaching the end of this performance, I noticed a standard pattern in Wawan‘s performances in that he loves to grimace and break into a long “Oooooooohhhhhhh” somewhere towards the end of the song he sings. Don’t believe me??? Just watch clips of his performances when they are up on YouTube.

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Kunjung - Ku Teruskan (Siti Sarah) - Own Choice

This song was specially dedicated to Kunjung‘s late father, as was told to me by my cousin Lydia, who was seated next to me that night. With such poignant memories of her loved one, I thought the translation between reality and art form could not have been expressed better. Maybe the only thing that was missing were the tears streaming down her cheeks cos I was expecting that. Acknowledging the challenge she had in singing this song in a short interview before this performance, one could hear her struggling with the notes and it seems the lower registers have been a constant source of bane for most of the contestants rather than the higher ones.

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DUET WITH MENTORS

Chirul & Nana - Ketika Cinta Bertasbih (Melly Goeslaw Feat. Amee)

Chirul‘s voice makes him the perfect male partner in any duet, simply because he has the rich, baritone voice to harmonise well with his partner and this was very much evident in this performance. However, he was in danger of being upstaged by Nana‘s voice, especially as the song was reaching its final stages, which made me wonder, who was supposed to be in competition, him or her??? Nana‘s energy was also not in sync with Chirul‘s, who continued to be very relaxed and laidback. A duet should be about complementing one another and bouncing off each other’s energies. While the voice and harmony were good, the chemistry in terms of emotions exuded could have been better.

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Sarah Aqilah & Eiss - Sembunyi (Misha Omar & Andy Flop Poppy)

I welcomed this song from Sarah, simply because it is of a quicker tempo, something which throughout the competition, we have not seen her ace as good as whenever she sang ballads. Though the attempt was commendable and I could see how she tried, alas I thought she kinda struggled and looked quite uncomfortable. But she need not have to worry cos her spot as the winner was more or less confirmed by then. To be fair to Sarah, there was nothing wrong with her vocals but she seemed shy to let herself go when it comes to a song of this nature.

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Wawan & Maman - Inspirasiku (Jeff Catz)

When the bonafide and true rocker combined, there was a tremendous amount of energy combusting on stage, which I think the original singer would have been proud of to witness. They were just bouncing off each other’s energies and enjoying themselves on stage, to the point I momentarily forgot this was a competition to begin with. I think this kind of performance and confidence should be an example of how to enjoy yourself on stage, even if you are competing. Others could look at this as a useful marker to follow in future. It certainly helped to dispel some jitters felt in the heat of competition. But of glaring note was Maman‘s uncertainty on when to sing and when not to. He also forgot the lyrics.

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Kunjung & Azyza - Semua Jadi Satu (Kris Dayanti, Ruth Sahanaya & Titi DJ)

Another Kris Dayanti number which Kunjung seemed to prefer belting out. A song of this nature required her to strut and prance around on stage and she did that with aplomb as how we’ve come accustomed to her performances throughout the competition. Another good example of singers complementing one another on stage. But Kunjung‘s apparent downside, which has been a thorny issue amongst the judging panel over the course of this competition was her vibrato. To some, it sounded natural but at times maybe it could possibly be a source of irritation to the ears, so much so that Azmeer took great pains to highlight and to inform her to tone it down by 20% if she were to carve a career in singing. His reference to it being in danger of her sounding like a goat bleeting, amused many in attendance.

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GUEST PERFORMANCES

The first guest performance came from AhliFiqir and Art Fazil, singing a remake of “Fikir-Fikir” from Art‘s former band Rausyanfiqir. Their turn-tablist, DJ Cza, and other member Samsol a.k.a. TukangKata were conspicuously missing from their line-up and it was only through the introductory rap that I realised the latter had left the group. Or was he just missing in action / taking a leave of absence??? I had heard of rumours regarding differences that have arisen between them, but till now I am unsure what was the cause of him leaving the group. The group did look odd without one of their original members.

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Next up was Imran Ajmain. He sang “Jika Engkau Pergi” for the first time on national television, the song he struck gold for Best Original Composition at the World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Los Angeles last month. As with all his performances, I can never get enough listening to him. I know this is very much belated and I have not said it in public, but congratulations to Imran for flying the flag high on foreign soil. The win was all the more sweet given the obstacles he had to go through to make the trip happen. A Cultural Medallion or something similar for him at next year’s National Day Awards perhaps??? I’d certainly vote for it…

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If Malaysia has a jazz queen in Sheila Majid, I believe Noryn Aziz is the princess and queen-in-waiting. My goodness, her performance was extremely flawless. The audience who were lukewarm at the start of her song were generally impressed and she had them all under her thumb by the end of it. Singing “Kembalikan“, my hairs stood for the second time that night when she sang the chorus effortlessly and with such awesome control. I can only wonder why her star isn’t shining so brightly over here even after winning the Best New Female Artiste at Anugerah Planet Muzik 2007. Could it be her forte in her genre isn’t to our consumers’ liking??? We’ll never know…

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The last quarter had Aliff Aziz singing Gigi‘s hit “Nakal” and being accompanied again by the Top 16 contestants. It has to be said that not all of them were around. The Queen of Wigs, Hafizah Naser, Episode 4‘s chart-topper Nani Sulaiman and Hairizam were notably missing in action, perhaps tied by their own personal commitments. I had expected Gigi‘s lead singer Armand Maulana to make a surprise appearance singing the song with Aliff, knowing that he was in town on Tuesday, but it was wishful thinking on my part.

And so what do I make of the results??? Before the show, the only two persons I thought would win were Wawan and Sarah Aqilah. Had the viewers been more kind towards Kunjung, I would have had a hard time in weighing the options. Chirul though he upped his performance in the semi-final rounds, I felt he was still too casual for my liking and too young to grasp the essence of being an entertainer. So it was down to Wawan and Sarah. Wawan had always been a consistent chart-topper and he had the voting public’s support to count on whereas Sarah had the judges’ backing.

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The decision to choose Sarah on the night was too simple. She kept to what she does best and that made her the darling of the judges. Wawan was still experimenting with genres and there are two schools of thought to gauge him that night. One is that he is a versatile performer, able to sing songs of different genres and a jack of all trades. The other is that he seemed uncertain where his strengths lie even though from the competition we know, he seemed to ace if the song was leaning towards a rockish genre. The surprise to me was Kunjung getting second. It showed how much she scored with the judges as compared to the voting by the public. All in all I thought the results were very fair. Whoever performed well, deserved their respectful standings.

The challenge for Sarah Aqilah now is for her to polish her skills in singing fast numbers, especially in a live setting. I tend to think that she is being one-dimensional, i.e. only able to sing ballad numbers well. But to be fair to Sarah, I think all these while, she seemed to hold back a lot when it came to singing these kind of songs was because she might have been afraid she would miss her steps and in turn forget her lyrics. Cos clearly she sounded very good when singing “Bintang Anugerahku” at the start of the show. Speaking of forgetting her lyrics, that is also another aspect of her performance which she needs to improve on based on her two follies in Episode 4 and the semi-final rounds, but I guess I will allude that to competition jitters. Congratulations to you Sarah Aqilah for being the Anugerah 2009 champion!!! Your journey begins now and so too the other finalists.

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The following is the roll of honour and what the winners won for themselves:

Grand Champion – Sarah Aqilah Binte Jamil

Champion trophy,
Music album from Suria Record Sdn Bhd
Contract with Mediacorp Artistes Management Unit
$10,000 cash
Nikon Coolpix P80 camera
Nokia E66 bundled with 24-mths 3G Flexi Lite – *AMPed plan worth $1300 from Singtel Pte Ltd

1st Runner-Up – Kunjung Wide Whitaker

A Mini album (3 songs) from GUMBIRA
Contract with Mediacorp Artistes Management Unit
Nikon Coolpix S60 camera
Sony Ericsson W595 with 24-mths 3G Flexi Lite – *AMPed plan worth $1000 from Singtel Pte Ltd

2nd Runner-Up - Muhamad Safuan Bin Husen (Wawan)

Music single for Alunan Kasih compilation album
Contract with Mediacorp Artistes Management Unit
Nikon Coolpix S610
Samsung F400 with 24-mths 3G Flexi Lite – *AMPed plan worth $950 from Singtel Pte Ltd

3rd Runner-Up – Ahmad Hairul Bin Md Salleh (Chirul)

Music single for Alunan Kasih compilation album
Contract with Mediacorp Artistes Management Unit
Nikon Coolpix L20
Samsung F400 with 24-mths 3G Flexi Lite – *AMPed plan worth $950 from Singtel Pte Ltd

Subsidiary Awards

Best Performance in NIKON’s Music Video Award – Sarah Aqilah Binte Jamil

Trophy
Nikon Coolpix P6000

MANJA Media Darling Award - Kunjung Wide Whitaker

Trophy
1-year subscription of Manja magazine
$200 shopping vouchers

LUSTRE‘s Styling Award – Kamsani Bin Jumahat

Trophy
The Tree by Lustre facial treatments worth $500

Best Performance in Choreography Award – Kunjung Wide Whitaker

Trophy
$200 shopping vouchers

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Post-Event Reception

Suhailah Salam, Suzairhe Sumari, Taufik Salleh, Nick Mikhail and Shahril Wahid were amongst the celebrities invited to grace the event…

What is a grand show without a post-event reception??? I know I did not mention this before in this entry but the Grand Finals resembled a Pesta Perdana of sorts. So many local artistes were around to grace the event and the reception was even joined by some of the Malaysian artistes who were slated to appear on Friday night’s Salam Lebaran recording at the Mediacorp TV Theatre. I have to apologise though that I did not take that many photographs of the event as the battery in my camera went flat just as I was about to take photographs of me with Zaibaktian. There were some interesting highlights of the reception which are still fresh in my mind.

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The glam queens – Norfasarie & Nurul Aini…

First of all, I finally got to meet Sofie, the President of NingClix SG, the die-hard fans of Ning Baizura. He was with Raja Norashikin of HalimSaidi.com, an online friend I made right after the P.Ramlee Musical last year. First time meeting them but it felt as though we have known each other for a long, long time. There was so much warmth from everyone and I thought it would be good if we could hang out some day. By the way, they were with Noryn Aziz‘s entourage. A pity I couldn’t get to chat with the jazz princess like how I did during last year’s Anugerah Planet Muzik in Kuala Lumpur. I had also wanted to get her to endorse this blog a second time through a short video clip, since the one she did last year was cropped unexpectedly through yours truly’s amateur editing skills. But it was nice to know she did remember me when I said “Hi” to her.

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Syed Azmir, Uncle Jasmani Basri, Lydia and Aliff Aziz…

Aliff Aziz surprised me when he came up to me and asked how did he do in his performances that night. Instantly what struck me is his humility which is there in abundance, and his willingness to listen, improve and work on whatever flaws there may be. I only managed to say that he did well and gone was his famed whispery voice. Upon watching the recording of the show again, I noticed that he bent and slouched a bit too much during his ”Nakal” performance but other than that, my feedback to him during the reception was spot-on. His two years’ experience as an entertainer has benefitted and improved him in many aspects. I certainly look forward to his latest offering soon.

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Danial & Hyrul Anuar…

Last but not least, was my meeting with Eddy Ali. All these while during the previous episodes when I met him, all we did was shook hands without saying much nor introducing ourselves to one another. He came up to me as I was chatting with my elder sister’s old friend, Esra, who is a staff with Suria, and enquired if I was who I was. I said, “Yes I am” and he shook hands and embraced me, which caught me a little by surprise. Regular readers of this blog would note in the past, I seldom had good things to say about Anugerah‘s chief judge and the tone of my comments about the way he judged, bothered on being personal more than being objective for those of you who perceived it that way. I was even more surprised and humbled by the fact that he did not take to heart my past comments on him.

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Zaibaktian, Jaliboy, Suhailah Salam, Nana, Rafaat Hamzah & Amin from VJR…

Personally I had nothing against him other than the fact that I disagreed with some of his views in the past, but I told him that night and also mentioned before in one of my Anugerah 2009 reviews that this season, I tended to share and agree with most of his opinions. To Abang Eddy, I never had a chance to say this that night, but I’m saying it now cos I know you would be reading this, “I apologise if my previous comments could have caused undue distress or undermined your standing as a judge in the competition.” Thank you for the extend of friendship and I certainly look forward to seeing you again some time.

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A much better shot of Imran than the one I took during his performance…

Speaking of apologies, I would also like to take this opportunity to apologise if my words in my past reviews were deemed harsh, be it towards the contestants, judges, stylists or even make-up artistes. I got wind that some people were displeased with my comments with regards to the way the male contestants were heavily made-up in the earlier rounds. When I made those comments, I based that not only from my own observations but on what I saw through Facebook and Twitter and also listened to the various feedbacks made by listeners on RIA 89.7FM, the official radio station of Anugerah 2009. I guess being an entertainment reviewer carried heavier weight for people to be displeased with me more than the general public’s views even though my words were not as damning as others. But to their credit, the make-up certainly improved by leaps and bounds henceforth.

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The champ is here…

And so that ends my lengthy Anugerah 2009 Grand Finals review. Hope you had enjoyed this journey as much as I did. I’ve gained quite a lot of new friends and contacts as a result, not to mention strengthening ties with those already in place and I hope that our music industry will continue to improve and be more diverse now with the coronation of a female singer. Sarah Aqilah‘s win would hopefully inspire more young ladies out there and prove that our industry is not monopolised by the gentlemen. I also hope that it would open more windows of opportunities for our female singers to spread their wings and fly cos we do have a lot of talent waiting to be tapped and taken notice of. It’s also now up to us, the listeners and consumers, to lend our utmost support to them.

P.S. Credits to Jatt’s Collezione for outfitting me that night and to the good people at Mediacorp Suria and Eaglevision (Zalinah, Zuraidah, Mufreha & Netty) for inviting me throughout the competition as well as providing me useful information to be included in my reviews…

Sunday, 16 August 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Aliff Aziz, Ann Hussein, Art Fazil, Asilah Osmera, Azhar Raz, Azmeer, Azyza, Catty, Chirul, Eddy Ali, Eiss, Fauzie Laily, Fiza O, Gani Karim, Hafizah Naser, Hairani Hassan, Hairizam, Hydir Idris, Hyrul Anuar, Imran Ajmain, Indra Shahrir, Ize Suliman, Jasmani Basri, Kamsani Jumahat, Kunjung Whitaker, Lydia Izzati, Maman, Mediacorp Suria, Nani Sulaiman, Nick Mikhail, Nora Baharom, Norfasarie, Noryn Aziz, Nurul Aini, RIA 89.7FM, Sarah Aqilah, Shahril Wahid, Suzairhe Sumari, Syed Azmir, Taufiq Salleh, Wawan, Zaibaktian, Zulkifli Majid | 2 Comments »

Anugerah 2009 Episode 10 Review…

Anugerah

(Photo courtesy of Mediacorp Suria)

Tonight, we witnessed the brutal culling of the six semi-finalists and found out who were the four who would be gracing next week’s Anugerah 2009 Grand Finals. As it was only the results show, the Mediacorp TV Theatre was a far cry from previous weeks, with the auditorium about less than half full, taking away the upper tier level. Originally it was to be held at Studio 1, like the previous half hour results show three weeks ago but since there was another recording being done there, the producers had no choice but to hold the event at the primary location.

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The show began with the six semi-finalists reprising their couple roles from last week singing “Ku Pinjam Satu Bintang” originally sung by Alyah & Riz. As it was only the results show, I guess judging their respective performances was not on my mind. But it was dead clear from the offset that their facial expressions showed how much they feared for their respective fates and destiny in this competition. Some already had that resigned look etched on their faces, that it was all over for them, somewhat of a bad omen which eventually came true in the end.

What do I think of the results??? I thought it was fair and based on my comments on last week’s show, it was clear who would be deserving of the final spots, save for the ladies whom if I had a choice, I would have taken all three in, based on their consistency throughout the competition. As it is, I think the two who were eliminated – Catty and Hydir – lost out based on the judges’ vote. Yes the fans did have a say in their choice of vote, but theirs wasn’t the final say at all, as perceived by many.

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Rewind back to last week’s show, Hydir did nothing much wrong except that he chose a song which was too simplistic and not considered a song of “competitive” material. As for Catty, her “wardrobe mulfunction” could have contributed to her downfall but it was too easy to blame it on that for her drop in standards. I thought even with all the unwanted happenings backstage, she still atoned herself well, which said a lot about her resolve and determination to get the show on the road.

So it was a bit disheartening to hear some sections of the audience sitting in the auditorium shouting that the results were rigged. While passion should not be blinded by blind faith, a little rationale and understanding goes a long way into accepting reality as it is. This is a competition and there was no way riggings could occur as far as I could see from what was being displayed last week to what we know of the results this week. Some people need to learn to accept defeat graciously.

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Guest performer of the night, Anugerah 2007 runner-up Maiya Rahman, has upgraded her looks and performance over the years.

It is not the end of the road for both Catty and Hydir. Being 17 years of age, both still have a long way to go to improve themselves and being more polished performers. I’m sure the experience would go a long way into making them being better entertainers in time to come. With the potential that they have shown over the past weeks, other record producers might have taken notice and could have a few things in store for them. Anything is possible, so I would like to see them brush off this setback and come back stronger cos really, it was extremely heartbreaking to see both of them breaking down backstage when the show was over.

Next week, the Grand Finals will be a two hours affair with the finalists singing four songs, one of their own choice, another by the judges, another a tribute to their mentors and the last a group performance. The Finals will be graced by the likes of Aliff Aziz, Ahli Fiqir, Imran Ajmain and Noryn Aziz amongst others, making it a star-studded affair worth watching and not to be missed…

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The finalists…

Wednesday, 5 August 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Anugerah 2009, Catty, Chirul, Hydir Idris, Kunjung Whitaker, Sarah Aqilah, Wawan | 9 Comments »

Da’ KRUsader’s Manor™ Domicile of Da’ KRUsader’s Mind Crafts…

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Anugerah Skrin Auditions…

Critical Thoughts Of My Own…

Happy 61st Mama!!!

Festival Melayu Ada Celebrates Its First Anniversary…

RIA Big Bash Flashback…

Glenn Fredly Lovevolution Concert Reminisced…

Of Basic Ethics & Sincere Intentions…

Anak Wayang Promo…

A Teaser For You…

Fiesta Famili @ Hougang Central Court…

Fiesta Suria Programme Line-Up

CTKD Album Sales Promo…

S-League 2010 Charity Shield: SAFFC vs AIK Solna

Rentak Cilik Comes Alive!!!

Misteri Jam 12 Outing Details…

Konsert Sinaran Hati Gemilang Recap…

Konsert Bagaikan Sakti Review…

Month of Birthdays…

Congratulations Sezairi Sezali!!!

Viva Muzik Singapura

Disappearing Act…

I’ve Not Retired…

Anugerah 2009 Grand Finals Review…

Anugerah 2009 Episode 10 Review…

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