Mohammad Shahfiq was instantly mobbed by his fellow competitors when the cameras stopped rolling, but as this shot was being taken, I could hear him tell them in Malay, “Hold on for awhile, I would like to meet my parents first…” Just look at where his eyes were looking at and you will realise the humility, gratitude and class that he possess. The judges truly crowned a deserving winner…
As the title above suggests, I am not doing any reviews at all for this particular entry, as I still have 4000-odd photographs that I still need to edit from last Tuesday‘s penultimate episode. In case anyone is waiting for me to speak about the final results or summarise the competition as a whole, well you just have to wait a wee bit longer as the fourteenth instalment of Pesta Perdana, happening this coming Friday, takes precedence. This entry is more of a filler to bridge the empty void between last week’s Grand Finals and Pesta Perdana. Here are some miscellaneous photos from the night whereby Mohammad Shahfiq became the latest winner of the Anugerah competition. These shots were taken pre-show, during the commercial breaks, post-show as well as the dinner reception afterwards. Enjoy!!!
Rahila of Akademi Fantasia 2016 fame was in attendance along with her dad, Mr. Rashun Baan…
Norfasarie was seated next to Syirah Jusni and family…
The Anugerah contestants taking a breather after their rousing opening performance to kickstart the Grand Finals show…
RIA 89.7FM’s Dzar Ismail was seated next to Haramain Osman and Judah Lyne from The Lion Story. They were joined by Anugerah Skrin 2016 winner, Yaya Hamid, The Owesome Voice’s winner, Yushini Qistina, up-and-coming singer, Yanti, Aura Shai, as well as Faziz Taufiq and Anugerah 2011 winner, Rahayu Ridwan…
The ever-gorgeous Aisyah Aziz being flanked by her mum, Madam S Hafiza Basharahil and Berita Harian’s entertainment correspondent, Ms. Haryani Ismail…
Riz Sunawan was joined by Hanie Nadia from Esplanade and Sabrina Abu Bakar from FOX International…
The live band led by Syawal Kassim (left)…
Hyrul Anuar dubbed them The ShoobShooWabs. From left: Afiqah, Nasyiba Sahari, Martin Zainol and Aidil Akmal. The latter three have recorded singles the last couple of years.
Anugerah 2007 runner-up Maiya Rahman, with her hubby, Wahyudie Malek…
Anugerah 2009 alumnus, Ize Suliman…
Anugerah 2011 winner, Rahayu Ridwan with her hubby Faziz Taufiq, who was also in the same competition year as her…
Ize Suliman, Maiya Rahman, Rahayu Ridwan and Ms. Sabariah Hirma, Managing Director of S.Ria Productions, who will be tasked in looking after Mohammad Shahfiq and Liwani Izzati in Singapore…
Maiya Rahman and Rahayu Ridwan…
Up-and-coming actress Yuslina Yussof, seen here with Anugerah Skrin 2016 contestants, Fadli Kamsani, Yamin Yusof and Iskandar Shah Zulkifli…
Anugerah 2017’s Zul Nor, Azhar Aziz, Shafie Syed, Raja Zulfikaar and Sharizal Suwandi…
Azhar Aziz insisted on having a solo shot for memories’ sake…
Anugerah 2017’s Fatihah Izyan, Nadia Nadhirah, Elza Rahim, Abby Nabila, Shalyza Rosly and Roziana Cindy…
Ize Suliman and Abby Nabila…
Judah Lyne and her proteges – Yushini Qistina, Yaya Hamid and Yanti…
Actor-Comedian Keatar H. M. flanked by Anugerah 2001 winner Indra Hamzah and 2005 winner, Hyrul Anuar…
Haramain Osman and Aura Shai joined in this group shot which included the likes of Yushini Qistina, Yanti, Yaya Hamid and Judah Lyne…
Celebrity make-up artist, Maria J, couldn’t resist having her shot taken with Nor Shafiq Ridzwan and Shafie Syed…
Shalyza Rosly, Abby Nabila and Fatihah Izyan…
Madam Zakiah Halim seen here with Anugerah 2003 winner, Eka Mairina and family…
Syirah Jusni, winner of Anugerah Skrin 2010, meets Mohammad Shahfiq, our newly-crowned Anugerah 2017 champion…
He was soon joined by Norfasarie…
And 2001 winner, Indra Hamzah…
Keatar H. M. with the good people from Mediacorp Eaglevision…
Faziz Taufiq and Rahayu Ridwan…
Good looking peeps (from left): Iskandar Shah Zulkifli, Syirah Jusni, Yamin Yusof, Yuslina Yussof, Fadli Kamsani and Rahayu Ridwan…
Mediacorp Eaglevision’s Netty Fiona joining Syirah Jusni and family for this memorable snap…
Rahila standing next to Maiya Rahman. They kinda look like they’re sisters, don’t they???
The batch of Anugerah 2017 contestants goofing about for one final time before going their separate ways…
Too many talented people in one photograph. Those that had not appeared on earlier photographs included celebrity make-up artists Zool Mimi (behind Hyrul Anuar), Sufi Rashid (middle) and Rafil Kamaruddin (next to Sufi)…
Hyrul Anuar couldn’t resist having a shot taken with Sufi Rashid…
Liwani Izzati joined Judah Lyne, Yaya Hamid, Yanti, Yushini Qistina and Aura Shai for this group shot…
They were soon joined by Sufi Rashid for the night’s last shot…
Hosts Suzairhe Sumari and Huda Ali explaining what was to be expected at the start of the show…
Gosh I am pressed for time to complete this entry. This past week has been so busy, I only managed to complete editing photographs I snapped of last week’s episode of Anugerah 2017 at the stroke of midnight. Since I am on a bit of a rush, I’ll just keep this entry short and sweet and do away with the usual individual analysis of the contestants’ respective performances. As we all know, last week’s special Wildcard Round episode saw the return of five earlier eliminated contestants for a chance at redemption and entering the competition back again proper for the semi-final round (or is it rounds???), which will begin later tonight. Last week’s episode was also the first and probably only time in this year’s competition that the judges had full autonomy over the contestants’ progress with voting by viewers suspended till the semi-finals begin.
Nadia Nadhirah justified her top spot position that night with Dayang Nurfaizah‘s “Langit Cinta“…
We were told at the start of the show that only two contestants would advance to the next round and the songs that they performed were those that they had sung earlier during their audition rounds, so it was more like a repeat performance but with a wider audience this time round. Somehow I had my doubts before the show that only two would advance, just like how they had announced the number of contestants entering the Wildcard Round (four initially, which eventually became five) the week before last. To cut the story short, by the end of the show and after some apparent acting by our esteemed resident judges, the night ended with three contestants progressing to the next round. I personally felt the acting was deliberated just to keep the suspense going and probably to kill some time as the show was under-runned. I was chuckling to myself seeing them trying to keep a straight face amidst the audience cajoling them on to make a prompt decision.
Sharizal Suwandi‘sperformance was not enough to keep him in the competition…
So were the eventual results justified??? I would think so, though I personally felt it was slightly harsh on Sharizal Suwandi. He actually gave a good account of himself that night singing Merah‘s “Cintaku“. This song is quite a hot favourite with Anugerah contestants over the years. In fact since 2007, this song has been sung at every Anugerah competition. I remember Kassreeal Alfi (2007), Kamsani Jumahat / Sunny Jackson (2009) and Syazani Rahim (2011) singing this popular song during their competition years. If I were to make a comparison of Sharizal‘s performance with the others before him over the past decade, I would rank his just behind Syazani‘s. I do not quite agree that this song is not a competition song as pointed out by Najip Ali, because this song was supposed to bring out the zest and energy of the contestant, which is still sorely lacking in some of the performances by the others I’ve seen this year. Credit to Sharizal for at least wanting to enjoy himself onstage and putting some moves as he grooved along to the music.
I noted a slight improvement by Abby Nabila but sadly, it was not enough for her…
As for Abby Nabila‘s elimination, it was more or less expected given we have seen the same mistakes being repeated on an almost weekly basis. I have to give her credit for her performance this past week though, in that her usual errors which I had pointed out in previous weeks were minimised to some extent, even if it was not enough to keep her on the show, with others doing much better. I was a bit disappointed that Abby did not build on the momentum of her first week’s performance. Back then she showed that she was a very strong contender for at least a semi-final spot. Somehow the performances in the weeks that ensued just went off the rails. Like I pointed out before, there was only a certain limit of goodwill dished out by the judges. I remember 2011‘s eventual winner Rahayu Ridwan singing the same song, Adira‘s “Aku Ada Kamu“, also in the Wildcard Round back then. Unlike Rahayu, Abby did not get the same rub of green to progress to the next round.
The judges killed some time over making their final decisions by putting up a suspense show for the viewers and audience…
As for the three who advanced to the next round, Nadia Nadhirah, Azhar Aziz and Nor Shafiq Ridzwan, you would have expected any two of them to progress had the initial schematics of the competition been applied. But Taufik Batisah let slipped the most crucial comment that Azhar was needed in the competition. That was where I knew there and then that eventually three would progress. Forget the fact that the judges made a last minute decision to switch Azhar and Nor Shafiq‘s eventual positions. That was merely for show. The fact was the initial final standings that night before that last switch was already justified based on each of their respective performances. My complaint for the two young gentlemen would be fear and nervousness creeping into their minds and selves and translated henceforth into their performances as witnessed last Tuesday. They only have the semi-finals and Grand Finals to give their all. They need to come out of their shells or risked being outperformed by the other five competitors in this crucial semi-final stage.
The semi-finalists (from left): Syakirah Noble, Nadia Nadhirah, Liwani Izzati, Elza Rahim, Mohammad Shahfiq, Azhar Aziz and Nor Shafiq Ridzwan…
I am not sure if the semi-finals will be split into two episodes or just one with next week being a rest week for the finalists to prepare properly for the Grand Finals. If it is a two-legged semi-final round, tomorrow and next week will either see two eliminations or they will forgo elimination for this week and do a mass culling the next. Speaking of the Grand Finals, till today, I have not been told if it will be graced by three or four contestants. I guess like the Wildcard Round, it all depends on the judges’ to make a decision on the night itself. Tonight sees the contestants performing with a live band for the first time in the competition. I understand there is a difference in feel between performing with an accompanying band and singing with a minus one track, so hopefully the contestants will up their game tonight. You know the drill, the show’s going live on Mediacorp Suria at 8:30pm from Studio One at the new Mediacorp Campus…
My goodness, how long has it been??? Three months I reckon since my last post and I have still yet to edit those 3000-odd photographs I snapped during Anugerah Planet Muzik 2016. Not only that, but some other events I attended in between like RIA 89.7FM‘s 26th anniversary bash or the radio station’s search for The Owesome Voice, not to mention the Anugerah 2017 auditions held at Kallang Wave Mall, amongst others. Been undergoing some busy schedules and commitments on the personal end that I simply lost the verve to do up entries on this domain. Now that the new year is in its infancy stage, it is a good time to start afresh and what better way to start than to speak about the return of the Anugerahsinging competition, back after a six-year hiatus. Oh in the case of my long-awaited APM2016 entry, we need to revisit that another time. Or perhaps not at all??? We’ll see, I don’t want to make empty promises again…
Huda Ali and Suzairhe Sumari are tasked to helm the reality competition this year…
Part of the reason there was a distinct gap in the years of competition (six), was because the competition became a bit saturated at one point of time. It doesn’t help that our market and local entertainment industry is small with the same faces coming for auditions, even if their journey became shortlived before they actually began. In between the years, we’ve had reality competitions like Anugerah Skrin and Anugerah V, catering to a different niche or skill set, and the memorable TeRaSeh programme that spanned for two years and pitted radio and television personalities against each other, to raise funds for their selected charity organisations. I will not talk about the audition rounds of Anugerah 2017 till a latter date and just focus on what transpired on our television screens this past Tuesday 17th January 2017.
Resident judges: Indra Shahrir, Taufik Batisah and Najip Ali…
For starters, Anugerah 2017 comes with a fresh new concept. Not only a fresh concept in terms of competition mechanics, but hosting and judging line-up, save for Huda Ali, who was the host back in 2011 along with Fauzie Laily and Nity Baizura. Even the premise (Studio One in the spanking new Mediacorp campus situated at Stars Avenue) where the live telecast is held weekly, is new. Those who had caught the first episode would have noted that there is now a ranking system where the judges will rate the contestants’ performances and rank them from 1-8. The lowest unfortunately will be eliminated and that is not all. The viewers also play a part in determining who advances to the next round and who gets eliminated via the traditional SMS voting system, so there is not only one elimination per week, but possibly two.
Anugerah alumnus Fauzie Laily, Rahayu Ridwan, Hyrul Anuar and Hariani Hassan Bakri opened the show…
I am unsure of the actual numbers of votes cast, but I think it might be better if the voting system is tweaked in such a way that more people are able to participate and vote without having to pay a certain amount of money. I mean, there are online polls and voting via other means which are free out there. Putting a price tag would turn would-be voters off or those with a younger support base not able to vote in without prior adult consent. We have since moved with the times and through technological advances on social media. Even radio stations are now reading dedications or granting song requests off their Facebook pages and no longer relying on the age-old SMS system. But I do note that this is possibly basic commercial revenue which the television station stand to gain. I might be wrong on this aspect, but the revenue will probably help to cover costs along the way, hence maybe the need to retain these mechanics.
All 16 contestants were introduced to the watching audience in the studio and at home…
Being the inaugural episode, it was a special two-hour programme last Tuesday, beginning with a first half-hour slot dedicated to featuring what transpired during the audition rounds down to the announcement of the Top 16. The episode also included footages from the masterclasses the contestants had to attend to prepare themselves before appearing on stage as well as filming their short video montages and having their photoshoots, all that happening over a period of five weeks leading up to the actual competition proper. Rather than the usual rushed one hour show we’ve had in the past, it was a 90-minute affair afterwards where the first eight contestants who formed Group A, duked it out. This year’s competition is hosted by Suzairhe Sumari and Huda Ali and the resident judges are Najip Ali, Indra Shahrir and Taufik Batisah.
This will be a familiar sight in the weeks to come, the judges observing intently on the contestants’ singing, stage presence and showmanship…
Before the contestants in Group A took centrestage, four of the Anugerah alumnus which included 2005 and 2011 winners, Hyrul Anuar and Rahayu Ridwan, opened the show with this year’s theme song “Mengejar Impian“, composed by Reyza Hamizan. The other two who performed the song were Fauzie Laily and Hariani Hassan Bakri, both incidentally coming in 3rd in their respective Anugerah competition years, 2005 and 2002 respectively. I saw self-styled online critics wondering about the identity of Hariani or even the likes of Kalysa Aziz, whose brother, Azhar, is in this year’s competition. Maybe a little bit of homework or immersing one’s self in the local music scene would stand some way in answering those questions. Kalysa by the way, has had her collaboration single “Bila Kau Tiada” with Ryan Sufiyan and Lefttool topping the local music charts over the past year. Start listening to more local songs on radio to know and get to know our local talents through their songs and interviews on air, or follow them on their social media accounts.
Reyza Hamizan (left) with Anugerah 2009 alumnus Hydir Idris, seated amongst the audience that night…
I also noted people lamenting on social media about the standard of singing by the four Anugerah alumnus, most notably our 2011 winner, Rahayu. To be fair to her, she has not been actively singing for the past two or three years due to family commitments. Like many who have not been active, taking baby steps to get back into the groove and scheme of things, expect teething problems like lack of vocal stamina and rustiness to set in. Even during the popular Gegar Vaganza competition done by our next door neighbour, if you had watched and noticed, you see experienced singers struggling to find their rhythm and needing weeks to get back into their stride. That too if they were afforded the chance to progress by the judges. Granted as a winner, she should be setting a good example to the new generation, but weighing in the circumstances and possible reasons, I think we should not be too harsh on her. The focus is afterall still on the new batch.
Fatihah Izyan
Speaking of new batch, Fatihah Izyan had the unenviable task of kicking off this year’s competition. She sang 3 Suara‘s “Beribu Sesalan” much to the discomfort of my listening ears and probably the judges as well. It is not easy to sing a song with three different vocal tones and ranges intertwined into one. While her bravery should be applauded, her naivety in picking the wrong song to perform did not help her case. The strength of the original singers is the injection of their souls into the song giving it much life and exuding so much emotions. However, there was no feel whatsoever when Fatihah sang. Personally, I felt it wasn’t fair also to put the youngest contestant in the competition as the first, as it put unnecessary pressure on her young shoulders. She was a bundle of nerves based on her facial expressions and it showed.
Shafie Syed
Shafie Syed was up next and he sang Imran Ajmain‘s “Seribu Tahun“, a song which was also co-written by resident judge, Taufik Batisah. It is clear to see that Shafie has a passing resemblance to the guy on the judging panel and on certain parts it looked as if it was Taufik himself singing the song. Even the man himself jokingly admitted their resemblance to one another when it was his turn to comment on Shafie‘s performance. This is where Shafie needs to strike and build his own identity, and not to be seen as a Taufik Batisah clone. As for his performance, I’ve seen comments saying he sang better than the original singer. I disagree because judge IndraShahrir brought up a relevant point about his falsetto, which I also felt was inconsistent and certain parts where he went a bit off. But he looks like one of the safest bets to progress further in the competition due to his strong support base.
Liwani Izzati
Long time readers of this blog or even my own social media accounts will note that I usually don’t have much nice things to say when someone sings a Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza‘s song as they usually tend to copy her style or fail to live up to her lofty standards. So it was a nice surprise when I heard Liwani Izzati performed “Dialah Di Hati” with such maturity that belied her young age (she’s only 17!!!). During the introductory clip, music director Syawal Kassim had said he was surprised that someone her age could understand and distinguish technicalities and switch keys with ease. Those who watched her that night would have had no qualms with her final standings by the end of the night. When she sang, my hairs stood. That itself is a benchmark and one that won me over. She will easily be a shoo-in for the Grand Finals if she can keep this up and challenge herself further.
Mohammad Shahfiq
19-year old Mohammad Shahfiq continues a family legacy with his involvement in this year’s competition. As a trivia, his aunt, Liza Sanat, was a contestant ten years ago in the competition that introduced us to the likes of Aliff Aziz, Maiya Rahman and Nurun Nuwarrah. If my memory still serves me right, her journey ended at the quarter-final stage. It remains to be seen how Shahfiq, who sang Cakra Khan‘s “Harus Terpisah“, will progress in this competition. He was a bundle of nerves, uncertain with his movements and his darting eyes gave away his discomfort. Something was absolutely bothering him that night. For him to progress, he has to quickly learn to overcome his fears and gain some much-needed confidence.
Shalyza Rosly
Some of you who watched Anugerah 2011 would probably remember Shalyza Rosly, then a raw 17-year old contestant. I certainly remember her as she was my favourite contestant back then. She had bags of potential and only her lack of confidence and maturity on stage hampered her progress further. Fast forward six years later, expectations have naturally increased as she is now a more confident performer having had experiences performing at showcases, private functions and expo events. Along with Liwani, she was amongst the night’s two best performers. I felt she was more composed than Liwani when she sang Agnes Monica‘s “Tanpa Kekasihku“, but her performance lacked the challenge to sing higher notes and play around with the song dynamics like Liwani did. She was more in her comfort zone and this was touched upon by the judges. She would do well to heed their advice to choose a song that will raise her levels further.
Hakim Halim
Hakim Halim is another repeat contestant with his previous foray in the competition in 2011 ending with a first round elimination. Back then he sang a rock ballad, Fiq‘s “Tiga Malam Tanpa Bintang“. This time he stayed loyal with the genre, singing Kristal‘s “Memburu Impian“. I find him a unique contestant in that he is the only one so far, with a rockish voice and best suited to the genre. He certainly knows where his vocal strengths are but in this kind of competition they need to show that they can sing a variety of songs, from the slow to the catchy, the melancholic to the high energy. He also needs to shed his inhibitions and let loose a bit on stage. Having a voice is one thing, having stage presence and showmanship is another. I’m hoping this time round his luck would be much better than in 2011. He needs to work harder on his showmanship and own the stage.
Roziana Cindy
The downside to having a sibling who is already established in the scene is that people will have high expectations of them and expect them to be as equally accomplished as their brother or sister. Undue and unnecessary pressure naturally will work its way through somehow. This is probably true in the case of Roziana Cindy, who is the younger sister of singer / songwriter, Didicazli. For a start, I personally feel that she has the physical package to be a prolonged contestant – the height, the sweet-saccharine looks, the ability to play a musical instrument. Unfortunately her voice brought her performance down. Though her performance singing Sherina‘s “Pergilah Kau” was not entirely bad, she could have done better by picking a song that required her to vary her vocal range. I dunno if the lack of playing the guitar might have hampered her performance, but her voice tone itself sounds like those already established female singers who perform with guitars, like Najwa Latif, Nanasheme and Ainan Tasneem, just to think of three. Too ordinary and did not captivate the judges and yours truly.
Azhar Aziz
Rounding of the night’s competition was Azhar Aziz. Followers of the recent Final One reality song competition on Channel 5 will definitely remember him for his soulful voice and boyish good looks, as would judge Taufik Batisah, who was also on the judging panel in that competition. A different language medium than the previous one, but he is equally at ease singing in English or Malay. Not many in the audience and at home knew, but he was very ill that night, but he gave off his best. I felt his performance, singing Afgan‘s “Bukan Cinta Biasa” was worthy of Top 3 or 4 at least. For the guys, I feel that he has the package to rival Shafie Syed and the one that girls will have no problems voting for with his voice and dreamy looks. Let’s see how he will kick on when his health is much better in the coming weeks.
Roziana Cindy could still afford a big smile when she learned of her elimination…
The night ended with two eliminations, Roziana saying goodbye due to her being the lowest-ranking contestant by the judges and Fatihah by virtue of getting the least votes. Roziana took her ousting in her stride and was all smiles afterwards but the experience was a bit too hard for the young Fatihah to digest. I was actually partly surprised that the judges would let Roziana exit the competition so early, given past competitions have showed how the judges and voters, knowing or unknowingly, tended to hold on to the good-lookers slightly longer for viewership sake. Not this time. Finally I feel it’s time we are brave enough to put talents over looks. Also with a 100% power given to the judges, you can rest assured that talent will no doubt be at the forefront of their judging criteria. Anyway I do not believe we have seen the last of Roziana if her brother’s Instagram post afterwards can be interpreted correctly. In fact I think he should compose a song for her and bring out her strengths for us to appreciate better. One failed TV outing perhaps didn’t do her talent justice.
Though she was smiling as she exited the stage, Fatihah broke down and had to be consoled by the other contestants afterwards…
For Fatihah, though I had expected her to exit the competition just by observing her performance, I was expecting her elimination to be more via judging decisions, than based on SMS votes. I said in one of the earlier paragraphs that the voting system could be a disadvantage to some of the contestants and this was possibly true for Fatihah. I observed her supporters in the audience were no more than 16 years old, and would definitely have needed their parents’ consent to vote for her. She was at a disadvantage right from the start. Reality competitions can be a bit harsh when you do not have a strong support base and those with deep pockets. Anyway she is still young, she can learn from Shalyza‘s previous experience in the competition and work on her singing, confidence and showmanship. Who knows you might see a confident and more polished contestant in future editions? You’ll never know.
The Top 6 from Group A who advanced to the next round…
This season’s competition is already shaping up to be much better than the previous edition in that they did away with the hosting segment and concentrate on just the singing aspect. Which should be the way. Other than Shikin Imran, the previous competition’s runner-up who was given a hosting role in an info-ed show in the past five years, I struggle to think back which of the other Anugerah 2011 contestants who were fortunate enough to co-anchor or host a programme. The rubrics for this year’s competition look a bit haphazard with the contestants playing musical chairs with the rankings throughout the show, but I like it already as it keeps them all on their toes to do well. The $500 incentive and immunity from being eliminated via viewers’ votes, or lack thereof, that come with being placed first for the week should give them that motivation. Tonight, it is the turn for Group B to take centrestage. I cannot wait to see what the next eight contestants have in store for us. Can they perform better than Group A did last week??? We shall see…
Snapshots of Anugerah 2017 Week One
Reyza Hamizan and Hydir Idris…
Members of Arus Band were also in attendance…
Group B hopefuls (from left): Sharizal Suwandi, Nor Shafiq, Abby Nabila and Nadia Nadhirah…
The other four that make up Group B (from left): Raja Zulfikaar, Syakirah Noble, Zul Nor and Elza Rahim…
Group shot of all the contestants before the night ended…
The fifth episode of Ratuwas once again held at the smaller Studio 4this past Tuesday, 25 December 2012, with the theme of the week celebrating “womanhood” and mothers in general. Not surprisingly, when we touch upon the topic of mothers and think of our own, we can’t help but perhaps shed a tear or two when we are reminded of all the sacrifices and hardships that they had gone through to bring us up. And this was very much evident during one of the segments, where the contestants were reciting the poetry extolling the virtues of mothers out there and some were seen tearing or had their eyes glistening with tears, which they tried to fight away from trickling down their cheeks. It was a good tribute to have, but at the same time I also observed who was able to capture the mood and emotion well, which could prove in future whether they are able to replicate when they embark in their journey in the entertainment scene as movie / drama actresses.
Rahayu Ridwan was a fresh change for once, being the only female guest artiste so far in the competition series…
Our guest judge this past week, Rita Zahara, was a breath of fresh air in my opinion. No disrespect to all the previous guest judges we have had over the last four episodes but I think she is what the competition needs, someone who is extremely comfortable being bilingual, who gave valuable insights as well as advice, and not hesitant / struggling with the things she wants to say. The one that should resonate in the minds of the contestants was the one Rita pointed out that she wanted to see how warm and sincere the girls were with their smiles, not only on stage but also when she observed them backstage. In a very harsh industry known for its backstabbings, dishonesty, insincere and fake outlook by some bad apples out there, the advice she gave was one which the girls and even us, can apply in our daily lives. We might be going through some tough times, but a smile especially towards others, can be a very significant gesture or even cure.
Judges Nuraliza Osman, Hafeez Glamour and Rita Zahara
This past Tuesday saw another round of culling of the Top 10 contestants. Coincidentally, the two eliminated contestants, Jannah Jakashaand Elfiana Ismail, happened to be the only cabin crews in the competition. While the former’s ousting was kind of expected due to her being quite raw, I was a bit surprised with Elfiana‘s elimination as she had been one of the more confident contestants coming into this past week’s round. Fatin Amiraseems to be gaining momentum as the weeks go by, and based on what I had said the previous week about us getting an idea on who might be a possible Top 4 candidate within the next two weeks, I think it might be safe to say that she has the attributes to make that round, bar any hiccups along the way. Since Sheril Izzyana‘s elimination, Fatin Amirahas taken over the mantle of someone with the voice for radio / television and Wida Alisa is also not far behind in this aspect. Tiara Atyra also deserves a mention for her composed answers.
Hosts Fauzie Laily and Marina Yusoff…
But there is also another name which I feel might be a possible Top 4 candidate or go on to star in future Metrowealth International Group‘s productions. No I will not mention her identity, other than this being my personal observation and should not be taken seriously by the contestants, or even you reading this. The other day I read a Berita Minggu article on Atikah Suhaime, who was scouted by Major David Teo of Metrowealth International Group via Instagram and who had also attended the media conference to introduce the sixteen contestants of Ratu. The article stated that Major Teo had left comments on Atikah‘s photos and subsequently invited her for screen tests. I noticed this past week that Major Teo had left smiley emoticons on a contestant’s photograph/s, a possible indicator that he might have set his sights on giving her an opportunity like Atikah.
The girls in their Zalora outfits. Very chic!!!
Though it could mean anything, or I might be over-reacting over smiley emoticons, or that he could have left it at other contestants’ photographs in Instagram as well which I might have missed out, I cannot help but feel that no matter what happens in this competition for this contestant, she can be assured that the big man himself has taken notice of her and might invite her over to Kuala Lumpur, where they are based at, for screen tests soon. But of course, instant success is not a given in this industry and she, along with the rest, knows that the last three weeks of the competition will be crucial and will not be the end of their journey, if they were to carve a name for themselves in the scene. The hard work is only shifting into second gear and the girls know it themselves. Exciting last three weeks of the competition lie ahead, though I hope I will not jinx whoever I had mentioned in my previous paragraphs, since those I had praised in my previous entries have so far gone out.
P.S. I just wanna say how happy I was with the continued improved styling on the girls as the weeks go on. And after four weeks of tying up their hair in all sorts of styles, we finally got to see them letting their hair down and this I must point out brought out their physical beauty a bit more. When they wore fashion designer, Lulu Alhadad‘s Kaftan creations, I thought that this hairstyling thing should have been done from the start. I mean, if you want variations, you can tie them up for one segment and let their hair go in another. Cos some of the girls don’t look that good with hair tied up in certain styles, but much better when they let them down. This I can attribute to the shape of their faces and whether it suits them well or not. But still, it was a very refreshing change to see them. Am hoping we could see more of it in the last three episodes.
The girls all ready for the show to begin…
With judge Hafeez Glamour…
Anugerah 2011 runner-up Shikin Imran and Anugerah Skrin 2010 runner-up Diana Amran came to support the show…
Rahayu Ridwan was a welcomed change from the previous weeks of having male guest singers…
Elfiana Ismail
Fatin Amira
Jannah Jakasha
Nor Aishah Ahmad
Nur Aqilah Kamaruddin
Shillah Marlysha
Surya Rahmanty
Tiara Atyra
Wan Anisah
Wida Alisa
Hafeez Glamour and Nuraliza Osman
Guest judge Rita Zahara
Fauzie Laily
Fauzie Laily and Marina Yusoff
The poetry recital segment with guest talent Khairulnizam singing the evergreen classic “Ibu”…
Wida Alisa
Wan Anisah
Tiara Atyra
Surya Rahmanty
Shillah Marlysha
Nur Aqilah Kamaruddin
Nor Aishah Ahmad
Jannah Jakasha
Fatin Amira
Elfiana Ismail
Post-show
With judge Rita Zahara…
Jannah and Elfiana could still afford a smile knowing they had already given off their best in the competition. All the best in your respective endeavours, girls!!!
The couple’s first appearance donning outfits created by Hatta Dolmat…
This is the final installment of the snapshot series taken during last weekend’s widely touted “Wedding-of-the-Year” event between popular radio personalities KC and Fiza Oof RIA 89.7FM. I did say I will be putting up video highlights of the wedding event, but that one will have to take a backseat for now, as there are other important events round the corner like later today’s Anugerah Planet Muzik 2012 Media Conference where the list of nominations will be made public. Anyway, editing video clips are a bit more tedious than editing photographs so in that respect, I will need more time and cannot give a specific time frame when I will put it up. Maybe before the year is out??? Hahahaha… I will definitely try my darnedest to do it as soon as possible…
Zany as they come – A B Shaik and Syah Ibrahim…
The wedding dinner event was the penultimate of a three-day celebration for the newly-weds and was attended by dignitaries, sponsors, close family members and friends from the local entertainment scene. Hosted by the wacky duo of A B Shaik and Syah Ibrahim, they entertained the guests non-stop with their impromptu jokes and ad-libs and had everyone in stitches. They even brought up the Class 95FM couple Glenn Ong and Jean Dankeron the wedding dais to simulate a Malay wedding. To their credit, the pair were sporting enough to go through the motions and even added a bit of humour into the proceedings. What’s more, the wedding dinner was graced by the soulful voice of Malaysia‘s Alyah, who is a personal friend of the bride. She sang Lee Ann Rimes‘ “How Do I Live” and another single in Malay titled “Kau Yang Terindah“…
Alyah performed two numbers that night…
Donning outfits by first, Hatta Dolmatand then by Raffiey Nasir, the bride and groom was a picture of bliss and grandeur, even if the three-day wedding affair was already taking its toll on them physically. What was special about the dinner event was the screenings of two music videos to the guests, one which was created by CST Productions with the help from the newly betrothed couple’s close friends, family members and the production teams of the wedding event, and the other by the groom himself, as a surprise gift for the bride. The music video by CST Productions was a work in progress throughout the three-day event, and it was simply amazing that they could screen it in its entirety during the dinner event, when they were still filming in the same afternoon.
Fiza was moved to tears by KC‘s gesture in the form of the music video…
Listeners of KC‘s “Kelab Kelakar Seram” programme would note how talented the guy is when it comes to composing parody songs, and was also the composer of B8‘s “Bidadari Hatiku“, but he raised the bar higher with his new composition “Aku Sayang Kamu (Isteriku)” specially for Fiza. It was no surprises that the bride teared upon watching the music video, touched at her husband’s efforts and that he had kept so many of their photographs together and featured them in the video. I would like to thank KC for having me involved in the production of his music video a few days before their solemnisation, albeit my small role behind the cameras. It was an enriching experience seeing and experiencing how a simple music video is filmed and recorded. It looks easy but the whole filming process took a whole day to complete!!!
To my bro KC and sis Fiza, as well as the wedding manager Rafil Kamaruddin from Manggiz Communications, thank you for having me and my missus and family over at all the events and letting us cover it, even allowing us to come onboard the FunVee Hopper Open Top Bus on the second day en route to Singapore Flyer to meet the couple’s loyal fans. The journey has just begun for the two of them and like what I had penned in their guestbook, the essence to an everlasting relationship / marriage are patience, tolerance, respect, acceptance and love. Loads of it!!! I wish them all the very best and pray that their life together will be eternally blissful, with lovely children in tow, cos kind people like them deserve nothing less than prayers and well-wishes for the best… 🙂
The lady on the right didn’t want this photo to be made public as her face was oily from a hard day’s work, but I’m going against her wishes because I want to tell the world that she and her team from Dessert Artisans did a splendid job and deserve a promo… 🙂
A combined fun shot between the guys from Project Pixel Photography and CST Productions…
With the guys from Project Pixel Photography…
The bride’s “BFFs” were never far from her side throughout the three-day event, ensuring that things run smoothly from behind-the-scenes…
With the two ladies from Madame H Creations. Just look at that lovely “bouquet”…
The people who also made this event possible, M Square Management…
Chef Siti Mastura contributed some pastries and desserts for the event as well. She is seen here with her children…
With the groom’s best friend, Zan Sofiyan and wifey Arfah…
The couple, with Raffiey Nasir and family…
With Maya from Sutra Magazine and her chaperone…
Them and the bride’s girlfriends…
The newly-weds with Fadzly B8 and family…
Fiza and Nity Baizura are more like sisters than colleagues…
Kak Zakiah requested a personal photo with Fiza from my camera. How could I ever say no to my ex-boss during my internship days with radio??? 🙂
With the top brass from Mediacorp Radio and Mediacorp Eaglevision…
Ms. Hanim Mohd Saleh, Berita Harian / Minggu’s Entertainment Correspondent (second from right), seen here with the wife and daughter of popular 90s host, Zack Zainal and the newly-weds…
A last shot with the Malaysian songbird and her entourage before leaving the venue…
Fiza showing her gratitude towards Alyah…
“Hi girlfriends, you’re listening to Fiza O… And I’m your Mr. X!!!” – The voice behind that trailer, Mr. William Xavier…
Always the “Wanita Melayu Terakhir” in many guys’ books – Marina Yusoff…
With the groom’s siblings, Kamarudin (left) and Kadir…
The wedding would not have come alive without these gentlemen… Give it up for Rafil Kamaruddin, Raffiey Nasir, Hatta Dolmat, Bosco Ryzarl, Fizi Azmi and Sopi…
With Ain Society’s CEO, Mr. Haji Yusof Md Ismail and wife…
Mr. Zaqy Mohammad rushed from his overseas trip to be in time for the event…
With Dr. Mohd Maliki Osman and family…
Our wacky hosts along with their Class 95FM counterparts…
Mediacorp Suria staff Siti Zalinah Adam and family…
The stunningly gorgeous Alyah…
Mediacorp Newsroom faces Riz Sunawan and Nursha Ismail…
Sitting on the same table as the previous photograph were also fellow Mediacorp Suria staff (from left) – Raudaa Razak, Wan Mohd Haiz and Norhayati…
Mediacorp Suria staff Mufreha Ma’arof (right) and husband Ishak Jamid, with fellow colleague Farlina and hubby…
Screenbox’s head honcho, Mr. Sujimy Mohamad and wife Haslinda Ali…
Newly-weds themselves – Ross of Revalina and wife Siti Hajar…
Looking blissfully in love are Rahayu Ridwan and fiance Faziz Taufiq…
Anugerah 2011 finalist Shikin Imran, with celebrity stylist and directors / producers Azni Samdin and Nazrey Khalid…
Madam Suharti Ali is all smiles with fellow Warna 94.2FM colleague, Zaza Majid…
Warna 94.2FM’s TG & wife Haslinda, along with RIA 89.7FM’s part-timer who is on a temporary hiatus due to personal commitments, Ian Farah Mohamed, and husband Nizam Abdullah…
Didicazli came with his mother…
Taufik Batisah came to the dinner event with his mother, Madam Normainah Bachok. He is joined by celebrity hairdresser Abang Awie (bespectacled) and his friend…
Didicazli with Baihakki Khaizan and Norfasarie…
A more complete photograph of local hip-hop duo SleeQ and their other halves…
Hyrul Anuar, Rilla Melati and an unidentified friend…
Shahrin Azhar and wife…
Siti Hajar Gani and hubby…
Fauzie Laily and fiancee Nurul Huda…
Azzah Fariha and Malaque Mahdaly…
Before the photo-taking session began, a quick interview for Mediacorp Suria’s interstitial, which you can watch on the channel this week…
“Look guys, I’m taken!!!”
Before the night ended, they took some time to thank their long list of sponsors and people who had helped them throughout…
Fiza’s uncle, known in poetry circles as Jakabudi, gifting the newly-weds what he does best…
Him giving her a kiss on the forehead, a husband’s mark of respect towards his wife…
Naturally the tears flowed for our dear bride upon watching it, touched by her husband’s gesture and for featuring some memorable photographs taken over the years…
The groom relating his experience composing his special song for her and producing the music video…
The bride had a letter specially written for her husband…
Watching the music video specially produced by CST Productions on the monitor screen…
Again the customary feeding poses…
Cake-cutting time…
Back for their second appearance after changing their outfits…
The very sporting couple – Glenn Ong & Jean Danker…
Prior to the wedding, not many people knew that Fiza and Alyah are good friends…
Alyah wowing the audience with two songs that night…
She does remind me of the late Audrey Hepburn here, even though many people have said she bears some similarities to Ziana Zain… Could be the way her hair was tied up…
And her doing likewise…
The groom feeding his bride for the cameras…
And beloved father, Mr. Osman Shawkat Ali…
The bride entering the venue accompanied by her sisters…