AFTER 10 years away from the spotlight, Sarimah Ahmad, the legendary leading lady of the 1960s Malay silver screen, returned to Malaysia from Brunei last November and found herself an unwilling media target.And the media has not been kind. She is baffled and hurt.
''I'll be 60 in April. I'm not interested in being in the public eye. All I'm interested in is spending time with my husband, children and grandchildren,'' said a calm and composed Sarimah. an English-language daily reported that she came home ''alone'' without her husband. Sarimah was at her wit's end explaining the actual situation to curious fans, friends and family members.
''I don't know whether I was misquoted or the reporter had unintentionally misinterpreted me. Whatever it was, I was unnecessarily swamped by calls and questions asking me to explain my marital status. It's so ridiculous. I am very much married to my husband,'' said a perplexed Sarimah who is from Pekan, Pahang.
But this was just the start Sarimah is back in the public eye, whether she likes it or not.Before that, a local English-language magazine in its July issue last year had attributed her still vibrant beauty to susuk (a charmed gold or diamond piece inserted in certain parts of the body to enhance beauty). She denied this vehemently.
''Just because someone looks good despite her age, does it mean she has resorted to susuk or plastic surgery? I can't allow this to go on. It's a baseless accusation and very disparaging. I have not done anything to hurt anyone. Anyway, why bring up all this now - during my twilight years. I have my husband and children. At least have some respect for them,'' said the former prima donna in an exclusive interview recently at her residence in Subang Jaya. the magazine had also made some cutting comments about her previous marriages and financial status. ''I am deeply disturbed. This is a matter of maruah (dignity). I can't go around explaining to people I meet that all the accusations are not true,'' said Sarimah who returned to Malaysia with husband Datuk Paduka Pengiran Hj Hidup Hj Hashim, a Bruneian businessman who is now retired.To put a stop to all this, Sarimah has decided to sue the magazine. ''After discussing it with my family and friends, I have consulted my lawyer to take the matter up. If I allow this to go on, I will never have peace of mind.''
Sarimah devoted half her life to showbiz, gracing the celluloid with classics like Ali Baba Bujang Lapok, Si Tanggang, Tiga Abdul, Madu Tiga, Ibu Mertuaku, Bidasari, Dayang Senandong and Raja Bersiong. And now that she is back home for good, the veteran said she is not planning to go into acting - at least not just yet.
''I can't say that I have turned my back on acting for good. I devoted half my life to acting and that's the only job that I have done. There have been offers but I am not too keen right now. I have my religious classes to attend to and other obligations. I am not sure if I want to act anymore,'' explained the actress who has been paired with top leading actors such as P. Ramlee, Aziz Jaafar, Jins Shamsuddin and Ahmad Mahmud.
During the 1982 Malaysian Film Festival, Sarimah was adjudged Best Actress for Dia Ibuku. According to her fans, the award was overdue, but Sarimah feels it was a really pleasant surprise. She is one actress who has never felt satisfied with her performances.
''I never felt that I have done justice to my roles. I wanted to perfect the roles all the time even until now,'' she said.
Sarimah turned melancholic when asked to recall her experiences. ''Those days, we went into acting because we wanted a job. Apart from the keen interest and talent, we were disciplined. This is very important, as only with discipline, we are able to give our best. You don't hear a director waiting on the actors back then. Now it's the other way around.'' Sarimah herself had produced four movies, namely, Dia Ibuku, Jejak Bertapak, Detik 12 Malam and Kabus Tengahari. She said she has also acted in 40 to 50 movies but this number cannot be confirmed because records are incomplete.
For Sarimah, maintaining one's popularity wasn't one of the priorities then. ''None of us were bothered about whether we would be in the news. It was more of keeping a job to keep us going,'' said Sarimah, best known for her role as Sabariah in a P. Ramlee classic Ibu Mertuaku.
At 60, this grandmother of 24 from her six children still retained her immaculate style of dressing. ''Dressing up comes naturally to me. It reflects one's personality and confidence,'' said the versatile actress who is now pursuing her jamu (traditional health and beauty supplements) business with the brand name Mayang Suri.
Ever since she came home Sarimah has been getting a lot of offers to act, appear on TV shows and give motivational talks on beauty care. However, she is more interested in continuing work on her book on beauty entitled Kecantikan Luar dan Dalam (Beauty Inside Out).
''I started on the book a few years ago. When I followed my husband to Brunei, it was put on hold. It has been many years since. Now that I have the time, I hope to complete it.'' on her marriage to Pengiran Hj Hidup, Sarimah said she is a contented woman now.
''It is a good partnership. I regard him as my true companion, my best friend and advisor. I am glad that he has been very understanding and loving. I can't ask for more. And I thank God for that,'' said a beaming Sarimah, adding that she is so touched that she still have hordes of fans despite her absence and age.
''God has given me everything - fame, wealth, beautiful children and a loving husband. I don't want anything else. I should devote my time to Him now.''
Friday, June 4, 2010
NOTHING'S CHANGED
AZIZ M.Osman's habit of directing movie upon movie, one after another has its drawback. After the less-than-inspiring Seri Dewi Malam, it looks like Aziz is burned out and tired and has lost his Midas touch.You get this feeling watching his latest movie Lagi-Lagi Senario. It left many with mixed feelings. While there is no doubt that the versatile Senario gang are again in top form, displaying their natural charm by just being themselves, the story is run-of-the-mill TV drama material.
It's about Azli (the actors use their real names) who runs a roti canai stall with his two workers Yassin and Saiful Apek. Azli's roti canai, made by Saiful, is popular and attracts many customers, and he soon hires Wahid to help out when the latter loses his job at a posh restaurant.
Seeing how well Azli is doing, a rival, Mazlan, decides to give him a run for his money. He tries to spoil Azli's business by setting up stall just next to Azli's. Mazlan ropes in his niece (played by Wardina Syafiah) and two other helpers, one of whom is played by singer Ani Mayuni.
The competition is relatively healthy at first, but soon Mazlan is resorting to coaxing Saiful the famous roti canai man to work for him.
To make matters worse, Azli's other worker Yassin also decides to work for Mazlan.
The only employee left, Wahid sympathises with Azli and vows to fix things. He starts practicing making roti canai and surprises Azli with his stylish way of making the roti canai. To lure the customers back, he launches his one of a kind Roti Canai Terbang Rock 'n'Roll. The gimmick works and soon Azli's stall becomes popular again.
But Mazlan doesn't give up. He cooks up an evil scheme to destroy Azli's business... The story, though simple, is quite interestingly weaved. Aziz has always been good at character development and this is evident in the way he handles each character, especially Wardina's. The five Senario members each have a distinct personality and it is a joy to watch them play their tailor-made roles with such ease.
However, the movie starts off rather slowly and Aziz really should have scrapped off a few scenes that add nothing to the story save some exaggerated comic moments. There are some grossed-out scenes as well. The one that has Saiful spitting phlegm into the roti canai was just sickening. In another stomach-turning scene, a Mamak sweats his way into the roti canai.
All the scenes revolve around the two stalls and Azli's house. This reminds one of the simple movies made in the 70s. It also gives the impression that this is a cheap production. You wonder how they came to spend RM1.6mil to make the movie.
Newcomer Ani Mayuni is a real turn off as the archetypal seducer who overplays her role to the maximum. Whatever happened to subtlety?
Despite the flaws, Lagi Lagi Senario has a feel-good ending and should go down well as a wholesome family entertainment - a few disgusting scenes notwithstanding.
No matter what the critics say, fans will be drawn to watch Lagi Lagi Senario. After all, they only want to watch the popular comedy group in action. The story is really secondary.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 15/12/2001
It's about Azli (the actors use their real names) who runs a roti canai stall with his two workers Yassin and Saiful Apek. Azli's roti canai, made by Saiful, is popular and attracts many customers, and he soon hires Wahid to help out when the latter loses his job at a posh restaurant.
Seeing how well Azli is doing, a rival, Mazlan, decides to give him a run for his money. He tries to spoil Azli's business by setting up stall just next to Azli's. Mazlan ropes in his niece (played by Wardina Syafiah) and two other helpers, one of whom is played by singer Ani Mayuni.
The competition is relatively healthy at first, but soon Mazlan is resorting to coaxing Saiful the famous roti canai man to work for him.
To make matters worse, Azli's other worker Yassin also decides to work for Mazlan.
The only employee left, Wahid sympathises with Azli and vows to fix things. He starts practicing making roti canai and surprises Azli with his stylish way of making the roti canai. To lure the customers back, he launches his one of a kind Roti Canai Terbang Rock 'n'Roll. The gimmick works and soon Azli's stall becomes popular again.
But Mazlan doesn't give up. He cooks up an evil scheme to destroy Azli's business... The story, though simple, is quite interestingly weaved. Aziz has always been good at character development and this is evident in the way he handles each character, especially Wardina's. The five Senario members each have a distinct personality and it is a joy to watch them play their tailor-made roles with such ease.
However, the movie starts off rather slowly and Aziz really should have scrapped off a few scenes that add nothing to the story save some exaggerated comic moments. There are some grossed-out scenes as well. The one that has Saiful spitting phlegm into the roti canai was just sickening. In another stomach-turning scene, a Mamak sweats his way into the roti canai.
All the scenes revolve around the two stalls and Azli's house. This reminds one of the simple movies made in the 70s. It also gives the impression that this is a cheap production. You wonder how they came to spend RM1.6mil to make the movie.
Newcomer Ani Mayuni is a real turn off as the archetypal seducer who overplays her role to the maximum. Whatever happened to subtlety?
Despite the flaws, Lagi Lagi Senario has a feel-good ending and should go down well as a wholesome family entertainment - a few disgusting scenes notwithstanding.
No matter what the critics say, fans will be drawn to watch Lagi Lagi Senario. After all, they only want to watch the popular comedy group in action. The story is really secondary.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 15/12/2001
PLAY AILS IN TRANSITION
THE adaptation in Bahasa Malaysia of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, staged recently at the Matic Auditorium in Kuala Lumpur, was a test of how good the translation work was.It was no doubt an ambitious project staged by students of the National Arts Academy (Akademi Seni Kebangsaan). After hardly two weeks of intensive training, there they were, all geared up to give a rather melancholic and, as it turned out, not so in-depth interpretation of this Pulitzer prize-winning play.
Sometimes memorable and outstanding works of great writers such as Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Tennessee Williams, Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller should just be left alone in their original text.
Messing with them can result in works that are inferior. And more often, translation is a dicey affair because the essence and true meaning of the play might be lost, or the translation could be too direct and unnatural sounding.
The Malay version of Death of a Salesman was no doubt a good exercise in translation and production for the arts students. But condensing a lengthy four-hour play into two-and-half hours would need a lot of creativity, hard work and practice. And a good grasp of the language is definitely a must before one embarks on this ambitious task.
Getting veteran Ahmad Yatim to play Willy Loman was a good idea.
Sadly though, the momentum set by the slow-paced directing coupled with wasted and insignificant lines didn't make Willy Loman a character the audience would empathise with. The weak script, which needed a thorough rewriting, bogged down the whole play.
The rather monotonous and pensive evening mood was set right from the start. The not-so-encouraging turnout of 30 people in a splendid hall like the newly renovated Matic which could easily seat at least 300 people would make one feel as if the whole preview was an exclusive one.
But there is nothing outstanding about Death of a Salesman here. The team of scriptwriters and director have left out aspects that might have made the play more profound and meaningful. The essence and significance of the play were only tentatively put across.
Willy Loman's character was not well established. Other than the fact that his glory days as the Number One salesman are over, his traits as a salesman, something that he is proud of, were not made apparent to the audience.
Moreover, his rather careless, insulting and patronising remarks to his friend, Charley (Mazlan Tahir), children Biff (Khir Rahman) and Happy (Zaini Abu Hassan) came across as an everyday thing.
Even when he was arguing profusely with his patient wife, Linda (Rohani Yousoff), the argument was quite trivial and only hinted that Willy Loman is an impatient, easily agitated man.
The play took off at a snail's pace with the ageing and whining Willy Loman coming home from a hard day's work and his tireless wife, Linda, waiting on him with encouraging and loving words. This was to be the prelude to the central theme of the play.
From then on, the pacing of the play became rather inconsistent - at times bearable, at other times excruciatingly slow.
Death of a Salesman is a sad story about how a tired, ageing businessman named Willy Loman is slowly being sidelined in his work. His frustrations and depression worsen when neither of his two children, Biff and Happy, shows any inclination to become successful.
And when the story gradually picked up momentum and was about to reach the climax (the scene in which Willy Loman is sacked from his job) it didn't quite affect the audience.
Director Roselina Johari Mohd Khir tried to conjure up the troubled past of Willy Loman - his brief fling with a woman, his hopes and confidence in his brother Ben (Ahmad Ramzani Ismail) who left for better prospects in Africa and his first encounter with Linda were presented in a jumbled way.
It's fine to show these incidents in flashback but not while there's already another scene on stage. It makes it so confusing and distracting when you are trying to concentrate on the play. The tragic ending in which Willy orchestrates his death by crashing his car was only portrayed with a loud screech. This was supposed to be the pinnacle of the climax that never was.
The funeral scene was a solemn and quiet affair. The play concluded here and at this point, the ending looked very subtle and failed to evoke any melancholic emotions. How sad!
Ahmad Yatim as Willy Loman did fairly well. Consummate actor that he is, there was something about the Willy Loman character he created that became very endearing towards the end of the play.
But with a feeble script, no amount of good acting can help an actor shine on stage. Yatim tried hard, faltering minimally as he went on with the uninspiring lines, padding his character with certain stylised traits and mannerisms. At the end of the play, he almost succeeded in impressing the audience with his version of Willy Loman but not quite.
However, it was one of Yatim's best performances, despite the poor direction and forgettable dialogue making it difficult for Yatim to excel. Also, the disappointing acting of his co-actors Rohani Yousoff, Khir Rahman and the rest (excepting Mazlan Tahir who played Charley well) restricted him from doing better.
Veteran actor Rohani passively portrayed Linda. Sometimes it was rather obvious that her lines were a direct translation, which was so jarring to the ears.
Mazlan gave a fresh treatment to his Charley character whereas Khir Rahman overplayed Biff and failed to make an impact.
For some reason - be it a lack of confidence in a student production, difficulty in relating to such a theme or the origin of the play being Western - the four-day performance of Death of a Salesman staged at the newly, spruced-up Malaysian Tourist Information Centre in Jalan Ampang failed to attract theatre-goers.
Students of ASK should not feel discouraged by this poor turnout as it might have worked in their favour. With more time, practice and a simpler play, perhaps they will put up a more successful production the next time.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 29/10/2001
Sometimes memorable and outstanding works of great writers such as Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Tennessee Williams, Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller should just be left alone in their original text.
Messing with them can result in works that are inferior. And more often, translation is a dicey affair because the essence and true meaning of the play might be lost, or the translation could be too direct and unnatural sounding.
The Malay version of Death of a Salesman was no doubt a good exercise in translation and production for the arts students. But condensing a lengthy four-hour play into two-and-half hours would need a lot of creativity, hard work and practice. And a good grasp of the language is definitely a must before one embarks on this ambitious task.
Getting veteran Ahmad Yatim to play Willy Loman was a good idea.
Sadly though, the momentum set by the slow-paced directing coupled with wasted and insignificant lines didn't make Willy Loman a character the audience would empathise with. The weak script, which needed a thorough rewriting, bogged down the whole play.
The rather monotonous and pensive evening mood was set right from the start. The not-so-encouraging turnout of 30 people in a splendid hall like the newly renovated Matic which could easily seat at least 300 people would make one feel as if the whole preview was an exclusive one.
But there is nothing outstanding about Death of a Salesman here. The team of scriptwriters and director have left out aspects that might have made the play more profound and meaningful. The essence and significance of the play were only tentatively put across.
Willy Loman's character was not well established. Other than the fact that his glory days as the Number One salesman are over, his traits as a salesman, something that he is proud of, were not made apparent to the audience.
Moreover, his rather careless, insulting and patronising remarks to his friend, Charley (Mazlan Tahir), children Biff (Khir Rahman) and Happy (Zaini Abu Hassan) came across as an everyday thing.
Even when he was arguing profusely with his patient wife, Linda (Rohani Yousoff), the argument was quite trivial and only hinted that Willy Loman is an impatient, easily agitated man.
The play took off at a snail's pace with the ageing and whining Willy Loman coming home from a hard day's work and his tireless wife, Linda, waiting on him with encouraging and loving words. This was to be the prelude to the central theme of the play.
From then on, the pacing of the play became rather inconsistent - at times bearable, at other times excruciatingly slow.
Death of a Salesman is a sad story about how a tired, ageing businessman named Willy Loman is slowly being sidelined in his work. His frustrations and depression worsen when neither of his two children, Biff and Happy, shows any inclination to become successful.
And when the story gradually picked up momentum and was about to reach the climax (the scene in which Willy Loman is sacked from his job) it didn't quite affect the audience.
Director Roselina Johari Mohd Khir tried to conjure up the troubled past of Willy Loman - his brief fling with a woman, his hopes and confidence in his brother Ben (Ahmad Ramzani Ismail) who left for better prospects in Africa and his first encounter with Linda were presented in a jumbled way.
It's fine to show these incidents in flashback but not while there's already another scene on stage. It makes it so confusing and distracting when you are trying to concentrate on the play. The tragic ending in which Willy orchestrates his death by crashing his car was only portrayed with a loud screech. This was supposed to be the pinnacle of the climax that never was.
The funeral scene was a solemn and quiet affair. The play concluded here and at this point, the ending looked very subtle and failed to evoke any melancholic emotions. How sad!
Ahmad Yatim as Willy Loman did fairly well. Consummate actor that he is, there was something about the Willy Loman character he created that became very endearing towards the end of the play.
But with a feeble script, no amount of good acting can help an actor shine on stage. Yatim tried hard, faltering minimally as he went on with the uninspiring lines, padding his character with certain stylised traits and mannerisms. At the end of the play, he almost succeeded in impressing the audience with his version of Willy Loman but not quite.
However, it was one of Yatim's best performances, despite the poor direction and forgettable dialogue making it difficult for Yatim to excel. Also, the disappointing acting of his co-actors Rohani Yousoff, Khir Rahman and the rest (excepting Mazlan Tahir who played Charley well) restricted him from doing better.
Veteran actor Rohani passively portrayed Linda. Sometimes it was rather obvious that her lines were a direct translation, which was so jarring to the ears.
Mazlan gave a fresh treatment to his Charley character whereas Khir Rahman overplayed Biff and failed to make an impact.
For some reason - be it a lack of confidence in a student production, difficulty in relating to such a theme or the origin of the play being Western - the four-day performance of Death of a Salesman staged at the newly, spruced-up Malaysian Tourist Information Centre in Jalan Ampang failed to attract theatre-goers.
Students of ASK should not feel discouraged by this poor turnout as it might have worked in their favour. With more time, practice and a simpler play, perhaps they will put up a more successful production the next time.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 29/10/2001
THE RETURN OF ELLA
NEVER associate old age with a female rocker. Thirty-something is still considered pretty cool especially if you are still able to retain the requisite vigour and figure ... like Ella.When the singer recently took to the stage to launch her singles record ? Tanda Tanya as a prelude to her new album that's scheduled for release at the end of this month, Ella attracted quite a number of curious onlookers and and even some wolf whistles!
The excitement of seeing Ella perform ''once again'' after lying low for almost two years made many queue up early to fill up the seats at the Hard Rock Café in Kuala Lumpur.
The slightly fleshy Ella was beaming with pride as she took to the mike and sang her way to our hearts with a new song (that went untitled for a while) and was simply referred to as ? Tanda Tanya.
The real title of the song was left to Ella's fans to decide. This was part of a gimmick thought up by EMI Malaysia Sdn Bhd to promote Ella's new album. The guessing game was open to all ERA listeners and members of the public for a month.
''We had a competition where the winner won RM1,001 in cash, got to spend three hours with Ella and got to keep one of her personal belongings,'' said Normaheran, EMI Malaysia Sdn Bhd public relations manager.
The singles record also consists of two other songs - Sembilu and Dua Insan Bercinta and is sold at RM9.90 each. According to Normaheran, these songs are included on the album to allow her fans to get a feel of what's in store in her coming album.
Just last week, a lucky ERA listener was picked the winner for naming the song Tinggal Tanda Tanya (TTT). Incidentally, this will also be the title of Ella's new album.
TTT comprises 14 songs and each song was produced by individual composers like Djengo, Amin Abdullah, Aji, Azmeer, Zul Mahad, Bong and Ajai.
The songs include Nan Berbeza (which also features Ella's sister-cum-manager Jojie), Retak, Ilham Berbicara, Nekad, Kelipan, Jauh Di Mata (an old traditional song given a touch of rock), Cendawan & Serengga, Dia Lelaki (duet with Ramli Sarip), Tak Kisah (Bong) and Kau Yang Tak Tahu (Ajai).
The other three songs are the ethnic version of Retak and minus-one versions of Tinggal Tiada Tanya and Ilham Berbicara.
The rock diva has been keeping a low profile since her last album, El, which was released in 1999.
''I have been quite busy with shows and small concerts. I was concentrating more on my personal life, doing things that I love doing but never had the time to do, like travelling and reading. The record company told me it was a bad time to release an album and they advised me to do it when the market improved,'' said this 33-year-old singer who popularised the song Baldu Biru with singer Awie.
For Ella, time just stood still and she confessed she does not feel a day older from when she started though she has been in the scene for a good 15 years.
According to the singer who hails from Klang, competition has never been a problem. Without a trace of arrogance, Ella said she doesn't feel threatened by any singer, new or old.
''I have been around for quite a while now. My loyal fans are still out there for me. All this is like a comeback for me. The launching is for my new album and not to introduce Ella - the singer,'' said this popular rocker.
Asked to comment on her new album, Ella feels she has given her best and that her fans will really appreciate her latest effort because of the 14 songs (including four bonus tracks).
''It's very thoughtful of the record company to give this special treat to my fans. Well, you may call it a marketing strategy but at the end of the day, my fans benefit from this,'' said Ella.
Apart from the new songs on the album, Ella is often bombarded with questions of a personal nature, that is, her love life and when she is tying the knot.
She recently appeared on the front page of an entertainment magazine with a 17-year-old hunk confessing to readers that she will settle down soon.
''Everywhere I go, people stopped me and asked if it's true. It's so difficult to explain the circumstances I was in when I was posed that question. It was taken out of context. I know, I have a lot of teenage male fans around that age but to settle down with one of them is absurd,'' she said.
The attractive singer who has been romantically linked with several personalities declined to say whether there is anyone special in her life at the moment.
''I am married to my profession right now. Men bore me. They just don't know how to get around me, I am so fed-up.'' Perhaps the closest answer is given by the title of her new album Tinggal Tanda Tanya, which loosely translated means All That's Left Is a Question Mark.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 18/10/2001
The excitement of seeing Ella perform ''once again'' after lying low for almost two years made many queue up early to fill up the seats at the Hard Rock Café in Kuala Lumpur.
The slightly fleshy Ella was beaming with pride as she took to the mike and sang her way to our hearts with a new song (that went untitled for a while) and was simply referred to as ? Tanda Tanya.
The real title of the song was left to Ella's fans to decide. This was part of a gimmick thought up by EMI Malaysia Sdn Bhd to promote Ella's new album. The guessing game was open to all ERA listeners and members of the public for a month.
''We had a competition where the winner won RM1,001 in cash, got to spend three hours with Ella and got to keep one of her personal belongings,'' said Normaheran, EMI Malaysia Sdn Bhd public relations manager.
The singles record also consists of two other songs - Sembilu and Dua Insan Bercinta and is sold at RM9.90 each. According to Normaheran, these songs are included on the album to allow her fans to get a feel of what's in store in her coming album.
Just last week, a lucky ERA listener was picked the winner for naming the song Tinggal Tanda Tanya (TTT). Incidentally, this will also be the title of Ella's new album.
TTT comprises 14 songs and each song was produced by individual composers like Djengo, Amin Abdullah, Aji, Azmeer, Zul Mahad, Bong and Ajai.
The songs include Nan Berbeza (which also features Ella's sister-cum-manager Jojie), Retak, Ilham Berbicara, Nekad, Kelipan, Jauh Di Mata (an old traditional song given a touch of rock), Cendawan & Serengga, Dia Lelaki (duet with Ramli Sarip), Tak Kisah (Bong) and Kau Yang Tak Tahu (Ajai).
The other three songs are the ethnic version of Retak and minus-one versions of Tinggal Tiada Tanya and Ilham Berbicara.
The rock diva has been keeping a low profile since her last album, El, which was released in 1999.
''I have been quite busy with shows and small concerts. I was concentrating more on my personal life, doing things that I love doing but never had the time to do, like travelling and reading. The record company told me it was a bad time to release an album and they advised me to do it when the market improved,'' said this 33-year-old singer who popularised the song Baldu Biru with singer Awie.
For Ella, time just stood still and she confessed she does not feel a day older from when she started though she has been in the scene for a good 15 years.
According to the singer who hails from Klang, competition has never been a problem. Without a trace of arrogance, Ella said she doesn't feel threatened by any singer, new or old.
''I have been around for quite a while now. My loyal fans are still out there for me. All this is like a comeback for me. The launching is for my new album and not to introduce Ella - the singer,'' said this popular rocker.
Asked to comment on her new album, Ella feels she has given her best and that her fans will really appreciate her latest effort because of the 14 songs (including four bonus tracks).
''It's very thoughtful of the record company to give this special treat to my fans. Well, you may call it a marketing strategy but at the end of the day, my fans benefit from this,'' said Ella.
Apart from the new songs on the album, Ella is often bombarded with questions of a personal nature, that is, her love life and when she is tying the knot.
She recently appeared on the front page of an entertainment magazine with a 17-year-old hunk confessing to readers that she will settle down soon.
''Everywhere I go, people stopped me and asked if it's true. It's so difficult to explain the circumstances I was in when I was posed that question. It was taken out of context. I know, I have a lot of teenage male fans around that age but to settle down with one of them is absurd,'' she said.
The attractive singer who has been romantically linked with several personalities declined to say whether there is anyone special in her life at the moment.
''I am married to my profession right now. Men bore me. They just don't know how to get around me, I am so fed-up.'' Perhaps the closest answer is given by the title of her new album Tinggal Tanda Tanya, which loosely translated means All That's Left Is a Question Mark.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 18/10/2001
CIRCLING A DIFFICULT ROLE
HE is reputed to be a difficult actor and has generally shunned the media for fear of being misquoted. Getting good quotes from veteran thespian Ahmad Yatim is not a problem but keeping him in his seat could be. This restless soul proved that he could also be a difficult interview subject.
For almost two hours, the 57-year-old Yatim was on edge, going round in circles standing behind every chair in a small discussion room trying to drive home his point about his Willy Loman character in the much-acclaimed Arthur Miller play, Death of a Salesman, which will be staged in Bahasa Malaysia from today till Saturday at the Tourism Information Centre (Matic) auditorium in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.
''No, I am not difficult. I just ask too many questions and the directors don't like this. At the end of the day, it's my face that everyone is going to see, not the directors', so I don't want to do something stupid,'' he said rather matter-of-factly during a recent interview.
A stylish and intense actor who acquired a certain method of acting, Yatim is known for his roles in more than 20 plays such as The Barefoot Neighbour, Oedipus and Antigone, Hamlet, Midsummer Night's Dream, Uda dan Dara, Ribut and Jebat.
''I don't (usually) give interviews because you journalists often write what you want to hear, not what I say; it's just pointless sometimes. Anyway I don't like publicity, it robs me of my privacy,'' said the actor who was trained in a language teachers' college in Kuala Lumpur in 1964.
Yatim does not like being in the limelight, he said. He prefers a quiet life, doing the things he likes at his own pace. However, when he was much younger, he did not envision his life this way. In fact, Yatim said he burst onto the acting scene rather arrogantly.
He was a teacher when he read about Usman Awang's play Matinya Seorang Pahlawan in the papers. It was to be directed by actor Datuk Rahim Razali with Syed Alwi playing Hang Jebat and playwright Krishen Jit as Hang Tuah. The young Yatim wasn't happy with a non-Malay playing Hang Tuah - ''it's simply not right, so I felt I had to do something,'' he said.
The following day, Yatim, who knew the text of the play by heart, gate-crashed one of the rehearsals and shocked everyone on the set when he blatantly said: ''I want to play Tuah.'' His acting must have impressed Rahim because he was made Hang Tuah instantly. As a result, Yatim earned the ''the arrogant actor'' tag. It might make Yatim sound like a braggart each time he tells people that he went into acting because ''I think I can do better.''
But the truth is simply that he makes a difference, with an acting style that he has perfected over the years. He was named Best Actor in the Malaysian Film Festival for his role in Pemburu in the late 1980s. Someone commented that he emulates Rahim's style of acting. ''Great actors have their own styles. Any similarity is incidental. I don't think I imitate anyone. I do my characters intuitively, at the spur of the moment,'' explained the actor who was later picked to act in the musical Uda dan Dara.
Shortly after that, Yatim joined the Malaysian Amateur Theatre Group with Syed Alwi, Krishen Jit and Rahim Razali. During this time he also worked with other theatre activists like Donald Davis, Frank Sullivan, Krishen Jit, Vijaya Samavikrama, Othman Hafsham, Abdullah Zainol and Faridah Merican.
He was later offered a scholarship under the Colombo Plan and completed his degree in theatre from the National Institute of Dramatic Art, University of New South Wales, Australia. Yatim's involvement in the theatre circles continued when he came home in 1978. Although he has graced the cinema screen with roles in movies such as Abang, Sumpah Di Bumi Merekah, Pemburu, Anak Sarawak and Perempuan Melayu Terakhir, Yatim seemed to be better known for his theatre performances. And each time he agrees to act in a play Yatim takes a long time to prepare himself, he said. He doesn't normally compromise on this principle unless it's for something that he feels compelled to do such as in the case of Death of a Salesman, which is being staged by students of the National Arts Academy (Akademi Seni Kebangsaan) where he is a lecturer. He also lectures in Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).
Yatim felt duty-bound to take part in this play, which has been described by many as difficult, touching and challenging.
He has had hardly any time to prepare for the role - he was given less than two weeks to remember the lines, work on the tone and think of the best possible way to interact with other actors - something which Yatim would never dream of doing given the short time-frame. ''I am still struggling with my lines,'' he said last week. ''It is more difficult when it is a translated play. You have to keep (the interpretation) as close as possible or else the intended meaning is lost. To condense a four-hour play to half the time is a real test. The trickiest part lies in getting the message across. ''This sort of play would need at least two months of rehearsals. Since we are short of time, we have to do it the best we can.''
Negri Sembilan-born Yatim views his Wily Loman character as the typical Melayu who is always in a dilemma, trapped in his illusion, hopes and dreams.
''It's a typical Malay syndrome - big dreams but no vision. Loman is a likeable character though he is loud-mouthed and complains a lot. An average salesman who is trying to make ends meet to raise his two sons - Biff and Happy. He urges his two sons to do better than him and emulate his neighbour Charlie's son, Bernard, who is now a lawyer,'' explained Yatim.
Yatim said he could easily get into character because it reminds him a lot of some people he knew.''It's sad especially towards the end of the play when Loman feels rejected and gives up on his life. It would be difficult not to empathise with him,'' said Yatim. Death of a Salesman will be directed by Roselina Khir Johari whose resume includes The Zen Substitute, Atap Genting Atap Rembia, The Lion and The Jewel, Woyzeck and Medea (with Rosminah Tahir).
This Pulitzer Prize-winning play has been translated into Mandarin and Cantonese. This time around, a team of ASK students had the job of interpreting it in Bahasa Malaysia.
It will also feature Rohani Yousoff, Mazlan Tahir, Khatijah Tan, Khir Rahman, Zaini Abu Hassan, Mardiana Ismail and Amy Haryani.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 17/10/2001
For almost two hours, the 57-year-old Yatim was on edge, going round in circles standing behind every chair in a small discussion room trying to drive home his point about his Willy Loman character in the much-acclaimed Arthur Miller play, Death of a Salesman, which will be staged in Bahasa Malaysia from today till Saturday at the Tourism Information Centre (Matic) auditorium in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.
''No, I am not difficult. I just ask too many questions and the directors don't like this. At the end of the day, it's my face that everyone is going to see, not the directors', so I don't want to do something stupid,'' he said rather matter-of-factly during a recent interview.
A stylish and intense actor who acquired a certain method of acting, Yatim is known for his roles in more than 20 plays such as The Barefoot Neighbour, Oedipus and Antigone, Hamlet, Midsummer Night's Dream, Uda dan Dara, Ribut and Jebat.
''I don't (usually) give interviews because you journalists often write what you want to hear, not what I say; it's just pointless sometimes. Anyway I don't like publicity, it robs me of my privacy,'' said the actor who was trained in a language teachers' college in Kuala Lumpur in 1964.
Yatim does not like being in the limelight, he said. He prefers a quiet life, doing the things he likes at his own pace. However, when he was much younger, he did not envision his life this way. In fact, Yatim said he burst onto the acting scene rather arrogantly.
He was a teacher when he read about Usman Awang's play Matinya Seorang Pahlawan in the papers. It was to be directed by actor Datuk Rahim Razali with Syed Alwi playing Hang Jebat and playwright Krishen Jit as Hang Tuah. The young Yatim wasn't happy with a non-Malay playing Hang Tuah - ''it's simply not right, so I felt I had to do something,'' he said.
The following day, Yatim, who knew the text of the play by heart, gate-crashed one of the rehearsals and shocked everyone on the set when he blatantly said: ''I want to play Tuah.'' His acting must have impressed Rahim because he was made Hang Tuah instantly. As a result, Yatim earned the ''the arrogant actor'' tag. It might make Yatim sound like a braggart each time he tells people that he went into acting because ''I think I can do better.''
But the truth is simply that he makes a difference, with an acting style that he has perfected over the years. He was named Best Actor in the Malaysian Film Festival for his role in Pemburu in the late 1980s. Someone commented that he emulates Rahim's style of acting. ''Great actors have their own styles. Any similarity is incidental. I don't think I imitate anyone. I do my characters intuitively, at the spur of the moment,'' explained the actor who was later picked to act in the musical Uda dan Dara.
Shortly after that, Yatim joined the Malaysian Amateur Theatre Group with Syed Alwi, Krishen Jit and Rahim Razali. During this time he also worked with other theatre activists like Donald Davis, Frank Sullivan, Krishen Jit, Vijaya Samavikrama, Othman Hafsham, Abdullah Zainol and Faridah Merican.
He was later offered a scholarship under the Colombo Plan and completed his degree in theatre from the National Institute of Dramatic Art, University of New South Wales, Australia. Yatim's involvement in the theatre circles continued when he came home in 1978. Although he has graced the cinema screen with roles in movies such as Abang, Sumpah Di Bumi Merekah, Pemburu, Anak Sarawak and Perempuan Melayu Terakhir, Yatim seemed to be better known for his theatre performances. And each time he agrees to act in a play Yatim takes a long time to prepare himself, he said. He doesn't normally compromise on this principle unless it's for something that he feels compelled to do such as in the case of Death of a Salesman, which is being staged by students of the National Arts Academy (Akademi Seni Kebangsaan) where he is a lecturer. He also lectures in Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).
Yatim felt duty-bound to take part in this play, which has been described by many as difficult, touching and challenging.
He has had hardly any time to prepare for the role - he was given less than two weeks to remember the lines, work on the tone and think of the best possible way to interact with other actors - something which Yatim would never dream of doing given the short time-frame. ''I am still struggling with my lines,'' he said last week. ''It is more difficult when it is a translated play. You have to keep (the interpretation) as close as possible or else the intended meaning is lost. To condense a four-hour play to half the time is a real test. The trickiest part lies in getting the message across. ''This sort of play would need at least two months of rehearsals. Since we are short of time, we have to do it the best we can.''
Negri Sembilan-born Yatim views his Wily Loman character as the typical Melayu who is always in a dilemma, trapped in his illusion, hopes and dreams.
''It's a typical Malay syndrome - big dreams but no vision. Loman is a likeable character though he is loud-mouthed and complains a lot. An average salesman who is trying to make ends meet to raise his two sons - Biff and Happy. He urges his two sons to do better than him and emulate his neighbour Charlie's son, Bernard, who is now a lawyer,'' explained Yatim.
Yatim said he could easily get into character because it reminds him a lot of some people he knew.''It's sad especially towards the end of the play when Loman feels rejected and gives up on his life. It would be difficult not to empathise with him,'' said Yatim. Death of a Salesman will be directed by Roselina Khir Johari whose resume includes The Zen Substitute, Atap Genting Atap Rembia, The Lion and The Jewel, Woyzeck and Medea (with Rosminah Tahir).
This Pulitzer Prize-winning play has been translated into Mandarin and Cantonese. This time around, a team of ASK students had the job of interpreting it in Bahasa Malaysia.
It will also feature Rohani Yousoff, Mazlan Tahir, Khatijah Tan, Khir Rahman, Zaini Abu Hassan, Mardiana Ismail and Amy Haryani.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 17/10/2001
ON HIS FINAL JOURNEY
Azahari 'Zairey' Ahmad
(1968-2001)
WHEN Zairey, the group leader of Raihan, spoke of the deaths of some of the group's fans during an interview last Friday, it seemed as if he had a premonition of his own demise the following day, which was his birthday. ''Puji-pujian (a song in praise of God) is the most significant,'' Zairey said. ''It has brought smiles to many dying fans. There's something very tranquil and serene about the music and lyrics.
''Once, a girl dying of leukaemia requested her mother to play the song and her last wish was to see us. We made a surprise visit. She was elated and star-struck when she saw us. Her whole face lighted up and tears streamed down her cheeks when we sang for her. It was one of the most heart-rending moments. Her family became our friends but our little fan died three years later.''
Zairey then related three other incidents about how that song had touched the lives of dying fans. All the while, one could detect that Zairey was feeling very melancholic. The rest of the Raihan members - Che Amran, Nazrey (lead vocalist) and Abu Bakar - just listened and allowed Zairey to talk about those dark, emotional moments.
He seemed distant and wore a far away look on his face that afternoon, even when he was talking about Raihan's upcoming projects and its latest album release, titled Demi Masa. Asked if he was feeling okay, Zairey said: ''Maybe I am a bit tired.''
However, God had willed that it was to be the last interview for the soft-spoken 33-year-old Zairey. He died from a massive heart attack the following day while attending the radio station ERA Awards night at Genting Highlands.
He was born Azahari Ahmad in Gopeng, Perak, on Sept 29, 1968. Friends and relatives called him Zairey. He is the fifth of nine siblings and a student of the graphic design school at Univeristi Sains Malaysia in Penang. Zairey married Hazura Hamdan in 1994; he is survived by her and their three children, Jijie, 6; Imad, 5, and Anna, 3. Zairey had a history of asthma and suffered asthma attacks the past three years. According to his close friend and fellow group member Che Amran, Zairey complained that he wasn't well last week. A doctor advised him not to attend the ERA Awards because of his weak condition and the cool weather up in the highlands but a dedicated Zairey refused to listen.
He complained of chest pain and dizziness halfway through the event and collapsed shortly after that. He was rushed to a Genting Highlands clinic where he was pronounced dead. Zairey was laid to rest at his wife's kampung in Pekan, Pahang, on Sunday. The group will later make an announcement as to whether Raihan will go on as a threesome or recruit another member to take Zairey's place. A spokesman for Warner Music said the company will soon be throwing a kenduri in memory of Zairey.Demi Masa, Raihan's fourth album was supposed to be launched today but due to his unexpected death, plans have been postponed indefinitely.
Unlike other times, Zairey seemed a bit low-key last Friday. Throughout the one-and-half-hour interview, he requested the other members to sing almost all the 10 songs instead of explaining each song at length like he always did.
''We are recording Puji-pujian again. It's now called Puji-pujian II. Rudy Ramaway (managing director of Warner Music Malaysia) had a dream that we should do this song again. This time we have given it more universal lyrics,'' explained Zairey, insisting that his friends sing a few bars of the song.
The Bonds of Love, composed by Abu Bakar, has lyrics written by Zairey. According to Zairey, the song is about how each one of us can be bound together by love, regardless of religion, culture or age.
''This song is especially for Raihan's fans. It's not easy to come up with an English song that can be accepted by all. I wrote the lyrics after doing some homework about the things that happened around us lately,'' he said.
Songs on Demi Masa include the title track, Tihamah (the old name for Mecca), The Bonds of Love, Mari Berhibur, Carilah Cinta (which says the greatest love of all is one's love for the Creator), Yang Disembah (for young children mastering the basic tenets of Islam), Asbahulkahfi (a song about old history which is told in story form) and Puji-pujian II.
Then there's Kita Sama, which takes on a simple folk tune composed and written by Nazrey.
''But you should listen to Kasih Sayang. I dedicate this song to you and your family. This ballad is about how love builds a happy family. It's composed by Farihin Abdul Fatah while the lyrics are by his wife, Kak Ain. I am sure you will like it. Please sing it for her,'' Zairey asked his friends.
''Anyone who listens to this song will want to reach out and make peace with people whom they were at odds with before. It's very soothing. I recommend it.''
Before adjourning the interview session for the Friday prayers, Zairey asked his friends to autograph Raihan's postcards and publicity tag. Each of them had a different maxim written on their individual postcards. Zairey had chosen the words ''Pray Hard Work Smart'' which is incidentally going to be the promotional tagline for their Demi Masa album.
''It's important that we not only work smart but pray hard as well for the two go hand in hand,'' explained Zairey.
For Zairey, working smart did not mean that you should play truant or cut corners. It's how you divide your time for yourself and God, and as his friends testified, Zairey had strictly adhered to this maxim throughout his relatively short life.
(1968-2001)
WHEN Zairey, the group leader of Raihan, spoke of the deaths of some of the group's fans during an interview last Friday, it seemed as if he had a premonition of his own demise the following day, which was his birthday. ''Puji-pujian (a song in praise of God) is the most significant,'' Zairey said. ''It has brought smiles to many dying fans. There's something very tranquil and serene about the music and lyrics.
''Once, a girl dying of leukaemia requested her mother to play the song and her last wish was to see us. We made a surprise visit. She was elated and star-struck when she saw us. Her whole face lighted up and tears streamed down her cheeks when we sang for her. It was one of the most heart-rending moments. Her family became our friends but our little fan died three years later.''
Zairey then related three other incidents about how that song had touched the lives of dying fans. All the while, one could detect that Zairey was feeling very melancholic. The rest of the Raihan members - Che Amran, Nazrey (lead vocalist) and Abu Bakar - just listened and allowed Zairey to talk about those dark, emotional moments.
He seemed distant and wore a far away look on his face that afternoon, even when he was talking about Raihan's upcoming projects and its latest album release, titled Demi Masa. Asked if he was feeling okay, Zairey said: ''Maybe I am a bit tired.''
However, God had willed that it was to be the last interview for the soft-spoken 33-year-old Zairey. He died from a massive heart attack the following day while attending the radio station ERA Awards night at Genting Highlands.
He was born Azahari Ahmad in Gopeng, Perak, on Sept 29, 1968. Friends and relatives called him Zairey. He is the fifth of nine siblings and a student of the graphic design school at Univeristi Sains Malaysia in Penang. Zairey married Hazura Hamdan in 1994; he is survived by her and their three children, Jijie, 6; Imad, 5, and Anna, 3. Zairey had a history of asthma and suffered asthma attacks the past three years. According to his close friend and fellow group member Che Amran, Zairey complained that he wasn't well last week. A doctor advised him not to attend the ERA Awards because of his weak condition and the cool weather up in the highlands but a dedicated Zairey refused to listen.
He complained of chest pain and dizziness halfway through the event and collapsed shortly after that. He was rushed to a Genting Highlands clinic where he was pronounced dead. Zairey was laid to rest at his wife's kampung in Pekan, Pahang, on Sunday. The group will later make an announcement as to whether Raihan will go on as a threesome or recruit another member to take Zairey's place. A spokesman for Warner Music said the company will soon be throwing a kenduri in memory of Zairey.Demi Masa, Raihan's fourth album was supposed to be launched today but due to his unexpected death, plans have been postponed indefinitely.
Unlike other times, Zairey seemed a bit low-key last Friday. Throughout the one-and-half-hour interview, he requested the other members to sing almost all the 10 songs instead of explaining each song at length like he always did.
''We are recording Puji-pujian again. It's now called Puji-pujian II. Rudy Ramaway (managing director of Warner Music Malaysia) had a dream that we should do this song again. This time we have given it more universal lyrics,'' explained Zairey, insisting that his friends sing a few bars of the song.
The Bonds of Love, composed by Abu Bakar, has lyrics written by Zairey. According to Zairey, the song is about how each one of us can be bound together by love, regardless of religion, culture or age.
''This song is especially for Raihan's fans. It's not easy to come up with an English song that can be accepted by all. I wrote the lyrics after doing some homework about the things that happened around us lately,'' he said.
Songs on Demi Masa include the title track, Tihamah (the old name for Mecca), The Bonds of Love, Mari Berhibur, Carilah Cinta (which says the greatest love of all is one's love for the Creator), Yang Disembah (for young children mastering the basic tenets of Islam), Asbahulkahfi (a song about old history which is told in story form) and Puji-pujian II.
Then there's Kita Sama, which takes on a simple folk tune composed and written by Nazrey.
''But you should listen to Kasih Sayang. I dedicate this song to you and your family. This ballad is about how love builds a happy family. It's composed by Farihin Abdul Fatah while the lyrics are by his wife, Kak Ain. I am sure you will like it. Please sing it for her,'' Zairey asked his friends.
''Anyone who listens to this song will want to reach out and make peace with people whom they were at odds with before. It's very soothing. I recommend it.''
Before adjourning the interview session for the Friday prayers, Zairey asked his friends to autograph Raihan's postcards and publicity tag. Each of them had a different maxim written on their individual postcards. Zairey had chosen the words ''Pray Hard Work Smart'' which is incidentally going to be the promotional tagline for their Demi Masa album.
''It's important that we not only work smart but pray hard as well for the two go hand in hand,'' explained Zairey.
For Zairey, working smart did not mean that you should play truant or cut corners. It's how you divide your time for yourself and God, and as his friends testified, Zairey had strictly adhered to this maxim throughout his relatively short life.
THE SERIOUS COMEDY ACTOR
THE mention of Zainal Ariffin Abdul Hamid does not ring a bell. But if you mention the name Zaibo, many people would recognise it instantly.More often, this reference is by no means derogatory. He doesn't feel offended or upset with this name unless, of course, when it is called out in an insulting manner.
He recalled some young boys once shouted ''Cayalah Botak,'' ''Steady-lah Botak,'' which sounded more like an insult than a compliment.
Then, once while shopping at the Pudu market in Kuala Lumpur, one man shouted his name and told him to buy a type of vegetable that could enhance hair growth.
''I am quite sensitive but there are certain things which I don't take to heart, especially when it is a fact of life, like being called Botak. When it is said in a casual, friendly way, it's fine,'' said Zaibo, who plays Pak Selamat in ntv7's popular sitcom Spanar Jaya.
''But if someone called me that and I become the brunt of his jokes, that is something I cannot accept. It's humiliating and disrespectful.''
According to Zaibo, he noticed that some of his fans do not know where his acting stops and reality begins.
''They assume that I am Zaibo, the comedy actor on and off screen all the time. But how do I tell them that I don't clown around in my everyday life, or that I am tired of my screen persona.''
Zaibo feels that most people are confused between a comedy actor and a comedian. Comedians are those who go on stage, crack jokes or do slapstick or stand-up comedy, while a comedy actor is one who portrays funny characters.
''I am NOT a comedian but a comedy actor. I have a lot of respect for comedians who do stand-up comic or slapstick comedy because it is not easy to do that. But it's not fair to compare comedians and comedy actors because both are good in their own areas,'' explained Zaibo, who was a temporary teacher in a Tamil school in Bukit Mertajam.
''If you don't like watching slapstick comedy, then don't watch but don't condemn. There are people who like this kind of comedy.''
Perhaps this statement was made to clear the air about the ''clown'' tag that has dogged him since the start of his career.
Acting was not his first career. After he finished Form Six, he moved to Kuala Lumpur and worked at Universiti Pertanian Malaysia's (now Universiti Putra Malaysia) cultural unit as a dancer.
Tired of the stability provided by a steady job, Zaibo decided to be a freelance actor. At 28, he got his first break in acting from RTM.
He completed a one-year acting course in 1984 and decided to do a four-year degree course in performing arts in Universiti Sains Malaysia.
While doing his practical training at RTM, helping out in drama productions, he was offered small roles.
His other exposure came when Rohani Yousoff, who was then heading TV3's entertainment unit, offered him a small role in a Hari Raya programme called Haripu with Imuda, Sabri Yunus and Ida Nerina. Then came a role in Othman Hafsham's sitcom, 2+1. From then on, his popularity soared.
Zaibo has also appeared in several commercials including pesticide and cough sweets advertisements. The offers were made to capitalise on his balding head and not his acting skills.
''I am aware of that but there are times when I just don't think about it. As long as my talent is taken seriously and I feel happy portraying a certain role, I'll just do it,'' explained Zaibo, who has also appeared in movies Queen Control and Soal Hati.
But his most famous role to date is Pak Selamat in Spanar Jaya, which has now entered its fifth season. Together with Ahmad Idham, Opie Mat Rock and Wardina, who plays Zaibo's screen daughter, the cast is like one big happy family.
''We have never acted together in any show before, so being together in Spanar Jaya is a different experience. We get along well, just like a real family,'' said Zaibo, who has acted in Television Corporation of Singapore's Can I Help You? and Under One Roof.
''It's a nice feeling to be acknowledged when you are in a crowd. Whether it is Zaibo or Pak Selamat, I know my fans like me and that's very assuring,'' said the actor, who hails from Alor Star.
''The day I started acting, I was aware that I was going to join this so-called glamour world. I never paid much attention to it. All the time, I try to improve on acting, remain humble and not get carried away.
''There was a time, very early in my acting career, when I thought people were watching me and I was so conscious of my actions and dressing.
''Luckily, I finally realised that I was not behaving in a natural way and I decided to be myself.''
Zaibo is happy that he has never been over-exposed.
''I suppose that is why I am able to be what I am today. I believe actors should keep their feet firmly on the ground and not be clouded by glamour or popularity because all that do not last,'' said Zaibo, who had acted in the theatre play Tiang Seri Tegak Seribu.
Whether he is in a theatre play, TV drama, movie or sitcom, Zaibo takes his job seriously. Like a chameleon, he is able to switch from being serious, clumsy, intellectual to funny, effeminate or dumb.
Zaibo has given comedy acting a breath of fresh air with his quick and witty repartees, something that not many local comedy actors are able to do.
Perhaps this was what made him stand out when he was handpicked to appear in Anna and the King with Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fatt two years ago.
The veteran actor of six movies and over 100 dramas feels that his acting skills have not been really tested. ''I have yet to be given a challenging role, maybe a deranged character or a lonely man suffering from Alzheimer's.''
At 45, Zaibo still remains a bachelor. ''I missed the boat many times. Now I let things happen naturally. Maybe I am destined to remain single.''
Well, we do not know what destiny has in store for him. But fans would love Zaibo to remain as he is - a comedy actor who is able to take your perspective of life and turn it into humour.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 23/9/2001
He recalled some young boys once shouted ''Cayalah Botak,'' ''Steady-lah Botak,'' which sounded more like an insult than a compliment.
Then, once while shopping at the Pudu market in Kuala Lumpur, one man shouted his name and told him to buy a type of vegetable that could enhance hair growth.
''I am quite sensitive but there are certain things which I don't take to heart, especially when it is a fact of life, like being called Botak. When it is said in a casual, friendly way, it's fine,'' said Zaibo, who plays Pak Selamat in ntv7's popular sitcom Spanar Jaya.
''But if someone called me that and I become the brunt of his jokes, that is something I cannot accept. It's humiliating and disrespectful.''
According to Zaibo, he noticed that some of his fans do not know where his acting stops and reality begins.
''They assume that I am Zaibo, the comedy actor on and off screen all the time. But how do I tell them that I don't clown around in my everyday life, or that I am tired of my screen persona.''
Zaibo feels that most people are confused between a comedy actor and a comedian. Comedians are those who go on stage, crack jokes or do slapstick or stand-up comedy, while a comedy actor is one who portrays funny characters.
''I am NOT a comedian but a comedy actor. I have a lot of respect for comedians who do stand-up comic or slapstick comedy because it is not easy to do that. But it's not fair to compare comedians and comedy actors because both are good in their own areas,'' explained Zaibo, who was a temporary teacher in a Tamil school in Bukit Mertajam.
''If you don't like watching slapstick comedy, then don't watch but don't condemn. There are people who like this kind of comedy.''
Perhaps this statement was made to clear the air about the ''clown'' tag that has dogged him since the start of his career.
Acting was not his first career. After he finished Form Six, he moved to Kuala Lumpur and worked at Universiti Pertanian Malaysia's (now Universiti Putra Malaysia) cultural unit as a dancer.
Tired of the stability provided by a steady job, Zaibo decided to be a freelance actor. At 28, he got his first break in acting from RTM.
He completed a one-year acting course in 1984 and decided to do a four-year degree course in performing arts in Universiti Sains Malaysia.
While doing his practical training at RTM, helping out in drama productions, he was offered small roles.
His other exposure came when Rohani Yousoff, who was then heading TV3's entertainment unit, offered him a small role in a Hari Raya programme called Haripu with Imuda, Sabri Yunus and Ida Nerina. Then came a role in Othman Hafsham's sitcom, 2+1. From then on, his popularity soared.
Zaibo has also appeared in several commercials including pesticide and cough sweets advertisements. The offers were made to capitalise on his balding head and not his acting skills.
''I am aware of that but there are times when I just don't think about it. As long as my talent is taken seriously and I feel happy portraying a certain role, I'll just do it,'' explained Zaibo, who has also appeared in movies Queen Control and Soal Hati.
But his most famous role to date is Pak Selamat in Spanar Jaya, which has now entered its fifth season. Together with Ahmad Idham, Opie Mat Rock and Wardina, who plays Zaibo's screen daughter, the cast is like one big happy family.
''We have never acted together in any show before, so being together in Spanar Jaya is a different experience. We get along well, just like a real family,'' said Zaibo, who has acted in Television Corporation of Singapore's Can I Help You? and Under One Roof.
''It's a nice feeling to be acknowledged when you are in a crowd. Whether it is Zaibo or Pak Selamat, I know my fans like me and that's very assuring,'' said the actor, who hails from Alor Star.
''The day I started acting, I was aware that I was going to join this so-called glamour world. I never paid much attention to it. All the time, I try to improve on acting, remain humble and not get carried away.
''There was a time, very early in my acting career, when I thought people were watching me and I was so conscious of my actions and dressing.
''Luckily, I finally realised that I was not behaving in a natural way and I decided to be myself.''
Zaibo is happy that he has never been over-exposed.
''I suppose that is why I am able to be what I am today. I believe actors should keep their feet firmly on the ground and not be clouded by glamour or popularity because all that do not last,'' said Zaibo, who had acted in the theatre play Tiang Seri Tegak Seribu.
Whether he is in a theatre play, TV drama, movie or sitcom, Zaibo takes his job seriously. Like a chameleon, he is able to switch from being serious, clumsy, intellectual to funny, effeminate or dumb.
Zaibo has given comedy acting a breath of fresh air with his quick and witty repartees, something that not many local comedy actors are able to do.
Perhaps this was what made him stand out when he was handpicked to appear in Anna and the King with Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fatt two years ago.
The veteran actor of six movies and over 100 dramas feels that his acting skills have not been really tested. ''I have yet to be given a challenging role, maybe a deranged character or a lonely man suffering from Alzheimer's.''
At 45, Zaibo still remains a bachelor. ''I missed the boat many times. Now I let things happen naturally. Maybe I am destined to remain single.''
Well, we do not know what destiny has in store for him. But fans would love Zaibo to remain as he is - a comedy actor who is able to take your perspective of life and turn it into humour.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 23/9/2001
A TAD DISAPPOINTING
THE story of Cindai has been told three times over. It was first staged in 1988, a second staging followed in 1995; the most recent presentation was at the Panggung Sari, Istana Budaya, last week. The grand setting, high-tech props and different cast were what attracted many to the play this time around.
For those who have watched Cindai before, the recent outing was slightly disappointing. It lacked a certain something that presumably only renowned playwright Datuk Noordin Hassan, who wrote Cindai, would be able to detect.Director Rohani Yousoff tried to say too many things in the performance's two-hour span, resulting in a story within a story within a story.One has to dismantle the play piece by piece, scene by scene, to find meaning to the play so as to understand it.
Revising the play to make it current and relevant to the the present day was what Noordin had in mind but the manner in which Cindai was presented did not make it any easier for the audience to understand it.
It lacked momentum and some scenes were presented haphazardly - this was one theatrical effort that didn't have a climax and was dismally flat throughout.
Pak Ku played by Jalil Hamid was supposedly a symbol of the ugly Malay whose unbridled and sinister ambition made him want to fulfil his every desire, including possessing Cindai, a court dancer. When Pak Ku failed, he tried to frame Cindai by plotting to get rid of her. Aided by ''her lover'', he masterminded her elimination. Later on, Pak Ku regretted his past sins towards Cindai and vowed to repent by building a shrine for her on a remote island.
His misleading act led many narrow-minded Malays to regard and worship the graceful and innocent Cindai like a saint.
As Pak Ku, Jalil Hamid failed miserably. Not only was he unable to draw sympathy from the audience as the suffering Minister who fell from grace, he wasn't even able to give a credible performance. What we saw on stage was Jalil Hamid, the singer who popularised the song Ayam. He appeared to be trying hard to be Pak Ku - a character that was played convincingly by his predecessors, veteran actor Ahmad Yatim (in 1988) and the late Yusof Mohammad (1995). Both displayed a distinct style of acting which, when compared to Jalil's, made him look as if he was ill-suited for the part.
Jalil's role is most crucial to the whole play - not only does the play revolve around his character, he is the narrator as well.
Having three actresses - Sharifah Shahirah (as Cindai 1), Amy Haryani Abdul Hamid (Cindai II) and Ida Nerina (Cindai III) playing Cindai in different settings was a bit baffling. And none were Cindai in the true sense of the word. There was something about Sharifah Shahirah that made her unsuitable for the part; either her part as the beautiful, innocent Cindai who was wrongfully punished too small or she couldn't manage to make an impact.
As for Amy Haryani who played Cindai the court dancer who was framed and speared to death by palace guards, there wasn't much acting to contend with except for the graceful steps of a dancer, steps that were choreographed by creative dance director Sharifah Mahani Syed Kassim,
The real disappointment was Ida Nerina, the seasoned actress who normally stands out, no matter how minor her role. Here, Ida looked like she had left her heart and soul elsewhere. Ida acted out her two roles, first as the witty Tengku Puteri Sharifah Salwa Salamiah, and later as Cindai III unimpressively. At times, she appeared like a first-timer who has just got her break in theatre acting.
Another polished actress, Azizah Mahzan, was also a letdown. She only excels in Datin roles where else her other portrayals, as defence counsel and as Azizah, mother of Rabiatul, the leading lady, were mediocre. There were many disappointments in terms of acting, from the experienced, seasoned actors to the newcomers. It looked like all the actors had a freehand in interpreting their roles and that Rohani did very little directing. Perhaps, this New York-trained theatre practitioner, who also directed Cindai in 1995, was too busy handling and overseeing other areas like the production and settings that left her with not much energy and time to review the acting by her cast.Comedian Sabri Yunus who played three roles - a crippled dancer, court official and Datuk Sambaria, was the only actor who stood out. As the crippled dancer, he managed to gain sympathy from the audience; as the court official he was shrewd and manipulative while his interpretation of Datuk Sambaria, lacing his dialogue with thick Kelantanese accent, was funny.
M.Rajoli, another veteran actor who has very little exposure in theatre, was not too bad as the Minister though at times he got carried away with his lines and did some adlibbing which provided some laughs.
The other actors of Cindai were Shahrizan or Abon as Datuk Jalil and trishaw rider, Ibrahim Akir (Paduka Sultan), Dr Samat Salleh (Prosecutor/Datuk Samat), Zul Huzaimy (Iskandar), Zaidi Karim (Wazir), Abu Bakar Sulaiman (Bentara), Zahari Musa (Datuk Setiajaya) and Mohd Hady Tahir as Datuk Bakak.
The music by Suhaimi Mohd Zain was good, at times haunting and most of the times providing the mood for Cindai. But then again, he was better in the last Cindai outing.
It's unfortunate that the joy of watching Cindai was marred by the slow-paced story telling, poor acting by most of the cast and bad overall directing. The songs were only good enough for a first listen but they don't grow on you like the songs of Cindai past.
Perhaps Cindai, staged from Aug 24 to Sept 2, would have been an excellent piece if only Noordin himself had directed it.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 11/9/2001
For those who have watched Cindai before, the recent outing was slightly disappointing. It lacked a certain something that presumably only renowned playwright Datuk Noordin Hassan, who wrote Cindai, would be able to detect.Director Rohani Yousoff tried to say too many things in the performance's two-hour span, resulting in a story within a story within a story.One has to dismantle the play piece by piece, scene by scene, to find meaning to the play so as to understand it.
Revising the play to make it current and relevant to the the present day was what Noordin had in mind but the manner in which Cindai was presented did not make it any easier for the audience to understand it.
It lacked momentum and some scenes were presented haphazardly - this was one theatrical effort that didn't have a climax and was dismally flat throughout.
Pak Ku played by Jalil Hamid was supposedly a symbol of the ugly Malay whose unbridled and sinister ambition made him want to fulfil his every desire, including possessing Cindai, a court dancer. When Pak Ku failed, he tried to frame Cindai by plotting to get rid of her. Aided by ''her lover'', he masterminded her elimination. Later on, Pak Ku regretted his past sins towards Cindai and vowed to repent by building a shrine for her on a remote island.
His misleading act led many narrow-minded Malays to regard and worship the graceful and innocent Cindai like a saint.
As Pak Ku, Jalil Hamid failed miserably. Not only was he unable to draw sympathy from the audience as the suffering Minister who fell from grace, he wasn't even able to give a credible performance. What we saw on stage was Jalil Hamid, the singer who popularised the song Ayam. He appeared to be trying hard to be Pak Ku - a character that was played convincingly by his predecessors, veteran actor Ahmad Yatim (in 1988) and the late Yusof Mohammad (1995). Both displayed a distinct style of acting which, when compared to Jalil's, made him look as if he was ill-suited for the part.
Jalil's role is most crucial to the whole play - not only does the play revolve around his character, he is the narrator as well.
Having three actresses - Sharifah Shahirah (as Cindai 1), Amy Haryani Abdul Hamid (Cindai II) and Ida Nerina (Cindai III) playing Cindai in different settings was a bit baffling. And none were Cindai in the true sense of the word. There was something about Sharifah Shahirah that made her unsuitable for the part; either her part as the beautiful, innocent Cindai who was wrongfully punished too small or she couldn't manage to make an impact.
As for Amy Haryani who played Cindai the court dancer who was framed and speared to death by palace guards, there wasn't much acting to contend with except for the graceful steps of a dancer, steps that were choreographed by creative dance director Sharifah Mahani Syed Kassim,
The real disappointment was Ida Nerina, the seasoned actress who normally stands out, no matter how minor her role. Here, Ida looked like she had left her heart and soul elsewhere. Ida acted out her two roles, first as the witty Tengku Puteri Sharifah Salwa Salamiah, and later as Cindai III unimpressively. At times, she appeared like a first-timer who has just got her break in theatre acting.
Another polished actress, Azizah Mahzan, was also a letdown. She only excels in Datin roles where else her other portrayals, as defence counsel and as Azizah, mother of Rabiatul, the leading lady, were mediocre. There were many disappointments in terms of acting, from the experienced, seasoned actors to the newcomers. It looked like all the actors had a freehand in interpreting their roles and that Rohani did very little directing. Perhaps, this New York-trained theatre practitioner, who also directed Cindai in 1995, was too busy handling and overseeing other areas like the production and settings that left her with not much energy and time to review the acting by her cast.Comedian Sabri Yunus who played three roles - a crippled dancer, court official and Datuk Sambaria, was the only actor who stood out. As the crippled dancer, he managed to gain sympathy from the audience; as the court official he was shrewd and manipulative while his interpretation of Datuk Sambaria, lacing his dialogue with thick Kelantanese accent, was funny.
M.Rajoli, another veteran actor who has very little exposure in theatre, was not too bad as the Minister though at times he got carried away with his lines and did some adlibbing which provided some laughs.
The other actors of Cindai were Shahrizan or Abon as Datuk Jalil and trishaw rider, Ibrahim Akir (Paduka Sultan), Dr Samat Salleh (Prosecutor/Datuk Samat), Zul Huzaimy (Iskandar), Zaidi Karim (Wazir), Abu Bakar Sulaiman (Bentara), Zahari Musa (Datuk Setiajaya) and Mohd Hady Tahir as Datuk Bakak.
The music by Suhaimi Mohd Zain was good, at times haunting and most of the times providing the mood for Cindai. But then again, he was better in the last Cindai outing.
It's unfortunate that the joy of watching Cindai was marred by the slow-paced story telling, poor acting by most of the cast and bad overall directing. The songs were only good enough for a first listen but they don't grow on you like the songs of Cindai past.
Perhaps Cindai, staged from Aug 24 to Sept 2, would have been an excellent piece if only Noordin himself had directed it.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 11/9/2001
SYAFINAZ'S WORTHY TRIBUTE
ONE of the heartaches of doing a remake is that the singer might be accused of lacking originality and identity. Syafinaz knows only too well the difficulties involved and the prejudices an artiste faces in covering tunes by others.
Her recent album Syyh ... Syafinaz, consisting of 10 classic songs by Datuk Ahmad Nawab, got her embroiled in controversy right from the start.Things got rather nasty when the music media started questioning Syafinaz's capability in pulling off an album's worth of Ahmad Nawab songs.
The veteran composer and the vivacious singer were inevitably dragged into the overblown issue. In the end, the Ahmad Nawab versus Syafinaz saga became nothing but fodder for the press. However, upon its release, Syafinaz's album drew favourable response; music critics were full of praise for her efforts. Most felt that Syafinaz stayed true to the essence of Ahmad's songs.
However, Ahmad is not too happy over the whole episode. ''After listening to the album, I can't say I am happy or otherwise. But I certainly do not like the way the record company handled the whole thing,'' said Ahmad in an interview.
''Certain conditions were not met and I'm very disappointed. That's not the way to treat a veteran like me. If only I were consulted before the album was out, this whole thing would have been different.'' The seasoned composer has worked with and introduced many household names like Sharifah Aini, Khatijah Ibrahim, Jamal Abdillah and Uji Rashid.
Ahmad had refused to turn up for Syafinaz's showcase held recently at the Emporium in Kuala Lumpur. Other familiar faces that were missing that evening were the original singers whose songs have been given fresh treatment by Syafinaz. And that includes Uji Rashid, Sharifah Aini, Khatijah Ibrahim and D.J. Dave. Only Salamiah Hassan turned up for the showcase. ''I think Syafinaz did an excellent job. The song turned out to be more beautiful than when I first did it. It is really exciting listening to my song again but this time with a different feel,'' said a chirpy Salamiah, referring to the song Surat Terakhir.
Syyh... Syafinaz is a good album for many reasons and one contributing factor is the excellent teamwork by versatile composers and arrangers like Ahmad Izham, Mac Chew, Aubrey Suwito, Helen Yap and Jenny Chin.
Although their efforts were met with disapproval by Ahmad Nawab purists, the end product turned out to be one of the best works for a local remake album.
Veteran singer Uji Rashid does not share the same sentiments though. In fact, she is still sulking over the whole episode.
Uji is unhappy with the new version of her song Kali Terakhir Ku Lihat Wajahmu. She feels no other singer should steal her song since it has a sentimental place in her heart. She claimed the song was dedicated to her adopted sister who died in a road accident.
Uji was not too pleased when she heard the new version of Kemesraan by Syafinaz. While Uji's version was melancholic, Syafinaz's jazzy and fresh interpretation upstaged the original cut.
''It is my song. I don't even sing it in public places or in any function,'' Uji was quoted as saying in a Bahasa Malaysia newspaper.The singer's emotional reaction provoked Ahmad to come up with yet another icy statement. ''When I wrote the song, Uji Rashid didn't even know about it. So how can she claim that it is her song? If there is anyone who can lay claim on the song, it's me. By right I should be making all the noise but I prefer not to.''
Uji made no further comments after this and the matter died down. But Uji's is an isolated case. The other singers like D.J. Dave, Sharifah Aini and Khatijah Ibrahim gave their blessings to Syafinaz to interpret their songs. On the album, the singer even included a number by the late Broery Marantika (Rindumu, Rinduku). For Syafinaz, a lecturer at Universiti Technologi Mara, it was the end product and a good showing in the music that mattered. ''I'm honoured to have this chance to sing Ahmad's compositions. They are brilliant and what the arrangers and I tried to do was to enhance the songs further,'' she said.
Indeed, Syafinaz was able to carry off every song with sass and style. The way her vocals lingered playfully and stylishly through the consonants was proof enough that she had put a lot of effort into the album. In fact, Syyh ... Syafinaz should be a collectible item for many reasons. The fresh, upbeat and different arrangements by the respective arrangers, coupled with Syafinaz's strong vocals helped to uphold Ahmad's pedigree as a composer whose music transcends genera- tions.
The recording, mixing and mastering sessions were handled at four studios - Playtime, Babyboss, Incognito and Nearfield early this year.
On the controversy, Syafinaz felt that everyone involved has the right to express their feelings about the album.''I've tried my best to give the songs a distinctive delivery style. Some may not like it, some do. That's often the case in any album. I treat this as a special project and I am quite satisfied that most of the songs turned out the way I wanted.'' According to Ahmad, he would have rearranged the songs in Syyh ... Syafinaz in the same way if he had the opportunity.
''It is quite close to what I would have done. My only fear is that the soul of the songs will be missing. Each song has its own character and it was specially written with the respective singers in mind,'' said Ahmad, who has written about 2,000 songs.
While it is true that EMI Malaysia holds the rights to these songs, composer Ahmad feels he has an unofficial claim over them. ''They are still my songs. No one can deny that. Each song holds a different memory for me.'' It is easy to understand why Ahmad is passionate about his songs. The fact that he doesn't like any new arrangers to mess around with his songs comes as no surprise.
''It's just like P. Ramlee's songs which capture the very soul and essence of the man himself. So don't try to change the melody by giving the arrangements a new lease of life. It is quite impossible really. The same goes for my songs.'' Ahmad would prefer that an arranger proposing a new slant to his work should meet him first and discuss and study his arrangements.
''Get to know the composer, than study the song. Only then will you be able to do justice to my songs,'' he added. But then again, no one can deny that Syafinaz has done a professional job in Syyh ... Syafinaz.
''The songs are all so beautiful to begin with. They wouldn't turn out any other way even if I had tried very hard. All the compliments should go to one deserving person - Ahmad Nawab and not me!'' said the modest Syafinaz.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 5/9/2001
Her recent album Syyh ... Syafinaz, consisting of 10 classic songs by Datuk Ahmad Nawab, got her embroiled in controversy right from the start.Things got rather nasty when the music media started questioning Syafinaz's capability in pulling off an album's worth of Ahmad Nawab songs.
The veteran composer and the vivacious singer were inevitably dragged into the overblown issue. In the end, the Ahmad Nawab versus Syafinaz saga became nothing but fodder for the press. However, upon its release, Syafinaz's album drew favourable response; music critics were full of praise for her efforts. Most felt that Syafinaz stayed true to the essence of Ahmad's songs.
However, Ahmad is not too happy over the whole episode. ''After listening to the album, I can't say I am happy or otherwise. But I certainly do not like the way the record company handled the whole thing,'' said Ahmad in an interview.
''Certain conditions were not met and I'm very disappointed. That's not the way to treat a veteran like me. If only I were consulted before the album was out, this whole thing would have been different.'' The seasoned composer has worked with and introduced many household names like Sharifah Aini, Khatijah Ibrahim, Jamal Abdillah and Uji Rashid.
Ahmad had refused to turn up for Syafinaz's showcase held recently at the Emporium in Kuala Lumpur. Other familiar faces that were missing that evening were the original singers whose songs have been given fresh treatment by Syafinaz. And that includes Uji Rashid, Sharifah Aini, Khatijah Ibrahim and D.J. Dave. Only Salamiah Hassan turned up for the showcase. ''I think Syafinaz did an excellent job. The song turned out to be more beautiful than when I first did it. It is really exciting listening to my song again but this time with a different feel,'' said a chirpy Salamiah, referring to the song Surat Terakhir.
Syyh... Syafinaz is a good album for many reasons and one contributing factor is the excellent teamwork by versatile composers and arrangers like Ahmad Izham, Mac Chew, Aubrey Suwito, Helen Yap and Jenny Chin.
Although their efforts were met with disapproval by Ahmad Nawab purists, the end product turned out to be one of the best works for a local remake album.
Veteran singer Uji Rashid does not share the same sentiments though. In fact, she is still sulking over the whole episode.
Uji is unhappy with the new version of her song Kali Terakhir Ku Lihat Wajahmu. She feels no other singer should steal her song since it has a sentimental place in her heart. She claimed the song was dedicated to her adopted sister who died in a road accident.
Uji was not too pleased when she heard the new version of Kemesraan by Syafinaz. While Uji's version was melancholic, Syafinaz's jazzy and fresh interpretation upstaged the original cut.
''It is my song. I don't even sing it in public places or in any function,'' Uji was quoted as saying in a Bahasa Malaysia newspaper.The singer's emotional reaction provoked Ahmad to come up with yet another icy statement. ''When I wrote the song, Uji Rashid didn't even know about it. So how can she claim that it is her song? If there is anyone who can lay claim on the song, it's me. By right I should be making all the noise but I prefer not to.''
Uji made no further comments after this and the matter died down. But Uji's is an isolated case. The other singers like D.J. Dave, Sharifah Aini and Khatijah Ibrahim gave their blessings to Syafinaz to interpret their songs. On the album, the singer even included a number by the late Broery Marantika (Rindumu, Rinduku). For Syafinaz, a lecturer at Universiti Technologi Mara, it was the end product and a good showing in the music that mattered. ''I'm honoured to have this chance to sing Ahmad's compositions. They are brilliant and what the arrangers and I tried to do was to enhance the songs further,'' she said.
Indeed, Syafinaz was able to carry off every song with sass and style. The way her vocals lingered playfully and stylishly through the consonants was proof enough that she had put a lot of effort into the album. In fact, Syyh ... Syafinaz should be a collectible item for many reasons. The fresh, upbeat and different arrangements by the respective arrangers, coupled with Syafinaz's strong vocals helped to uphold Ahmad's pedigree as a composer whose music transcends genera- tions.
The recording, mixing and mastering sessions were handled at four studios - Playtime, Babyboss, Incognito and Nearfield early this year.
On the controversy, Syafinaz felt that everyone involved has the right to express their feelings about the album.''I've tried my best to give the songs a distinctive delivery style. Some may not like it, some do. That's often the case in any album. I treat this as a special project and I am quite satisfied that most of the songs turned out the way I wanted.'' According to Ahmad, he would have rearranged the songs in Syyh ... Syafinaz in the same way if he had the opportunity.
''It is quite close to what I would have done. My only fear is that the soul of the songs will be missing. Each song has its own character and it was specially written with the respective singers in mind,'' said Ahmad, who has written about 2,000 songs.
While it is true that EMI Malaysia holds the rights to these songs, composer Ahmad feels he has an unofficial claim over them. ''They are still my songs. No one can deny that. Each song holds a different memory for me.'' It is easy to understand why Ahmad is passionate about his songs. The fact that he doesn't like any new arrangers to mess around with his songs comes as no surprise.
''It's just like P. Ramlee's songs which capture the very soul and essence of the man himself. So don't try to change the melody by giving the arrangements a new lease of life. It is quite impossible really. The same goes for my songs.'' Ahmad would prefer that an arranger proposing a new slant to his work should meet him first and discuss and study his arrangements.
''Get to know the composer, than study the song. Only then will you be able to do justice to my songs,'' he added. But then again, no one can deny that Syafinaz has done a professional job in Syyh ... Syafinaz.
''The songs are all so beautiful to begin with. They wouldn't turn out any other way even if I had tried very hard. All the compliments should go to one deserving person - Ahmad Nawab and not me!'' said the modest Syafinaz.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 5/9/2001
TELLING SONGS
SOME singers have to hold their spot in the limelight or retain a good image to keep their fans. Not so for Jamal Abdillah. It doesn't matter if he hasn't come out with an album for many years or held any concert in all the 15 years of his music career. Fans seem to accept him as he is and have overlooked his "wrongdoings".
Jamal is one privileged singer who can slip in and out of his singing career like the oft-used phrase "now you see him, now you don't" and yet still has a faithful following.
Someone said that almost every house in Teluk Intan has Jamal's songs. Such is his popularity back in his hometown.
The scenario is almost the same in Kuala Lumpur too. Anyone can say anything about this golden-voiced singer; the fact remains that Jamal still makes news and is a big hit. This was evident at his first ever solo concert at Dewan Merdeka, Putra World Trade Centre, in the capital last weekend.
Isn't it strange that a singer of Jamal's stature was giving a concert only now, after all these years?
It's understandable why Jamal said he had felt awkward when officials of Charge (a sports drink company), the main sponsor for the solo concert, said they wanted to organise this concert together with Kay Productions, the company that manages Jamal's career.
The concert took off a little past 9pm. Fans had waited patiently for this special concert. Although there had been very little promotion and on-air publicity for the concert, the turnout was good. Jamal's hard-core fans forked out RM70, RM100, RM180 or RM240 just to watch him sing for two hours.
Jamal was backed all the way by the DBKL (City Hall) orchestra led by conductor Ishak Ali Muda. There was no elaborate set on the stage except for a huge black and white poster of Jamal Abdillah as a backdrop. It was quite a bare stage. Everything was kept minimal - from the lighting and decor to the props.
The only saving grace that evening was Jamal's high spirits and the enthusiastic audience. It was as if they empathised with Jamal especially when he tackled the all too familiar Seniman Menangis (Tears of an Artiste) - a song about the plight of a singer groping to find the true light at the end of the tunnel, something that cuts quite close for Jamal.
Jamal's strong vocal range, melodiously atuned to each song, was something that his fans savour with much appreciation.
Each time he hit the high notes, they clapped and cheered wildly. "Interruptions" in the form of whistles were heard, especially when the lyrics came too close to the reality of Jamal's life.
At one point, an overwhelmed Jamal managed to say: "I can't believe I have so many fans and you are here for me," when he saw the huge turnout at the hall.
But most of the time, his interaction with fans was kept to a minimum. He only made a bit of small talk, cracked a few jokes now and then, but throughout the concert, Jamal was his usual self - a man of few words, a recluse and an honest singer who sings what he knows best: his life story.
Songs like Aku (Me), Sepi Seorang Perindu (A Loner's Longing), Keluhan Perantau (A Traveller's Plight), Nasib Diriku (My Destiny), Mati Hidup Semula (Born Again), Takdir Penentu Segala (Fate Decides All) and Perjalananku (My Journey) were very telling.
These popular tunes were the favourites that evening. It was obvious the songs held a special place in Jamal's heart because they depict what he went through in his life.
He also crooned songs about matters of the heart. It was a signal for the audience to drown themselves in melancholic thoughts when Jamal sang the soulful Kembalilah (Please Come Back) with singer Intan Sarafina, his duet partner of the evening. The lyrics are about an unfaithful husband who strays away from his faithful wife.
Then came his other memorable numbers, Kekasih Awal Dan Akhir (My First and Last Love) and Di Mana Bayanganmu (Where Is Your Shadow?).
All these songs were poignant and evoked nostalgia. One member of the audience who was visibly affected was his special guest, Basariah "Dee" Latiff, Jamal's ex-wife and former manager of eight years.
Jamal showed off his limited skills with the guitar by doing a medley with professional guitarist M. Shahdan in Bunga Pujaan, Ku Sangka Siang Kiranya Malam, Tuhan and Azura.
Although he missed a few bars, skipped some lines and jumbled the lyrics, it made no difference as far as the audience was concerned. They were obviously entertained.
The former Binatng RTM champ concluded the show with the beautiful and catchy Samrah Mentari. Unfortunately, there were no encores and the show ended on a rather abrupt note.
Members of the audience, looking lost, were seen dragging their feet out of the hall, not knowing what to expect next. When lucky draws were announced, most of the audience had already left the hall.
With so many hits from his 24 albums, Jamal couldn't help leaving out some popular tunes. But then, it was impossible for him to include everyone's favourite hits.
Jamal's performance may not have reached a level where he can be billed an entertainer in the way Anita Sarawak is, but he is definitely in a class of his own. The concert was truly entertaining for everyone especially those who grew up listening to his songs.
One went home feeling sentimental and mushy thinking of the heartfelt cries of a Seniman that is Jamal!
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 14/8/2001
Jamal is one privileged singer who can slip in and out of his singing career like the oft-used phrase "now you see him, now you don't" and yet still has a faithful following.
Someone said that almost every house in Teluk Intan has Jamal's songs. Such is his popularity back in his hometown.
The scenario is almost the same in Kuala Lumpur too. Anyone can say anything about this golden-voiced singer; the fact remains that Jamal still makes news and is a big hit. This was evident at his first ever solo concert at Dewan Merdeka, Putra World Trade Centre, in the capital last weekend.
Isn't it strange that a singer of Jamal's stature was giving a concert only now, after all these years?
It's understandable why Jamal said he had felt awkward when officials of Charge (a sports drink company), the main sponsor for the solo concert, said they wanted to organise this concert together with Kay Productions, the company that manages Jamal's career.
The concert took off a little past 9pm. Fans had waited patiently for this special concert. Although there had been very little promotion and on-air publicity for the concert, the turnout was good. Jamal's hard-core fans forked out RM70, RM100, RM180 or RM240 just to watch him sing for two hours.
Jamal was backed all the way by the DBKL (City Hall) orchestra led by conductor Ishak Ali Muda. There was no elaborate set on the stage except for a huge black and white poster of Jamal Abdillah as a backdrop. It was quite a bare stage. Everything was kept minimal - from the lighting and decor to the props.
The only saving grace that evening was Jamal's high spirits and the enthusiastic audience. It was as if they empathised with Jamal especially when he tackled the all too familiar Seniman Menangis (Tears of an Artiste) - a song about the plight of a singer groping to find the true light at the end of the tunnel, something that cuts quite close for Jamal.
Jamal's strong vocal range, melodiously atuned to each song, was something that his fans savour with much appreciation.
Each time he hit the high notes, they clapped and cheered wildly. "Interruptions" in the form of whistles were heard, especially when the lyrics came too close to the reality of Jamal's life.
At one point, an overwhelmed Jamal managed to say: "I can't believe I have so many fans and you are here for me," when he saw the huge turnout at the hall.
But most of the time, his interaction with fans was kept to a minimum. He only made a bit of small talk, cracked a few jokes now and then, but throughout the concert, Jamal was his usual self - a man of few words, a recluse and an honest singer who sings what he knows best: his life story.
Songs like Aku (Me), Sepi Seorang Perindu (A Loner's Longing), Keluhan Perantau (A Traveller's Plight), Nasib Diriku (My Destiny), Mati Hidup Semula (Born Again), Takdir Penentu Segala (Fate Decides All) and Perjalananku (My Journey) were very telling.
These popular tunes were the favourites that evening. It was obvious the songs held a special place in Jamal's heart because they depict what he went through in his life.
He also crooned songs about matters of the heart. It was a signal for the audience to drown themselves in melancholic thoughts when Jamal sang the soulful Kembalilah (Please Come Back) with singer Intan Sarafina, his duet partner of the evening. The lyrics are about an unfaithful husband who strays away from his faithful wife.
Then came his other memorable numbers, Kekasih Awal Dan Akhir (My First and Last Love) and Di Mana Bayanganmu (Where Is Your Shadow?).
All these songs were poignant and evoked nostalgia. One member of the audience who was visibly affected was his special guest, Basariah "Dee" Latiff, Jamal's ex-wife and former manager of eight years.
Jamal showed off his limited skills with the guitar by doing a medley with professional guitarist M. Shahdan in Bunga Pujaan, Ku Sangka Siang Kiranya Malam, Tuhan and Azura.
Although he missed a few bars, skipped some lines and jumbled the lyrics, it made no difference as far as the audience was concerned. They were obviously entertained.
The former Binatng RTM champ concluded the show with the beautiful and catchy Samrah Mentari. Unfortunately, there were no encores and the show ended on a rather abrupt note.
Members of the audience, looking lost, were seen dragging their feet out of the hall, not knowing what to expect next. When lucky draws were announced, most of the audience had already left the hall.
With so many hits from his 24 albums, Jamal couldn't help leaving out some popular tunes. But then, it was impossible for him to include everyone's favourite hits.
Jamal's performance may not have reached a level where he can be billed an entertainer in the way Anita Sarawak is, but he is definitely in a class of his own. The concert was truly entertaining for everyone especially those who grew up listening to his songs.
One went home feeling sentimental and mushy thinking of the heartfelt cries of a Seniman that is Jamal!
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 14/8/2001
TONY FERNANDES IS STILL PASSIONATE ABOUT MALAYSIAN MUSIC
HE revolutionised nasyid, jazzed up dangdut and gave local ethnic music a push. That's how passionate Tony Fernandes is about Malaysian music. The former vice-president of Asean Region Warner Music International invested and promoted these genres of music with positive results.
This much admired and respected personality whom friends describe as a strategist, top-rate executive, dynamic marketing man and key industry player recently announced his intention to leave Warner Music.
His resignation came as a big surprise to many and when he said farewell, some staff members broke down. Some kissed and hugged him and the phones at Warner's office in Kuala Lumpur never stopped ringing.
Only those close to him understand his leaving a comfortable position and a stellar career. After all, Fernandes was one of the youngest managing directors in the music industry at 28 back in 1992 when he was appointed MD of Warner Music Malaysia. He was then working in Baker Street, London.
As vice-president of Warner Music South-East Asia, Fernandes was instrumental in creating a successful and strong stable of artistes from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
His resume as the prime mover in the music industry is impressive. He created the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM), became its chairman and engineered the RIM Chart Show, the only Asian charts, apart from Japan's, to be featured in the music "bible" Billboard. He also initiated the AIM awards (the local version of the Grammy), currently into its eighth year and holds the position of vice-chairman in the Malaysian Music Council (MMM) which he co-found. He also helped set up an anti-piracy agenda and assisted in lobbying the government for stronger laws as well as better enforcement of anti-piracy laws which resulted in the passing of the New Optical Disc Act this year and the formation of a dedicated Special Task Force by the government to fight piracy.
With such an impressive track record, why the resignation?
"I have delivered all I can and now is the right time to try new challenges. I don't want to look back at 55 and say I should have tried that. At Warner, I had to oversee the development of a domestic roster for Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. It has been satisfying and I am really proud of the achievements. I will stay in touch with the record industry through my various portfolios as chairman of AMIA (Asean Music Industry Association), RIM and through MMM," explained Fernandes .
The man who is a qualified chartered accountant has big plans and has three business concern in mind - Tune Asia and Tune Records. The third is still under wraps.
Tune Asia is similar to Music Net and Press Play in the United States (a new way of listening to music by loading the diskette). "It's like cable TV for music. You can sample the music available using the Internet and for a small fee, you get to listen to the songs for a certain period. You can load this music onto a disc, slide, cell phone or stereo system. You can choose to keep the songs if you like them. This will provide good exposure for our local bands and a way to beat piracy.
"We will have an attractive package where we will promote more local music. We haven't worked out the pricing but we already have the MSC status for it. Listeners can decide which CD to buy because there will be a buddy list where you can find out what your friends are buying. This will truly be an exciting opportunity for the music business," said the founder of the Kasih Foundation (a body that provides assistance and financial grants and whose mission is to ensure that the music community has a place to turn to in times of need).
He added: "If everything works out, Tune Asia would eventually branch into areas like television, film and artiste management."
Next is the setting up of Tune Records.
"I tried to do so many things when I was with Warner. I have achieved what I could without leaving the country. I started at 28 and I have seen the industry grow. Musically, I have not fulfilled what I set out to achieve. My prime focus is to promote Asian music. Though I have started dangdut, nasyid and brought Indonesian music to Malaysia, I haven't succeeded in breaking Malaysian artistes into the international scene. I believe I can do something different but I know it is difficult when you are working within a budget for a company.
"I have a better chance if I were to set up an independent company because I don't have to answer to anyone and there's no need to go for safe options. I can test and push the musical boundaries," said the senior financial analyst and financial controller of Virgin Communications, London.
Fernandes noted that consumers were getting bored with predictable music and pattern of the industry. "We are producing the same stuff. Consumers want new things. They are not excited anymore (with the same stuff). Why do you think Kris Dayanti, Sheila On 7 and Bollywood music are more interesting?" said the 36-year-old who feels that the music industry has not done enough to cater to the big dance culture here.
I want to give the creative talents here connections to make things happen. I have big dreams to put Malaysia on the music map. I want to do it properly with Tune Records," said Fernandes who has great passion for sports and is currently marketing head for the World Cup Hockey 2002.
Warner Music Asia Pacific president Lachie Rutherford once remarked that Fernandes' long and outstanding career with Warner Music International, which stretched back to 1988, was excellent.
As a gesture of appreciation and recognition of his having been an integral part of WMI's development in South-East Asia, Fernandes received a golden handshake, which included, among others, retaining his posh office on the 14th floor of MUI Plaza, KL, for the next two years.
"Warner has been very generous and understood my ambitions. I am very grateful for this," he said.
Fernandes' third project is the biggest, one that could make him a prime mover in yet another area of business. Let's just say, we are looking at someone who has the makings of Richard Branson, the owner of Virgin Records and Virgin Atlantic.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 13/8/2001
This much admired and respected personality whom friends describe as a strategist, top-rate executive, dynamic marketing man and key industry player recently announced his intention to leave Warner Music.
His resignation came as a big surprise to many and when he said farewell, some staff members broke down. Some kissed and hugged him and the phones at Warner's office in Kuala Lumpur never stopped ringing.
Only those close to him understand his leaving a comfortable position and a stellar career. After all, Fernandes was one of the youngest managing directors in the music industry at 28 back in 1992 when he was appointed MD of Warner Music Malaysia. He was then working in Baker Street, London.
As vice-president of Warner Music South-East Asia, Fernandes was instrumental in creating a successful and strong stable of artistes from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
His resume as the prime mover in the music industry is impressive. He created the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM), became its chairman and engineered the RIM Chart Show, the only Asian charts, apart from Japan's, to be featured in the music "bible" Billboard. He also initiated the AIM awards (the local version of the Grammy), currently into its eighth year and holds the position of vice-chairman in the Malaysian Music Council (MMM) which he co-found. He also helped set up an anti-piracy agenda and assisted in lobbying the government for stronger laws as well as better enforcement of anti-piracy laws which resulted in the passing of the New Optical Disc Act this year and the formation of a dedicated Special Task Force by the government to fight piracy.
With such an impressive track record, why the resignation?
"I have delivered all I can and now is the right time to try new challenges. I don't want to look back at 55 and say I should have tried that. At Warner, I had to oversee the development of a domestic roster for Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. It has been satisfying and I am really proud of the achievements. I will stay in touch with the record industry through my various portfolios as chairman of AMIA (Asean Music Industry Association), RIM and through MMM," explained Fernandes .
The man who is a qualified chartered accountant has big plans and has three business concern in mind - Tune Asia and Tune Records. The third is still under wraps.
Tune Asia is similar to Music Net and Press Play in the United States (a new way of listening to music by loading the diskette). "It's like cable TV for music. You can sample the music available using the Internet and for a small fee, you get to listen to the songs for a certain period. You can load this music onto a disc, slide, cell phone or stereo system. You can choose to keep the songs if you like them. This will provide good exposure for our local bands and a way to beat piracy.
"We will have an attractive package where we will promote more local music. We haven't worked out the pricing but we already have the MSC status for it. Listeners can decide which CD to buy because there will be a buddy list where you can find out what your friends are buying. This will truly be an exciting opportunity for the music business," said the founder of the Kasih Foundation (a body that provides assistance and financial grants and whose mission is to ensure that the music community has a place to turn to in times of need).
He added: "If everything works out, Tune Asia would eventually branch into areas like television, film and artiste management."
Next is the setting up of Tune Records.
"I tried to do so many things when I was with Warner. I have achieved what I could without leaving the country. I started at 28 and I have seen the industry grow. Musically, I have not fulfilled what I set out to achieve. My prime focus is to promote Asian music. Though I have started dangdut, nasyid and brought Indonesian music to Malaysia, I haven't succeeded in breaking Malaysian artistes into the international scene. I believe I can do something different but I know it is difficult when you are working within a budget for a company.
"I have a better chance if I were to set up an independent company because I don't have to answer to anyone and there's no need to go for safe options. I can test and push the musical boundaries," said the senior financial analyst and financial controller of Virgin Communications, London.
Fernandes noted that consumers were getting bored with predictable music and pattern of the industry. "We are producing the same stuff. Consumers want new things. They are not excited anymore (with the same stuff). Why do you think Kris Dayanti, Sheila On 7 and Bollywood music are more interesting?" said the 36-year-old who feels that the music industry has not done enough to cater to the big dance culture here.
I want to give the creative talents here connections to make things happen. I have big dreams to put Malaysia on the music map. I want to do it properly with Tune Records," said Fernandes who has great passion for sports and is currently marketing head for the World Cup Hockey 2002.
Warner Music Asia Pacific president Lachie Rutherford once remarked that Fernandes' long and outstanding career with Warner Music International, which stretched back to 1988, was excellent.
As a gesture of appreciation and recognition of his having been an integral part of WMI's development in South-East Asia, Fernandes received a golden handshake, which included, among others, retaining his posh office on the 14th floor of MUI Plaza, KL, for the next two years.
"Warner has been very generous and understood my ambitions. I am very grateful for this," he said.
Fernandes' third project is the biggest, one that could make him a prime mover in yet another area of business. Let's just say, we are looking at someone who has the makings of Richard Branson, the owner of Virgin Records and Virgin Atlantic.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 13/8/2001
WHO WANTS TO BE A CLOWN?
WATCHING Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?, the most popular game show over ntv7, is quite fun. It's like getting a daily dose of comic relief, especially when seeing the contestants struggling to answer simple questions.
I get this funny feeling that whoever composed the questions for the RM100 to RM500 category are merely giving away the money. Any Year Six student would be able to answer some of them - that's how simple they are. It doesn't take much grey matter to answer "What don't you do if you have a headache?" or "What do you call a person who delivers a letter?" Surely, there must be other worthwhile and more reasonable questions to ask.
And yet, simple as the questions may be, you will not believe it that some contestants did not know the answer to these basic questions. It can get annoying when you hear their silly answers. Don't they read or prepare themselves before taking part in the game show? It would spare them those embarrassing moments, not to mention, discourage home viewers from swearing.
It would be unfair to question their IQ but frankly, most contestants are quite lost and clueless when it comes to answering general knowledge questions, like what a paediatrician or a cardiologist does.
You will be surprised to hear answers that can either put you in stitches or make you gape in amazement. Each time this happens, it brings to mind the saying "send in the clowns". This despite knowing how difficult it is to get through the 600 toll-line and answer some standard questions before being shortlisted.
The next hurdle is when several aspiring contestants try to challenge each other to arrange vowels or the name of countries in alphabetical order. Any child would be thrilled to do this for nothing.
There were many occasions when I felt that some contestants should be sent for refresher lessons in Geography. If you think that smart contestants will know where Kulim and Fraser's Hill are, think again. In fact, some even have the audacity to use the talian hayat (life line) to answer this "mind-boggling'' question. I almost choked on my peanuts when a contestant named Imran from Perak asked his friend to help him answer where Kulim was and when the friend said Kedah, Imran actually asked, "Are you sure?"
The following week, another contestant named Ronny also needed help as to where Fraser's Hill is. He was very sure the answer was Perak until host Jalaluddin Hassan prompted him to think carefully. What was more amazing was that he knew where Mt Krakatoa was. When Jalaluddin teased him about it, Ronny cheekily answered: "Gunung Karakatoa lebih besar, so boleh ingat." (Mt Krakatoa is bigger, so I can remember.)
Another amazing moment was when a contestant had to seek the assistance of the studio audience to answer the question "Who celebrates the Ponggal Festival? The audience shouted their answers - Punjabi, Indian, Chinese and Malay - which further confused the contestant. He finally had to ask a friend for help. I didn't blame Jalaluddin for making the sarcastic reply "Pandai-pandai penonton kita di studio (we've got some smart people in the studio).
Reviewing Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? will not be complete without talking about its host. Whether you like him or not, Jalaluddin is very much an integral part of the show.
By now, Jalaluddin must have developed thick skin to withstand the remarks made about him or the show. But the fact that he is able to steer the programme to be one of the most popular game shows is proof enough that he is quite good. If only he could be better.
First, Jalaluddin should try to tone down his melodramatic style and leave his acting persona for the dramas. There is certainly no need to go overboard with the intonation or the expressions. I could almost hear overused phrases like "Anda yakin?", "Anda pasti" (Are you sure?) or "Jawapan muktamad" (Final answer) ringing in my ears.
While it is not easy to be a good host, most viewers would agree that he needn't try so hard to make some English words sound "more English" than it should be; it's almost unbearable to hear him say "Paul" instead of "Powell".
On another occasion, his overenthusiasm and excitement got the better of him when he repeatedly mention "sigategi" instead of "segitiga" (triangle) with that poker-face of his.
There are viewers who have grown accustomed to Jalaluddin's ways by now. Strangely, they don't find him annoying or overenthusiastic. In fact, those very antics some find irritating his female fans find endearing.
Of late, Jalaluddin has been able to show off his wit and has worked hard at cracking jokes and making small talk. Combined with his warm rapport with the audience, it sounds like he is in the same league as Amitabh Bachchan, the famous Bollywood star who is now hosting India's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 1/8/2001
I get this funny feeling that whoever composed the questions for the RM100 to RM500 category are merely giving away the money. Any Year Six student would be able to answer some of them - that's how simple they are. It doesn't take much grey matter to answer "What don't you do if you have a headache?" or "What do you call a person who delivers a letter?" Surely, there must be other worthwhile and more reasonable questions to ask.
And yet, simple as the questions may be, you will not believe it that some contestants did not know the answer to these basic questions. It can get annoying when you hear their silly answers. Don't they read or prepare themselves before taking part in the game show? It would spare them those embarrassing moments, not to mention, discourage home viewers from swearing.
It would be unfair to question their IQ but frankly, most contestants are quite lost and clueless when it comes to answering general knowledge questions, like what a paediatrician or a cardiologist does.
You will be surprised to hear answers that can either put you in stitches or make you gape in amazement. Each time this happens, it brings to mind the saying "send in the clowns". This despite knowing how difficult it is to get through the 600 toll-line and answer some standard questions before being shortlisted.
The next hurdle is when several aspiring contestants try to challenge each other to arrange vowels or the name of countries in alphabetical order. Any child would be thrilled to do this for nothing.
There were many occasions when I felt that some contestants should be sent for refresher lessons in Geography. If you think that smart contestants will know where Kulim and Fraser's Hill are, think again. In fact, some even have the audacity to use the talian hayat (life line) to answer this "mind-boggling'' question. I almost choked on my peanuts when a contestant named Imran from Perak asked his friend to help him answer where Kulim was and when the friend said Kedah, Imran actually asked, "Are you sure?"
The following week, another contestant named Ronny also needed help as to where Fraser's Hill is. He was very sure the answer was Perak until host Jalaluddin Hassan prompted him to think carefully. What was more amazing was that he knew where Mt Krakatoa was. When Jalaluddin teased him about it, Ronny cheekily answered: "Gunung Karakatoa lebih besar, so boleh ingat." (Mt Krakatoa is bigger, so I can remember.)
Another amazing moment was when a contestant had to seek the assistance of the studio audience to answer the question "Who celebrates the Ponggal Festival? The audience shouted their answers - Punjabi, Indian, Chinese and Malay - which further confused the contestant. He finally had to ask a friend for help. I didn't blame Jalaluddin for making the sarcastic reply "Pandai-pandai penonton kita di studio (we've got some smart people in the studio).
Reviewing Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? will not be complete without talking about its host. Whether you like him or not, Jalaluddin is very much an integral part of the show.
By now, Jalaluddin must have developed thick skin to withstand the remarks made about him or the show. But the fact that he is able to steer the programme to be one of the most popular game shows is proof enough that he is quite good. If only he could be better.
First, Jalaluddin should try to tone down his melodramatic style and leave his acting persona for the dramas. There is certainly no need to go overboard with the intonation or the expressions. I could almost hear overused phrases like "Anda yakin?", "Anda pasti" (Are you sure?) or "Jawapan muktamad" (Final answer) ringing in my ears.
While it is not easy to be a good host, most viewers would agree that he needn't try so hard to make some English words sound "more English" than it should be; it's almost unbearable to hear him say "Paul" instead of "Powell".
On another occasion, his overenthusiasm and excitement got the better of him when he repeatedly mention "sigategi" instead of "segitiga" (triangle) with that poker-face of his.
There are viewers who have grown accustomed to Jalaluddin's ways by now. Strangely, they don't find him annoying or overenthusiastic. In fact, those very antics some find irritating his female fans find endearing.
Of late, Jalaluddin has been able to show off his wit and has worked hard at cracking jokes and making small talk. Combined with his warm rapport with the audience, it sounds like he is in the same league as Amitabh Bachchan, the famous Bollywood star who is now hosting India's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 1/8/2001
WHOSE SONGS ARE THEY?
THERE are some quarters who find pleasure in seeing two parties at loggerheads. The press is especially guilty of this. ``Fights'' are sometimes concocted as a ploy to help sell papers. At other times, these fictitious quarrels serve as publicity stunts for the artistes concerned.
The album, Syyh...Syafinaz, which pays tribute to 10 classic songs by veteran composer Datuk Ahmad Nawab, has been at the centre of much recent controversy. The ``problem'', though, is nowhere near the scale that the press made it out to be.
On one hand, there's a seasoned composer/arranger/musician, unhappy about the reworking of beautiful classics. Then there's jazz songstress Syafinaz, who believes she's doing justice to what many deem are excellent pieces that cannot be improved upon.
To be fair, both parties were anxious to contribute their best to the effort. When Syafinaz finally recorded the album, with help from renowned composers/arrangers Ahmad Izham, Mac Chew, Aubrey Suwito, Helen Yap and Jenny Chin, the effort was met with much disapproval from hardcore conservative fans of Ahmad Nawab.
At the initial stages, Ahmad Nawab refused to give his go-ahead to the project but eventually relented after getting positive feedback from non-Malay fans and the majority of urban listeners.
One singer who takes an exception to other people rendering her songs as she feels a special attachment to them is Uji Rashid. For example, Kali Terakhir Ku Lihat Wajahmu is dedicated to the singer's adopted sister who died in a road accident. Uji was upset when she heard Syafinaz's jazzy and fresh interpretation, Kemesraan. Syafinaz's version sounds much better though the original is melancholic and melodic.
``It is MY song. I don't even sing it in public places or in any other singing functions,'' said Uji.
Her reaction provoked maestro Ahmad Nawab to come up with yet another icy statement.
``When I wrote the song, she didn't even know about it. So, how can she claim that it is her song?'' said the bemused veteran in an exclusive interview recently.
There were no further comments from Uji so the matter died down. Other singers who gave their blessings to Syafinaz include DJ Dave (Hanya Mimpi), Salamiah Hassan (Surat Terakhir), Sharifah Aini (Oh Di Mana and Tiada Maaf Bagimu) and Khatijah Ibrahim (Ku Sangka Siang Kiranya Malam).
For Syafinaz, it doesn't matter who does what. The most important thing is that the end result is satisfactory.
``I am honoured to have this chance to sing Ahmad Nawab's compositions. It is brilliant work and what we (the arrangers included) tried to do was to enhance the songs further without trying to mar their beauty,'' said the music and vocals lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara.
The end result is indeed brilliant. Syafinaz delivers each and every song with much gusto and flair.
Truly enjoyable was the way her vocals linger playfully and stylishly on some consonants. Syyh...Syafinaz can be considered a collectible - for many reasons. These include the fresh and upbeat arrangements by the respective arrangers, Syafinaz's strong vocals and the songs being the work of a home-grown legend, Ahmad Nawab.
The recording, mixing and mastering were done at four studios, Playtime, Babyboss, Incognito and Nearfield, starting from early this year.
As for the controversy, Syafinaz believes everyone has the right to express what they feel.
``I've tried my best to give the song a distinctive delivery style. Some may not like it, some do. That's often the case in any album. I treat this as a special project and I am quite satisfied that most of the songs turned out the way I wanted them to,'' said Syafinaz who will stage a grand launching of the album early next month at the Emporium Grand Cafe in Kuala Lumpur.
For Ahmad Nawab, Syyh...Syafinaz is quite close to what he would have done if he were to rearrange the songs.
``I feared that the `soul' of each song would be lost. Each song has its own characteristics and was specially written with the respective singers in mind. If it was a DJ Dave number, no other singer will sing (the song) better than he does. The same goes for Sharifah Aini, Khatijah Ibrahim and Broery Marantika,'' said the veteran of some 2,000 songs.
While it is true that EMI Records holds the copyright to the songs, Ahmad Nawab still has unofficial ``claim'' over the songs.
``They are still my songs. No one can deny that. How I toiled, squeezed my creative juices to come up with the melodies, no one knows. Each song holds a different memory for me.''
It is easy to understand why Ahmad Nawab is passionate about his songs. The fact that he doesn't like any ``new'' arrangers to mess around with his songs should not come as a surprise.
``Just like P. Ramlee's songs ... they all speak of his soul, capturing the very essence of the man himself. Try to disintegrate the melody by giving the arrangement a new lease of life; see if you can do it. It is quite impossible really. The same goes for my songs.''
This music genius has a note of advice: ``Arrangers who feel they want to re-arrange my songs should first tell me, discuss it and study them. Get to know the composer, then study the songs. Only then, will they be able to do justice to MY songs.''
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 5/7/2001
The album, Syyh...Syafinaz, which pays tribute to 10 classic songs by veteran composer Datuk Ahmad Nawab, has been at the centre of much recent controversy. The ``problem'', though, is nowhere near the scale that the press made it out to be.
On one hand, there's a seasoned composer/arranger/musician, unhappy about the reworking of beautiful classics. Then there's jazz songstress Syafinaz, who believes she's doing justice to what many deem are excellent pieces that cannot be improved upon.
To be fair, both parties were anxious to contribute their best to the effort. When Syafinaz finally recorded the album, with help from renowned composers/arrangers Ahmad Izham, Mac Chew, Aubrey Suwito, Helen Yap and Jenny Chin, the effort was met with much disapproval from hardcore conservative fans of Ahmad Nawab.
At the initial stages, Ahmad Nawab refused to give his go-ahead to the project but eventually relented after getting positive feedback from non-Malay fans and the majority of urban listeners.
One singer who takes an exception to other people rendering her songs as she feels a special attachment to them is Uji Rashid. For example, Kali Terakhir Ku Lihat Wajahmu is dedicated to the singer's adopted sister who died in a road accident. Uji was upset when she heard Syafinaz's jazzy and fresh interpretation, Kemesraan. Syafinaz's version sounds much better though the original is melancholic and melodic.
``It is MY song. I don't even sing it in public places or in any other singing functions,'' said Uji.
Her reaction provoked maestro Ahmad Nawab to come up with yet another icy statement.
``When I wrote the song, she didn't even know about it. So, how can she claim that it is her song?'' said the bemused veteran in an exclusive interview recently.
There were no further comments from Uji so the matter died down. Other singers who gave their blessings to Syafinaz include DJ Dave (Hanya Mimpi), Salamiah Hassan (Surat Terakhir), Sharifah Aini (Oh Di Mana and Tiada Maaf Bagimu) and Khatijah Ibrahim (Ku Sangka Siang Kiranya Malam).
For Syafinaz, it doesn't matter who does what. The most important thing is that the end result is satisfactory.
``I am honoured to have this chance to sing Ahmad Nawab's compositions. It is brilliant work and what we (the arrangers included) tried to do was to enhance the songs further without trying to mar their beauty,'' said the music and vocals lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara.
The end result is indeed brilliant. Syafinaz delivers each and every song with much gusto and flair.
Truly enjoyable was the way her vocals linger playfully and stylishly on some consonants. Syyh...Syafinaz can be considered a collectible - for many reasons. These include the fresh and upbeat arrangements by the respective arrangers, Syafinaz's strong vocals and the songs being the work of a home-grown legend, Ahmad Nawab.
The recording, mixing and mastering were done at four studios, Playtime, Babyboss, Incognito and Nearfield, starting from early this year.
As for the controversy, Syafinaz believes everyone has the right to express what they feel.
``I've tried my best to give the song a distinctive delivery style. Some may not like it, some do. That's often the case in any album. I treat this as a special project and I am quite satisfied that most of the songs turned out the way I wanted them to,'' said Syafinaz who will stage a grand launching of the album early next month at the Emporium Grand Cafe in Kuala Lumpur.
For Ahmad Nawab, Syyh...Syafinaz is quite close to what he would have done if he were to rearrange the songs.
``I feared that the `soul' of each song would be lost. Each song has its own characteristics and was specially written with the respective singers in mind. If it was a DJ Dave number, no other singer will sing (the song) better than he does. The same goes for Sharifah Aini, Khatijah Ibrahim and Broery Marantika,'' said the veteran of some 2,000 songs.
While it is true that EMI Records holds the copyright to the songs, Ahmad Nawab still has unofficial ``claim'' over the songs.
``They are still my songs. No one can deny that. How I toiled, squeezed my creative juices to come up with the melodies, no one knows. Each song holds a different memory for me.''
It is easy to understand why Ahmad Nawab is passionate about his songs. The fact that he doesn't like any ``new'' arrangers to mess around with his songs should not come as a surprise.
``Just like P. Ramlee's songs ... they all speak of his soul, capturing the very essence of the man himself. Try to disintegrate the melody by giving the arrangement a new lease of life; see if you can do it. It is quite impossible really. The same goes for my songs.''
This music genius has a note of advice: ``Arrangers who feel they want to re-arrange my songs should first tell me, discuss it and study them. Get to know the composer, then study the songs. Only then, will they be able to do justice to MY songs.''
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 5/7/2001
OLD ANTICS FOR NOW
A FRIEND asked what my ``verdict'' was on the Jamali Shadat Show which ended its run on ntv7 last month. Holding on to past memories have always been a weakness on my part so watching Jamali Shadat Show would be a joy. Or so I thought.
Excitement got the better of me when I dutifully parked myself in front of the tube to watch the popular funnyman in action and to relish all his impersonations and mimicry.
But the show got off to a slow start. It's quite difficult to explain why some things don't work the way they used to. It's like hearing the Alleycats play before and now; the effect is very different.
Jamali invited guest artistes Yusni Jaafar and Hamid Gurkha to spice up his show.
Well, old hands like Yusni and Hamid were able to deliver their lines confidently and naturally even though most of the time, the jokes sounded silly.
There were more slapstick jokes than I could stomach. And you know what they say about slapstick comedy - you feel more sorry than anything.
No doubt Jamali was a professional in impersonating the three main ethnic groups, especially his famous ``Atan'' and ``Atuk'' characters.
And when he rolled his tongue when speaking like an Indian, or utter his words in a sing-song tone like a Chinese, it tickled many in the audience.
But that was as far as it went. It came to a point when I could not take it anymore. One show or, at the most, two were all I could take. The ideas weren't fresh and there was nothing to look forward to in the coming episodes.
Jamali Shadat Show was a tad too boring and cliched because I think he has lost his charismatic appeal. Perhaps he has lost touch with the current scene.
Back in the early 1970s, when Jamali shot to fame after winning Bakat TV in 1971, stand-up comedy was something new in Malaysia. When Jamali cooked up slapstick jokes, it was pretty cool and different. But that was then.
In 2001, Jamali is still playing to the same gallery, the likes of Yusni and Hamid whereas the current craze in Malay comedy now is the wacky and hilarious Senario.
For the 20 episodes that were screened, Jamali could have easily invited comedians such as Imuda, Sabri Yunus, Ahmad Busu or even Harith Iskandar, the other stand-up comic.
To be fair to Jamali, diehards would still love him no matter what antics he pulled. Even children or those who have never seen Jamali before would find him funny. I would like to think it was the slapstick jokes that brought the laughs.
Chef Wan the host
But it must be said that Jamali was very professional in hosting the show. As a moderator and host, Jamali was superb in comparison to Chef Wan, who took over from singer-turned-host Helmi Gimmick in Famili Ceria, aired at 7.30pm from Monday to Friday on ntv7.
Chef Wan has the tendency to rattle on and not pay attention to the time allocated to him.
He should realise that this is NOT his own show, like the many cookery shows that he hosts; a quiz programme requires the host to adhere to the time given.
This celebrity chef, despite being his own funny, wacky and spontaneous self, was oblivious to his surroundings. He could make anyone feel at ease straightaway with his modest and humble ways but when hosting a quiz show, he must not get carried away or bask in the limelight too much because it shows.
It's easy to understand why Chef Wan was picked to replace Helmi. With his popularity, he can attract more people to watch the game show.
It's unfortunate that Helmi had to be taken off Famili Ceria after steadily making a name for himself as host.
However, it is too soon to predict what Chef Wan would cook up next. There is still time for the celebrity chef to improve himself.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 13/6/2001
Excitement got the better of me when I dutifully parked myself in front of the tube to watch the popular funnyman in action and to relish all his impersonations and mimicry.
But the show got off to a slow start. It's quite difficult to explain why some things don't work the way they used to. It's like hearing the Alleycats play before and now; the effect is very different.
Jamali invited guest artistes Yusni Jaafar and Hamid Gurkha to spice up his show.
Well, old hands like Yusni and Hamid were able to deliver their lines confidently and naturally even though most of the time, the jokes sounded silly.
There were more slapstick jokes than I could stomach. And you know what they say about slapstick comedy - you feel more sorry than anything.
No doubt Jamali was a professional in impersonating the three main ethnic groups, especially his famous ``Atan'' and ``Atuk'' characters.
And when he rolled his tongue when speaking like an Indian, or utter his words in a sing-song tone like a Chinese, it tickled many in the audience.
But that was as far as it went. It came to a point when I could not take it anymore. One show or, at the most, two were all I could take. The ideas weren't fresh and there was nothing to look forward to in the coming episodes.
Jamali Shadat Show was a tad too boring and cliched because I think he has lost his charismatic appeal. Perhaps he has lost touch with the current scene.
Back in the early 1970s, when Jamali shot to fame after winning Bakat TV in 1971, stand-up comedy was something new in Malaysia. When Jamali cooked up slapstick jokes, it was pretty cool and different. But that was then.
In 2001, Jamali is still playing to the same gallery, the likes of Yusni and Hamid whereas the current craze in Malay comedy now is the wacky and hilarious Senario.
For the 20 episodes that were screened, Jamali could have easily invited comedians such as Imuda, Sabri Yunus, Ahmad Busu or even Harith Iskandar, the other stand-up comic.
To be fair to Jamali, diehards would still love him no matter what antics he pulled. Even children or those who have never seen Jamali before would find him funny. I would like to think it was the slapstick jokes that brought the laughs.
Chef Wan the host
But it must be said that Jamali was very professional in hosting the show. As a moderator and host, Jamali was superb in comparison to Chef Wan, who took over from singer-turned-host Helmi Gimmick in Famili Ceria, aired at 7.30pm from Monday to Friday on ntv7.
Chef Wan has the tendency to rattle on and not pay attention to the time allocated to him.
He should realise that this is NOT his own show, like the many cookery shows that he hosts; a quiz programme requires the host to adhere to the time given.
This celebrity chef, despite being his own funny, wacky and spontaneous self, was oblivious to his surroundings. He could make anyone feel at ease straightaway with his modest and humble ways but when hosting a quiz show, he must not get carried away or bask in the limelight too much because it shows.
It's easy to understand why Chef Wan was picked to replace Helmi. With his popularity, he can attract more people to watch the game show.
It's unfortunate that Helmi had to be taken off Famili Ceria after steadily making a name for himself as host.
However, it is too soon to predict what Chef Wan would cook up next. There is still time for the celebrity chef to improve himself.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 13/6/2001
DISMISSAL UNLAWFUL, CLAIMS EX-OFFICIAL
PETALING JAYA: A former official of the Malaysian Malay Journalists Association (PWM) has lodged a police report against it over her alleged dismissal and the association's alleged abuse of power involving 10 blank cheques she claimed she was forced to sign.
Fauziah Mohd Johar, who was recently removed as PWM secretary-general after holding the post for four months, said her dismissal was unlawful as it did not follow stipulated procedures.
The senior writer of The Star, better known as Zieman, said the letter, dated May 10, had tarnished her reputation as a journalist.
She also told police that she was approached by PWM president Yazid Othman and his wife Norbaya Musa in midFebruary and asked to sign 10 blank cheques.
There were no payment vouchers accompanying the cheques, she alleged.
``Without giving much thought to it, I signed the cheques.
``Now that I have been dismissed, I am worried that the cheques could bring about adverse results to me if misused.
``This is the reason I have decided to make the police report,'' she said.
Fauziah Mohd Johar, who was recently removed as PWM secretary-general after holding the post for four months, said her dismissal was unlawful as it did not follow stipulated procedures.
The senior writer of The Star, better known as Zieman, said the letter, dated May 10, had tarnished her reputation as a journalist.
She also told police that she was approached by PWM president Yazid Othman and his wife Norbaya Musa in midFebruary and asked to sign 10 blank cheques.
There were no payment vouchers accompanying the cheques, she alleged.
``Without giving much thought to it, I signed the cheques.
``Now that I have been dismissed, I am worried that the cheques could bring about adverse results to me if misused.
``This is the reason I have decided to make the police report,'' she said.
THE BOLD AND THE BORING
IT WAS a taboo but recently popular subject, that of the life of a transvestite, delivered in monologue style. So, what else is new and inspiring about this play titled SALLYm, staged by Unimastage at The Actors Studio Theatre in Kuala Lumpur recently?
Sitting through 55 minutes of the play was excruciating, especially when the subject could not sustain the attention of the audience. For one, there is nothing new that scriptwriter Vanitha Abdul wants to say. Secondly, the sequence in which the whole play was delivered was not engaging. The plot was too simple, with a trite message, and the script too plain. A supporter commented that the play was a ``bold and brazen attempt by students.''
On the contrary, this reviewer thinks reading articles in magazines or newspapers about transvestites would have been better. There was nothing the audience didn't already know about the subject.
So, we were told that ``Sallym'' was born a perfectly normal child and his birth name was Mohd Salim. His life took a dramatic turn when he joined a boarding school, where his peers teased him with names like "Sotong" and other derogatory nicknames. Eventually, Salim was raped by one of his classmates.
To ``justify'' his dramatic change, the play indicated in detail how Salim was raped, the act and emotions were well depicted. It was quite visual, leaving little to the imagination.
In one scene, Salim was seen rolling on the floor and groaning - now, was it necessary?
When Salim started to change his lifestyle by first changing his name to Sally and cross-dressing, he began working in a hair salon. This was a kind of stereotyping by the scriptwriter.
Sally fell in love with ``her'' boyfriend Razarul, someone whom she described as ``a different man altogether.''
Razarul's kind and good-natured romantic ways won over Sally and convinced her that she was made to be a real woman. When Razarul finally proposed and suggested that Sally
went for a sex operation, she was elated. It was only when Razarul fell ill and was diagnosed as an HIV carrier that Sally knew her life too would come to a tragic end.
There was no poignant scene here. The part in which Sally, played by Mohd Azhan Abdul Rani, grieved over Razarul's untimely death was far from sad.
In fact, it failed to trigger any emotions. What we heard was endless and exaggerated whining about the plight of a lovelorn person.
Then, inexplicably, strips of white and black cloth hanging from the ceiling were supposed to depict that Sally had died and met a so-called Haji who suddenly went missing. This particular scene in which ``Haji met Sally'' was not clear. The audience was left wondering what the relationship was between the two.
Perhaps, Vanitha should have probed what impending death meant to someone like Sally.
It wasn't clear whether Sally was remorseful over her sins or whether she would have wished for a different life. What next after mourning for her dead lover and waiting for doomsday? All this would surely be a lot more interesting than a run-of-the-mill story of a transvestite.
Working around Sally's predicament as a man trapped in a woman's body would also be another good topic to explore.
Azhan may have had the whole stage all to himself but his act was not powerful enough to captivate the audience for long. His performance was mediocre. But with more coaching, he would probably make a good actor someday.
All in, SALLYm was not an exceptional play. With a shallow and loose script, it looked like an amateur effort, which in all fairness it was, as it was not put together by professional theatre practitioners.
But the fact that it did score Best Play and Best Actor at the recent Makum Theatre Festival (a theatre competition among local universities), makes one wonder about the quality of the other student plays.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 24/4/2001
Sitting through 55 minutes of the play was excruciating, especially when the subject could not sustain the attention of the audience. For one, there is nothing new that scriptwriter Vanitha Abdul wants to say. Secondly, the sequence in which the whole play was delivered was not engaging. The plot was too simple, with a trite message, and the script too plain. A supporter commented that the play was a ``bold and brazen attempt by students.''
On the contrary, this reviewer thinks reading articles in magazines or newspapers about transvestites would have been better. There was nothing the audience didn't already know about the subject.
So, we were told that ``Sallym'' was born a perfectly normal child and his birth name was Mohd Salim. His life took a dramatic turn when he joined a boarding school, where his peers teased him with names like "Sotong" and other derogatory nicknames. Eventually, Salim was raped by one of his classmates.
To ``justify'' his dramatic change, the play indicated in detail how Salim was raped, the act and emotions were well depicted. It was quite visual, leaving little to the imagination.
In one scene, Salim was seen rolling on the floor and groaning - now, was it necessary?
When Salim started to change his lifestyle by first changing his name to Sally and cross-dressing, he began working in a hair salon. This was a kind of stereotyping by the scriptwriter.
Sally fell in love with ``her'' boyfriend Razarul, someone whom she described as ``a different man altogether.''
Razarul's kind and good-natured romantic ways won over Sally and convinced her that she was made to be a real woman. When Razarul finally proposed and suggested that Sally
went for a sex operation, she was elated. It was only when Razarul fell ill and was diagnosed as an HIV carrier that Sally knew her life too would come to a tragic end.
There was no poignant scene here. The part in which Sally, played by Mohd Azhan Abdul Rani, grieved over Razarul's untimely death was far from sad.
In fact, it failed to trigger any emotions. What we heard was endless and exaggerated whining about the plight of a lovelorn person.
Then, inexplicably, strips of white and black cloth hanging from the ceiling were supposed to depict that Sally had died and met a so-called Haji who suddenly went missing. This particular scene in which ``Haji met Sally'' was not clear. The audience was left wondering what the relationship was between the two.
Perhaps, Vanitha should have probed what impending death meant to someone like Sally.
It wasn't clear whether Sally was remorseful over her sins or whether she would have wished for a different life. What next after mourning for her dead lover and waiting for doomsday? All this would surely be a lot more interesting than a run-of-the-mill story of a transvestite.
Working around Sally's predicament as a man trapped in a woman's body would also be another good topic to explore.
Azhan may have had the whole stage all to himself but his act was not powerful enough to captivate the audience for long. His performance was mediocre. But with more coaching, he would probably make a good actor someday.
All in, SALLYm was not an exceptional play. With a shallow and loose script, it looked like an amateur effort, which in all fairness it was, as it was not put together by professional theatre practitioners.
But the fact that it did score Best Play and Best Actor at the recent Makum Theatre Festival (a theatre competition among local universities), makes one wonder about the quality of the other student plays.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 24/4/2001
SUPREME THEY ARE NOT
IT was not the supreme event for the recent Secretaries Week. The Sounds of Supremes, comprising American trio Karen Raagland, Kathy Merrick and Van Jewell, was a far cry from the original line-up consisting of Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong. Probably it was curiosity that led many to watch the show, but paying RM200 for a ticket was considered steep for a simple performance by the three Supremes wannabes.
Watching the performance, one could not help but make comparisons between the old and the new.
After all, when Ross and her two good friends formed the group, they scored 15 hit records consecutively. Setting such high standards made them a tough act to follow. In fact, at one time, The Supremes had no less than five hits reaching the coveted No.1 spot on the charts. And this was an impressive track record for the new Supremes to emulate.
But we are talking about performances here.
So, when Raagland, Merrick and Jewell sang some of the biggest Supremes hits from the 1960s - Stop! In the Name of Love, Baby Love and You Keep Me Hanging On, there were few people in the audience who were entertained.
Wearing identical shimmering mini-dresses with black jackets, the trio looked a pale version of the original Supremes. Not that the glamorous hairdo was missing or because these girls were wearing wigs. It was just a plain sight.
The Kristal Ballroom at PJ Hilton was almost packed and the trio performed non-stop, belting out old hits, reworked some of the Motown classics and rendered other popular tunes.
They displayed synchronised body and hand movements but their vocals were less harmonious.
Their high-pitch singing drowned out their vocal harmony; it was clearly more noise.
One of the redeeming factors was Raagland, a member of The Supremes from the late 1970s through the 1980s who had performed at the London Palladium for Princess Margaret at Europe's Pori Jazz Festival, the Bottom Line in Japan and the Legends of Rock stadium tour of Australia. Her voice was quite distinguished and impressive and she was better singing solo.
When the trio sang Heat Wave, My Guy, Love Is Like an Itchin' in My Heart and Someday We'll Be Together, it was obvious that the atmosphere of the evening was drab despite the loud music.
Sadly, an encore was staged and the dessert was sweeter than the songs.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 20/4/2001
Watching the performance, one could not help but make comparisons between the old and the new.
After all, when Ross and her two good friends formed the group, they scored 15 hit records consecutively. Setting such high standards made them a tough act to follow. In fact, at one time, The Supremes had no less than five hits reaching the coveted No.1 spot on the charts. And this was an impressive track record for the new Supremes to emulate.
But we are talking about performances here.
So, when Raagland, Merrick and Jewell sang some of the biggest Supremes hits from the 1960s - Stop! In the Name of Love, Baby Love and You Keep Me Hanging On, there were few people in the audience who were entertained.
Wearing identical shimmering mini-dresses with black jackets, the trio looked a pale version of the original Supremes. Not that the glamorous hairdo was missing or because these girls were wearing wigs. It was just a plain sight.
The Kristal Ballroom at PJ Hilton was almost packed and the trio performed non-stop, belting out old hits, reworked some of the Motown classics and rendered other popular tunes.
They displayed synchronised body and hand movements but their vocals were less harmonious.
Their high-pitch singing drowned out their vocal harmony; it was clearly more noise.
One of the redeeming factors was Raagland, a member of The Supremes from the late 1970s through the 1980s who had performed at the London Palladium for Princess Margaret at Europe's Pori Jazz Festival, the Bottom Line in Japan and the Legends of Rock stadium tour of Australia. Her voice was quite distinguished and impressive and she was better singing solo.
When the trio sang Heat Wave, My Guy, Love Is Like an Itchin' in My Heart and Someday We'll Be Together, it was obvious that the atmosphere of the evening was drab despite the loud music.
Sadly, an encore was staged and the dessert was sweeter than the songs.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 20/4/2001
YASIN'S FORAY INTO WORLD MUSIC
DO not make the mistake of calling Yasin a nasyid singer again because he isn't one. And the fact that he made the bold move to discard the seemingly religious kopiah (skull cap), something which many regard as a religious headgear, does not mean he is less religious now. Yasin, an ex-member of nasyid group Brothers, doesn't seem to think wearing a kopiah has any bearing with a person's religious beliefs.
``That is a wrong perception. Ketayap (skull cap) or kopiah should not be viewed as something religious. It's just a headgear worn by Muslims. When I first donned it, it was just part of an image thing for Brothers. It so happened we were singing religious songs, so everyone thought that should be it - a singer wearing kopiah singing nasyid. Eventually I was looked upon as a religious singer,'' said Yasin.
Another thing which Yasin feels compelled to talk at length is why people seem to associate nasyid with religious songs.
``Just what is nasyid? Most people classify nasyid as religious songs. Brothers never called themselves a nasyid group. We were singing world music just like Hijjaz singing Irama Malaysia type of songs.
``The truth is any song that has good messages about God or religion is considered nasyid. Singers who have done this qualify to be known as nasyid singers. One good example is M. Nasir,'' explained the former student of Maahad Religious School in Kajang, Selangor.
``Do you know that Raihan's songs are classified as world music in the west and that's what we should do here. We should stop branding songs by groups wearing kopiah as nasyid,'' said this Universiti Malaya graduate of Syariah and Business Studies.
Leaving Brothers to go solo a year ago was a big move for Yasin, and so is recording a solo album on world music. He regards his debut album with Warner Music as an adjustment period.
His first solo album Mimpi Laila which was recorded last August will be a true test for his loyal fans.
Yasin, who produced the album, took 130 hours over a period of two months to record the 10 songs.
Pleased with the selection, he added: ``Most of the songs were written based on historical events. I was inspired by the books I read and the epic movies I watched. All these thrown in with a bit of imagination was what made Mimpi Laila. I am sure my fans will like it.''
There aren't many love songs featured on the album because Yasin wants something different. The album comprises title track Rindu Padamu (a song which can easily be interpreted as universal love), Ithbauni (Follow Me), Air Di Padang Pasir, Say You Believe, Hanya Satu, Kembara Suriaraya, Dia Lihat Dia Datang, Wahasytuni (I Miss You) and Aishah.
Yasin said that the world music concept suits his image well.
``This was what I had wanted to do when I first started singing and I think it suits me really well. Getting the right concept is important for any singer. It will determine if a singer is going in the right direction.
``I strongly believe a singer should have the freedom to choose the kind of concept that suits him in order to excel. More often, singers have to live up to the producers' whims and fancies.''
Yasin thinks he is very lucky as he gets to produce, choose and sing the way he wants to.
``Warner Music gave me a lot of freedom to exercise my creative skills here. It took a risk and allowed me to do to do what I wanted on this album. And being a person who thrives on challenges, I was game enough to go ahead with the idea.''
Yasin picked new aspiring composers Farihin Abdul Fatah, Steve Hassan Thornton, Mujahid Abdul Wahab and Jeff Hazimin to work with him on Mimpi Laila.
He is now busy with his road tour in the rural areas to promote the album.
``Most of my fans are from the rural areas. Since the market is very subjective and unpredictable, I have to do a lot of promotional visits and the songs need more airplay. But then again, songs too have to be radio friendly. So far, Mimpi Laila has been getting favourable airplay.''
Singing aside, Yasin has also showed his inclination towards acting lately. It all started with his good looks - freckles and blond hair, which he inherited from his Australian mother. It earned him his first acting offer Syukur 21 two years ago.
``It was just a supporting role. I never thought of it as anything serious. Gradually, I became hooked,'' said Yasin who has received a few substantial roles after the stint.
Born Yasin Sulaiman in Kuala Lumpur, this multi-talented singer recalled having a strong religious upbringing. The third of seven siblings, Yasin studied in a religious school since Primary One. He spent nine years in Saudi Arabia with his family. As a result, he is fluent in Arabic, Bahasa and English.
Yasin pointed out that he is still unattached and is not in a hurry to find a soul mate. He had been associated with many but he claims ``They are just rumours and I don't have a steady girlfriend. I have a long way to go and I am quite happy the way things have been shaping up for me lately.
``Singing gives me contentment and pleasure while a full-time job makes me feel financially independent,'' said Yasin who is the artiste and repertoire manager of MIG Records.
All said, pursuing religious studies during his leisure time ranks high on his priority list. He describes it as ``the food that feeds my soul.'' That's really food for thought for a guy who doesn't think a religious dress code has anything to do with a person's faith.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 15/4/2001
``That is a wrong perception. Ketayap (skull cap) or kopiah should not be viewed as something religious. It's just a headgear worn by Muslims. When I first donned it, it was just part of an image thing for Brothers. It so happened we were singing religious songs, so everyone thought that should be it - a singer wearing kopiah singing nasyid. Eventually I was looked upon as a religious singer,'' said Yasin.
Another thing which Yasin feels compelled to talk at length is why people seem to associate nasyid with religious songs.
``Just what is nasyid? Most people classify nasyid as religious songs. Brothers never called themselves a nasyid group. We were singing world music just like Hijjaz singing Irama Malaysia type of songs.
``The truth is any song that has good messages about God or religion is considered nasyid. Singers who have done this qualify to be known as nasyid singers. One good example is M. Nasir,'' explained the former student of Maahad Religious School in Kajang, Selangor.
``Do you know that Raihan's songs are classified as world music in the west and that's what we should do here. We should stop branding songs by groups wearing kopiah as nasyid,'' said this Universiti Malaya graduate of Syariah and Business Studies.
Leaving Brothers to go solo a year ago was a big move for Yasin, and so is recording a solo album on world music. He regards his debut album with Warner Music as an adjustment period.
His first solo album Mimpi Laila which was recorded last August will be a true test for his loyal fans.
Yasin, who produced the album, took 130 hours over a period of two months to record the 10 songs.
Pleased with the selection, he added: ``Most of the songs were written based on historical events. I was inspired by the books I read and the epic movies I watched. All these thrown in with a bit of imagination was what made Mimpi Laila. I am sure my fans will like it.''
There aren't many love songs featured on the album because Yasin wants something different. The album comprises title track Rindu Padamu (a song which can easily be interpreted as universal love), Ithbauni (Follow Me), Air Di Padang Pasir, Say You Believe, Hanya Satu, Kembara Suriaraya, Dia Lihat Dia Datang, Wahasytuni (I Miss You) and Aishah.
Yasin said that the world music concept suits his image well.
``This was what I had wanted to do when I first started singing and I think it suits me really well. Getting the right concept is important for any singer. It will determine if a singer is going in the right direction.
``I strongly believe a singer should have the freedom to choose the kind of concept that suits him in order to excel. More often, singers have to live up to the producers' whims and fancies.''
Yasin thinks he is very lucky as he gets to produce, choose and sing the way he wants to.
``Warner Music gave me a lot of freedom to exercise my creative skills here. It took a risk and allowed me to do to do what I wanted on this album. And being a person who thrives on challenges, I was game enough to go ahead with the idea.''
Yasin picked new aspiring composers Farihin Abdul Fatah, Steve Hassan Thornton, Mujahid Abdul Wahab and Jeff Hazimin to work with him on Mimpi Laila.
He is now busy with his road tour in the rural areas to promote the album.
``Most of my fans are from the rural areas. Since the market is very subjective and unpredictable, I have to do a lot of promotional visits and the songs need more airplay. But then again, songs too have to be radio friendly. So far, Mimpi Laila has been getting favourable airplay.''
Singing aside, Yasin has also showed his inclination towards acting lately. It all started with his good looks - freckles and blond hair, which he inherited from his Australian mother. It earned him his first acting offer Syukur 21 two years ago.
``It was just a supporting role. I never thought of it as anything serious. Gradually, I became hooked,'' said Yasin who has received a few substantial roles after the stint.
Born Yasin Sulaiman in Kuala Lumpur, this multi-talented singer recalled having a strong religious upbringing. The third of seven siblings, Yasin studied in a religious school since Primary One. He spent nine years in Saudi Arabia with his family. As a result, he is fluent in Arabic, Bahasa and English.
Yasin pointed out that he is still unattached and is not in a hurry to find a soul mate. He had been associated with many but he claims ``They are just rumours and I don't have a steady girlfriend. I have a long way to go and I am quite happy the way things have been shaping up for me lately.
``Singing gives me contentment and pleasure while a full-time job makes me feel financially independent,'' said Yasin who is the artiste and repertoire manager of MIG Records.
All said, pursuing religious studies during his leisure time ranks high on his priority list. He describes it as ``the food that feeds my soul.'' That's really food for thought for a guy who doesn't think a religious dress code has anything to do with a person's faith.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 15/4/2001
SALIM HOLDS COURT
DATUK S.M. Salim took baby steps to reach the centre of the stage. An aide held his left arm by the elbow and ushered him slowly to an elevated stool just behind conductor Ramli M.S.
At one look, you wouldn't believe this was the entertainer who was going to serenade us the whole night through. But believe it or not, the frail-looking 73-year-old tried and successfully completed his mission in a two-and-a-half-hour concert, singing all of 18 songs.
He may have problems walking, but once on stage, the veteran asli singer forgot about his illness. He was beaming with pride and grinning away. His was the pride of a seasoned singer who had sacrificed 55 of his best years in the music industry.
It is easy to understand why that evening was specially memorable for Salim. It was a moment he had waited for all his life - he became the first local entertainer ever to be backed by the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra at the prestigious Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur.
On stage, Salim cut a cool figure in his traditional blue baju Melayu and samping, a picture of composure and a ``been there, done that'' entertainer.
Salim made everyone feel at home with his good-humoured greetings: ``Kaki aje sakit, lain-lain tak ... (Only my legs hurt, the rest is fine).''
The audience roared. And Salim sang his first song for the evening, Sri Siantan, in both ghazal and masri style. It was the masri version that really got the audience clapping.
Before he tackled his second song, a joget number, Salim spoke candidly of his involvement in the music scene. All eyes were on him - a veteran who used to travel wide to entertain in places as far as Congo.
Sadly, the same man finds it difficult to walk without a stick these days. Because of spinal problems, if Salim stands for too long, his hands and feet will go numb and he may pass out.
This worried those close to him that evening. But not Salim. He was obviously unperturbed for all he wanted to do was to entertain the crowd who had come to see him that evening.
He crooned the catchy zapin number, Pantun Budi. Each time he finished a song, Salim would tell a short story or joke before doing the next number.
His stories were funny. But it was the manner in which he told them - with a dash of spontaneity - that tickled many. And this was Salim's special way of winning the audience's hearts. Salim's sense of humour made him the perfect stand-up comedian.
The choice of songs was rather clever - especially slotting the slow inang in between the catchy zapin and joget. A colleague complained that the selection of songs did not live up to her expectations. But it would have been virtually impossible to field all of Salim's hits from his 11 albums and over 100 songs.
The second half of the concert saw popular singer Siti Nurhaliza appearing as guest artiste. Together with Salim, Siti tackled the soulful inang-joget tune, Pandang, pandang, jeling-jeling, which was once popularised by the S.M. Salim-Yusni Hamid duo.
Looking attractive in a rich, shimmering peach kebaya, Siti went on to sing Salim's popular Mohon Kasih as a tribute to the veteran. The song sounded more soothing when the young singer delivered it although it paled in comparison to Salim's power-packed vocals.
Salim's two-day concert was a brilliant affair, not only because the star himself delivered what was promised but more so because of the concerted effort put together by the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and the traditional music guests who included Nasser Abu Kassim (bass), Fauzi Marzuki (guitar), Swa Karya on traditional percussion and gambus, Kajang group (keroncong musicians), and Chobib (guitar). Not forgetting too the strong backing vocals of Arab, Anis and Eja.
But of course the man who deserved a special mention here is conductor Ramli M.S., who cleverly set Salim's songs to beautiful arrangements. Except for Sayang Musalmah (the inang-ghazal song), which failed to come across quite like it should have, Ramli's other interpretations were superb and flawless.
In a heart-rending encore, Salim delivered his classic Seniman, the song which depicts the plight of an artiste who always entertains but is never entertained. Almost as if he were living out the song, Salim faltered a few times and unabashedly let his tears flow.
He took out a chilli-red hanky, wiped his tears and like a true entertainer, finished the song.
Many were moved but somehow most of the audience in the hall were slow to react. After the song was over, the applause was first scattered, before it built up to a thunderous crescendo. Then, the standing ovation, something only a legend of Salim's calibre truly deserves.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 10/4/2001
At one look, you wouldn't believe this was the entertainer who was going to serenade us the whole night through. But believe it or not, the frail-looking 73-year-old tried and successfully completed his mission in a two-and-a-half-hour concert, singing all of 18 songs.
He may have problems walking, but once on stage, the veteran asli singer forgot about his illness. He was beaming with pride and grinning away. His was the pride of a seasoned singer who had sacrificed 55 of his best years in the music industry.
It is easy to understand why that evening was specially memorable for Salim. It was a moment he had waited for all his life - he became the first local entertainer ever to be backed by the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra at the prestigious Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur.
On stage, Salim cut a cool figure in his traditional blue baju Melayu and samping, a picture of composure and a ``been there, done that'' entertainer.
Salim made everyone feel at home with his good-humoured greetings: ``Kaki aje sakit, lain-lain tak ... (Only my legs hurt, the rest is fine).''
The audience roared. And Salim sang his first song for the evening, Sri Siantan, in both ghazal and masri style. It was the masri version that really got the audience clapping.
Before he tackled his second song, a joget number, Salim spoke candidly of his involvement in the music scene. All eyes were on him - a veteran who used to travel wide to entertain in places as far as Congo.
Sadly, the same man finds it difficult to walk without a stick these days. Because of spinal problems, if Salim stands for too long, his hands and feet will go numb and he may pass out.
This worried those close to him that evening. But not Salim. He was obviously unperturbed for all he wanted to do was to entertain the crowd who had come to see him that evening.
He crooned the catchy zapin number, Pantun Budi. Each time he finished a song, Salim would tell a short story or joke before doing the next number.
His stories were funny. But it was the manner in which he told them - with a dash of spontaneity - that tickled many. And this was Salim's special way of winning the audience's hearts. Salim's sense of humour made him the perfect stand-up comedian.
The choice of songs was rather clever - especially slotting the slow inang in between the catchy zapin and joget. A colleague complained that the selection of songs did not live up to her expectations. But it would have been virtually impossible to field all of Salim's hits from his 11 albums and over 100 songs.
The second half of the concert saw popular singer Siti Nurhaliza appearing as guest artiste. Together with Salim, Siti tackled the soulful inang-joget tune, Pandang, pandang, jeling-jeling, which was once popularised by the S.M. Salim-Yusni Hamid duo.
Looking attractive in a rich, shimmering peach kebaya, Siti went on to sing Salim's popular Mohon Kasih as a tribute to the veteran. The song sounded more soothing when the young singer delivered it although it paled in comparison to Salim's power-packed vocals.
Salim's two-day concert was a brilliant affair, not only because the star himself delivered what was promised but more so because of the concerted effort put together by the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and the traditional music guests who included Nasser Abu Kassim (bass), Fauzi Marzuki (guitar), Swa Karya on traditional percussion and gambus, Kajang group (keroncong musicians), and Chobib (guitar). Not forgetting too the strong backing vocals of Arab, Anis and Eja.
But of course the man who deserved a special mention here is conductor Ramli M.S., who cleverly set Salim's songs to beautiful arrangements. Except for Sayang Musalmah (the inang-ghazal song), which failed to come across quite like it should have, Ramli's other interpretations were superb and flawless.
In a heart-rending encore, Salim delivered his classic Seniman, the song which depicts the plight of an artiste who always entertains but is never entertained. Almost as if he were living out the song, Salim faltered a few times and unabashedly let his tears flow.
He took out a chilli-red hanky, wiped his tears and like a true entertainer, finished the song.
Many were moved but somehow most of the audience in the hall were slow to react. After the song was over, the applause was first scattered, before it built up to a thunderous crescendo. Then, the standing ovation, something only a legend of Salim's calibre truly deserves.
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 10/4/2001
NEW SOUND TO NASYID
WHEN Rabbani injected modern contemporary music into traditional and religious nasyid, little did they know that their action would come under fire. A lot of unfavourable remarks followed suit and some quarters even said they had gone off track and veered away from the nasyid norm.
But the truth of the matter is that Intifada (which, loosely translated, means ``uprising''), Rabbani's fourth and latest album that was caught in the controversy, received both favourable and adverse publicity because it is different. ``It is so different that some have likened it to a pop album. Some say the album sounds like rojak and is not fit to deliver the message of Islam. We tried to be more adventurous and experimented on progressive music, introduced string instruments and even world music. Rabbani dares to incorporate the typical middle-eastern music and other music genres like contemporary, pop, ethnic and traditional,'' said Asri Ibrahim, the spokesman and vocalist of Rabbani.
Rabbani consists of seven singers - Azadan, Loqman, Rahmat, Asri Ibrahim, Zulkifly, Rithaudeen and Asri Ubat, and five musicians - Hamzah, Nazrul, Afendi, Azizan and Aminuddin.
Those who have been following the progress of Rabbani will notice that this nasyid group started introducing new sounds in their first album itself. But these became more apparent in the group's last album Pergi Tak Kembali.
``The approach for this album was more global. This contemporary nasyid album had traditional elements and also synthesisers with authentic classical nasyid sounds,'' Asri explained.
Just for the record, Pergi Tak Kembali, Rabbani's hottest selling song to date, was composed by the talented KRU brothers. If you know the kind of music KRU churns out, you will probably understand why this
particular song came under attack. The catchy song which has a touch of ``boy band'' sound to it soon grows on the listener. Within weeks of its release, it hit the No.1 spot on the radio charts.
It looks like Intifada will repeat the success of Pergi Tak Kembali, given its frequent airplay. ``We are very proud of Intifada because the music featured is universal. Listeners have to familiarise themselves with our brand of nasyid as what we are doing is trying to progress gradually. By doing this, we are not trying to deviate from our main purpose of spreading Islam's message through music.''
Intifada comprises the tracks Insaf, 7 Hari, Cahaya, Lailatul Qadar, Doa Dan Pujian, Kawan, Cari Pasangan, Ayah Ibu and Nawaitu.
Rabbani has always struck its fans as a unique nasyid group because, firstly, it is the only nasyid group with so many members, 12 to be exact. Secondly, it is the only nasyid group that is adventurous enough to experiment with sounds. Once, they adapted the traditional ulek mayang (a traditional folk song which supposedly wards off evil spirits) and the Kelantanese Wau Bulan for their nasyid songs namely Zikir Kifarah and Ingat 5 Sebelum 5.
Despite having the new formula in all their albums, this group which was formerly known as Nada Murni insists that it is a typical nasyid group. ``Our music may be different but our aspirations are the same as those of any other nasyid group - to appeal to everyone.''
Rabbani's rise to popularity began in 1997 with the launch of its debut album, Assalamualaikum, produced by Ustaz Sohibul Fadil Haji Sabikin and for which it received its first platinum award. A year later, Rabbani released its second album, Arah Dari Mana ... Kemana? which had the hit tune Bidadari.
Later the same year, Rabbani joined forces with the Harakat Madani group and the famous Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) to cut Muhammad Ya Habibi in conjunction with Maulidur Rasul (Prophet Muhammad's birthday).
Then came Pergi Tak Kembali, followed by Iqrar 1421 (a compilation album which features 16 of its best hit songs).
With Intifada, Rabbani is set to rock the boat again. With a strong pool of artistic talents in the form of composers LY, KRU, Azmeer, Bong and Pak Ngah, Intifada is indeed an eye-opener. ``It's more universal and definitely more commercial,'' said Asri.
It is this commercial slant that the group's detractors are unhappy about.
During the launching of Intifada recently, three speakers - Ustaz Hj Hassan Mahmud Al Hafiz, Fahrol Mohd Juoi and Prof Madya Hajjah Fakhriah Datuk Hj Lokman, all authorities on Islamic music and Islam - discussed Rabbani's work in a forum called Di Manakah Ketulenan dan Arah Lagu Nasyid Kini? (Where's the Authenticity and Direction of Nasyid Now?)
Ustaz Hassan said that while it is wrong to brand a certain nasyid halal or haram (acceptable or unacceptable in Islam), nasyid groups should not forget the true reason for their existence. ``Including percussion or other musical instruments is fine. What is wrong is when the intention to do good (niat) goes awry.''
Prof Madya Fakhriah feels that it is all right for nasyid groups or singers to resort to different forms of music as long as the intended message is conveyed.
Whatever reasons cited by the religious authorities, the fact remains that Intifada is getting tremendous airplay for the simple reason that its songs are unique, and uniqueness is what sells!
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 9/4/2001
But the truth of the matter is that Intifada (which, loosely translated, means ``uprising''), Rabbani's fourth and latest album that was caught in the controversy, received both favourable and adverse publicity because it is different. ``It is so different that some have likened it to a pop album. Some say the album sounds like rojak and is not fit to deliver the message of Islam. We tried to be more adventurous and experimented on progressive music, introduced string instruments and even world music. Rabbani dares to incorporate the typical middle-eastern music and other music genres like contemporary, pop, ethnic and traditional,'' said Asri Ibrahim, the spokesman and vocalist of Rabbani.
Rabbani consists of seven singers - Azadan, Loqman, Rahmat, Asri Ibrahim, Zulkifly, Rithaudeen and Asri Ubat, and five musicians - Hamzah, Nazrul, Afendi, Azizan and Aminuddin.
Those who have been following the progress of Rabbani will notice that this nasyid group started introducing new sounds in their first album itself. But these became more apparent in the group's last album Pergi Tak Kembali.
``The approach for this album was more global. This contemporary nasyid album had traditional elements and also synthesisers with authentic classical nasyid sounds,'' Asri explained.
Just for the record, Pergi Tak Kembali, Rabbani's hottest selling song to date, was composed by the talented KRU brothers. If you know the kind of music KRU churns out, you will probably understand why this
particular song came under attack. The catchy song which has a touch of ``boy band'' sound to it soon grows on the listener. Within weeks of its release, it hit the No.1 spot on the radio charts.
It looks like Intifada will repeat the success of Pergi Tak Kembali, given its frequent airplay. ``We are very proud of Intifada because the music featured is universal. Listeners have to familiarise themselves with our brand of nasyid as what we are doing is trying to progress gradually. By doing this, we are not trying to deviate from our main purpose of spreading Islam's message through music.''
Intifada comprises the tracks Insaf, 7 Hari, Cahaya, Lailatul Qadar, Doa Dan Pujian, Kawan, Cari Pasangan, Ayah Ibu and Nawaitu.
Rabbani has always struck its fans as a unique nasyid group because, firstly, it is the only nasyid group with so many members, 12 to be exact. Secondly, it is the only nasyid group that is adventurous enough to experiment with sounds. Once, they adapted the traditional ulek mayang (a traditional folk song which supposedly wards off evil spirits) and the Kelantanese Wau Bulan for their nasyid songs namely Zikir Kifarah and Ingat 5 Sebelum 5.
Despite having the new formula in all their albums, this group which was formerly known as Nada Murni insists that it is a typical nasyid group. ``Our music may be different but our aspirations are the same as those of any other nasyid group - to appeal to everyone.''
Rabbani's rise to popularity began in 1997 with the launch of its debut album, Assalamualaikum, produced by Ustaz Sohibul Fadil Haji Sabikin and for which it received its first platinum award. A year later, Rabbani released its second album, Arah Dari Mana ... Kemana? which had the hit tune Bidadari.
Later the same year, Rabbani joined forces with the Harakat Madani group and the famous Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) to cut Muhammad Ya Habibi in conjunction with Maulidur Rasul (Prophet Muhammad's birthday).
Then came Pergi Tak Kembali, followed by Iqrar 1421 (a compilation album which features 16 of its best hit songs).
With Intifada, Rabbani is set to rock the boat again. With a strong pool of artistic talents in the form of composers LY, KRU, Azmeer, Bong and Pak Ngah, Intifada is indeed an eye-opener. ``It's more universal and definitely more commercial,'' said Asri.
It is this commercial slant that the group's detractors are unhappy about.
During the launching of Intifada recently, three speakers - Ustaz Hj Hassan Mahmud Al Hafiz, Fahrol Mohd Juoi and Prof Madya Hajjah Fakhriah Datuk Hj Lokman, all authorities on Islamic music and Islam - discussed Rabbani's work in a forum called Di Manakah Ketulenan dan Arah Lagu Nasyid Kini? (Where's the Authenticity and Direction of Nasyid Now?)
Ustaz Hassan said that while it is wrong to brand a certain nasyid halal or haram (acceptable or unacceptable in Islam), nasyid groups should not forget the true reason for their existence. ``Including percussion or other musical instruments is fine. What is wrong is when the intention to do good (niat) goes awry.''
Prof Madya Fakhriah feels that it is all right for nasyid groups or singers to resort to different forms of music as long as the intended message is conveyed.
Whatever reasons cited by the religious authorities, the fact remains that Intifada is getting tremendous airplay for the simple reason that its songs are unique, and uniqueness is what sells!
BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 9/4/2001
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