Concerts / Gigs / Showcases – Da' KRUsader's Manor™

Konsert Karya Agung Pak Ngah Bersama OTM & Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza Revisited…

The Finale… (Photo by Danial Halim, Courtesy of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay)

First entry of 2020 and funnily enough it has taken me two whole months to actually post this entry up when I was so excited to post it right after the show was done and dusted. Why it took me this long to publish this entry was because I was still waiting for photos of our local acts who had performed to be shared to my inbox and then after that I got busy with work and my own personal commitments, and its only now that I am able to post it up. Initially I did not plan to cover the concert at all and was just there to enjoy it as part of my belated post-birthday and wedding anniversary celebration with the missus. Had I planned earlier, I would probably had applied for media accreditation and would have been able to snap some photographs at my end. Anyway, before I move on, I hope the first two months of the year have been good for most of you, even though we are in the middle of a global health crisis as I speak. May we remain protected from harm and be blessed with good health cos we all know as we age, health is our most cherished and treasured blessing, above any material or financial factors.

Hyrul Anuar and Elfee Ismail performed Lesti‘s “Zapin Melayu“… (Photo by Danial Halim, Courtesy of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay)

Partly why I felt inclined to talk about this concert event was also because I wasn’t being fair the last time out Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza came to these shores for her sell-out concert last March 2019 and till this day the photographs I snapped are still half-edited due to my never-ending busy schedule, as well as my apparent loss of interest at entertainment blogging which I had explained some time back. Would really really like to apologise to the organiser of that sold-out concert, Shiraz Projects, for not coming up with a written review of that concert event, and even the Ruffedge one harking all the way back to November 2018. Since this new year and decade marks a new beginning, and with momentous events in the calendar including my pet favourite Anugerah Planet Muzik making its long-awaited return, this can be considered a mini-comeback of sorts for yours truly after what happened last year, which kinda killed my passion for the scene.

Yanni Bakri and Suryana Norddin completed the local quartet for the night… (Photo by Danial Halim, Courtesy of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay)

“Konsert Karya Agung Pak Ngah Bersama Orkestra Tradisional Malaysia & Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza” (My goodness! What a mouthful!) kicked off the new decade, just like how Dato’ Sri herself kicked off the first day of the last decade along with Dato’ M. Nasir with their “Bagaikan Sakti” concert held at the Esplanade Theatre Hall. I did not realise ten long years had passed until Dato’ Sri mentioned it during a short break in between her sets that night. Esplanade has an uncanny knack of organising a big-scale Malay concert to kick off the start of a new calendar year and this concert followed those in recent years past like Lovehunters, Salamiah Hassan and Dato’ Zainal Abidin Feat. Headwind, just to name a few. This same concert was first staged in Kuala Lumpur in mid-November 2019 at the prestigious Istana Budaya venue. Where Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza was a constant fixture in both staged concert events, for the Malaysian leg, the other four who shared the stage with her were Syamel, Rojer, Asmidar and Ernie Zakri.

Suryana Norddin did not disappoint at all during the concert… (Photo by Danial Halim, Courtesy of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay)

For most people who attended this concert in Singapore, I think it was a no-brainer who they actually came for, but yours truly was more interested to see how our four local talents in the form of Hariani Hassan Bakri (Yanni), Hyrul Anuar, Elfee Ismail and relatively newcomer, Suryana Norddin would fare when they shared the limelight with Malaysia‘s “Number One Singer” onstage. I have been a fan of Hariani‘s voice for the longest time, and I also appreciate the unique vocals which both Hyrul and Elfee possessed in abundance. Their voices are the kind where you know who they are just by listening without seeing them. As for Suryana, she is actually not a relatively newbie in the local Malay entertainment scene, but is quite low-profile and more active in the theatre scene, which I admit I am not a regular attendee to know of her talents before this. However, it says a lot about her potential if Esplanade had given her the opportunity and absolute trust to grace such a grand production such as this concert event.

A Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza traditional performance is never complete without back-up dancers, who were from Sriwana… (Photo by Danial Halim, Courtesy of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay)

A concert which was supposed to last for 90 minutes, ended up being stretched (I wouldn’t say “dragged” cos the whole concert hall didn’t feel it at all) by another hour. The first half of the concert was naturally taken up by our four earlier-mentioned local acts, taking turns singing individually and having a duet each with one another. Something inside me felt a certain sense of pride that these four talents gave their all and showed that they were the right choices to grace the occasion, even though I detected a few jittery moments. I wouldn’t hold it against them cos if I were to place myself in their shoes, I would be feeling the same way too if I knew I was performing on the same stage as Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza or even for the fact that I was performing in front of a sell-out audience, in a grand and prestigious venue, like the Esplanade Concert Hall. Something which not many can claim they have had the opportunity to do so in their music or singing careers. A feather in the cap which is worth a million memories.

Elfee Ismail had the honour of singing a duet with Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza that night… (Photo by Danial Halim, Courtesy of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay)

My only gripe if any, was that only Elfee Ismail, by virtue of being the only one of the four to have had the experience of working with the late Allahyarham Pak Ngah Suhaimi, who was given the honour to duet with Dato’ Sri herself when they sang “Bergending Dang Gong“, a popular hit made famous by the latter and the late Allahyarham Tan Sri S. M. Salim. I had expected Yanni, Hyrul and Suryana to have at least sang one song each with Dato’ Sri to really showcase the synergy between them as performers adding colour and verve to an already entertaining concert. Alas they only performed together during the closing of the concert. Oh and another gripe which I might add was the fact that none of the local acts were there during the post-concert Meet-and-Greet event. At the very least, have the four of them there to meet the lucky few who paid slightly more to meet Dato’ Sri, cos they too played their part in making the concert a resounding success.

Dato’ Sri ending the night with “Kudus Sinarmu“… (Photo by Danial Halim, Courtesy of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay)

The concert was true to its form, paying tribute to the works and songs composed by the late Allahyarham Pak Ngah Suhaimi, some of which I did not even know was painstakingly composed by him. He was truly a genius in his own right and was rightly called the “Father of Malaysia’s Ethnic Music“, as he fused so many cultures and instruments from the various Malaysian states into the songs he composed. Though it would have been nice to have another one of his muses, Noraniza Idris, to have graced this tribute concert in his name, just to have Dato’ Sri herself was enough to have made the sell-out audience gone home with satisfied smiles on their faces, yours truly included. Tears were shed and sniffles could be heard from the audience during the short video montage chronicling his death and funeral, a sign of respect for a man who had contributed to society through his various masterpieces. All in all, it was definitely a good start to my 2020 and hope that this calendar year will have more of such colourful entertainment on our shores!

Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza On Tour Promo…

We are exactly four weeks away from one of the most-awaited concerts of 2019! It’s also exactly 5 years since Malaysia‘s number one singer, Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza, held her last solo concert here in Singapore at The Star Vista Theatre, a sell-out event organised by Hype Records and featured our local acts, Farisha Ishak and Taufik Batisah. This time, Shiraz Projects, the same concert organisers of the successful Ruffedge 20th Anniversary Concert held in October last year at Zepp @ Big Box, returns with the concert many have been waiting for, ever since Dato’ Sri took almost a year off to savour the sweetness of motherhood for the very first time. I remember during last year’s Anugerah Planet Muzik, rumours of her having another solo concert was in the pipeline and it was more or less confirmed when Shiraz Projects flashed a teaser video indicating “SNP” (Siti Nurhaliza Productions) as one of their upcoming projects for 2019, just before the Ruffedge concert began. This time round, Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza will perform at Singapore Expo Hall 3 on Saturday, 2nd March 2019 at 8:30pm.

Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza performing “Anta Permana” at last year’s Anugerah Planet Muzik…

This self-titled tour “DATO’ SRI SITI NURHALIZA ON TOUR”, promises to be a musical journey that will take you down memory lane, with hit after hit, rearranged to make your heart skip a beat, reminisce the good old days of youth and get you on your feet. Each segment of the concert will feature the best of the best – an Ethnic segment, Ballads, Chart Toppers and an Unplugged segment; all musically produced and rearranged by music extraordinaire, Aubrey Suwito, with an All-Star band. Aubrey has personally hand picked this star-studded group of musicians, some hailing all the way from New York City as well as the crème de la crème of Malaysian musicians who have been with Dato’ Sri since the start of her career. Truly this upcoming concert is a celebration of more than twenty years of hits. An enthralling night of savouring the enchanting voice, the music, and the legend on her biggest tour yet in her illustrious singing career spanning almost twenty-five years.

I was there to witness firsthand when the #QasidahChallenge was started by Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza and Khai Bahar kicking the challenge off, watched by talented Malaysian singer-cum-beatboxer Raja Nur Syahiran…

The concert will also be featuring the incomparable and award-winning Indonesian singer-songwriter, Tulus. The blend of these two amazing voices will surely make the night even more magical. Tulus will be the guest singer for the tour, performing his hit songs which should not be missed by any of his diehard fans. Who knows, you might probably be first-time witnesses to a new hit duet, before its official release. Speaking of releases, a special feature of this tour, a movie-cum-documentary will be released on the silver screens titled “They Call Me Siti – One woman, two decades of music, ten thousand miles”. This upcoming release will take you behind-the-scenes of Malaysia’s Queen of Pop music’s biggest tour yet. From juggling between nursing her first born child to performing at prestigious and iconic venues. Watch how this mogul preserves her legacy for more than two decades.

There are special Meet-&-Greet packages available for Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza‘s die-hard fans. The Meet-&-Greet ticket gives you a chance to get up-close and personal with Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza the day after her concert. The package includes a concert ticket, a free t-shirt, CD and refreshments at the Meet-&-Greet session. Don’t miss this golden opportunity to rub shoulders with Malaysia‘s most iconic singer at this private event. Fans can also purchase special limited edition merchandise at the concert venue. “DATO’ SRI SITI NURHALIZA ON TOUR”, is an ongoing tour with confirmed venues in Jakarta (21st February 2019), Singapore (2nd March 2019) and Malaysia (16 March 2019), with the much-celebrated Royal Albert Hall in London, another to be confirmed in the near future, a return to the venue where she held two successful concert showcases back in 2005. Tickets for the concert is available on sale at www.mytickets.asia since 19 January 2019. For further information, please visit www.shirazprojects.com or call +6590604439.

Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza On Tour Ticketing Details

Ticket price: SGD 425 (Meet & Greet), SGD175 (diamond), SGD145 (Platinum), SGD95 (Gold), SGD65 (Silver)

Tickets: www.myticket.asia

Ticket Hotline: +65 31651506

Info Hotline: +65 90604439

Website: www.shirazprojects.com

Instagram: shirazproject.sg

Facebook: Shirazprojects

Anuar Zain “Cinta Takkan Berakhir” Live in Singapore 2018 Promo!!!

Graphics poster courtesy of Hype Records…

Three years on from his last solo concert outing at Singapore‘s very own The Star Theatre, Malaysia’s singing sensation Anuar Zain returns with a brand new concert this 26th October 2018, specially for Singapore fans, at the same venue!!!

Most recently awarded Best Male Artiste at the regional Anugerah Planet Muzik Awards 2017 for his haunting hit “Andainya Takdir“, Anuar Zain is best known for his charismatic performances and soulful renditions of emotional ballads. It is not a surprise that he is widely touted as the “King of Ballads” on both sides of the Causeway. An extraordinary performer in the region, his popularity and creative standing in the music scene remains undisputed since breaking out at the tender age of 13 years old with his then-duet partner Ellina. Their massive evergreen hit “Kain Pelikat” is still remembered till today and their popular Hari Raya song, “Suasana Hari Raya“, is still a must-listen staple annually during the festive period.

Conferred with countless music accolades at various awards shows in Malaysia like Anugerah Industri Muzik, Anugerah Juara Lagu and the regional Anugerah Planet Muzik, Anuar Zain’s remarkable vocals and music talents have placed him in a league above the rest and cemented his status as one of the region’s most sought-after artistes. The royalty of the regional Malay music scene, whose illustrious music career spans over more than three decades, has also long established a strong and loyal fan base from all over the region.

Following the overwhelming response and turnout to his previous concert in 2015, the multi-award winning crooner is back to impress Singapore fans with new music materials from his self-titled album produced in 2016 like “Andainya Takdir” and “Cinta Takkan Berakhir“. The upcoming concert will also feature the continuation of the storyline to the previous two aforementioned songs, with the audience the first to watch the latest music video. As to which song from the 2016 album that will be featured in the music video, it remains a mystery and will be answered that night.

Be enchanted as he presents a memorable night of astounding showmanship, as well as popular mega hits such as “Lelaki Ini”, “Sedetik Lebih”, “Sempurnakan Aku”, “Bila Resah”, “Andainya Takdir” and more in this highly anticipated concert!

“ANUAR ZAIN CINTA TAKKAN BERAKHIR LIVE IN SINGAPORE 2018” will be held on 26 October 2018, 8.30pm at The Star Theatre @ The Star Performing Arts Centre.

Tickets priced at $228, $188, $158, $128 and $98, (excluding SISTIC Booking Fee) are available at all SISTIC outlets, via hotline 63485555 and www.sistic.com.sg.

This concert is proudly presented to you by Hype Records. Log on to www.hyperecords.com and https://www.facebook.com/HypeRecords for more updates.

Ruffedge 20th Anniversary Concert – Live in Singapore Promo…

Graphics poster courtesy of Shiraz Projects

After the resounding success of their recent comeback at Life Centre Kuala Lumpur, whereby tickets to their concert on 4th August 2018 were snapped up within the first two hours it went on sale, legendary R&B group Ruffedge continues their journey back into the scene with another concert right here in Singapore!!! Billed as their 20th Anniversary Concert, this will be the first time in the group’s history that they will hold a concert for their fans here in the Lion City. When the group was last here for their mini showcase to usher in the Ramadhan Bazaar at Our Tampines Hub back in May, hundreds of fans turned up to watch them performed and many were left disappointed when they got to know that the concert in Kuala Lumpur was sold out. Fret not Singapore fans, cos thanks to Malaysian-based events company, Shiraz Projects, Ruffedge promises to rock the Zepp@BigBox arena with all their radio-friendly hits.

Ruffedge is made up of (from left): Azan, Amer, Cat Farish, Zain, Sein and Mode…

(Photo courtesy of Berita @ MediaCorp)

This will be a personal milestone for me as well as I have never attended a show at this venue before, even though I did toy at the idea of attending Daughtry‘s recent concert there but personal commitments prevented me from doing so. Ruffedge‘s upcoming concert promises to be a two-hour affair beginning at 8:30pm. Fans and concert-goers can expect the group to sing their hits like “Bila Rindu“, “Tipah Tertipu“, “Da’ Bomb“, “Khayalan” and their newly-released single “Seperti Mereka“. Though I will not categorise myself as a huge fan of the group, I do appreciate their music and hope that their night’s repertoire will include the first single that I’ve come to know of their existence, “Tiada Lagi Cinta“, which was a collaboration with Singaporean Terry Lee, of Urban Xchange and Parking Lot Pimp fame. Other hits of Ruffedge that I like include “Marilah Bergoyang” (collaboration with Phlowtron), “Membebel” (duet with Bandi Amuk) and “Kerinduan” (duet with Jaclyn Victor). Hopefully all those songs will be performed that night and probably feature a local act to sing with them as well!!!

Tickets have already gone on sale from 7 August 2018 via www.myticket.com.sg and www.myticket.asia. Tickets are priced at SGD225 (which includes the Meet & Greet), SGD145 (Diamond), SGD95(Platinum). For more information, do contact Shiraz Projects at +65 8163 9197 /+65 3165 1506 or via their website at www.shirazprojects.com.

Gergasi KRU25 Concert – End of an Era…

I know this domain is basically slanted more towards happenings in Singapore‘s own Malay entertainment scene, but as a self-styled entertainment blogger, I have the prerogative to dictate what content I want to share with my audience. Long time followers of my social media accounts or even those who have known me long enough will know that I am a massive fan of Malaysia‘s evergreen pop-rap group, KRU. Just look at the name of this domain – Da’ KRUsader’s Manor – and it will tell you all about my love for the group and where I drew inspiration from. Since the Abdul Halim brothers – Dato’ Norman, Yusry and Edry – came into the fore in 1992 with their debut hit single, “Hanya Kau“, I have been hooked to their music, songs and albums, challenging myself to memorise every lyrics – the longer or challenging they were, the more pleasure I derived from eventually mastering them. When they announced in a media conference about a fortnight ago that this three-night concert at Istana Budaya Kuala Lumpur would be their swansong in the music scene, what I initially had predicted in private came true.

I will not disguise the fact that I am not sad at the announcement, but it was a matter of when and not if, given they have not been that active musically, save for Edry. The brothers had achieved everything they could over the past twenty-six years of their involvement in the scene. We literally grew up with them, from teenage adolescence till our current status of being married with kids. It has been a joyful journey supporting the brothers through their ups and downs, sticking by through whatever unsavoury controversies that befell them, even sympathised when they were going through several low points in their personal private lives. They outlived all the groups that appeared in the same era as them, built themselves a legacy and empire that many could only dream of or watched with envy. Some may counter and say, it is fine for them as they are real-life siblings afterall for them to have such longevity, but in business, even siblings do disagree to the point of eventually splitting just like two famous sports brands in the world. But no KRU did not fight amongst themselves. They felt the time was right to retire when they have achieved everything.

The brothers have contributed so much to the Malaysian entertainment scene, through music and through film-making. They dared to experiment with heavy CGI effects for their hit films like “Cicakman“, at a time when not many dared to do so because of the high costs that they entailed. Even in music, they continued to reinvent their own sounds as well as churning out hits after hits for other singers and groups. And who can forget how audacious they were to bring Allahyarham Tan Sri P. Ramlee literally back to life by “recording a duet with him” for “Getaran Jiwa“, reminiscent of the late Nat King Cole‘s duet with his daughter Natalie??? I will be the first to admit, that as a huge fan of their compositions, not all of them were music to my ears. They had some songs, an even one particular album (KRUnisme), that were not my cup of tea, but it was no big deal for me as they were in the midst of being current with the times as well as experimenting new sounds and concepts. Even though they had a certain formula to making their own songs a hit, their music also had to mature to reflect their age. Like what Edry once told me, we cannot expect them to be jumping and prancing around onstage like how they used to back in the 90s.

Still, during the concert that I attended last Saturday, all of us were transported back in time. For slightly more than two hours, the audience anti-aged ourselves fifteen to twenty years behind and became youngsters once again, singing with gusto to every song that was carefully selected to perform, all massive radio hits back in their time. Even though not one of my own personal favourites (“Hanya Kau“, “Inikah Ertinya Cinta“, “Go KRU! – TRRG“, “Vendetta“, “Fobia“, “Aneh“, “Salah Siapa“, “Emilia“, “Mahaguru“, “Impak Maksima“, “For You“, “Tribe“, “Girlfriend’s Girlfriend“, “Seperti Yang Ku Jangka“, “Perpisahan Terasing“) was performed that night, the set list which was almost similar to the one performed at our very own Esplanade back in August 2016, was enough to bring us back down memory lane for one last hurrah. The songs too were arranged to suit the trio’s stamina levels, given it was the first time they performed back-to-back for three nights in a row, something which they had never done before this, but I believed they aced it for every one. How could they not, when they admitted getting their energies from the ever-sporting audience who hailed from all over Malaysia and even those from Singapore, Brunei, Australia, Dubai and Europe??? How fortunate also for those who attended the very last concert on Sunday night to have witnessed Joe Flizzow rapping to “Ooh! La! La!” and Jaclyn Victor singing “Di Pintu Syurga” with the brothers. Wished we could have seen them in the earlier performance nights.

For each and every attendee, this concert will live long in our memories for years to come. We can all proudly say we were there when KRU performed for us one last time before riding off into the sunset. All those songs performed during the three nights had their own personal memories for all of us. Some could have been related to our very own personal heartbreaks, some when we were madly in love with our current or probably ex-partners. Whereas others just inspired confidence and a perk-me-up, a certain defiance for us to seize the day amidst whatever obstacles we faced. I remember being teased and ridiculed for being a massive fan boy back in school cos most guys were either into English or rock music. One thing I learned from the group back then was to remain steadfast in my beliefs and principles and that has served me well in life, no matter the criticisms that came my way. Truly, it is difficult to find a true replacement for the group, like in the words to the lyrics of “Janji Tinggal Janji” – “Kata pada diri ini, di mana kan ku cari ganti?“. KRU is a brand name, a label and icon in the Malaysian and regional music scene. Their legacy and empire will continue to live long in the annals of history as a game-changer and trend-setter of their time. This is indeed the end of an era for a group that has contributed so much to the changing face of the music scene in Malaysia. Will we ever get to see their likes again? I am afraid not so soon.

To my KRU brothers, Dato’ Norman, Yusry and Edry – Thank you for 26 years of entertainment and above all, your appreciation and friendship. From the time I first attended your performance in Singapore in June 1994 at Marina Bay, to your first concert here (AWAS Da’ Concert) at the now-defunct Harbour Pavilion on 16 October 1995, countless others in between right down to your final one at Istana Budaya this past weekend, it has been nothing but an honour to have supported your journey and be entertained by your songs as well as your showmanship on stage. Above all, I cherish every single moment we used to hang out at the airport whilst waiting for your flights home, watching Edry in the studio producing Yusry‘s solo album back in 2003, or even hanging out at your hotel rooms to talk about music, the entertainment scene on both sides of the Causeway and our respective lives. For fellow KRU fanatics out there, the group will continue to live on in our hearts and we will continue to listen and sing along to your songs. I wish all three of you the best in your upcoming ventures and endeavours and wish nothing but more success to you and your respective families. I held back tears at least three times last Saturday during the concert, but by the end, I chose to smile and remember the good times we had over these wonderful years of support. Your music journey might have ended, but I hope our friendship will continue to last a lifetime, regardless wherever you are or what you do henceforth.

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P.S. I end this entry by apologising for my last one. Unbeknownst to me till the morning after I had posted it, did I know that the “An Evening with the Stars” Mothers Day charity showcase involving Anuar Zain, Zamani SLAM and Fauzie Laily, which was supposed to have been staged on 6th May 2018 at Persada International Convention Centre in Johor Bahru, had been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. It is with much regrets that such an untimely occurrence had to happen so close to the date of event. Those who had purchased the tickets are entitled for a full refund by the organisers from what I know from trusted sources who had informed me of the unfortunate turn of events. I will not speculate why the show was cancelled given the upbeat media conferences that were held both in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore recently. I just hope that some day, the same line-up will get to perform together on the same stage. I for one, am gutted for bro Fauzie who had been looking forward to the showcase.

An Evening with the Stars Media Conference & Promo

(Graphics promo poster courtesy of Impact Music Entertainment)

We are three days away from this Mothers’ Day event happening at Persada Johor International Convention Centre and I just realised that I have not had the time to make a proper promo entry for this showcase, even though I had attended its media conference on 2nd April 2018 at Ballroom @ East Coast by A B Shaik. I was kindly invited to the event by the good people at Impact Music Entertainment. Knowing me, I usually do not cover events pertaining to artistes from across the Causeway unless they are the ones I personally love and since Anuar Zain is one of them, it was a no-brainer for me. But the clincher for me to attend this media conference was ultimately seeing our very own Fauzie Laily on that poster, as this domain afterall prioritises featuring of local acts. It is a proud moment indeed to see him about to rub shoulders on the same stage as two legends in the regional music scene, Zamani SLAM being the other slated performer.

Anuar Zain and Fauzie Laily sharing a light-hearted moment with the media brigade in attendance…

Aptly dubbed “An Evening With The Stars“, this Mothers’ Day showcase organised by E & F Event Resources, is geared towards contributing to charity through the Dato’ Rokiah Lace Foundation. This foundation was set up to help the less fortunate, orphans, senior citizens and single mothers residing in Johor Bahru. The foundation is also known to have built schools for would-be Tahfiz and also mosques for the Muslim community in Johor Bahru. Hence if you might feel a little taken aback by the somewhat expensive ticket prices, just think how much you will stand to benefit the number of people through your kind deeds, besides getting the chance to enjoy a night of good quality entertainment by Anuar Zain, Zamani and Fauzie Laily. I understand from the media conference, each artiste will be performing a minimum of three songs each and I’m sure there will be segments where they will be singing together either as a pair or a combined trio, not seen anywhere before this.

The media conference panel (from left): Zell Sazalie (Impact Music Entertainment), Shaik Mohd (Ballroom @ East Coast by A B Shaik), Afendi Hassan (E & F Event Resources), Anuar Zain, Fauzie Laily, Mr. Yusnor Ef (President, PERKAMUS), Dato’ Paduka Hajjah Rokiah Omar (Chairman, Yayasan LACE Dato’ Rokiah), Joyce Yap (Director Sales, Persada International Centre, Johor Bahru)…

Something unique about this media conference was the presence of several local vloggers, a rising trend in this day and age of social media. Though I did not get the chance to interact with any of them, I am aware of their strong following on their respective social media platforms. Hopefully their respective on-the-spot live promos that day would help in the ticket sales for this showcase. I believe if this showcase were to be held in Singapore, they might also get a decent crowd in, given the attraction of the two Malaysian artistes, whom we Singapore fans never seemed to get enough of judging by their rousing receptions at their concerts or showcases before this. I will not bore you with the minute-by-minute detail of the media conference. Like any other, such events are meant to tease us for what is to come on the actual day itself and the two artistes who attended that day, Anuar Zain and Fauzie Laily, kept their cards close to their chest, probably not wanting to reveal much.

Both Anuar Zain and Fauzie Laily are raring to go for this showcase…

Tickets to “An Evening with the Stars” are already on sale via Ticketcharge Malaysia. Additional details can be found in the promotional poster at the beginning of this post or by logging onto the event’s official Facebook page.

Snapshots of An Evening with the Stars Media Conference

Arrival of PERKAMUS President, Mr. Yusnor Ef…

Mr. Yusnor Ef chatting with Impact Music Entertainment’s Zell Sazalie (left) and Mr. Afendi Hassan (right), Executive Director of E&F Event Resources, the organiser for this charity showcase…

Anuar Zain chatting with Dato’ Paduka Hajjah Rokiah Omar, Chairman of Yayasan LACE Dato’ Rokiah…

Anuar Zain and Dato’ Paduka Hajjah Rokiah Omar…

Anuar Zain being introduced to the media brigade in attendance…

Fauzie Laily followed suit not long after…

A short supplication was read for the smooth proceedings of the media conference…

Dato’ Paduka Hajjah Rokiah Omar and Ms. Joyce Yap, Director of Sales, Persada International Centre Johor Bahru…

Mr. Afendi Hassa, E & F Executive Director…

Mr. Shaik Mohamed, representing his father, A B Shaik as the media conference venue provider…

Mr. Rahmad Basir, owner of newly-opened Lepak @ Rayz, was instrumental in the refreshments that day…

Anuar Zain being interviewed by RIA 89.7FM’s Freda Hassan…

Rosley Jimaen, the emcee for the media conference…

Anuar Zain signing a caricature made by a fan…

Anuar Zain being interviewed by the Berita Harian entertainment desk journalists…

This was followed shortly after by Fauzie Laily…

Fauzie Laily and Impact Music Entertainment’s big boss, Emma…

Konsert Planet Akim & The Magistrate Promo

Graphics promo poster courtesy of Rosevalley SG…

A good three weeks into the new calendar year and this is only my first entry. Been so busy of late I have not even had the time to update this domain with quite a number of events that I attended since way back in December 2017 and the past fortnight. This particular entry however, takes precedence seeing that the event is only less than a week away. As the title header of this entry implies, award-winning and popular Malaysian band Akim & The Magistrate will be performing this coming Friday 26th January 2018 at the Esplanade Theatre Hall at 8pm!!! This is the band’s first concert outside Malaysia, a landmark event for them ushering the new year. This concert is also special for the organisers, Rosevalley SG, as this is also their very first foray in organising a concert event, when the general public remember them more for their successful flagship biannual CelebFest expo events since 2016 and of late, the three-day Twilight: Flea & Feast event as well as the Singapore Modest Fashion Week.

For starters, for those who do not know who Akim & The Magistrate are, they are a seven-piece super group made up of members from different bands (Sofazr, 6ixth Sense, Hyper Act, New Boyz) and Akim Ahmad, the lead vocalist himself, a former Akademi Fantasia finalist, who came in third in the seventh edition of the popular reality singing competition in Malaysia. The group first introduced themselves to the music scene in 2014 and released their debut hit single, the haunting “Mewangi“, which topped the radio charts on both sides of the Causeway. This was swiftly followed by their second single “Potret“, which went on to win the 30th edition of Anugerah Juara Lagu in 2016. The group also won Best Performance on that unforgettable night and yours truly was fortunate to witness it live at Stadium Malawati in Shah Alam. Since then, they have produced several radio friendly hits like “Obses“, from their debut album “Patriot“, and “Lygophobia“, an official soundtrack single recorded for the movie “Bisik Pada Langit“. Of late, “Lagu Untuk Laila” has been given a lot of airplay on our local airwaves. This is the first single recorded for the band’s upcoming second album.

Mr. Fadzly Aziz, Media & Communications Manager for Rosevalley SG, hosted the media conference...

A media conference was held at Kaw Kaw SG on the afternoon of 19th December 2017 to promote the concert. The small event was attended by our local media representatives from Berita Mediacorp, Berita Harian, radio deejays from RIA 89.7FM, which is also the official radio station for this upcoming concert, as well as yours truly. We had to wait more than an hour for the band to arrive as they drove down straight from their base in Kuala Lumpur. With the rainy December weather, coupled with the erratic traffic conditions at the Causeway, it was inevitable that the band was late, but it did not quite matter that much to me, as I had a lot of time to mingle and catch up with my friends from the other media brigade as well as the good people at Rosevalley SG. Not all of the group’s members made their way down to Singapore. The ones who came for the media conference were vocalist Akim Ahmad, guitarist and group leader Zimi, as well as fellow guitarist Gjie and Afiez, who acts the keyboardist of the group. On a personal note, it was nice to meet Gjie again for me, as we both participated in a charity football match between Singapore and Malaysian artistes back in November 2016, in aid of cancer-stricken victims.

Zimi, the leader of the band (seated right), sharing microphone duties with Akim Ahmad (left)…

The media conference itself did not last more than fifteen minutes as most of the information needed were already found in the media release and with the group not wanting to reveal more than they had wanted to, as it would have eliminated the element of surprise that they intend to display for the upcoming concert. They were actually fresh from a two-day concert event at Shah Alam along with the likes of Faizal Tahir, Anuar Zain and KRU on the day of the media conference, so it was a good warm-up session leading up to their much-anticipated Esplanade display. An expected playlist of between fifteen to eighteen songs have been planned for the night, amongst them, their radio hits since 2014, a probable mix of covers as well as Akim‘s very own solo singles. Another song that they have recorded for their upcoming second album titled “Stereotaip“, will also make its debut during the concert. I was blown away when I watched them perform at Anugerah Planet Muzik in 2015 as well as Anugerah Juara Lagu in 2016. I am expecting nothing less than quality performances this coming Friday!!!

Group members (from left) – Akim, Gjie, Afiez and Zimi, cannot wait to perform at the Esplanade this Friday!!!

Tickets to the concert ($48, $68, $88, $108 and $148) are still available for purchase at www.apactix.com. For those purchasing the $148 tickets, you are entitled to meet-and-greet the group post-concert. Concessions of 5% are given to students, full-time National Servicemen and senior citizens who purchase Category 1 & 2 seats. Those of you who are coming in groups of four, you will enjoy significant discounts for Category 1 & 2 seats ($140, $102 and $83 each) and discounts are only applicable with every group bundle purchase from the same category. All prices mentioned do not include booking fees. Hurry!!! Get your tickets today!!!

Snapshots of #PlanetATMsg Media Conference

The simple set awaiting the arrival of the band…

Rosevalley SG Director, Mr. Md Noor Hadi, greeting the band members as they arrived…

Rosevalley SG’s Project Manager, Ms. Sharifah Aisyah, addressing the media brigade the objectives of the concert…

Another group shot together with Ms. Sharifah Aisyah…

The group being interviewed by the Berita @ Mediacorp crew…

Rossa – The Journey of 21 Dazzling Years Concert Promo…

I know I have at least two entries on the recently-concluded Anugerah Planet Muzik 2017 music awards show pending, with one halfway being typed out, but that one can take a back seat for a few days more. The best part about having a blog domain of my own is that I am not constrained by deadlines nor having to post entries according to events that occur chronologically. So what is so important with this entry you might ask??? Well in case you have not heard from the grapevines, Dato’ Rossa will be back at the Esplanade Concert Hall after six years since her “Harmoni Cinta” concert, this coming 4th November 2017. The slated 90-minute concert, titled “The Journey of 21 Dazzling Years“, is scheduled to start at 7:30pm.

Dato’ Rossa seen here in a file picture performing at Anugerah Planet Muzik 2011…

Dato’ Rossa (born Rossa Roslaina Sri Handayani) needs no further introduction for music fans in this part of the world. Mention her name and you will think of chart-topping hits like “Hey Ladies“, “Tegar“, “Atas Nama Cinta“, “Hati Yang Kau Sakiti“, “Ayat-Ayat Cinta“, “Aku Bersahaja” – her famous duet with our very own Taufik Batisah and many more, which also include duets with Malaysia‘s Hafiz Suip – “Salahkah” – the award-winning song at APM2014 for Best Duo / Group category and “Terlanjur Cinta“, another massive hit duet with Pasha of Ungu fame.

File picture of Dato’ Rossa at Anugerah Planet Muzik 2013…

Dato’ Rossa remains one of the most popular artistes in the Nusantara, and one of the all-time best-selling Indonesian artistes based on album sales which has sold approximately 5 million copies in the region. Dato’ Rossa was conferred the Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang (DIMP) award, which carries the title “Dato’“, in conjunction with Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang‘s 83rd birthday celebration, back in October 2013.

File picture of Dato’ Rossa at RIA 89.7FM‘s 27th birthday bash held at Kaw Kaw SG…

Fresh from her recently successful concert at Jakarta‘s JCC Plenary Hall on 13 April 2017, Dato’ Rossa will bring the audience in Singapore this 4th November 2017, a walk-down memory lane over the past 21 years of her involvement in the music scene, performing most of her radio-friendly hits that were mentioned earlier. She is also most likely singing some hits from her latest album, “A New Chapter“, which was launched earlier this year. The album not only included her first English single titled “Body Speak“, but also introduced a fresh different sound to the usual sappy ballads she is known for.

Tickets are sold via SISTIC at $58*, $78**, $98, $128^, $158^. There is a limited concession for students, NSFs and seniors priced at $48* and $68**. For the VIP Experience, tickets are sold at $188 and this includes one box seat ticket, meet-and-greet with Rossa and an autographed poster. For Esplanade&Me card holders, the prices of the tickets are: White Card – $120 and $150, Black Card – $115 and $145…

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!!!

Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza Live In Singapore 2014 Review…

I know it is a bit stale to put up this entry more than a month after the concert has passed. But I have extremely good reasons why I chose to post this up much later as I gave myself time to cool down from unsavoury and moments of displeasure experienced after the said concert. In fact, I had been contemplating, hemming and hawing whether I should even post this up if it means having to revisit and open up old wounds. I have only decided to just publish it after much deliberation, as I feel that my bad experience after the concert was a separate matter on its own. You will be reading about it in the latter paragraphs since I had actually typed them in anger a day after the concert, but you will also be reading a more balanced and fair review of the concert per se in this entry. So if you were to see a difference in mood and emotions, you will know which ones were typed much earlier and which ones were much later.

A showcase by Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza is always anticipated and expected over here, once she has done a tour or series of concerts in her home country. It was with great pleasure that I received the news of her impending concert here in Singapore as early as January this year and looked forward to attending it, just as I had done so for her past three solo concerts (Harbour Pavilion – March 2000, Singapore Indoor Stadium – July 2005, Esplanade Concert Hall – March 2008) and the combined showcases with Dato’ M. Nasir, also at Esplanade back in January 2010 and Konsert Diva,all the way back in April 2000, where she shared the stage with Dato’ Sheila Majid, Anita Sarawak and Hetty Koes Endang. Every showcase and concert that Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza performs on these shores is a landmark and milestone on its own for me on a personal level. And this recent one at The Star Performing Arts Theatre in Buona Vista was no different. As she celebrated 19 years of existence in the music industry with the concert, yours truly celebrated ten years of blogging on our local Malay entertainment scene.

Over the years, and especially since 2007, I have slowed down on following her career journey, a little less faithful to put it nicely, than I used to. When in the past I would buy every single album she released, I have since stopped doing so. No, it’s not a form of protest or anything, but I guess priorities and responsibilities in life make one a little less of a groupie than before. I have had extremely memorable and eventful moments supporting her journey in the music scene circa 1996-2005 before family commitments came along. One that still sticks in my memory to this day was helping out at the charity concert by Suria Records artistes (her record label which had stellar acts like Liza Hanim, New Boyz, Noraniza Idris, Aqasha and Handy Black, amongst others back then) back on 16 August 2002, where it was held at one of the halls of Singapore Expo.

I was given a prominent role behind-the-scenes for that particular charity concert and will always be thankful to Kak Sabariah Hirma, her PR Manager here in Singapore for that experience, as well as the other times I was allowed to meet Dato’ Siti herself in person, mostly to send her off at the airport. It was from that aforementioned concert too that I made friends with several key personnel from Dato’ Siti‘s own production company, including her younger sister Saerah. Which is why going to a concert or showcase by Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza is not just to pay homage to her enchanting vocals, but also to say hello to the people working closely with her. Cos seriously, how often do we get to meet and catch up with one another, with all our respective busy schedules???

I was initially sceptical as to how many would actually turn up for the concert. Not to belittle Dato’ Siti‘s pulling power cos her name alone would guarantee more bums to seats, but looking at the overall attendance for big concerts over the past five years, some have been hits, and some have been misses in the attendance factor, even with big names headlining them. Her last solo concert in 2008, if my memory has not failed me, was not actually a sell-out event as compared to the one in 2005. But it has to be said also that that concert back in 2008 was held on a weekday. People might have been hesitant to go as they would have to go to work early the next day. This recent concert organised by Hype Records was held on a Saturday night, so it was definitely heartening to see that the theatre was at least three-quarters full, given that the venue is huge and has about a capacity of 5000 people.

Listening to all the songs Dato’ Siti performed that night was like a walk down memory lane. Almost every song brought back memories, some good, some not-so, but everytime I listen to them, they all tell a story or bring me back to the times I was in polytechnic, serving the nation in the Army or even during the economic crisis where it was difficult for me to attain a job with a stable income after my National Service stint ended. But as always, amongst all the songs that she performed that night or whenever she performs “Wajah Kekasih“, memories of her wearing a necklace I gave her and singing that song in a Hari Raya eve programme back in 1997 on RTM 1, would fill my heart with pride and my head with nostalgia and contentment that she does appreciate the gifts given to her by her fans. That necklace was given to her on the night she received her very first overseas awards which she mentioned during the concert.

When she asked the audience if they knew she had received one of her first awards in Singapore, some knew, while most probably did not. I was so tempted to get off my seat and shout, “24 December 1996 – Anugerah Muzik Popular – Suntec City Convention Centre“, but decided not to in the end. I remember that event till this day as the show was over-runned and lasted about four hours. But what was unique about that awards event was, it was not organised by our local Malay radio stations, even though they supported it as official radio stations. Like Anugerah Planet Muzik, it had a stellar cast of performers and big names from Malaysia and Singapore. Dato’ Siti was just a newcomer in the scene at that time, and together with fellow record label group 2 By 2, they were the next big things on show that night. Look how far she has progressed since that fateful night???

Though Dato’ Siti remarked that night, that “Kesilapanku, Keegoaanmu” was more popular with karaoke-goers than on radio charts, I believe she said that probably due to its rather lukewarm response across the Causeway. But not here though, cos I do remember the song topped our local Malay radio charts for more than a month, more than a decade ago. She performed that song as well as most of the songs that night in a different arrangement to the ones we have been accustomed to from her albums. With such fresh arrangement, some being more upbeat than the other, it made for a concert that was filled with memories aplenty, nostalgic moments reminisced, as evergreen favourites were belted one after another, but still remaining relevant in this day and age, thanks to the astute mind of Aubrey Suwito.

Being a veteran goer of all her concerts here, I could see a big difference from the time she first started out as well as noted a stark maturity in comparison to her first two solo concerts. Gone were all the fancy props and backdrops, not forgetting the minimal costume changes. Even the number of dancers which used to colour her concerts have since been kept to an almost bare minimum. Nineteen years in the music scene, Dato’ Siti is at a stage whereby she does not need all those razzmatazz to add flair to her concerts. People come to watch her for her melodious and enchanting vocals. No matter what she does onstage, people will just lap it up. She will always have the audience under her thumb the moment she steps onstage or opens her mouth to sing.

Her almost two-decade long career has also moulded her into being an all-rounded entertainer. Who can forget how shy she was at interacting with the audience when she first started out??? That night however, she was like a stand-up comedian, poking fun at at the audience, at herself, her husband and even the invited guests. Her first decade as an entertainer showed up quite a number of flaws and rough work that needed to be polished. 12 April 2014, along with about 3000-4000 people in attendance, I witnessed a flower that has blossomed and bloomed to perfection. Even when she cracked jokes and made fun, they did not come across as rude, like some entertainers or comedians out there. She did it all with grace, poise and with a touch of class. The punchlines that came along with her banter were spot-on.

Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza is known to work with a trusted working circle and if you are a regular concert goer of hers, you will also note the familiar faces onstage that back her up, either as sessionists or on vocals. In the past, I have been used to seeing Pak Ngah on accordions and Steve Thornton on percussions, so it felt a little strange to watch her concert that night without the presence of the aforementioned duo. I also note another change in approach by Dato’ Siti during the concert. When in the past, she would call up female members of the audience onstage to dance with her, that night, those that went up were all guys. Though I wished that someone would have gone onstage to sing “Muara Hati” with her. I know for a fact that a certain Hyrul Anuar in the audience would have jumped at the chance and do justice to the song, had she seen him. Or at the very least, have Taufik Batisah singing with her, rather than limit his appearance to the evergreen hits by Singapore artistes segment.

Which finally brings me to my embarrassing and humiliating episode at the concert. Most of you who know me personally or have been following this blog would note that I am a huge fan of Malaysia‘s number one icon. Which was why I felt covering her concert would be the icing on the cake of my tenth year of doing entertainment blogging for our local Malay scene. When it comes to watching a show of immense quality, I have never been one to compromise on the seating price and would not hesitate to pay for the most expensive tickets just to get a good view of the show. The recent concert was no different, and I even booked it the minute I woke up when I was overseas back in February. Out of respect for the concert organisers, I did voice out that I would like to cover the concert and do a write-up. I was granted a media pass but was briefed that I could only snap photographs during the first two songs and during the duet segment with Taufik Batisah.

I did as per instructed but was quite surprised to see other media-accredited photographers snapping away even after the first two songs were done. Since I did not see the ushers stopping them, I continued throughout the concert and I was not stopped either by any of them. However one of the organising staff came up to me somewhere near the end, when Dato’ Siti was mingling with the audience and singing one of her final songs (“Cindai“), and told me indignantly to return to my seat and that I was not supposed to be taking photographs. Imagine I was singled out, when at that point of time I was just standing by the side and not even aiming my camera lens at anyone, whereas there were so many others who got off their seats, came forward and snapped away with their camera phones. Throughout the course of the concert, the audience was taking photographs and video snippets and uploading them on their respective social media accounts. How do these people manage to get away with it when someone like me with a media pass gets told off by the same person who granted me the pass???

When the concert ended, I was told by a fellow media friend that there was a meet and greet session and that the media were allowed in. I was initially together with them, discussing the high points of the concert and was ushered into the waiting area for the media along with them. Followers of this blog would note that I do not do interviews and would just snap the goings-on of what transpire in front of me. Even if I were to “disturb” the artistes, it would be for them to pose for my camera and that too does not take more than ten seconds, fifteen at the most. Which was my initial intentions when I entered the room meant for the meet-and-greet session, which was just to snap some memorable photographs of Dato’ Siti meeting her fans and the media. The same staff who had told me off earlier, this time raised her voice in front of my media counterparts and asked what was I doing there when I was not supposed to, upon seeing me standing by the side. I had not even snapped any photos at that point of time.

I could have kicked up a fuss but I felt perhaps I was really in the wrong for flouting rules which were not briefed to me much earlier, and since I was already embarrassed and humiliated enough from the raised voice and treatment I got, I immediately left after she reiterated again that I was not supposed to upload photographs I took after the first two songs and other than the duet segment. When I left, I could see the faces of my fellow media colleagues, how apologetic and sorry they were for dragging me into this mess, but I do not blame them for it cos I felt they brought me in along with them in good faith and out of goodwill. I am just utterly disappointed that things turned out very badly in the end. I could have been told off nicely or at the very least brought to a corner and explained why I was not allowed inside. I could have accepted that even if it was grudgingly. Not being told off in front of others like that. Respect, whatever I had for this particular staff all these while, has gone out of the window.

For the first time I felt that, even with a media pass hanging on my neck, it was meaningless. Contrast this to the treatment I got during Anugerah Planet Muzik 2013 where I was ushered in to the waiting area for the performers when I first arrived, even when I had no plans whatsoever to disturb or interview them knowing they were doing their last minute preparations. I refrained from entering the changing rooms and just waited for whoever to come out to pose for my camera when they were ready, and left them to do their private rehearsals in peace. That has always been my style and approach, to let the artistes do their thing in peace, yet this treatment made me feel like some kind of pariah. I was not hard up for an interview, neither was I disturbing anyone in that respect, I was just standing by the side watching proceedings. Yet I was singled out as a gate-crasher and uninvited guest, even after giving support to some of the artistes and events by this particular organiser over the years.

In my anger, days after the concert, I almost decided to boycott doing any write-ups nor reviews on the concert itself, even if I have good things to say about the performers, which also included The Final One winner, Farisha Ishak, as the opening act. For all the support that I had given, paying for the most expensive seats, hoping to give a good account by saying good things about the organisation and execution of the show, yet the treatment I got was like a slap to my face which is still ringing in my ears till today. It is extremely difficult for our local entertainment industry to grow when there is apparently little to no synergy, good working relationship and trust between media and record labels, show promoters and event organisers. When the media wants to help you in anyway you can, you embrace it, or even when you cannot reciprocate in kind, you respond with the same respect they had accorded to you. Kindness begets kindness.

I am not sure if there is any exclusive arrangement with any media organisation for this recent concert, but I wonder why should the big players always have the bigger slice of the pie in the name of exclusivity, when there is only a handful of media companies / individuals here in Singapore??? We all want to see the industry thrive and we all would like to help in one way or another to see it blossom. Yet this segregation and ostracising has left a very bad taste in my mouth. I know as an entertainment blogger, people might not take me seriously, even after ten years of being in the scene. But at least treat me with the same respect and support I had given them all these while. There are only two television channels (Mediacorp Suria and Sensasi), two radio stations (RIA 89.7FM and Warna 94.2FM), two print medias (Berita Harian and Manja), two entertainment portals (Sungguh.com and Gumbira) and one active entertainment blog in our local Malay entertainment industry. I personally rate mine being at the bottom of the pile. Perhaps that’s why people don’t give two hoots with what I offer on the table.

I also wonder what significant impact I would gain out of sharing the other photographs I took from the concert with my readers??? I don’t earn through blogging and I certainly do not earn from sharing photographs with my readers. Though I understand copyright issues can be a legal problem when it comes to video recordings and to some extent, photographs being sold for a profit, I believe it is high time concert organisers and venue operators relax some of their rulings and allow at least photographs to be taken. In this day and age, with people carrying smartphones and androids, there is no way they can stifle and refrain the audience from taking photographs during the shows. There will always be people who would want to take for personal memories’ sake. It is blatantly shared on social media accounts like nobody’s business. Even other media outlets were sharing live updates of the concert. And what is the percentage of people making money out of them??? My personal guess is: Not much!!! Or even zilch!!!

If I were to be blacklisted after this for my rant and honest comments by the organisers, then so be it. I have been mentally prepared since I typed them out in anger a day after the concert. My intentions and conscience were clear with regards to covering the concert. I wanted it to be celebrated and remembered for all the right reasons, to even help promo as best as I know I could. Unsavoury incidents like what happened to me, spoilt what I had so excitedly wanted to share to my readers. But do let it be known that my anger is not aimed towards the organisers who had done a stellar job in bringing Dato’ Siti to our shores, as well as done everything to near perfection, but the staff who had so overzealously created an unnecessary friction and tried to play hard ball. The concert itself was an immense pleasure to watch, sadly the conclusion at the end soured a great night and what was supposed to be a celebratory event for me on a personal level as an entertainment blogger in the local Malay scene…

PujanggaMalam.com – Ten Years On…

I actually typed this entry way back in 2010 and left it in the Drafts section because I wanted to make a victory speech of sorts as a means to hit out at my haters and detractors who were undermining me for my entries, commentaries and analysis. This was initially meant to be an entry to silence and show them, “Hey, if the mainstream media has finally recognised my work for them to invite me to cover their events, then I must have been doing something right all along!!!” Also I did not realise I have reached this milestone till the recent Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza concert, which dawned on me that I have been blogging for the past ten years since February 2004. It has been a long journey, filled with ups and downs, joy, bliss, rejections, and for the first time at Dato Siti‘s concert, embarrassment and humiliation in the presence of my fellow media counterparts (more on that in my upcoming review of the concert).

The Mediacorp Suria staff (whom I share a good working relationship with) with the Ratu Suria contestants post-Sinar Lebaran 2013…

I used to and still feel small whenever I am invited to cover any entertainment events, for the fact that I am mostly a one-man team. There is nothing spectacular about my blog either, as I do not have the expertise to create a more vibrant design, nor add adverts or frilly scripts to make it more pleasing to the eye, being the tech idiot that I am. I also do not have the luxury of a fellow writer, photographer or videographer tagging along with me. My wife helps me out from time to time with recording video snippets but even then, I find it tedious and time consuming having to edit and upload them afterwards. Already editing photographs take up a lot of my personal time. Through entertainment blogging, I find joy in attending live shows, getting to know people in the industry as well as learn and understand why certain things are what they are, especially when the general public demands to know why certain things cannot be done or impossible to execute, for instance.

Another set of people I enjoy working with, the radio fraternity…

Through such learning experiences over the years, I developed a more empathic approach towards producing a balanced entry. I now try to be more understanding why certain things transpire and even when things go wrong, I am able to forgive and give benefit of doubt. I am very sure those who have followed this blog for the longest time would note how much I have mellowed down since when I first started out with all guns blazing whenever I see something to my chagrin. Bombing away and forming seething (and sometimes wild) observations, used to be the hallmark of my entries, but I still maintained decorum and without the need to use vulgarities to get my points across. I believe this was partly why I was finally received by Mediacorp Suria to cover their events beginning with Anugerah 2009. I am also honoured to be the first Malay blogger back then to have broken barriers and opened the doors for more to join in covering entertainment events.

Covering one of my close friends’ wedding (DJ KC & Fiza O) was one of the highlights of the past ten years…

This blog has indeed come a long, long way since I first started out using Blogspot as my host. Not to sound calculative with what I had done to increase the stature and reputation of this blog, but this domain of mine has witnessed evolution from its humble beginnings. From grainy photographs taken from my Nokia handphone, to buying a high-end DSLR camera, complete with extended zoom lens as well as a video camera, these were my commitment to the cause of providing quality pictures and video snippets of events and shows I attended. Oh and how can I forget how my domain’s logo and watermark changing over the years to give it a more professional outlook??? Previously it was just a simple word on photographs before I realised they were ugly and spoiling them. That’s when I made trials and errors on the watermark logo before finalising what you see today.

I did not get to blog on bro Hafeez Glamour‘s “Demi Adriana” book launch due to my busy schedule back then, but I did share photos I took that day in my Facebook account…

You can regard whatever evolution or small changes I’ve done to improve or increase the reputation and quality of my blog, or even whatever promos or reviews I’ve done all these years, as my community service to provide useful information on our local Malay entertainment scene, introducing new acts, reacquaint others with established ones, providing differing views from mainstream media and providing a useful resource in general. From time to time I have people working in the scene thanking me for what I have done, assisting them with valuable information in the process, and it fills me with pride that I have gone in someway to help others, even though I felt like I have done nothing much. It has been a joy so far covering events, helping out with promos and fundings, sharing joyous moments of celebrity weddings, attending concerts and awards shows, book / product / album / single / music video launches, behind-the-scenes filming etc., even if they sometimes come with pain and heartache which most are unaware.

Sri Warisan, very forthcoming and easy to work with when I helped to promo their Bendahara: The Musical event…

Like all those who dare to tread on whatever paths they deem as right or answering the call of passion / challenge, I have faced numerous obstacles and heartbreaks, some of which have affected my relationship with friends I once regarded as siblings. Like anyone who has dared to venture in this line or in this industry, I too have had my fair share of doubters, haters, brickbats and detractors over the years, from comments left in my entries to smses on radio segments, in blog posts right down to Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and the now defunct Multiply site. People questioned my credibility and qualifications in pouring forth my thoughts across, not to mention those that have bitched about my flawed interest in the entertainment scene and how I was just trying to fit in and make a name for myself. Cos truth be told, I’m not cut out to be a singer / actor / host / radio presenter – possible career paths which at some point of time in my life I had tried to be involved or had some interest in, but did not work out. But what did not kill me only made me stronger.

Covering the whole edition of Ratu Suria was an unforgettable experience for the fact that I had to defend the contestants alot in the face of online criticisms, bombarding them from their looks down to their level of intellect…

Call me arrogant or conceited for dedicating an entry reminiscing my past ten years in entertainment blogging, but I believe I have come a long way to proving that what I have been doing for the past decade have always been genuine, sincere, honest, patient, responsible, having self-belief and having loads of passion for the media / entertainment line – seven important traits you need to possess to survive in this harsh industry. The good people who have kindly invited me to cover their events, other than the Malay Broadcast Division of Mediacorp (Suria, Warna 94.2FM and RIA 89.7FM), might have taken notice of those values and principles I so dearly hold on to, and for that I’m extremely thankful to them for acknowledging the work I had painstakingly put up all these while. Even though I am unable to attend all of these invites to launches or shows due to work and family commitments, I still appreciate the invitations and feel honoured that people do recognise my efforts.

I was honoured to have covered Rita Zahara‘s heritage cookbook launch back in January 2012…

Unlike other famous entertainment bloggers across the Causeway, I’m not paid to do what I enjoy doing and even though I’m only doing it as a hobby during my recreational time, I try to give off my best, every single damn time. Most of the concerts I had reviewed so far in my domain, I paid with my hard-earned money and received no sponsorship whatsoever nor official accreditation from the respective organisers. Even when I try to get accreditation, most of the time, my requests were turned down or comes with certain limitations. Which is why till today I am a bit peeved with certain concert / show / event organisers, why they can invite foreign entertainment bloggers and even pay them to cover their events when a small fry like myself who is trying to help and promote new acts for free featured in their concerts, did not even receive any invite to cover and still had to pay to enter the concert venue.

And Fiza O‘s beauty product launch a month after, possibly the first Malay personality to lend her name to a beauty product…

There is something seriously wrong with the local Malay entertainment industry when foreign journalists / bloggers are being paid to cover events and shows, yet the local ones are not being considered or thought of. Also I find it perplexing till this day when I got to know some of our local acts had to sell tickets to one of their concerts to earn their rightful commissions, whereas the foreign acts featured together did not have to go through that form of treatment. While I appreciate the organisers wanting to instil a sense of business-minded tact in our local acts, it creates a form of quiet discontent, that there is a form of double standards being practised, especially when the foreign artistes were being paid and provided lodging without having to sell the concert tickets. And I do not blame them for feeling low and down as a result. Over the years, I’ve been like an Agony Aunt to some of the problems faced by our local acts, and from time to time, will highlight their plights in my entries.

Another momentous moment in 2012 was covering Siti Zahidah‘s album launch and showcase…

Another gripe I have with some local event organisers is their lack of gratitude. Back in 2012, I had planned to cover an event which showcased solely on upcoming local acts. It was a free concert held outside a community club. Out of respect, I just messaged the organisers to say I would like to cover their event and record video snippets of the performers. The plan was to introduce some of these acts on my domain, so people would be made aware of their talents. The reply I received was the event was not theirs per se, but the community club’s so they were unsure if they could allow me to record any video snippets. I was extremely fine with that till I came and saw so many in the audience recording away via their smartphones and iPads. In addition, I did not see any staff from the community club overseeing the whole event or anyone stopping these people from recording.

Another event I covered but did not manage to blog about was the Te:RaSeh! Road Tour last May…

Here I am trying to do a kind service for our local acts, yet my intentions got knocked back just because of a trivial reason and lack of responsibility. Suffice to say, I have refrained from attending any events or shows organised by this event organiser till today. I just cannot understand people turning down free promos online, when they have to fork out hundreds for a space on mainstream media. For the longest time, I have refrained from charging a fee to do promos and write-ups. Because I know our local industry does not pay as well as that across the Causeway with production houses and other organisations limited with fundings. I have been asked by people close to me, why have I not charged or earned anything out of what I enjoy doing??? There is simply no market for it over here, sad to say, or companies would be loathed to part their money for a simple promo.

Den Sabari and Huda Ali‘s wedding back in July 2010 was the first celebrity wedding I covered in this domain…

Speaking of promos, I’ve had over the years event /expo organisers taking my photographs on the Net without asking for my permission, even if my watermark is there for all to see. I will not go as far as saying they “stole” my photographs, even though the promotional photos used have clearly wiped them out, or just a cutout image of the artistes featured. I cannot blame the organisers fully, as from one classic example recently, I found out that the ones doing their promotional poster design was from an external department, a case of communication breakdown somewhere during their planning stages. Something they could have avoided doing when they agreed on what photos that could be used. But me being the ever-forgiving one, will always give others the benefit of doubt and accept people sometimes overlook these sort of things.

Another one of those events I covered, but only shared in my Facebook account, Fiesta Suria 2013…

If I want to be extremely anal about this, I could even bang on their doors and ask for a cut of their earnings, cos seriously expo events are a business windfall to some of these organisers and helping them promote via your photographs, you definitely feel that you deserve at least a little token of appreciation. For concerts and shows, it’s 50-50. One can earn a lot if your show is a sell-out, but what if only a handful turn out??? Even I won’t be so mean and damning as to want a certain cut from their earnings, cos I’ve heard some companies closing down after organising a big-scale sell-out concert in Singapore. Strange fact but true. Maybe I’m too nice or feel the legal route can be messy. But we are a small nation with an even smaller community. I don’t wish to kill or create ill feelings out of such matters, but sometimes people don’t realise that being the big fish, they forget simple ethics and courtesy. Sometimes I wonder, is it so difficult to seek permission or reward in kind???

A significant landmark for me was attending Hyrul Anuar‘s “Mata” music video launch back in September 2011, possibly the first of its kind in our local Malay entertainment scene…

I have to admit that I cannot be a journalist as I’m never able to meet datelines or type in a brief and concise manner. My entries are testament to how long-winded I can be. This entry is no different than the rest. I cringe and feel extremely uncomfortable when the term “celebrity blogger” is used on me, nor like to be called and considered one, cos to be one, you need to get thousands of hits daily and doing it on a full-time basis. My domain’s visitorship is not even 400 on most days. Being a celebrity blogger also means you have to share your private life or what you do on an almost daily basis. I am not prepared to be scrutinised, have my privacy exposed and subject my loved ones to be ridiculed or ogled at, especially since I have two young daughters. Some quarters have also labeled me as a “photographer”, but I am just comfortable being known as an “entertainment blogger”, thank you very much!!!

Thanks to Mini Monsters, I was able to cover the launch of their “Lagu-Lagu Kita CD”, aimed to preserve the heritage of songs we grew up with and to continue its legacy for the coming generations…

When this blog first started out in 2004, I did talk about my life just like any decent blogger out there. I think I also shared some of my photographs taken with famous personalities. I was also more vocal and critical when it came to reviewing and assessing shows / concerts I attended. But as my blog statistics rise over the years, I began to shy away from talking about my private life or putting up photos of myself, or with personalities, preferring instead to highlight the real stars themselves on this blog. With more eyes glued on this domain, building networks with people in the industry, gaining some form of respect through my brutal honesty, as well as being aware of the implications I might run into because of my often-harsh comments, I believe over the years, I have matured as a blogger and being more responsible and tactful with what I say or put across. I believe that nowadays I blog more with my head than my heart.

(Photograph courtesy of Mediacorp Suria)

I will forever be thankful to Mediacorp Suria for inviting me to keep goal for them in the tournament that honoured my late uncle, the legendary Dollah Kassim from 2010-2012…

Which might explain why some people have wondered of late, how come I’ve gone soft and less scathing for the past three or four years. Perhaps fatherhood has changed me to be more understanding, to be more forgiving, to be more tolerant and of course to be more accepting of what is presented in front of me. I know I began as a gun-toting, trailblazing, devil-may-care writer (or typist), but it is only effective to a certain extent. People respect views when it comes from the heart, but at the same time, the head needs to balance the emotions so that one does not become too critical or damning. Anyway, my network has grown over the years. Any criticisms that I dish out henceforth, needs to be laced with a certain degree of empathy or at the very least, giving others that benefit of doubt. I don’t just look at things from my point of view but also from the points of those I am commenting on. This holistic approach might soften my style, but I am sure you know I will not mince my words when I experience the red mist.

Am glad to say I was physically there when Fiza O celebrated her 30th birthday and simultaneously announced she was getting married to her colleague, DJ KC…

Being popular and mentioned in the same breath as artistes is not what I had intentionally set out to do. Unable to realise my dreams as a singer / actor / host / radio DJ were also not the main reasons why I became a blogger whose entries are focused on our local Malay entertainment scene, mostly on the musical side of it. I believe there is only so much we can rely on our print media as they have their own limitations and space constraints in terms of monthly / daily publication release, what they can talk about and how much they can feature. Personally, I would like to see more people doing what I’m doing, cos it would be nice to hear differing views and opinions on our local entertainment industry. It would also add more colour and vibrancy since our industry is slowly growing and expanding. I became a blogger who types on local Malay entertainment stuff because there was a dearth and general scarcity in people doing it. I hope more would be inspired to follow my path, given that blogging at one point of time, was quite in and spread across the generations.

Attending events like Sinaran Hati makes one appreciative of the efforts of the artistes who set aside time to give back to the community…

Hand on heart, I would rather remain in the background than be what my haters claimed me to be, and to quote one comment I stumbled upon years ago, that I am “feeling-feeling artis gitu…“, probably due to the fact that I dressed to the nines on a number of occasions that I attended previous music award shows. I was merely respecting the occasion and since my weight was ballooning, I couldn’t fit into my old shirts and had to rely on my kind outfitters. If people have a big problem with that, then so be it. I might have uploaded some of my personal photographs in my Facebook account, which I apologise is only limited to those I know personally, but to share them in my blog is a bit too much to ask for. I do not understand where these people get the idea that I’m using the blogging medium as a means to prostitute myself and be famous. If people appreciate what I do as a yeoman service, then it gives me as much pleasure to provide them with news, promotions and reviews of events, concerts and shows which some of them did not manage to attend, or for those who did, to relive them all over again. What I wear to these events are very much secondary.

One of the events I enjoyed covering – the outdoor Festival Melayu Ada gigs, organised by Cokelat Events and Zaibaktian…

This entry was typed not only to celebrate and reminisce this blog’s journey over the past ten years, but was typed both as a means of defiance to the brickbats as well as to give hope to aspiring writers / bloggers out there that if your intentions are genuine, sincere in your approach, passionate in what you do, honest in how you think, responsible in what you say, having faith in yourself and being patient in the face of adversity, one day your efforts will eventually be recognised, people will begin to respect your views, readers will learn to accept and trust you, knowing full well that you’re not merely running your mouth off for the sake of it. People will be able to discern whether you command respect or lack thereof. It took me five years to finally receive official credibility from a very distinguished national media, a long time frame that perhaps could break one’s resolve if your intentions are flawed or you are chasing after personal agendas, fame or glory.

If not for celebrity blogger, Diah Mastura, who could not make it to this event, I would not have been able to feature this exclusive showcase of Anuar Zain in my blog back in 2011…

Even if I’m not invited again to cover future events after this entry is published and people think I’ve suddenly grown too big for my own shoes by harping about my personal achievements, I think I would be happy and assured to know that future Malay entertainment bloggers, if there are any others in the first place, could always hang on to the hope that anything is possible so long as they stick to the seven traits I stressed upon in the earlier paragraphs. I would love to have added an eighth trait which is humility. But I’m afraid some of you out there would gleefully point out that I am being hypocritical by talking about what I have achieved so far in this entry, which of course would undermine everything I’ve mentioned. However, I believe people who meet and get to know me personally would be better and wise judges of that. Cos words typed on screen have an eerie tendency of having double meanings or tones, which in turn can sometimes mislead into swaying one’s judgements of a person, since you do not know if he is being serious or joking.

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My very first album launch event I covered back in December 2006, Imran Ajmain‘s debut album “Dengan Secara Kebetulan“…

I’m more or less a grounded person, and I don’t believe in holding extravagant parties just to celebrate the anniversary of this blog or my existence in the scene. Heck I even forgot that I have reached this milestone till I was on the verge of covering Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza‘s concert last weekend. That’s how much I feel that such celebrations are unnecessary. Even if I can afford to do that, I will still not do it. I think the money is better off spent somewhere or donate to charity / welfare organisations. Anyway, am just considered a “Kucing Kurap” in the scene, which is why sometimes when I cover events, I get restricted privileges or am limited with the things I can share or feature in this blog. I don’t expect nor want anyone to do any celebrations for me either, cos every entry for me is a celebration to those that I feature, the real stars themselves.

The very first media conference I attended – Suria Elektra – in February 2010…

I know too well that over the years, I have ruffled a lot of feathers with my honest-to-goodness comments, be it in my blog entries or even comments made on radio segments. I am naturally a very opinionated person and a non-conformist. I can be tactless sometimes and too brutal, to the point I do not mince my words when I am really pissed off. Which is why, it is best that sometimes I cool down before typing my coming entry with a clear head and with a better choice of vocabulary I can use to describe what I feel. To those who have been at the brunt or wrong end of my lambasting words, insinuations, points of reference, examples and felt small, angered or even disappointed, I am taking this opportunity to apologise for words that might have hurt you. I am only human, and I try all the time to improve on how I address things as they come. I cherish every friendship and acquaintanceship I make along the way.

Covering Anugerah Planet Muzik, an event very much close to my heart, is something I look forward to annually…

To all who believed and have placed your trust in me for the past ten years, and continue to be loyal and silent readers of this domain, words cannot describe how thankful and appreciative I am to you. I will continue striving to provide good reviews and better quality photographs of events, concerts and shows, launches, celebrity weddings etc. I attend in time to come, and I will always be thankful to those I had worked with and continue to be sharing a good working relationship like the Malay Broadcast Division of Mediacorp (Suria, Warna 94.2FM and RIA 89.7FM), Manggiz, Sri Warisan, Cokelat Events, Gridmedia Productions, ATeR | ReTA, Mini Monsters, WorkHeart, Gumbira, amongst many others I am unable to mention thanks to my ageing memory. Also, to all the lovely celebrity couples who have allowed me the privilege to cover your respective wedding events and shared the joyous moments with my readers. This blog is nothing without your kind support… 🙂