A ROUSING FIRST FOR SHEILA

NOT one accustomed to jazz and R&B, my fling with this genre of music last weekend surprisingly proved to be quite inspiring.

With no enthusiasm for an evening of jazz, regardless of who the singer was, it was expected to be a challenging affair trying to appreciate an ``unfamiliar'' genre of music.

But after being there for two hours at South-East Asia's premier venue for classical music, the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP), this writer is won over by the memorable experience of watching Sheila Majid's jazz concert.

Watching Sheila creates history that evening when she became the first local singer to perform at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, Malaysia's first hall dedicated to classical concert, was a proud moment to cherish.

Sheila is the last singer to perform in the jazz series for the 1999/2000 season of the DFP after the last three slots Aseana, Australian trumpeteer James Morrison and Japanese musician Terumasa Hino.

For true fans, Sheila's trademark in blending jazz and R&B flavour is undisputed. They admire and idolise the very sight of this adorable, petite singer who they claim has vocals likened to a small dynamite.

Evidence of their claim was there for everyone to witness last Friday evening. Her voice in rendering Beyond the Sea, Ada-Ada Sahaja and Dia was not only power-packed but also melodious.

The appreciative crowd applauded in between songs and whistled and cheered.

Sheila was clad elegantly in a black evening dress by designer Andrew Gan with her coiffure styled by Andy Ho. It was a near-perfect picture. Sheila looked every inch the dainty and pretty cili padi diva that she is. The sparkling diamonds, courtesy of Habib Jewels, completed the picture of glamour.

That was the first of her two-night concert and all 865 tickets were sold out. To add to the grandeur of the evening, the King and Queen graced the occasion and presented Sheila an immense bouquet right after she sang her medley of Diana Ross songs.

``I grew up listening to Diana Ross and Dionne Warwick. These are my favourites. I started singing when I was 10 and I'm `25','' joked the affable singer who made many laugh with her straight from-the-heart anecdotes.

Then she moved on to the next part of her programme which was a tribute to the late, legendary and matchless Tan Sri P. Ramlee. Her fresh interpretation of the melancholic and intense Getaran Jiwa went down well with the crowd who cheered and clapped wildly at the end of the song.

It was a clever and relatively simple arrangement which certainly gave the song a unique feel.

Sheila then announced that her following numbers would not be jazz ``I know this is a jazz series but I am going to sing a few of my old songs all the same.''

When Sheila crooned the soothing Legenda and Aku Cinta Padamu, she made her voice sandpapery which made the two songs more polished and soulful.

Still, the performance could not have been as delightful if not for the musicians who provided that extra gusto for the evening. The musicians were brilliant and outstanding but this was only to be expected as they are each accomplished in his own right. They were musical director Mac Chew on keyboards, Lewis Pragasam on drums, John Bourque on trumpet, Steve Thornton on percussions, Christy Smith on double bass, Randy Bernsen on guitar, Greg Lyons on saxophone and flute and Jan Mortensen on bass trombone.

Lending zest to Sheila's silky voice were the faultless back-up vocals of Indonesians Chandra Satria, Lucia Palupi and Nidya R. Kalangie.

Sheila's next song was Ku Mohon (I Pray) the lyrics of which she wrote. The sentimental song which received four awards at the Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM) this year Best Song of the Year, Musical Arrangement, Pop Album and Album Cover was a real charmer. The leisurely manner in which the song was delivered coupled with a distinct ``Sheila style'' gave Ku Mohon that extra edge.

When Sheila tackled the medley of Dionne Warwick's songs, the crowd got excited. The familiar tunes and the jazzy treatment of the songs were quite unexpected and made many sit up.

Sheila ended her two-hour performance with the encore songs Antara Anyir dan Jakarta and Warna. She was given a standing ovation, a befitting response to a seasoned singer who has always retained her brand of class and style.

Everyone was full of praise for Sheila that evening. The concert taught me one thing there are no boundaries when it comes to appreciating good music. The genre of music is immaterial because the experience itself is really worthwhile.

For the performer, the chance to sing at the posh philharmonic hall was a golden opportunity. Seriously, other deserving local artistes should follow suit for the simple reason that the DFP is Malaysian and it should not discriminate against home-grown talents. Be selective if you must but don't deprive top-notch local talents of this life-time experience.

BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 5/7/2000