My first photoshoot with Gang Starz, how celebrities gossip, and the Tribute To Sudirman Concert (with comments from Datuk Siti & Fauziah Nawi).

Another whirlwind week! Where do I start?

Thursday was fun because Maple and I got to do a photoshoot with all the Gang Starz contestants. Let me tell you a secret. It’s hard work posing for the camera. Really! We started at noon and only finished the last shot just before 5pm and I was totally knackered. We were interviewed in between shots and I really can’t remember what I said. I rambled and waffled mostly. Something I’m pretty good at.

We also had to ‘fake’ different poses and here’s one where I’m supposedly ‘scolding’ The Lima. Something I’m pretty good at too. The ‘scolding’ bit.

Of course, Maple was in her element and posed happily. Well, she’s got nice legs.

After the shoot we decided we needed strong coffee. Twenty minutes later we were at Chinos KLCC and met up with Ning and the gang.

And that’s Yanie with Sasha.

And if you ever wondered how celebrities gossip, take a look.

Three groups from Gang Starz jointly won the weekly challenge and the prize this week was dinner with Ning at Tamarind Springs, a lovely Indochine restaurant set in one of the last enclaves of jungles in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. So after coffee, we went over to Tamarind Springs, jointly owned and managed by Maple and her Italian husband, Federico. It was magical!

Friday was just as busy with rehearsals and meetings and tons of office work. And more meetings.

Today was breezy. Ning will be singing at the Tribute To Sudirman Concert tomorrow and tonight was full dress rehearsal.

Actor and theatre guru Fauziah Nawi enthralled us with her anecdotes. Here’s a short clip of her re-telling her friendship with the late Sudirman.



Datuk Siti also paid tribute to Sudirman.



Fauziah Nawi, Ning, Datuk Siti Nurhaliza and Jaclyn shared a dressing room and we had so much fun chatting away. The girls did their own make-up.

Ning posed with the children who will be singing along with Datuk Siti.

Spotted backstage:

Spoilers!

The Tribute To Sudirman Concert will be aired live on RTM1 at 8.30pm Sunday night (1st April). But watch Gang Starz on TV3 at 9pm :-)

I need a holiday. Or a very big diamond ring.

I think I'm finally recovering from the weekend. I've found very little time to blog these past few days so I'm forcing myself to scribble this entry.

How was my day? Routine. Two meetings, a press conference, an interview and a party. In that order.

My first meeting was with a stupid person who wanted my girls to perform DRAMA at his club for a third of their going rate. I had met him before and we had agreed on a price but he insisted on meeting again, at his grubby office. So I acquiesced.

Me: So, have you decided to turn the event into a charity show in aid of a cause?

Stupid Person: No.

Me: You're still selling normal entrance tickets?

Stupid Person: Yes.

Me: Then why should I reduce my price for you?

Stupid Person: Long term business?

Me: AH! The magic words! Let's sign a 12 year contract right here right now.

Stupid Person: Err...cannot lah. Just one show only lah.

Me: I really have to go. I'm late for my next meeting with a very important person.

Why do people insist on thinking that I am stupid? And why do they insist on being even more stupid themselves?

My next meeting was with a very important person. He wore a nice crisp suit, wrote his notes with a Mont Blanc pen (the latest model), ordered tea, and spoke in a measured tone with authority and clarity. He's not stupid like my previous appointment. Far from it. In fact, he's very clever and showed me several drafts of his work. I love working with smart people. They make my life so much more exciting. We planned and strategised and shook hands.

At 5pm I arrived an hour late for the AIM press conference, the Malaysian music industry's most prestigious awards. My girls were already working the room and so I had to catch up.

You see, we have a simple strategy for working the room wherever we go. Ning will corner the most influential journalists and ring them into a corner and regale them with whatever they want to hear. Whilst they are kept busy, I would be cornering the decision-makers and getting the low-down on the latest, sometimes with my handphone recorder in my breast-pocket switched ON. Evidence. Nikki and Yanie would be at their respective battle stations posing with the photographers and keeping them busy. And Azmie (our new promotions and publicity manager) would be culling the room for the latest juicy gossip as valuable blackmail material. Machiavellian? Absolutely.

DRAMA made it into the top 5 nominations for the Song Of The Year category. Now how about that!!! Audi Mok the composer couldn't make it for the press conference but Ad Samad came, and here he is posing with the girls.

Nikki's CARAMU music video also made it into the Best Music Video category! Woohooo!

After the press conference, I rushed over to NSTP for an interview with Berita Minggu, the Sunday edition of Berita Harian. How convenient that I was already in a viciously foul mood, thanks to the jam, and my words were short, severe and to the point. So buy the papers this coming Sunday. I have a story to tell. Evidence attached. Never mess with Mr. Manager unless you want utter annihilation.

After the interview, I went over to Harian Metro where I found these three girls loudly cackling away...

It was the 16th Anniversary of the Harian Metro and we came along to celebrate with them. I stayed for a bit and enjoyed the food. Then I dragged myself home, tired and sleepy. Too much going on in my head at the moment. I need a holiday. Or a very big diamond ring. Brand new, of course. And nothing less than a flawless D colour. Princess cut.

I reached home just in time to watch American Idol. It wasn't spectacular and only Melinda, Blake and Chris Richardson managed to impress me. These three gorgeous puppies can already cut their albums as far as I am concerned. They've got what it takes. Gina and Phil surprisingly did very well, and so they should, at this stage in the competition. Jordin wasn't wild enough. Haley and Sligh can just go home for all I care and please can somebody shoot or incarcerate Sanjaya. The boy is a certified freak. (Please don't hate me, Dan)

Oh, I forgot Lakisha. Just as well, she's becoming forgettable.

And in other news...

'Little Divas' taruhan Ning Baizura
Oleh Wanda Idris
Utusan MEGA 27 Mac 2007


NING BAIZURA bekerja keras untuk membentuk Nikki dan Yanie menjadi bintang.

LAGU Drama benar-benar memberikan impak kepada penampilan Ning Baizura bersama protegenya, Nikki dan Yanie.

Impak itu juga sebenarnya bukan sahaja berjaya mengekalkan kedudukan Ning sebagai antara artis top negara malah sekali gus turut memperkenalkan anak didiknya, Nikki, bekas peserta Malaysian Idol musim pertama dan Yanie, Mentor musim pertama.

Lebih penting, Drama membuka mata dan bukti bahawa seorang mentor mampu bekerjasama dengan protegenya.

Pertaruhan lagu-lagu kolaborasi seperti Caramu (Nikki dan Zahid) dan Saling Terpesona (Yanie dan Diddy) pula boleh dianggap berjaya mengukuhkan kedudukan anak didiknya itu dalam mengharungi dunia seni.

Namun kata Ning Baizura yang terkenal dengan gelaran diva R&B serta menguruskan syarikat pengurusannya, Ning & Associates, bukan mudah membina nama anak-anak didiknya itu.

“Semuanya adalah tentang naluri. Saya melihat mereka dan dapat melihat potensi dalam bidang ini. Mereka berbakat besar.

“Dan saya mengikut naluri hati saya dalam usaha untuk menyerlahkan bakat mereka kepada khalayak,” kata Ning Baizura.

Tegas dan menyakinkan. Tetapi dalam masa yang sama, Ning memberitahu, dia harus berani mengambil risiko untuk mengenengahkan kemampuan bakat baru seperti anak-anak kelahiran Sabah itu.

“Saya tidak boleh mendengar kata-kata orang, tidak kira sama ada komen yang bagus atau yang tidak tentang mereka.

“Tetapi saya percaya pada konsep cuba dahulu. Melalui pengalaman yang ada, saya amat menekankan mengenai interaksi dan komunikasi dan dengan cara bekerja begitulah saya berani dan yakin untuk mengenengahkan mereka,” ujar Ning yang mempunyai pengalaman lebih sedekad dalam mengharungi dunia seni.

“Tetapi pengalaman orang adalah berlainan antara satu sama lain. Justeru pengalaman saya hanyalah satu pedoman buat mereka. Sebagai landasan, saya menitik beratkan soal memberi ilmu selain nasihat berguna,” tambah penyanyi bersuara soprano mengenai caranya menjaga Nikki dan Yanie.

Tidak menafikan bahawa kesangsian bersarang di hati saat mengambil keputusan ‘menjaga’ Nikki dan Yanie tetapi keyakinan terhadap kehebatan bakat dan suara mereka memberikannya satu dorongan kuat.

Daripada kosong, Ning membentuk anak didiknya dengan sabar. Diberi tunjuk ajar bukan sahaja daripada segi vokal, malah penampilan diri dan gaya tidak ditinggalkan.

“Sebenarnya diri mereka (Nikki dan Yanie) sendiri pada awalnya kurang berkeyakinan terhadap bakat masing-masing.

“Tetapi saya tekankan kepada mereka, harus berprinsip dan jika melakukan sesuatu, jangan buat 100 peratus sebaliknya 120 peratus.

“Kerja kuat, itu resipi jika mahu berjaya dan paling penting jangan menyombong diri,” tegas Ning.

Menganggap hubungan antara dia, Nikki dan Yanie seperti kakak dan adik, kata Ning, setiap seorang yang menjadi artis di Artistes United Records yang bernaung di bawah pengurusan Ning & Associates itu, adalah ibarat sebuah keluarga.

“Mereka masih baru. Nikki misalnya baru dua tahun bergelumang dalam bidang nyanyian dan Yanie pula baru setahun.

“Tapi peningkatan kerjaya mereka memberansangkan dan saya akui berbangga dengan prestasi mereka.

“Nikki saya lihat amat fokus dengan bidang nyanyian dan Yanie pula seorang gadis yang aktif. Dia mahu melakukan semua dan kini semakin dikenali pula dalam bidang lakonan apabila terlibat sama dalam sitkom Fara.

“Syarikat dan saya cuba melakukan terbaik untuk mereka, tinggal mereka sahaja yang melaksanakan tanggungjawab dengan sempurna,” kata Ning.

Menggelarkan anak-anak didiknya sebagai `little diva’, Ning mengakui terpaksa bekerja keras untuk memastikan nama mereka dikenali.

Dan lagu Drama merupakan platform yang membuahkan hasil memberansangkan, malah kemasyhurannya begitu menyerlah apabila tiga serangkai itu mempersembahkan lagu ciptaan Audi Mok dan lirik oleh Ad Samad pada malam kemuncak Anugerah Era tahun lalu dengan penuh drama.

Dengan pengenalan lagu menjurus elemen sentuhan Mozart bagi lagu Rondo Alla Turca, Drama kukuh daripada segi komposisi muzik dan penampilan pendukung vokal kala di pentas.

Namun Drama mempunyai ceritanya sendiri. Ia dihasilkan khusus untuk Anugerah Era apabila Pengurus Program Era, Rustam Said meminta single baru dan ‘gempak’ dengan tempoh masa yang diberikan hanya seminggu.

“Idea bukan sesuatu yang boleh dipaksa tetapi kami bertuah kerana Audi dan Ad hanya menyiapkan lagu dan liriknya itu dalam masa tiga hari sahaja.

“Awal perancangannya, ia sepatutnya single saya secara solo tetapi saya berfikir mahu mengenengahkan mereka dalam masa yang sama mahu orang bercakap tentangnya.

“Ideanya timbul ketika duduk-duduk bersama Audi dalam kereta dan judul awalnya ialah Dramatari. Orang pertama yang mendengar keseluruhan lagu ini ialah Kudsia Kahar dan ia menyukainya.

“Namun sebenarnya maklum balas pertama tentang lagu ini kami peroleh daripada M. Nasir dan dia menganjurkan agar lagu itu diberi tajuk Drama.

“Oleh kerana ia sebuah lagu yang menampilkan tiga penyanyi, timbul pula masalah siapa yang nak menyanyi dulu. Akhirnya rakaman suara dijalankan secara rangkap demi rangkap. Banyak ad-lib dan teknik opera yang digunakan Nikki merupakan permintaannya,” cerita Ning yang mengakui untuk menulis lagu itu sukar kerana perlu menonjolkan tiga gaya nyanyian yang berbeza.

Menggunakan formula yang sama dengan lagu Drama, lagu-lagu duet Nikki dan Yanie digubah dengan susunan muzik berentak rancak.

“Kita nampak strategi itu diterima dan saya berbangga kerana mereka kini berjalan di landasan,” ujar Ning lagi.

Kini kata Ning, Nikki melancarkan semula album Maharani dalam pakej baru memuatkan 21 buah lagu yang turut menampilkan dua klip video bonus untuk lagu Drama dan Caramu versi remix.

“Selepas itu baru album penuh Yanie dipasarkan. Kini hanya tinggal empat lagi lagu untuk dirakamkan dan antara komposer yang terbabit dalam album itu ialah Aidit Alfian, Audi Mok, Sharon Paul, Hazami dan Helen Yap,” tambah Ning yang bakal berkolaborasi dengan Nikki dan Yanie pada satu persembahan Minggu Setiausaha di Hotel Sheraton Subang and Towers, Subang Jaya pada 5 April ini.

Jawab, jangan tak jawab!: 'Kalau tidak tahan dijentik usah jadi artis'
Oleh Zul Husni Abdul Hamid
Berita Harian 28 Mac 2007

Kritikan pedas, pemerhatian tajam Vernon banyak bantu peserta pertingkatkan mutu persembahan.

UMUM mengenalinya sebagai individu yang mengangkat kembali nama penyanyi popular, Ning Baizura selepas melalui episod gelap dalam karier nyanyiannya. Malah kebijaksanaannya merencana perjalanan seni Ning, cabang profesion penyanyi itu turut mengalami evolusi.

Sejak lebih setahun lalu, usaha mereka bersama mengorak nama baru dalam industri hiburan. Menubuhkan Artiste United Records, Ning bersama pengurusnya, Vernon Kedit Jolly, dua nama yang berpengalaman ini mendidik bakat baru untuk diperkenalkan kepada peminat hiburan.

Berkat kesungguhan mereka, nama dua bintang muda iaitu Nikki dan Yanie semakin harum di persada seni. Mutakhir ini, nama Vernon mula menjadi sebutan apabila dipilih menerajui program realiti yang bertujuan mencungkil bakat baru vokal berkumpulan, Gang Starz.

Bersama Arab dan Maple Loo, kritikan pedas dan pemerhatian tajam Vernon banyak membantu peserta mempertingkatkan mutu persembahan mereka.

Siapa Vernon? Rakan niaga Ning sejak penubuhan Ning & Associates pada 2001 ini mempunyai Ijazah Sarjana Muda Undang-Undang dari Universiti Staffordshire, United Kingdom (UK) (1984-1987). Minatnya terhadap ilmu tidak terhenti setakat itu. Vernon seterusnya mendalami pengajian muzik hingga memperoleh Ijazah Sarjana Muda Muzik dari Royal School of Church Music, UK (1988-1991).

Dengan latar belakang yang meyakinkan, tidak hairan mengapa anak Sarawak ini menjadi pilihan utama TV3 untuk berada dalam senarai tiga pengkritik tetap program yang menyatukan peserta dari tiga negara - Malaysia, Indonesia dan Singapura.

Hip bertanyakan Vernon sejauh mana peranan juri mempengaruhi audiens dalam membuat penilaian peserta yang layak dinobatkan sebagai juara.

Hip: Apakah kritikan juri berkesan hingga mampu mempengaruhi audiens membuat penilaian?

Vernon: Pertanyaan ini agak sukar untuk dijawab. Ini kerana sesetengah audiens sudah mempunyai peserta pilihan mereka sendiri. Agak sukar untuk merobohkan kekuatan sokongan mereka kerana audiens begini akan tetap mengundi. Tidak kira bagaimana peserta membuat persembahan, nyanyian sumbang atau tidak malah walaupun juri memberi kritikan pedas, ia tidak akan memberi apa-apa kesan. Mereka akan tetap mengundi. Namun, ia agak berbeza jika membabitkan audiens yang tidak terlalu fanatik. Mereka hanya mengundi peserta yang difikirkan mempunyai kualiti dan berbakat besar untuk diketengahkan dalam industri. Untuk kelompok audiens yang seperti ini, kritikan juri sedikit sebanyak akan mempengaruhi mereka ketika membuat penilaian.

Hip: Apakah impaknya sudah dirasakan?

Vernon: Sukar juga untuk dinilai apatah lagi pusingan penyingkiran Gang Starz baru saja bermula. Impaknya masih belum ketara. Mungkin selepas dua atau tiga proses penyingkiran, baru kita dapat melihat bagaimana aliran pengundian penonton. Jujurnya pemarkahan antara tiga juri profesional tidak banyak beza. Biasanya kami akan berbincang sebelum proses pemarkahan dibuat. Namun, jika ditanya mengenai undian khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS) penonton, sukar untuk ditelah.

Hip: Daripada pemerhatian anda, adakah audiens bersikap adil ketika mengundi peserta?

Vernon: Mereka bersikap adil. Contohnya, selama ini kumpulan The Lima sering mendapat markah yang memberangsangkan. Dan itu juga tidak jauh beza dengan mata yang diberikan juri profesional. Daripada reaksi penonton di dewan kita sudah dapat mengagak mereka akan menerima undian yang besar. Ternyata telahan kami tepat dan ketika pusingan penyingkiran pertama, mereka memperoleh mata tertinggi. Ini bermakna penonton bersikap adil walaupun mereka sebenarnya mempunyai hak untuk menaikkan nama peserta tempatan.

Hip: Wajarkah peranan juri profesional dipertikai dan diperdebatkan?

Vernon: Dalam hal ini saya lebih senang mengambil sikap buang yang keruh ambil yang jernih. Sebagai juri kami ada perlu ada pendirian, bukan sewenang-wenangnya melontarkan kritikan. Setiap kritikan yang diberikan pula dibuat atas dasar tanggungjawab. Tanggungjawab kepada rancangan itu, stesen televisyen yang memilih kami dan juga peserta yang bertanding. Kami memberikan komen mengikut pecahan kriteria. Setiap komen yang dibuat perlu ada etika. Bukan memberi komen membuta tuli.

Hip: Di mana kredibiliti juri apabila ada peserta yang secara lantang mempertikai kemampuan anda?

Vernon: Itu hak mereka. Secara peribadi, saya tidak mahu terlalu serius memikirkan soal itu kerana mereka berhak untuk berkata apa saja. Sebagai juri yang dipilih TV3, saya hanya menjalankan tanggungjawab dengan baik. Kalau mereka tidak mahu menerima teguran dan kritikan yang diberikan, kami tidak rugi apa-apa. Kami sekadar mahu berkongsi ilmu dan pengalaman. Jika mereka tidak mahu terima, mereka yang rugi. Kami tidak hilang apa-apa.

Hip: Mengapa kritikan hanya berlegar kepada perkara asas, tidak menggambarkan keseluruhan persembahan peserta?

Vernon: Masa yang diberikan kepada kami begitu terhad sekadar 15 saat. Justeru, kami perlu pantas mencari perkataan yang tepat dan sesuai untuk merangkumkan komen keseluruhan persembahan. Dalam keadaan tertentu, komen yang dilontarkan lebih menjurus kepada perkara asas. Bagaimanapun, kami tidak meninggalkan peserta begitu saja. Kritikan ringkas hanya untuk siaran televisyen tetapi jika mereka ingin mendapat penjelasan lanjut, mereka boleh menemui kami selesai siaran langsung. Malah, rakaman itu juga turut disiarkan di kaca televisyen. Kalau mahu kritikan yang terlalu mendalam, ia mengambil masa yang panjang.

Hip: Perlukah juri bermulut celupar untuk memastikan kritikan mereka berbekas?

Vernon: Satu saja yang saya mahu ingatkan peserta program realiti. Kalau mereka tidak boleh menerima teguran, jangan bercita-cita mahu menjadi artis. Apabila bergelar artis nanti, lebih banyak kritikan dan teguran yang diterima. Bukan hanya di kalangan orang keliling, pihak di luar juga lebih kejam dalam membuat penilaian. Audiens mempunyai banyak pilihan, sudah tentu mereka mengharapkan artis yang berkualiti. Semua ini asam garam kehidupan artis. Mungkin kritikan kami pedas tetapi kami tidak berniat untuk menjatuhkan mereka. Kami ‘basuh’ mereka supaya tercabar untuk memberikan yang lebih baik dan mampu bersaing dengan peserta yang jauh lebih hebat. Itu niat kami.

Hip: Adakah peserta program realiti ini terlalu dimanjakan?

Vernon: Mereka memang terlalu dimanjakan. Apabila sudah dilambung dengan pujian, dijentik sikit sudah ada yang melenting. Habis bagaimana mereka hendak membina benteng pertahanan diri yang kukuh? Kalau dijentik sikit sudah tidak boleh terima, bagaimana hendak menjadi anak seni sejati? Namun merujuk kepada Gang Starz, mereka mungkin bernasib baik kerana dididik daripada awal supaya berdikari. Mereka didedahkan dengan realiti sebenar dunia hiburan dan ini dapat menguatkan diri mereka untuk berdepan dengan pelbagai cabaran. Saya akui ada kalanya agak tegas melontarkan komen terutama terhadap peserta Malaysia. Saya mahu mereka jadi hebat, mampu menyaingi dan berdiri sebaris dengan peserta luar. Saya asuh mereka supaya berjiwa teguh dan apabila keluar nanti, mereka mampu berdiri gagah. Mungkin ada sesetengah pihak yang tidak nampak semua ini.

ULASAN KONSERT KEDUA AF5 & THE OFFICIAL DAFI FC

Pengumuman Terkini: Konsert Ketiga AF5 akan disiarkan secara langsung pada hari Ahad 1 April bermula jam 1.30 petang.

The Official Dafi FC (Kelab Rasmi Peminat Peminat Dafi) telah ditubuhkan dengan rasminya petang tadi oleh keluarga Dafi serta penyokong penyokong kanan Dafi. Nama yang diberikan kepada kelab peminat Dafi adalah 'The Official Dafi FC'.

Nazie (President Sementara) dan Nana (Penasihat Kanan)

Untuk sementara waktu, ahli-ahli jawatankuasa PROTEM COMMITTEE The Official Dafi FC adalah seperti berikut:

Penaung : MUHAINI BT ZAINAL ABIDIN (Ibu Dafi)

Penasihat Kanan: NANA

President Sementara: NOR NAZIEMAH BT HASHIM (Aunty Dafi)

Vice-President Sementara: NINA SABRINA ISMAIL SABRI (Kakak Dafi)

Jawatan jawatan lain masih belum ditetapkan. Pengiktirafan sementara telahpun diberikan kepada websites berikut:

dafiaf5.blogspot.com untuk maklumat rasmi, gambar, youtube dan sebagainya.

dafi-fc.com untuk berforum dan sebagainya.

Tagline rasmi The Official Dafi FC ialah "DAFInitely Dafi!"

Pelancaran The Official Dafi FC akan diadakan dalam tempoh penghujung minggu ini dan peminat peminat yang ingin hadir di majlis tersebut diminta menghantar emel secepat mungkin yang melengkapkan nombor talipon kepada writetodafi@yahoo.com.my untuk menerima jemputan rasmi. Majlis pelancaran adalah percuma dan tidak akan mengenakan apa apa bayaran.

Pesanan President Sementara kepada peminat peminat Dafi


Nana sokong Dafi!

KONSERT KEDUA AF5

I apologise for the delay in writing the review for the 2nd concert. Pressing matters kept me busy all weekend; it's not easy juggling a full-time job with judging on another reality show and starting a fan club. My multi-tasking skills and problem-solving methodology were put to the test these past three days and amazingly I've emerged unscathed yet again. Boy, I'm damn good! (berangan kan?!!)

Armchair critics abound and I'm no different, so feel free to skip my review of the concert last week. But, if you insist...


CANDY - Semua Jadi Satu (3 Diva)

One of the most confident performances of the night and what a way to start off the show. Candy showed us style and attitude and as I was just beginning to enjoy her unique voice, the energy level in her performance dropped. Then it peaked, and then it dropped again. If there's one thing I cannot stand it is inconsistency. Nevertheless, a confident performance with very little tuning or timing problems.


RIZAL - Kembali Merindu (Slam)

Here is a guy with a pleasant tone. Here is also a guy with a permanent look of shock on his face. Unless you have an eccentric taste for the weird, Rizal is not commercial in any way. His distracting jerky moves were just too quirky, and not in a cute way. But at least Rizal tried and for that I give him points for enthusiasm and effort. I have the feeling he's leaving us soon.


EBI - Bailamos (Enrique Iglesias)

This is a perfect example of how to butcher the English language, and look like a clown whilst doing it. Honestly, Ebi's tone isn't all that great, and neither are his much touted looks. His tuning was horrendously out, veering into the dangerous territory of wrong notes. His contrived and overdone 'sexy' performance made him look stupid. And that hair really has to go. But the icing on the cake was when the little belly-dancing girl came on stage to join him, and he began gyrating in her direction. Can someone please enlighten me on the concept?


HELIZA - Aku Bukan Untukmu (Rossa)

I feel sorry for Heliza. It's not her fault that she sounds like Datuk Siti Nurhaliza. But it is very much her fault for pandering to the idea. Heliza did put in a good effort for a difficult song but if truth be told, her pitch was quite bad in places and her feel didn't match the beauty of the melody. It was pretty apparent that the song was just way too big for Heliza. The song ate her.


AIZAT - Basket Case (Green Day)

Well done Aizat for singing mostly in tune and almost in flawless American. Aizat told a story and I totally understood him. His energy levels were high and he's entertaining. Nevertheless, I just cannot help feel that he lacks that X factor. It's pretty unfair for people to knock him just because he doesn't come from a humble background. Should a kid be penalised just because his father is not poor?


FATIN - Bila Rindu Ku Sebut Namamu (Siti Fairuz)

This is a voice for the mass market. The dangdut market, to be precise. I almost thought I was at a Government dinner function and we were being served the 3rd course and some kombo kugiran kebudayaan was putting up a performance and Fatin was the pretty lead singer. Seriously. Fatin can sing, no doubt. But Fatin is just plain boring and forgettable. She'll do well at Government functions.


FARHA - Biarkan Aku Menangis (Tommy J. Pissa)

Big boy, big voice. Bright and rich tone that stays in tune. Farha is undoubtedly talented. But you could tell the boy was nervous. His outfit was way too ordinary (someone shoot the stylist!). Despite his excellent vocals and pretty decent interpretation and rendition of the song, Farha somehow didn't exude charisma. Forgettable.


MILA - Gotta Tell You (Samantha Mumba)

I honestly couldn't understand one word that came out of her mouth! Honestly! If Ebi butchered the English language, Mila was probably singing in Swahili (someone shoot the English lecturer!). Her pitch was a quarter tone off the key most of the time and the overall impression of this very bad performance is best summed up in one word: amateur.


AFIQ - Biso Bonar (Hattan)

Another big voice with a tendency to shout. Afiq has a common singing voice. How he made it into the top 16 is still a mystery to me. Hattan must have been very disappointed with this forgettable performance that was boring and didn't go anywhere. Oh well, at least Afiq got to go somewhere in the end.


NONI - Miraie (Kiroro)

Sweet tone, sweet face, sweet voice, sweet dress, sweet song. But NEVER ever wear stockings with open toe heels, dear (someone please shoot the stylist!). Next.


DEKNA - Cinta (Amy Mastura)

She looked the part, sang in tune and in time, and sustained a consistent level of energy till the end. Convincing. Vocally unique. Again, not the prettiest girl in the competition but definitely a face to remember. The best female performance of the night. I like Dekna, despite her awkwardness.


DAFI - Pencinta Wanita (Irwansyah)

Ok, so Dafi got lucky with the perfect song that suited his range, style, personality and charisma. And the audience loved it. The anti-Dafi crowd will loudly disagree with me but secretly they know that his boyish voice, confident attitude and sheer determination for someone so young will bring him far. Dafi is beginning to develop a charming style and charisma that will win him fans as well as haters. So what if he can't sing as well as the others or hasn't got a golden voice? AF isn't a singing competition, it's a popularity competition. Past winners have proven that fact time and again. Dafi wants to win, and I hope he does.


ASWAD - Nak Kahwin Duit Tak Ada (Sweet September)

Why? Geli lah nak komen! Busuk!!!


SHAWAL - Kenangan Mengusik Jiwa (A. Ramlie)

Undeniably the best male vocals of the night. A confident performance that impressed me. This boy is way too tall and tight pants with knobs bulging in certain places isn't quite tasteful. Shoot the stylist once and for all, please!!! The song was delivered sincerely and Shawal had no vocal problems. Here is a singer, finally. Tetapi, sayangnya...oopps!


OVERALL

Generally, there was improvement in the music arrangements of the songs, though I didn't think the students excelled either vocally or performance-wise. They did try and that in itself is commendable. Menuju Puncak was slightly better than last week.

The repertoire for the next concert:

▪ Al Jannah - Mawi oleh Ebi
▪ Melodi Ahlan - Waheeda oleh Heliza
▪ Melukut Di Tepi Gantang - Aishah oleh Mila
▪ Hijau Bumi Tuhan - XPDC oleh Aswad
▪ Terlalu Istimewa - Adibah Noor oleh Candy
▪ Erti Hidup - Dayang Nurfaizah oleh Fatin
▪ Ku Berlari - Firdaus oleh Shawal
▪ Ode to My Family - Cranberries oleh Noni
▪ Aku Tanpa Cinta Mu - Mirwana oleh Dafi
▪ Permaidani - Aris Ariwatan oleh Rizal
▪ Kembara Di Tanah Gersang - Al Jawaher oleh Dekna
▪ Insan - Yantzen oleh Farha
▪ Warisan - Sudirman Hj. Arshad oleh Aizat

Mempersembahkan...MAHARANI Re-Issue

Promo poster designed by Basdavdan

Album cover designed by Isma Yusoof

MAHARANI Re-Issue merangkumi keseluruhan konsep pop disamping mengetengahkan keunikan vokal dimiliki bintang Malaysian Idol, Nicolette Palikat atau lebih manja dengan panggilan Nikki.

Pada awalnya album ini diedarkan pada 28 November 2005 oleh NAR Records. Namun dengan azam serta rangka promosi yang baru album ini dihasilkan kembali supaya lebih segar dan menepati selera peminat melalui edaran Sony BMG. Album ini diedarkan semula pada 28 November 2006 dengan konsep kulit album dan susunan trek lagu yang baru beserta 2 buah klip video.

Album ini menampilkan kekuatan muzik tersendiri dengan pelbagai rentak balada juga rancak. Tidak keterlaluan jika dikatakan MAHARANI memberi nafas baru dan kelainan berbanding muzik pop sedia ada dalam industri muzik tempatan. Jika sebelum ini sebanyak 25 buah lagu dimuatkan, kini ia tampil dengan 21 buah lagu termasuk lagu bonus berjudul ‘Drama’ yang mana Ning menampilkan Nikki & Yanie menyanyi bersamanya.

Tidak terhadap pada itu, mutu dan kekuatan vokal dimiliki Nikki seperti yang diketahui umum turut diuji menerusi lagu pelbagai genre. Tidak hairanlah jika Nikki juga turut memeriahkan majlis-majlis Anugerah dengan persembahannya seperti Anugerah Planet Music 06 di Singapura lagu ‘Caramu’ dan Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian 06 dengan lagu ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ di Genting Highlands. Single pertama penyanyi berbintang scorpio ini berjudul ‘Pinta’ membawa peminat muzik balada di buai dengan kemerduan suaranya. Malah selepas mendengarnya pasti pendengar setuju dengan pendapat mengatakan lagu ini mempunyai kekuatan tersendiri.

Lagu hit kedua pula berjudul ‘Caramu’ menampilkan Zahid sebagai rakan duet turut menjadi perhatian peminat apabila mereka tercalon bagi kategori Vokal Duo Pilihan Anugerah Era 06 dan Artis Duo/ Berkumpulan Popular ABPBH06. Lagu yang berentak Rap & Hio Hop ini benar-benar memberi impak kepada industri muzik tanahair. Selain itu, lagu ini juga layak hingga ke separuh separuh akhir Muzik-Muzik 06 bagi kategori Pop Rock dan mengungguli beberapa carta radio di seluruh tanahair.

‘Imaginasi’ merupakan single terbaru yang dijangka hit. Lagu ini adalah hasil ciptaan Audi Mok dan lirik oleh Nur Fatima. Lagu berentak balada yang membawa mesej imaginasi cinta ini diserikan dengan susunan muzik yang turut ‘menjiwai’ melodi lagu tersebut. Malalui lagu ini Nikki bijak mengawal vokalnya bagi memberikan sedikit kelainan dalam penyampaian dan pastinya akan diminati ramai kelak.

Bagi memantapkan lagi rangka promosi MAHARANI, 2 buah klip video telah pun disiapkan. Klip video tersebut adalah ‘Caramu’ dan ‘Imaginasi’. Yang istimewanya, kedua-dua klip video ini juga turut dimuatkan di dalam album ‘re-issue’ ini dimana tidak boleh didapati di dalam album sebelumnya.

Lagu bonus dan sebagai penghormatan buat tanah kelahirannya, Nikki turut mendendangkan sebuah lagu dalam bahasa ibundanya iaitu bahasa Dusun berjudul Sunudai Oku yang membawa maksud ‘Ucapkan Pada Ku’. Lagu ini yang bertahan sebagai juara selama 3 bulan di Sabah fm memberi satu kenangan indah dan penghargaan buatnya sebagai anak seni.

MAHARANI dijual dengan harga RM15.90 bagi kaset. Bakal peminat turut memperoleh bukan satu sebaliknya 11 lagu bonus menampilkan susunan semula (re-mixes) dan minus one serta 2 klip video asal dalam setiap pembelian CD hanya dengan harga RM29.90.

PERMISSION GRANTED

Permission is granted to EVERYONE to copy and paste the above poster all over blogosphere. Pandai pandai lah korang re-size the poster to fit your side bars and also please stream from your own image hosting site (photobucket, image shack, etc) so as not to eat into my bandwidth. Thank you for loving and promoting Nikki on your respective blogs and sites.

Here are more pics for you to 'steal' and use however you wish, with my fullest permission. Have fun!

Present at the official re-issue party of Nikki's MAHARANI on Thursday 22 March 2007 were the following bloggers, whom I thank deeply from the bottom of my heart:

Ajami

Badrul

Juan Danza

Judd

Kash

KlubbKidd

Mimirinie

Unfortunately, Budiey and SultanMuzaffar could not make it as they were both at work. Tapi harap harap boleh tolong promote gak :-)

Check out this new blog:

DAFI AF5





And halfway across the world, Chris Richardson showed us why he is the next American Idol with the song Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying.



This is what you call impeccable flawless SINGING. Melinda Doolittle sang As Long As He Needs Me.



And 17 year old Jordin Sparks blew me away with I Who Have Nothing.



Blake Lewis's Time Of The Season was simply inspired.



Lakisha and Stephanie disappointed me. Oh dear.

But what the hell was this???

TOLONG TUTUP TELINGA

Me: Kak Ogy, ada orang mempertikaikan kredibiliti saya sebagai hakim untuk rancangan GANG STARZ.

Kak Ogy: Akak ada satu pesanan untuk mereka...TOLONG TUTUP TELINGA!

Me & Kak Ogy: Kakakakakakakakakakah!

DREAMGIRLS!

How can I not be proud of my three girls who appeared on the front covers of the newspapers three days in a row?

And to those who mempertikaikan my credibility, please don't hate me just because I'm efficient :-)

If you didn't get to read about Ning, Nikki and Yanie, respectively, in the papers in the last three days, I've taken the liberty to cut-and-paste the articles here:


TERKENANG DETIK HITAM
Oleh Zul Husni Abdul Hamid
BERITA HARIAN
Selasa 20 Mac 2007

Ning Baizura simpati nasib pereka - Jovian Mandagie

MENGENANG perjalanan awal Jovian Mandagie yang dihimpit kontroversi mengingatkan Ning Baizura akan laluan yang pernah diukirnya dulu.

Saat diri dilambung pujian, impian untuk melebarkan sayap di luar negara pula terbuka luas namun dek tersilap percaturan, dia menerima hukuman yang maha dahsyat.

Disebabkan itu, apabila Jovian dihimpit dugaan, sebagai insan yang dekat dengan pereka muda berkenaan, Ning begitu berharap dia akan berfikiran positif dan menerima apa yang ditakdirkan dengan hati terbuka.

“Ada sebab semua itu berlaku. Saya memahami kesedihan dan kekecewaan Jovian apatah lagi dugaan itu berlaku ketika namanya sedang hebat digilap.

“Saya berharap Jovian positif menerima dugaan ini. Itu bermakna dia berada di landasan yang betul, jalan untuknya semakin terbuka kerana hasil kerjanya kini diperhatikan,” kata Ning.

Penyanyi bervokal soprano itu ialah antara selebriti tempatan yang selesa dengan rekaan pereka kelahiran Indonesia tetapi dibesarkan di Kuala Lumpur itu.

Peristiwa pahit yang menimpa pereka itu apabila rekaannya tidak dapat digayakan penyampai radio Era, Linda Onn ketika Anugerah Academy Ke-79, baru-baru ini begitu menguji.

Akui Ning, kontroversi membawa dua persepsi berbeza. Mungkin membawa kebaikan tetapi jika salah ditangani ia akan memakan diri sendiri.

Berdasarkan pengalamannya, jauh di sudut hatinya dia bersimpati dengan apa yang dilalui Linda Onn. Sebagai artis, Ning mengakui, imej dan keselesaan adalah antara perkara penting yang membantu menyerlahkan keyakinan seseorang selebriti.

“Saya cukup sedih dengan apa yang Linda Onn lalui kerana saya sendiri pernah meniti pengalaman seperti itu. Dia cuma menegakkan prinsip diri dan sebagai orang luar kita perlu menghormati alasannya.

“Mungkin dia tewas di sana tetapi tidak bermakna dia akan terus kalah di sini. Dari sudut moral dia sebenarnya sudah menang kerana berani mempertahankan diri,” katanya.

Ning yang akan beraksi dalam persembahan sempena Minggu Setiausaha di Shangri La Hotel ditemani Adibah Noor dan anak didiknya, Nikki ditemui pada majlis memperkenalkan koleksi Diva rekaan Rafflesia The Pearl Centre di Hotel Park Royal, Kuala Lumpur, baru-baru ini.

Bertemakan Fergalicious Diva In Celebration Of Secretaries, majlis makan tengah hari yang akan berlangsung pada 12 April itu menyaksikan Ning menggayakan dua rekaan pereka berusia 21 tahun itu serta koleksi Diva bernilai RM380,000.

“Jovian ialah antara pereka muda yang saya kagumi. Dia kreatif dan paling penting, rekaannya sentiasa membuat saya anggun dan selesa.

“Saya yakin dengan kemampuannya dan biarpun masih baru, Jovian berjaya menyerlahkan identiti rekaannya. Dari situ, kami mencipta keserasian dan jauh di sudut hati, saya percaya Jovian mempunyai masa depan yang gemilang dalam bidang ini,” katanya.

Hikmah kontroversi

BARANGKALI ada yang melihat populariti yang diraihnya adalah disebabkan kontroversi yang dicetuskan Linda. Namun, bagi Jovian, apa yang diraihnya hari ini adalah berkat kerja kerasnya membina nama.

Meskipun masih menyimpan perasaan terkilan dengan peristiwa itu, namun graduan Universiti Lim Kok Wing itu percaya, apa yang dinikmatinya adalah anugerah tidak ternilai daripada Tuhan.

“Apabila Linda menelefon dan meminta saya menyediakan rekaan untuk digayakan pada Anugerah Academy, saya yakin nama akan melonjak.

“Jalan untuk saya memang sudah terbuka namun tidak disangka lain pula yang terjadi. Saya terkilan juga kecewa apabila selebriti tiada kebebasan untuk memilih siapa pereka kegemaran mereka.

“Lebih membuat saya terkilan apabila pihak berkaitan tidak menyelidik asal usul saya. Saya anak Malaysia kerana bapa orang Kelantan cuma kebetulan saya dilahirkan di Indonesia,” katanya.

Katanya, nama Jovian Mandagie digunakan atas dasar komersial dan strategi untuk memasarkan rekaannya.

“Hakikatnya Jovian Mandagie ialah jenama tempatan namun membawa sentuhan Indonesia. Saya tidak boleh lari daripada hakikat itu kerana sebahagian diri saya mengalir darah Indonesia kerana ibu saya berasal dari sana,” katanya.



SEMANGAT MAHARANI
Oleh Zul Husni Abdul Hamid
BERITA HARIAN
Isnin 19 Mac 2007

Nikki belum mahu mengalah hadapi cabaran

BENAR untuk meniti tangga kejayaan, banyak laluan berliku terpaksa ditempuhi. Perjalanan Nicolette Louisa Palikat atau lebih akrab disapa Nikki juga menempuhi keadaan yang sama. Setahun mengumpul doa, mengharap keajaiban akan singgah dan hari ini, sinar kejayaan mula berpihak kepadanya.

Bermula dengan kejayaan mengungguli Vokal Duo Pilihan, Anugerah Era, tahun lalu, karier Nikki semakin kukuh apabila dia sekali lagi dicalonkan bersama Zahid pada Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian (ABPBH) 2006. Meskipun tewas di tangan Mawi dan Jamal Abdillah, pencalonan itu berjaya memperkasakan nama gadis dari Sabah ini untuk berada dalam senarai popular.

“Pencalonan itu banyak membuka ruang untuk Nikki lebih dekat dengan peminat. Disebabkan masalah edaran, album pertama Nikki tidak sempat dipromosikan dengan berkesan. Dan itu membuatkan Nikki kurang dekat dengan peminat walaupun lagu kerap diputarkan.

“Percaya atau tidak, masih ada peminat yang bertanya bila album pertama Nikki akan berada di pasaran? Dengan siri promosi bersama ABPBH 2006 lalu, Nikki bersyukur kerana berpeluang untuk menjelaskan keadaan sebenar. Lebih gembira lagi, album sulung Nikki itu juga sudah kembali diedarkan,” katanya.

Sejak Maharani dilancarkan semula 28 November lalu, Nikki makin menyerlah dengan imej matang dan dewasa. Imej yang nyata bertepatan dengan peningkatan usianya yang menjangkau 22 tahun.

Sebagai bonus, juga melengkapkan lagi album yang memperkenalkan nama Nikki menerusi lagu Pinta ciptaan Hazami dan Caramu sentuhan Audi Mok, penyanyi itu menghadiahkan peminat dengan rakaman terbaru, Drama kolaborasinya bersama Ning Baizura dan Yanie.

Turut dimuatkan adalah klip video Caramu kerana ia mendapat permintaan tinggi peminat.

“Beberapa perubahan dibuat termasuk menukar kulit album yang lebih elegan dan ceria. Ramai berkata kulit album lama kurang sesuai, malah Nikki nampak tidak bermaya. Disebabkan itu, pengurusan bertindak membuat beberapa pembaharuan supaya Nikki tampil matang tetapi bergaya.

“Hasil perbincangan dengan pengarah seni, Isma Yusof, kami mencari formula terbaik dan pada masa sama memenuhi cita rasa peminat semasa. Syukur kerana ramai memuji, selain kehadiran Nikki makin disedari sejak Maharani dilancarkan semula,” katanya.

Mahu terus pikat peminat

MAHARANI yang menjadi judul album pertamanya itu membawa makna yang terlalu besar buat Nikki. Disebabkan itu, walaupun sudah hampir dua tahun di pasaran, Nikki tidak pernah berputus asa untuk terus memperkenalkan album itu.

Bagi Nikki, Maharani sarat dengan lagu berkualiti dan sayang jika ciptaan yang baik itu terbiar tanpa dipromosikan dengan berkesan.

“Nikki sendiri tidak sanggup melepaskan Maharani begitu saja. Sudah terlalu banyak keringat yang dicurahkan, pastinya Nikki ingin melihat ia berhasil. Kerana itu, Nikki rela tidak tergesa-gesa merakamkan album kedua. Maharani masih punya nyawa dan Nikki akan berusaha untuk memenangi hati peminat,” katanya penuh semangat.

Album itu pada mulanya diedarkan NAR Records pada 28 November 2005. Bagaimanapun, atas beberapa masalah, pengedaran album itu terhenti dan bermula 28 November 2006, proses pengedaran diambil alih Sony BMG Music Entertainment.

“Memang laluan Nikki penuh dengan dugaan tetapi Nikki tetap positif menghadapinya. Untuk apa Nikki pantas kecewa jika hati Nikki masih kuat percaya peluang mencipta nama sentiasa terbuka luas. Dalam hal ini, Nikki banyak berterima kasih kepada pengurus, Vernon Kedit dan Kak Ning.

“Mereka sentiasa meletakkan kepercayaan yang tinggi dan kerana itu, Nikki terus bersemangat untuk menyusun langkah,” katanya.

Ketika ini, pengurusannya memilih lagu Imaginasi sebagai kelangsungan untuk memanjangkan karier nyanyian Nikki yang mendadak naik dengan Caramu.

“Agak sukar juga memilih single yang sesuai kerana lagu Caramu terlalu kuat. Bimbang jika tersalah pilih nama Nikki akan tenggelam. Bagaimanapun, Nikki percaya Imaginasi adalah lagu yang baik kerana ramai menaruh keyakinan terhadapnya.

“Keyakinan itu memberi harapan buat Nikki,” katanya.

BERDEBAR NANTI APRIL
Oleh Norhayati Nordin
METRO AHAD
Ahad 18 Mac 2007

Diddy, Yanie menunggu album sulung mereka di pasaran

JIKA Dr Fazley Yaakob ada memori di sebalik April, Diddy dan Yanie pula berdebar menunggu kemunculan album sulung yang dijangka di pasaran, April ini. Namun, mereka tetap lega kerana single pertama, Saling Terpesona meletup di carta radio.

Boleh dikatakan dua bintang kelahiran program realiti TV ini ‘bernasib baik’. Dalam ramai-ramai yang dicungkil bakat mereka, hanya segelintir berjaya. Selebihnya ‘angkat kaki’ balik ke kampung.

Justeru, ini masanya bagi Diddy dan Yanie.

Bangkit membuktikan bakat mereka sebagai penyanyi. Jika diikutkan, tapak sudah mereka cipta dan selebihnya bergantung kepada sokongan peminat.

Sebaik Saling Terpesona berkumandang di radio, nama Diddy dan Yanie kini mekar di hati peminat.

Ia bagai petanda baik buat Diddy dan Yanie dalam industri seni tanah air. Biarpun album masih dalam proses, penerimaan baik pendengar yang diterima mereka setakat ini berhasil. Masing-masing berjaya mengumpul peminat sendiri.

Bercerita mengenai albumnya yang memuatkan 10 lagu, Diddy berkata, selain Audi Mok menyumbangkan enam lagu, dia juga menantikan empat lagu lagi daripada komposer lain seperti Faizal (One In A Million), Cat Farish, Sharon Paul dan Damien (VE).

“Setakat yang saya dengar, semua lagu yang ada sedap didengar. Saya rasa ia mampu menambat hati peminat. Saya akan sedaya-upaya memberi yang terbaik kepada peminat.

“Tidak guna saya puas sendiri kalau peminat kurang menyukainya. Sebagai penyanyi, menjadi tugas saya memberikan hiburan terbaik buat mereka. Oleh itu, bagi album ini semua lagu diterima, saya dan pengurusan syarikat rakaman memilih yang terbaik saja.

“Saya juga memilih konsep pop dalam album ini kerana ia sesuai dengan jiwa saya. Boleh dikatakan pop dalam album saya nanti berbeza dengan pop sedia ada. Bukan untuk mengangkat album sendiri, tetapi tunggulah ia di pasaran. Bila sudah dengar, baru boleh cerita.

“Saya hendak terang lebih lanjut mengenai album ini pun sukar rasanya. Namun, secara keseluruhannya yang boleh dikongsi ialah ia sesuai didengar pelbagai peringkat umur. Apapun, saya puas hati dengan lagu dipilih,” katanya.

Rata-rata mengetahui Diddy sudah berpunya dan menjadi tunangan orang. Namun, kemesraannya dengan Yanie atau nama sebenarnya Siti Surianie Julkarim ketika menghadiri persembahan pentas mengundang banyak persoalan akan statusnya.

Lebih-lebih lagi, bila Diddy mengumumkan terpaksa menangguhkan perkahwinan bersama tunangnya, Allen Norazah Abdullah, 21, kerana ingin memberi tumpuan pada kerjaya. Apakah gandingan bersama Yanie dalam Saling Terpesona menggugat kesetiaan Diddy pada si dia?

Diddy atau nama sebenarnya, Syamsul Hirdi Muhid berkata antara dia dan Yanie, hubungan mereka profesional sebagai rakan sesama artis. Soal perasaan tidak wujud sama sekali memandangkan dia tahu status dirinya.

“Tidak dinafikan gandingan saya dan Yanie serasi. Hubungan mesra kami hanya sekadar kawan biasa dan Yanie pernah berjumpa dan mengenali Allen. Malah, hubungan kami sedikitpun tidak terjejas dengan kehadiran Yanie. Antara kami macam biasa.

“Sekalipun tarikh perkahwinan saya dengan Allen ditunda, saya masih tetap mencintainya. Allen juga mengetahuinya dan alhamdulillah dia boleh menerima. Selain itu, dia (Allen) sentiasa memberi sokongan pada saya untuk berjaya.

“Lagipun, kami masih muda. Banyak perlu dibuat, terutama memantapkan ekonomi masing-masing lebih dulu. Justeru, wajar kami membina karier sebelum memasuki alam rumah tangga. Apapun, kasih saya masih teguh pada Allen,” katanya.

Pemuda berusia 22 tahun ini berkata, kini dia lebih senang memberi tumpuan pada rakaman albumnya. Buat masa ini dia baru habis merakam lagu ciptaan Audi Mok, Genggam Janji. Dia masih ada lima lagi lagu Audi Mok untuk dirakam.

Sehubungan itu, Diddy bersama pengurusan F-tersix diterbangkan syarikat J&J Mesra Travel & Tour ke Beijing, China pada 5 hingga 12 Mac lalu. Pemergiannya ke negara itu untuk membincangkan soal perancangan tajaan untuk pembikinan album sulungnya.

Menurut Diddy, jika semua perbincangan berjalan lancar, kemungkinan dia berpeluang menghasilkan klip video lagunya di China. Bukan itu saja, bagi peminat yang bertuah, mereka akan memiliki pakej percutian bersama Diddy ke China.

Sementara itu, Yanie yang ligat di pentas lakonan drama ketika ini mengakui proses rakaman albumnya sering tertangguh akibat kesibukan di set penggambaran. Ia tidak dapat dielak dan Yanie bersyukur kerana syarikat rakamannya memahami.

“Bukan saya sengaja hendak menangguhnya atau melewatkan proses penghasilan album. Namun, saya terikat dengan jadual penggambaran sitkom Fara arahan Aziz M Osman. Malah, pembabitan saya diketahui dan disokong syarikat rakaman.

“Kak Ning (Ning Baizura) meminta saya menghadiri sesi uji bakat diadakan untuk watak Wanda. Malah, selepas pergi uji bakat, Kak Ning yang teruja hendak tahu sama ada saya berjaya atau tidak. Apa yang saya lakukan bukan mengejar glamor, tapi minat.

“Sebagai mentor saya, Kak Ning cukup baik. Dia beri semangat dan suruh saya hadiri sesi uji bakat. Kata Kak Ning, kalau mahu jadi anak seni berjaya, saya perlu berani mencuba. Bukan saja menyanyi, saya harus cuba jadi pelakon dan pengacara. Cabang seni ini luas,” katanya.

Mengenai albumnya, gadis dari Sabah ini berkata, dia bangga albumnya mendapat sentuhan komposer ternama tanah air. Antara komposer terbabit ialah Aidit Alfian, Hazami, Sharon Paul, Helen Yap dan Audi Mok. Katanya, 70 peratus sudah siap.

“Saya bertuah menjadi artis kak Ning di bawah label Artistes United Records selepas Nikki. Seperti Nikki, perjalanan seni saya tidak berakhir begitu saja. Alhamdulillah, syarikat rakaman memahami keinginan saya untuk bekerja dengan komposer diidamkan,” katanya.

Sama seperti Diddy, pop lebih sesuai dengan vokal Yanie. Ditanya mengenai kemesraannya dengan bintang Akademi Fantasia 4 (AF4) itu, Yanie berkata, dia tidak kisah apa tanggapan orang.

“Semuanya gosip. Lagi pun, saya dan tunang Diddy saling mengenali,” katanya.

Data

NAMA: Siti Surianie Julkarim
PANGGILAN: Yanie
UMUR: 22 tahun
KERJAYA: Penyanyi dan pelakon
ASAL: Sabah
KONSEP ALBUM: Pop
PENCAPAIAN: Final Mentor 1

Data

NAMA: Syamsul Hirdi Muhid
PANGGILAN: Diddy
UMUR: 22 tahun
KERJAYA: Penyanyi
ASAL: Kuala Lumpur
STATUS: Bertunang
KONSEP ALBUM: Pop
PENCAPAIAN: Peserta AF4

Kredibiliti Vernon Dipertikai

The Lima masih mendahului carta Gang Starz
MSTAR ONLINE
20-03-2007 03:55:58 PM
Oleh Wahida Asrani
[all pics copyright MSTAR]

Malam kelmarin, konsert ketiga yang juga merupakan pusingan penyingkiran pertama program realiti yang menawarkan wang tunai yang cukup tinggi telah pun berlabuh.

Seperti yang diketahui, Demolition Squad, CJP dan 1st Edition terpaksa menerima kenyataan bahawa peluang mereka untuk merebut wang tunai berjumlah USD100,000 (RM360,000), dan kontrak rakaman bersama syarikat rakaman terkemuka tidak terlaksana apabila tercatat sebagai tiga kumpulan pertama yang tersingkir dalam program, Gang Starz.

Biarpun diberi peluang untuk mencuri hati pengundi serta juri nyata peluang yang ada tidak digunakan sebaiknya oleh ketiga-tiga kumpulan tersebut.

Ini kerana sebelum konsert ketiga bermula, ketiga-tiga kumpulan itu telah pun diumumkan antara kumpulan yang mendapat undian terendah. Justeru mereka sepatutnya memberikan sebuah persembahan ‘pukul habis’ pada konsert ketiga itu.

CJP pertikai keputusan penyingkiran pada malam itu (Foto The Star oleh Kamal Sellehuddin)

Namun persembahan yang dipamerkan sekadar melepaskan batuk ditangga.

Mungkinkah ketiga-tiga kumpulan itu mengambil sikap sambil lewa pada persembahan terdahulu dan jika mereka memikirkan konsert ketiga ini merupakan satu langkah terbaik untuk menarik undi, baik lupakan sahaja. Jelas strategi tersebut akhirnya menjerat mereka.

Bagaimanapun, salah sebuah kumpulan tersingkir, CJP dari Singapura melahirkan perasaan tidak puas hati dengan keputusan penyingkiran pada malam itu.

"Kami datang untuk bertanding, tidak kisahlah menang atau tidak. Tapi kalau ambil juri itu, ambillah yang boleh dijadikan 'juri'.

"Macam Vernon dan Maple kami tak nampak kredibiliti mereka," luah CJP yang ditemui sejurus selepas berakhirnya konsert itu.

Mengulas hal tersebut, Pengurus Besar Jabatan Hiburan, Sukan & Rekreasi TV3 Azhar Borhan bagaimanapun berkata pemilihan juri tidak sepatutnya dijadikan isu besar memandangkan ketiga-tiga juri tetap itu menepati kriteria yang dicari untuk program realiti itu.

"Gang Starz sebenarnya mencari pakej lengkap bukan saja sebagai penghibur tetapi kita juga menekankan aspek imej, penampilan dan kareografi. Maple adalah seorang pereka tari yang berpengalaman lebih 20 tahun di dalam bidang tersebut.

"Begitu juga dengan Vernon, walaupun dia lebih dikenali sebagai pengurus kepada Ning Baizura, tetapi, dia juga mempunyai ijazah di dalam bidang muzik.

"Arab pula memang sudah berpengalaman bekerja sebagai A&R artis, yang mencari bakat-bakat baru. Jadi saya tidak nampak di mana kurangnya kredibiliti juri-juri ini," tambahnya.

Menurut Azhar, keputusan penyingkiran tersebut boleh diklasifikasikan sebagai satu keputusan yang tepat.

"Memang dari minggu-minggu lalu, persembahan mereka tidak memberangsangkan. Malam ini merupakan satu peluang untuk mereka menyelamatkan keadaan tapi nyata mereka tak menggunakan peluang yang ada sebaiknya," ujarnya.

The Lima dilihat terus ungguli Gang Starz (Foto The Star oleh Kamal Sellehuddin)

Kata Azhar lagi, bermula minggu ini juga, juri undangan akan dijemput untuk memberi pandangan yang lebih meluas terhadap persembahan setiap peserta. Namun ketiga-tiga juri tetap tersebut masih akan dikekalkan.

Juri jemputan itu nanti bukan saja akan terdiri daripada penggiat-penggiat seni tanahair, malah juri luar juga akan turut diundang.

Kumpulan luar lebih hebat

Konsert ketiga ini sekali lagi menyaksikan kumpulan dari seberang mendominasi persembahan. Dalam erti kata lain, persembahan mereka lebih menyerlah berbanding kumpulan tempatan.

The Lima misalnya hanya sekadar tampil dengan gaya 'sempoi' dan menyanyikan sebuah lagu yang boleh dikatakan tidak terlalu menguji vokal mereka tetapi mereka masih mendapat pujian dari juri undangan malam itu iaitu Edry (KRU) dan Syafinaz.

Biarpun tampil dengan pakaian yang kurang menarik tetapi persembahan Mendua tetap 'vast' (Foto The Star oleh Kamal Sellehuddin)

Malah mereka juga mendapat kredit 5 bintang daripada juri tetap. Jelas mereka mengetahui cara terbaik untuk menarik minat juri dan pengundi Gang Starz.

Satu lagi kumpulan seberang yang berjaya mencuit perhatian juri dan pengkrtitik ialah kumpulan Mendua.

Menyanyikan lagu medley Cindai dan Wula Merindu biarpun tampil dengan pakaian yang kurang menarik tetapi persembahan mereka tetap vast! Kolaborasi nyanyian dua wanita dan seorang jejaka itu nampak begitu serasi di atas pentas.

Sebuah lagi kumpulan yang patut diberi pujian ialah Pianka. Selain aksi lincah mereka di atas pentas yang membuatkan khalayak membuka mata, persembahan mereka menerusi lagu Feeling Good dan Sinaran dilihat semakin meningkat berbanding minggu sudah.

Tidak ketinggalan, kumpulan G-18, juga telah menampilkan sebuah persembahan yang hebat dan bertenaga. Apa yang pasti kumpulan dari seberang menunjukkan peningkatan berbanding kumpulan tempatan.

Persembahan Pianka dilihat semakin meningkat (Foto The Star oleh Kamal Sellehuddin)

Adakah keadaan ini berlaku disebabkan mereka berusaha untuk memastikan kemenangan di tangan mereka ataupun sememangnya kumpulan-kumpulan seberang ini memang telah terdidik untuk memberi satu persembahan yang terbaik tatakala menyertai sesebuah pertandingan.

Namun begitu, sekalung tahniah patut diberikan kepada Infinatez yang merupakan satu-satunya kumpulan tempatan yang memberikan sebuah persembahan yang baik.

Jika tidak masakan mereka boleh mendapat kredit 5 bintang dari juri tetap. Tetapi itu bukanlah satu alasan untuk mereka mendabik dada dan merasakan merekalah yang terhebat kerana dalam program realiti seperti ini pelbagai perkara boleh berlaku.

Entah-entah esok lusa persembahan mereka tiba-tiba mendukacitakan!

Manakala persembahan dari kumpulan-kumpulan lain bolehlah dilabelkan sekadar cukup-cukup makan atau terselamat daripada tersingkir pada konsert kali. Mereka adalah N'Quint (Indonesia), Flava (Malaysia), Colabr8 (Malaysia), Luscious (Malaysia), Equal Star (Malaysia) dan E-Voke (Malaysia).

GANG STARZ Pusingan Penyingkiran Pertama

Untuk sebuah ulasan yang menarik, sila klik di sini.

Minggu ini THE LIMA menduduki tangga teratas Carta Gang Starz.

KONSERT PERTAMA AF5

Let me start by saying that from where Budiey and I were seated, technically the production was generally good. Even if there were glitches and problems, we certainly didn't spot any. In the hall we had good sound, good lighting and a good flow of the show. Plus, I couldn't really see the monitors in the front so I have no idea what camera angles looked like and how the sound was relayed to the viewers at home. So, I have no issues with the production.

As for the content, now that’s a whole different matter. Let’s start with the students, in order of performance.


AIZAT - Pangeran Cinta (Dewa)

The boy may be popular but he sure can’t move. I felt sorry for him because he did try. And it's not easy being the first to open an entire season. But I just wasn’t convinced by his effort, though his legion of fans didn’t seem to agree. Aizat has a light, whispery voice that stays pretty much in tune most of the time. He is musical. And he has a sweet smile. But the assets end there.

One thing I couldn’t comprehend – why was he dressed as a hip-hopper when he was singing a rock song? And isn't it a general fashion rule of thumb that one never puts a large sized person in shiny clothes?


AFIQ - Janjiku (Sofaz)

So he has a jantan voice that borders on serak basah, despite tuning problems. So he’s tall, has the right hair-cut and can almost pass as a hunk. So I sat back and expected great things. Maybe even a Ricky Martin spin-off at best. But sadly, Afiq just didn’t deliver. It is a bad sign when I start looking forward to the end of the song. His performance can best be described as dreary, colourless and ultimately, forgettable. What a let down.

Please lose those shades and get with the programme, Afiq.


MILA - Bersamamu (Siti Sarah)

This girl is undeniably pretty. Her voice, unfortunately for her, isn’t. It’s just too sweet and dime a dozen. Voices like Mila's one hears at karaoke competitions all the time. As far as I was concerned, she butchered the song with her flat notes. When she wasn’t flat, she was just dull. Mila’s performance reminded me of someone trying to hold a song together in a karaoke joint. I felt quite embarrassed for her.

I hope she does better next week because she really is pretty and deserves a chance.


DAFI - Uptown Girl (Westlife)

Now we’re talking. Though he may not have the best vocals of the lot, Dafi is the most commercial of all the guys. His tone is boyishly light and flutey and judging from his strained high notes, I reckon he has a limited range. He went off pitch several times but he made up for it with his pretty good dance moves and delivery. Of all the students, Dafi connects best with the audience – he uses his facial expressions extremely well, especially the raising of his eye-brows, which I suspect is a habit of his. Dafi's commercial appeal is similar to that of Chris Richardson's in American Idol, and he knows it. I like his confidence and attitude. Now he just needs to develop his singing.

Dafi is fortunate that he is cute and this will guarantee the girls and aunties voting for him. He’ll sail into the finals.


DIYA - Aku Masih Setia (Dia Fadila)

Now this girl has a very lemak tone which I quite liked. She has the height and looks. Unfortunately, pitch was an issue, and she didn’t quite understand the song. The entire performance came across as amateurish, though I wouldn’t have eliminated her just yet. Too bad the voters sent her packing. I would have liked to hear more of that creamy voice.


FARHA - Pemuzik Jalanan (Search)

A Felix wannabe? Big voice, no doubt. But nothing special. This one has personality, a certain presence and sang mostly in tune. Farha’s energy levels were inconsistent, but at least he had good moments that raised the energy levels in the hall, which was getting restless and bored. He used the stage well and can just about dance. Just about. Promising. I’ll be watching Farha closely.

But please NEVER ever wear those awful looking boots ever again.


EBI - Milik Siapakah Gadis Ini (Sudirman)

Can someone please give him a haircut? Nevertheless, I love Ebi’s voice. Seriously. There is a sleepy, almost lazy quality to the voice that lends it an Indonesian sound. Ebi sang in tune throughout, and that impressed me. The only complaint I have of his performance is that he didn’t draw the best out of his rich tone, so much so it began to sound predictably boring towards the end. Syafi seriously needs to teach these kids how to sing loud and soft and in between (dynamics). And when he screwed up his timing, the audience sighed because they too knew they were hearing a unique voice.

With the right grooming and training, and a good haircut, I think we might have a star in the making here. But will he get the votes?


DEKNA - Tanpamu (Farawahida)

This is a commercial voice. Unfortunately, it’s attached to a non-commercial package. Dekna’s pitching was all over the place and the quality of her vocals were inconsistent. She looked uncomfortable and her outfits accentuated the fact.

But I’ll be watching Dekna closely too. She may not be a classic beauty with the best voice in the house but there’s something unique about her.


SYAWAL - Harapan (Fazly Zainal)

Poor thing. He sang very badly, was totally out of tune in places and had a very tough time trying to perform. You could see the strain on his face and the performance was almost painful and unbearable to watch and hear.

Nevertheless, Syawal has the best and most commercial tone and sound of all the guys. He wins hands down in that department. Despite him being sick with a sore throat. Coupled with his height and built and stage presence, Syawal will make it into the finals. I'm looking forward to hearing this voice in fine form.


CANDY - Ka-ching! (Shania Twain)

In tune, in time and in style. Candy obviously wants to win. She certainly hasn’t got the best voice amongst the girls but as Hattan rightly said, her voice has character. Give her time and she’ll bloom fairly quickly. She gave a good show and almost outdid Dafi, except she lost out when it came to pronunciation.

Candy can sing, can move, has potential and I hope Sabah votes for her. I want to see her in the finals.


RIZAL - Menanti Sebuah Jawaban (Padi)

Another karaoke style singing that went badly out of tune in places. Forgettable voice that’s pretty common. Pity, Rizal has the potential to look good and he does have stage presence, though he comes across as awkwardly stiff at times. But he’s just not much of an exciting singer.

But Sarawak will vote for him.


NONI - Tak Ada Logika (Agnes Monica)

Cute, pretty, sweet. Noni can dance, can just about sing and though her big voice is nothing much to shout about, she does have a certain style that attracts. But her delivery of the song was awful. I tried not to cringe when she hit the high notes.

I hope she gets a good song next week to show off her skills, because Noni has a certain charisma and potential.


HELIZA - Kau Pergi Jua (Adam Ahmad)

Thank God for Heliza. Astro saved the best for last. This girl is smart and you know she wants to win. Honestly, Heliza is an average singer at best, but because all the other girls were pretty below average, she stood out. I give her the best vocals award of the night. She has a pleasing tone, and is obviously musically gifted. And good looking. Heliza's in the running for the finals.

But do we really want another Datuk Siti Nurhaliza?


FATIN - Angkat Kaki (Sheeda)

Despite not having been in classes and training, Fatin sang better than most! She actually held the song together quite well, though I thought she could have gone to town a bit more on the moves and the outfit. Alas, her voice is best suited to dangdut, and therein lies the danger.

How will she ever sing a Celine Dion number?


MENUJU PUNCAK

A disappointingly lame and weak attempt by the students. There simply was no energy or zest to the entire performance. The boys fared only slightly better than the girls vocally and dance-wise. The execution of the choreography seemed haphazard and the music arrangement was quite unexpected. No one really stood out except Dafi who seemed to be the only student who translated rhythm into moves convincingly and held the audience's attention.

OVERALL

We defintely have the best looking set of students out of all the seasons. However, their performances came across as amateurish and it almost seemed like a very expensive production of a high school concert. Most of the kids seemed and sounded genuinely ill-prepared mentally and vocally, and I sincerely felt sorry for them. This is the first week, so let's hope it gets better.

But I suspect the students' lack of inspiration and energy could also be partially due to the music arrangements which they had to sing along to. I am surprised that the arrangements sounded sparse and lacked colour, given the big production that has always been associated with AF. The song selection was also perhaps an issue - there were some hits and a few misses, though I thought the keys chosen for each student were just nice.

The stage was a fresh change from the loud colours that used to invade our senses. I told SultanMuzaffar that I liked the simplicity and clean lines and neo-retro feel, though Juan Danza disagreed and said it reminded him of baju Salima masa nyanyi Because Of You.

In the fashion department, we saw an improvement from the previous seasons. Though there were some minor inconsistencies. I thought the fashion parade at the beginning was pretty much contrived and unnecessary, though. KlubbKidd, who was sitting a few seats in front of me, found it hilarious. But generally, we are seeing an improvement.

The jury were spot on every time. Fauziah Latiff was cool and kind, Hattan was precise and firm and Kak Ogy single-handedly saved the show.

On the whole, the concert lacked that 'wow' factor, despite being quite polished technically. Nobody was jumping out of their seats at any point during the concert, except for some noisy fans up in the gallery. Heliza managed to get the loudest applause but I think the audience just needed to cheer for someone out of sheer frustration and she was the best (and last) they had.

If I had to describe the show in one word, it would be 'FORGETTABLE'. But knowing Astro, they've figured that out already and are well on their way to fixing it.

Ning terkejut dituduh perosak gaya

Oleh Rudy Imran Shamsudin
imran@hmetro.com.my
Harian Metro, 16 Mac 2007

KESUDIAN penyanyi Ning Baizura menggayakan baju rekaan pereka muda dalam satu majlis anugerah baru-baru ini, mengundang padah apabila menjadi bahan hinaan di laman web pereka itu.

Menerusi lawan web yang turut dibaca ribuan peminat Ning, pereka itu dikatakan menyindirnya dengan memaparkan gambar gaun hitam yang pernah dipakainya itu digayakan semula pelakon dan model Sasha Saidin.

Di bawah gambar itu tercatat kenyataan bahawa baju itu seharusnya dipakai gadis bertubuh tinggi, berkulit putih gebu dan kurus seperti Sasha dan Ning pula dituduh sebagai perosak gaya.

Hakikat sebenar, ramai menganggap baju rekaan pereka itu serasi dengan tubuh Ning dan penampilannya begitu terserlah ketika di pentas dengan gaun direka khas.

Sewaktu ditemui di sidang akhbar tajaan pakaian Jovian Mandagie dan perhiasan Refflesia Diva Colleciton yang bakal digayakan Ning pada persembahan sempena Minggu Setiausaha di Hotel Shangri-La, Ning mengakui terkejut membaca kenyataan yang heboh diperkatakan peminat.

“Saya percaya pereka itu bertindak demikian kerana hasutan orang ketiga. Namun, tindakannya pada saya kurang bijak memandangkan kenyataan dan gambar baju digayakan semula itu disiarkan dalam laman webnya.

“Perkara seperti ini pertama kali berlaku kepada saya. Apa yang boleh saya katakan, kes ini ibarat kacang lupakan kulit. Mungkin selepas mendapat pujian apabila pakaian yang direka menang pakaian terbaik, dia lupa dunia.

“Apabila dia berkelakuan begini, saya percaya dia merosakkan reputasinya sendiri dan artis lain sudah tentu takut untuk bekerja dengannya selepas kenyataan itu disiarkan.

“Saya sedikit pun tidak marah dengan apa yang dilakukan. Setiap orang ada pandangan sendiri. Cuma mengapa sekarang? Kenapa ketika baju itu dicuba ke badan saya tiada siapa beri komen sedemikian.

“Selepas dia memperoleh apa yang diinginkan, kini saya pula dihina. Sikapnya seperti melepaskan anjing tersepit. Pada saya, dalam hal ini biarlah Luncai terjun dengan labu-labunya dan saya tidak rugi apa-apa.

“Saya tidak nafikan dia berbakat besar dalam bidang rekaan fesyen dan dia boleh pergi jauh, cuma apa yang saya kesalkan, selepas berusaha keras mengetengahkan bakatnya, dia rosakkan begitu saja. Sia-sia saja kerja keras kami selama ini,” katanya.

Ning turut menjelaskan tindakan pereka itu mungkin berpunca dari salah faham antara mereka sebelum ini.

“Segalanya bermula sewaktu wartawan sebuah akhbar utama meminta saya bersama dua artis Artistes United Records (AUR), Nikki dan Yannie, menjalani sesi fotografi dan mahu kami menggayakan baju rekaannya sewaktu mengadakan persembahan di Anugerah Era ketika mendendangkan lagu Drama.

“Bagi memudahkan kerja, pegawai perhubungan awam AUR, Azmi menghubunginya menyatakan keinginan wartawan itu. Lagipun ia secara tidak langsung bakal mempromosikan baju yang dihasilkan.

“Tidak sangka pula, sebaik dihubungi dia sudah mempunyai pengurus dan pengurusnya itu meminta kami membayar sewa. Pengurusan saya kata tidak pernah dalam sejarah penerbitan di Malaysia, promosi diberikan pereka fesyen dikenakan bayaran.

“Maklumlah, kalau dia sendiri mahu membeli iklan di akhbar terbabit, sekurang-kurang harganya mencecah puluhan ribu ringgit.

“Namun, dia berkeras menyebabkan pengurusan saya terpaksa memberitahu wartawan berkenaan mengenai permintaan mereka. Wartawan itu turut kecewa kerana sebelum itu akhbarnya banyak mengetengahkan bakat pereka itu, apatah lagi dia pernah menang pertandingan rekaan fesyen anjurkan akhbar terbabit,” katanya.

Jelas Ning, wartawan terbabit meminta pihaknya melupakan saja pakaian itu dan dia berusaha mencari pakaian pereka lain.

“Mungkin kerana itu dia rasa seperti ada sesuatu yang tidak kena dan mengambil tindakan singkat dengan menyindir dan cuba memburukkan nama saya.

“Walaupun dalam laman itu tidak disebut nama Ning Baizura tetapi satu Malaysia tahu saya orang pertama menggayakan gaun hitam itu di ABPBH06,” katanya lagi.

A relatively quiet day.

It was a relatively quiet day for me yesterday. Beside the perfunctory phone calls and random screaming at people, I just had two meetings and a press conference. A quiet day, by all accounts.

My first meeting involved a lot of screaming. Now I usually do not push my face into other people's faces. I generally avoid confrontation and try all means possible to problem solve, but when the other party just refuses to listen or has little brain capacity to absorb or retain simple concepts, that is when I resort to verbal violence. So I screamed. The look of horror on the reciepient's face said it all. I finally got the answers I was looking for and I achieved my goal.

I really need to be nicer, I think.

Then I went to Ning, Nikki and Yanie's Secretaries' Week's show press conference at Sheraton Subang. This show will be on the 5th of April, and the very funny Dee will be the host.

I'll be doing a whole post on the Secretaries' Week's shows that my girls will be involved in later. So wait for that posting, which will have all the right information, just in case you're a boss reading this entry and want to book tickets for your secretary or you're a secretary reading this entry and you really should threaten and blackmail persuade your boss to buy you seats to a Ning/Nikki/Yanie show.

After the press conference, I met up with an agent to discuss a show coming up in November.

Agent: Have you heard of Josh Groban?

Me: No, because I'm extremely stupid, completely uninformed and have been living in a little hut off the coast of a desert island somewhere in the middle of the South China Sea and I only swim to shore once in a while to attend press conferences like the one I just had. What do you think?

Agent: OK. The whole world has heard of Josh Groban. Sorry, just checking. Anyway, do you think Ning would like to sing with him?

Me: When, where and how much?

Agent: Year end, up north and not much.

Me: Year end is always busy, up north is not a problem if it's business class and not much is not acceptable.

Agent: How much then?

Me: I don't want to sound difficult but you already know my price. So let's not haggle. It's not elegant. Plus, I'm hungry and when I'm hungry I can get violent. All that coastal swimming builds up an appetite.

Agent: OK. Fax me your contract. I'll email you the details.

Me: With pleasure.

Seven minutes. I nailed a deal for Ning to sing with Josh Groban in seven minutes. Still one minute short of the Sepang F1 endorsement deal, which I nailed in six minutes. Oh well, I'll use shorter words the next time.

Done for the day, I drove home. Later in the evening, I agreed to accompany my good friends Joe and Rudy to Astro to shoot a live show called AF Debate at 10pm. It's always hilarious to see these two look ever so proper and controlled on tv when I know them to be the loudest and most foulest of mouths in the industry.

Rudy: Mana Pengetua kita yang garang dan sungguh menawan iteww?

Aznil: On the way kot.

Rudy: Agak agak dia lambat cos baru habis marah bebudak kot. Dah la production untuk Diary semalam dan tadi hancur terabur ke laut, skarang bebudak pulak buat hal. Sesuai.

Joe: I'm hungry. Really hungry. Is the mic picking up my stomach groans?

Alam: Make-up department, cukup bedak tak muka I?

Sometimes, what you don't get to hear on air is more entertaining. Meanwhile, as the show progressed, I was busy lending my ear to wagging tongues backstage and getting the low-down on the new kids in AF5. How delicious!

After the show, we went to meet some friends and had a light supper. We chatted for hours, and bitched about how bad and busuk the production has been for the AF5 diaries. Disjointed, busuk, haphazard, irrelevant, busuk, draggy and monotonous were some of the words that cropped up in our session. Oh, and did I mention busuk?

Today is going to be another quiet day. Just one more press conference later in the afternoon and one quick meeting. I won't be screaming because I'll be picking up my new suit for Gang Starz on Sunday. Retail therapy always puts me in a very good mood.

MAWI LALOK?

An anonymous person posted a 3min 40sec videoclip in the cari.com.my gossip forum two days ago which supposedly shows Mawi in a state of being stoned and high on marijuana. The clip caused a massive stir on the internet with Mawi fanatics coming to his defence while antagonists insisting that Mawi was under the influence.

Personally, I cannot see any evidence in the clip to suggest that Mawi was stoned or had smoked marijuana as the clip merely shows him horsing around with friends. The controversy has now received media attention.

We showed the clip to Mawi during our visit to his kenduri in Kulai. Mawi remembers when it was taken and who it was taken by.

Here is Mawi's reaction, as recorded exclusively by KlubbKidd and myself:

Mawi kesal ‘gurauan’ jadi isu di internet
oleh Farihad
Berita Harian, 15 Mac 2007

KULAI: Penyanyi nombor satu negara, Asmawi Ani atau Mawi, 26, meminta peminatnya supaya tidak mudah percaya dan terpengaruh dengan rakaman video yang memaparkan aksi yang kononnya dia sedang khayal selepas mengambil barang terlarang dipercayai ganja seperti yang heboh diperkatakan menerusi internet dalam ruangan gosip Cari.com.my.

Menurut Mawi, aksi dirakamkan tahun lalu menggunakan telefon bimbit itu hanyalah sekadar gurauan bersama rakan-rakannya ketika mereka berada di kediaman peribadinya.

“Seingat saya, ketika itu, saya dan dua rakan lain mempunyai urusan di luar dan menunggu seorang lagi teman yang berjanji mengambil kami. Justeru, bagi menghilangkan kebosanan menunggu saya cuba bergurau dengan mereka.

“Tak sangka pula aksi saya itu boleh terlepas di internet sehingga mengundang salah faham mereka yang menontonnya,” kata Mawi ketika ditemui di kediaman baru keluarganya, Felda Taib Andak, di sini, semalam.

Klip video selama tiga minit 40 saat itu memaparkan aksi juara Akademi Fantasia musim ketiga itu sedang menyanyi lagu Kian dan melaungkan takbir raya dalam keadaan yang didakwa mencurigakan kerana dipercayai di bawah pengaruh ganja yang diambilnya bersama rakan.

Menurut kenyataan yang turut diselitkan dalam klip video itu, si penyebar mendakwa dia memperoleh rakaman terbabit daripada seseorang yang mendakwa dirinya sahabat Mawi, juga orang yang bertanggungjawab merakamkan adegan sensasi itu.

“Saya kenal rapat siapa merakamkan adegan itu dan jika benar dia yang melakukannya dengan tujuan untuk menjatuhkan maruah serta reputasi saya, sebagai sahabat memang saya cukup terkilan,” katanya.


Mawi on a high in video?
by Joe Lee
The Malay Mail, 15 March 2007

WAS Mawi high? A video clip purportedly showing Mawi in a ‘drugged out’ state has been making its rounds on the Internet.

The almost four-minute-long clip, which originated from a cell phone recording with the file name, mawilalok, showed him, among other things, wailing bits of his hit song, Kian, and performing the ‘takbir Raya’.

The Akadami Fantasia 3 winner also used coarse language and was seen grabbing his crotch.

In the video, recorded at the singer’s home in Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur, he uttered phrases such as Lu apahal (What’s wrong with you?), Apa kau nak mampus? (Do you want to die) and the word bontot (butt) in a conversation with his friend.

The clip was posted on the Internet via the online gossip forum, Cari. com.my, two days ago.

Since then, it has been widely distributed online.

The clip’s original uploader, going by the nickname yus1801, had claimed that the video showed Mawi and some friends in a ‘high’ state after having had a hit of marijuana in the singer’s home.

While the uploader’s first attempt to peddle the story by opening the topic received a warning from the site administrator for its malicious statement and was closed, another topic was introduced soon after, with a link to the video.

Mawi laughed off the claims.

“No, I was not high.

It’s nothing more than my friends and I having a laugh at home,” he told The Malay Mail after being shown the video clip yesterday.

“It was taken sometime last year.

I was on the way to an event and was waiting for someone from my management.

“I got bored waiting and began horsing around with my friends.”

He said he performed those antics in the clip after being egged on by his friends.

“It was all in the name of fun.

I don’t understand how some people can misconstrue it as me being under the influence of drugs.

“People can believe what they want but if you look at the video, there’s nothing incriminating.

I have nothing to hide,” he said.

Mawi said he knew who recorded the clip and admitted he was saddened by the episode.

“This was shot in the privacy of my home and by a friend, at that.

“It is an invasion of my personal space, and for someone to take advantage of that, is shameless.”

Mawi said he would confront his friend, only known as ‘Pancoo’, who had shot the video, and identified the other person in the video as another acquaintance known as ‘Man’.

“I will confront him about the video and get an answer on whether he willingly distributed it.”

He said he was not bothered by the clip being distributed on the Internet.

However, he was concerned with the lies being spread in connection with the clip.

“Whoever did it, and whatever their intentions, I’ll leave it to God to decide.

“I was not ‘high’ and I have no problems with the clip ... just the intentions of people doing all they can to destroy my career.

“I suppose I’ll have to be more careful from now on.”


Mawi perjelas isu lalok
Oleh Norhadiani Baharom
Harian Metro, 15 Mac 2007

KULAI: Raja SMS, Mawi, 26, menyeru peminatnya supaya tidak terpengaruh dengan rakaman video yang memaparkan aksi yang kononnya dia sedang khayal selepas mengambil barang terlarang seperti yang sedang heboh diperkatakan menerusi internet dalam ruangan gosip Cari.com.my ketika ini.

Menurut Mawi, aksi yang dirakamkan tahun lalu menggunakan telefon bimbit itu hanyalah gurauan bersama rakannya ketika mereka berada di kediaman peribadinya.

“Waktu itu, saya dan dua rakan lain mempunyai urusan di luar dan menunggu seorang lagi teman yang berjanji mengambil kami. Justeru bagi menghilangkan kebosanan menunggu, saya bergurau dengan mereka.

“Tak sangka pula aksi saya itu boleh terlepas di Internet sehingga mengundang salah faham mereka yang menontonnya,” kata Mawi tenang ketika ditemui di rumah baru keluarganya di Felda Taib Andak, Kulai, Johor, semalam.

Klip video tiga minit 40 saat itu memaparkan aksi Bintang Paling Popular, Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian 2006 (ABPBH2006) dua tahun berturut-turut sedang menyanyi lagu Kian dan melaungkan takbir raya dalam keadaan yang didakwa mencurigakan kerana dipercayai mengambil ganja.

Menurut kenyataan yang turut diselitkan dalam klip video itu, si penyebar mendakwa dia memperoleh bahan rakaman terbabit daripada seseorang mendakwa sahabat Mawi yang bertanggungjawab merakamkan adegan sensasi itu.

“Saya kenal rapat siapa yang merakamkan adegan itu dan jika benar dia yang melakukannya dengan tujuan untuk menjatuhkan maruah serta reputasi saya, sebagai sahabat memang saya cukup terkilan.

“Bagaimanapun saya akan bertemu secara empat mata bagi mendapatkan penjelasan sama ada perkara itu disengajakan atau mungkin ada pihak tertentu menceroboh telefon bimbitnya lalu cuba mensabotaj saya selepas menemui rakaman itu,” katanya.

Andai kebenaran terungkai, Mawi belum pasti apakah dia harus mengambil tindakan terhadap rakannya itu.

MAJLIS KESYUKURAN MAWI DI KULAI, JOHOR

For the first time yesterday, I went to an official event hosted by Mawi. It was his kenduri, a thanksgiving feast, held at his home in Kulai, Johor. Mawi had personally invited me, which made it all the more special.

To readers who have no idea who Mawi is, just go google MAWI and it will become apparent to you that this is Malaysia's top male superstar whose album sales have been nothing short of amazingly phenomenal and whose rags-to-riches story within the span of two short years is an inspiration to many. Three years ago he was an unknown working at a supermarket. Today, he is a bankable household name.

Our journey began at 10.30am yesterday morning from the offices of Maestro Talent Management at Plaza Damansara. Mawi very generously provided two coaches and I sat in this coach with my friends from the press.

This was my first ever trip to Kulai and I couldn't resist taking this pic of the sigposts into Mawi's kampung.

Kehadiran kami disambut dengan paluan kompang bertalu-talu. Tetap meriah walaupun saya dan rakan rakan wartawan saya amat terkejut kerana diraih sebegini!

Suasana di sekitar rumah Mawi begitu heboh dan riuh dengan ratusan para jemputan. Tiga buah khemah menjadi tempat berteduh dan menjamu selera.

The entrance to Mawi's brand new residence. Mawi sendiri mengalu-alukan kedatangan kami dan terus membawa kami ke halaman pendiamannya.

Laksa Johor dan pelbagai lauk dihidang. Nasi beriani, ayam masak merah, kari daging, dalcha, etc etc.

My embarrassingly overflowing plate. I was very hungry.

Bunga ros menjadi hiasan meja.

Mawi telah meluangkan masa untuk beramah mesra dengan para jemputannya. He found time to sit at our table and chat with us. That's Farihad from Berita Harian next to Mawi and KlubbKidd in the yellow t-shirt.

Penulis lirik terkenal Loloq turut hadir, bersama Man Bangla daripada Maestro.

Mawi tidak jemu melayan tetamu.

Mawi's home is well furnished. Here are some glimpses.

Mawi's phenomenal album sales' plaques proudly displayed in the living room.

The dining area. Cool, elegant and spacious.

A set of paintings give colour to the dining area. Observe properly. What do the paintings say?

Trophies and awards.



Close up of the MTV 2006 award.



Old trophies before AF3.

Outside in the porch, there was live entertainment provided by talented young friends of Mawi.

Nora AF4 and Nurul AF2.

Remember the GUCCI shoes I posted of Mawi's a few weeks back? Well, here are another pair of shoes: Lacoste, which Mawi bought in Mauritius.

I spotted this name tag of Mawi's when he used to work at GIANT Supermarket Subang before he became famous. I just had to snap a pic of it!

Each one of us received a door gift from Mawi World Sdn Bhd, containing a collared cotton t-shirt. Thank you Mawi!

There's a lovely fountain at the corner of the garden, with the water flowing in the auspicious direction towards the residence's main door. Very feng shui compliant. Hmmmm...

Mawi's home is named Teratak Bonda. The gift from a son to his mother.

Mawi & Mr. Manager.

It was a good eye-opener and experience for me to observe Mawi in his own environment. He was relaxed and mingled freely with his guests.

Mawi walked us to our coaches after the event and we finally left Kulai at 6.30pm and I slept most of the way back to KL.

Mawi's personal message to Mr. Manager's blog readers.

Special thanks to Mawi World Sdn Bhd and to Maestro Talent Management for taking very good care of us all the way!

AMERICAN IDOL - Top 12

If you didn't watch the show last night, then I suggest you not bother reading because what I'm going to say won't make much sense anyway.

On with the review. I was disappointed. Despite the big production, big stage, big audience and big everything else, most of the performances just didn't jump out as big.

Diana Ross' music is MOTOWN. How much more juicier can you get? And yet most of the contestants picked songs that just didn't let them shine. Why?

Brandon fumbled on his words, lost his centre and simply didn't do justice to his voice or the song. This male version Whoopi Goldberg lookalike just hasn't got what it takes. I'm sorry.

Now Melinda Doolittle was the direct opposite. She was fabulous! She might have gone a bit too liberal with the rubato, and she may not have had the best vocals tonight, but she still wow'ed me. I just can't help feeling proud for this cute girl. I so want Melinda to win.

Chris Sligh can just pack his bags and go home as far as I am concerned. Contact lenses? Please. As for that arrangement, what the hell was he thinking? I just don't get this guy who tries too hard to be clever but fails miserably.

Gina was mediocre at best and didn't blow me away, though I must admit she sang well. She'll sail through. Every show needs a rocker.

At this point in the competition, I've given up on hoping that Sanjaya will prove all of us wrong. He's just a child trying his best in a room full of professionals. But America must love his hair because I can't see any other reason why he's still around.

Haley started off well, looked stunning and then screwed up her lyrics. Period.

I'm still undecided if I like Phil or not. He gave a pretty decent performance and had the best male vocals of the night. But I just don't see him as the next American Idol.

I'll try not to gush but with Lakisha, it's pretty hard not to. This diva is still leading the pack. Tonight she showed us another side to her singing: technique and control. She's already a star, by any standards. While Melinda comes across as naive and almost 'white', Lakisha has a slight tinge of ghetto aggression in her eyes. This girl will do whatever it takes to win.

For once, I have to disagree with Simon. I thought that Blake Lewis did an excellent take on an old song and worked it well. I've always maintained that Blake is musically intelligent and he proved it yet again tonight, despite weak vocals. This guy is a natural performer, but I'm worried that he might just start to bore me with the same moves week in week out.

I give the best-female-vocals-of-the-night award to Stephanie. She sang in tune, controlled her tone and shaped her phrases well. But she miscalculated on the arrangement. Big time. I'm worried for her.

Chris Richardson is a star in the making. He has the complete commercial package. He can sing, he can dance, he's hot and he knows how to work the room. OK, he may not have the best voice and as Simon constantly reminds us this is a singing competition, America will disagree with him. Chris will be in the finals.

For a 17 year old girl, Jordin Sparks is simply impressive. I've never been a fan but tonight changed all that. I am now. Jordin gave the most memorable performance of the night, but she really needs to grow out of being the big little girl and shape up into a lady. And how can Paula not know the song???

I just want to see Lakisha Jones, Melinda Doolittle, Chris Richardson and Blake Lewis fight it out at the finals. In my opinion, all four are winners but the one with the strongest fan base will be the next American Idol.

Mr. Manager would kick Chris Sligh out for the next round. But America might just boot Brandon or Stephanie.

NING MEMPERTAHANKAN JOVIAN

"Jovian is creative, talented and most importantly, he understands the importance of professionalism. That is why I work with him."

Hot designer du jour Jovian Mandagie, who has been in the limelight recently over the issue of Linda Onn's dress, is designing Ning's outfits for her Secretaries' Week show on 12th April.

A press conference was held yesterday at Rafflesia, Park Royal Hotel, to announce Jovian's appointment. Rafflesia also announced that it will be dressing Ning in fabulous South Sea pearls and diamonds during the show.

For yesterday's press conference, Ning wore a simple and elegant gold jersey outfit designed by Jovian. The bodice is trimmed with metal work and Swarovski crystals.

"The first time I met Jovian was around August last year when he approached my manager to ask to design a dress for my red carpet walk at Anugerah ERA. I was intriqued by this boy [Jovian will be turning 21 in June] who was savvy and determined AND had the guts to approach me. He had never before designed a dress for any established names in the music or film industry in Malaysia. But Vernon said he had done work for Ratu, Rossa and Ruth Sahayana in Jakarta. So I agreed to meet him. He showed me six designs and frankly, I was impressed that a fashion student still studying at Lim Kok Wing could come up with such interesting outfits that appealed to my taste. So I said YES."

"What impressed me further was Jovian's professionalism. I work with many established designers and Jovian's work ethics and discipline was and is on par with the big names. He is never late, he listens to what I have to say and he gives me what I want. On time. I value professionalism because I cannot work with people who don't know how to work themselves. No point being a talented designer who doesn't satisfy his client's requirements, right? "

"So what if Jovian's mother is Indonesian? His father is Kelantanese! Let's be frank, every VIP I know has more DIORs and GUCCIs and VERSACEs in their wardrobe than Malaysian designers. So, what's the big deal and fuss all about? Janji baju cantik dan meletup!"

"Kak Dibah and I will be singing a duet together. Alicia Keys' FALLIN'. And you don't want to miss that!"

FLASHBACK - Jovian Mandagie's designs for Ning Baizura:

Anugerah ERA 2006.

GLAM event 2006.



Anugerah Bintang Popular 2007.



Breakfast With The Stars 2007.



I received this sms from Jovian an hour after the press conference:

"Vernon, thanks for the support all this while. I feel grateful tht we still can work with each other very well. M so happy today. I knw tht i wont be at this stage today if its nt bcos u n Kak Ning agreed to do the baju for Anugerah ERA. Thank u, thank u, thank u..."

Orang berbudi, kita berbahasa.

Click on Jovian's logo to go to his MYSPACE page.

After the press conference, we went to Calvin Thoo's boutique at Lot 10 to try on some clothes for a newspaper cover photo-shoot next week. Ning, Nikki and Yanie decided to go with chilli red. Hot and spicy! I won't show the pics I took of the dresses the girls finally selected to wear. You'll just have to buy the paper! But I promise you, Calvin's designs are all FABULOUS!

Thank you Calvin for kindly agreeing to loan your gorgeous dresses! Kan senang kerja dengan orang yang faham berbisnes, pandai mengambil peluang memperagakan koleksi dan paling penting, bersikap profesional.

And if you want to hear Ning and Adibah belt out Fallin', here are the details:

FERGALICIOUS DIVA
In Celebration Of Secretaries

Venue: Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Date: Thursday 12 April 2007

Time: 12.30pm

Table Price

Platinum: RM5,000
Gold: RM4,000
Silver: RM3,000

Artistes

Ning
Adibah Noor
Nikki

Master of Ceremony

Sheila Rusly

For reservations please call:

Office 03-2171 1711
Fax 03-2171 1755


Now let's talk about DIARI AF.

Oh my gawd! If I was the guy in the lepas geram room (can't remember his name...shows you how memorable the students are eh?), I'd just grab a whole pile of plates and drop them on the floor nice and slowly. Now that would be more lepas geram than just lamely smashing one or two against the wall, kan? I mean, if you're gonna smash some plates, at least do it in style.

The session with the English lecturer was nothing short of appalling! Are some of these kids the product of our education system? Even my Indonesian maid speaks better English than some of them!

And the session with Syafi. Disgraceful is all I have to say. They can't even sing in tune! I am not exaggerating when I say that AF5 is made up of a few tone and time deaf kids.

As for the session with Linda, I think my puppies have more co-ordination than some of the boys. What is going on, people?

Seriously, I'm not bitching simply for the sake of bitching. If you saw Diari AF last night, I'm sure you'd agree with me that the kids lacked sparkle and shine. I wasn't in the least bit excited by anyone of them. Or am I just getting jaded?

Anyway, I really need to start memorising their names (which might prove difficult judging by how forgettable some of them look and sound). And my prediction is that half of those kids will just sadly fade away once AF5 is over. Seriously.

I hope they prove me wrong. For their sake.

And I really need to get some shut-eye. Need to be up early for Mawi's majlis kenduri kesyukuran.

THE RICHEST MALAYSIANS ARE...

Forbes Magazine has released its new set of figures for the year. I've been following this list for many years now, because my dream is to be on that list one day. Don't laugh. If these men can make it, why can't anyone else?

The richest Malaysian is still Tan Sri Robert Kuok, ranking at 104th richest man in the world with a nett worth of USD7 billion (RM24.52 billion). Now that's a looooooooot of money.

The second richest Malaysian is Maxis and Astro's owner Tan Sri Ananda Krishnan with a cool nett worth of USD6 billion (RM21.02 billion).

Owning USD4.2 billion (RM14.72 billion) in personal assets, Genting's Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong is Malaysia's third richest man.

The other Malaysians on the Forbes' list are:

287th, Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow (USD 3.0 bil)

314th, Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan (USD 2.9 bil)

349th, Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng (USD 2.6 bil)

583th, Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay (USD 1.7 bil)

754th, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary (USD 1.3 bil)

840th, Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King (USD 1.1 bil)

The richest man in the world is still Bill Gates, with a nett worth of USD56 billion (RM196.2 billion). And all because of this intangible thing you're probably using right now: microsoft.

What's the moral of my story? All of these men were born into humble families. Yet they all made it into the Forbes' list through sheer hard work, determination, shrewd business acumen and foresight.

I want to be like them too. So can you. Let's start making some money instead of bickering about dresses :-)


And in other news...

Nikki drew a caricature of AC Mizal during today's shooting of his hugely popular talk-show, AC DI SINI. Nikki was invited to be a guest artiste on the show.

TIRAI AF, JOM HEBOH AND PLANET HAZAMI. AND LINDA ONN'S DRESS, AGAIN.

I had a great weekend.

It started with TV3's Carnival Jom Heboh at Kuantan. I always enjoy Jom Heboh because this is when artistes really get to go to the ground and meet grassroot fans. A bit like politicans meeting their constituencies, and getting an up-to-date feel of how fans are responding to you. You literally meet them in a field face-to-face and this is the test of an artiste's popularity. You cannot get more grassroot than the phenomenally successful monthly Jom Heboh carnival.

Nikki and Yanie had the brilliant opportunity to co-host with Nabil on TV3's popular prime-time teen show REMAJA. The show was telecast LIVE at 1pm on SATURDAY afternoon from the REMAJA booth at Jom Heboh. And both girls, in my estimation, did very well. And their fans loved it. Here are some pictures.

Warm-up.

The girls in white.

The boys in black.

Nabil getting touched-up before going LIVE.

And we're LIVE!

Nikki and Nabil posing during a quick commercial break.

The cartoonist drawing a caricature of Yanie during the show.

Yanie's quite a natural in front of the camera.

Outdoor scene requiring all three to scale the wall behind them.

Chatter, chatter, chatter.

Nikki scaling the wall...in her high heels!

Getting stucked!

Nikki belting out CARAMU.

Nikki and Yanie coaxing an audience member to sing Ning's part as they did DRAMA.

Yanie bopping to SALING TERPESONA with 'Diddy', a member of the audience, miming pretty convincingly.

After the show, we went over to the Catering Tent for some lunch and bumped into HotFM djs Anne and Fiqrie, the hosts of GANG STARZ.

Talking about GANG STARZ, TV3 decided to bring all 14 groups up to Kuantan to perform on Saturday night, a live preview for the folks there. You even probably saw some of the groups perform at the 9pm Jom Heboh Concert on Sunday night, LIVE on TV3.

Now, as everyone knows, I'm not difficult. I'm VERY difficult. Let me tell you what happened during lunch. I was quietly sitting at one of the tables chit-chatting with Anne and Fiqrie when all 14 groups marched into the Catering Tent. Where we were seated, there was no way none of the groups could not have noticed us. So, naturally, the first group to notice us came up to shake our hands. But some didn't. Some, in fact, completely ignored us! How rude! (They probably hate me anyway, but that's still no excuse to be impolite.)

If someone from TV3 is reading this, please instruct those kids on good PR and manners. If all of the Indonesian groups and some of the Malaysian groups could come up and say HI, I can't see why the others felt that they were far too superior to even acknowledge us. I'm not demanding to be treated like God (though as far as they are concerned, I AM God), but at the very least, show some respect. Will the behaviour of some of the groups colour my judgement during the competition? It shouldn't and let's hope it doesn't, but frankly, I am not amused nor impressed.

If you're a GANG STARZ group and you're reading this, take heed. I'm watching you. All of you. Very, very closely. None of you are hardly stars yet, and if this is the way some of you already behave, then you'll never cut it in the REAL music industry out there. Period.

Dear reader, if you have no idea what I'm talking about, you're probably living overseas or under a rock in a remote cave somewhere because GANG STARZ is only just the most talked about TV3 reality show now in Malaysia. Tune in every day at 6.58pm (Gang Starz Blog), every Sunday at 12 noon (Gang Starz On The Spot) and 9pm for the LIVE show, to be a part of the search for the region's super group.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, back to the happy day at Kuantan. I also spotted TV3 host and presenter Aidil with the dj at the DJ booth.

In the Secretariat Tent, I spied orang orang kuat TV3 watching something interesting on the laptop. What? Secret!

After a very late lunch, we packed up and drove back to KL. The girls were still reeling from the excitement of a good show. I was satisfied, and slept all the way back.

On SUNDAY night, Joe, Budiey, Judd and I went to watch Hazami perform at Planet Hollywood. It was fabulous! The place was packed with fans, and the press came out in full force.

Hazami sang like an angel. His creamy voice was in fine form. His deep tones were lush and his falsetto and whistles pierced through the air. Hazami is a master of technique and control and he showed off beautifully.

He was backed by music director Acis and his groovy band. Of course, no Hazami show would be complete without his choir, which complemented his singing excellently.

The show opened with the vigorous KATAKANLAH, and this set the mood for the whole night. Hazami then took us through a journey of his favourite songs, and sang, amongst others, Mariah carey's VANISHING, Agnes Monica's TIADA LOGIKA, and did a superb medley of TEKAD and HERO.

I managed to sneak into the dressing room during the break after his first set and quickly took this pic of him taking a breather.

Hazami: I croaked, didn't I?

Me: Nonsense! You sang like an angel. A bit dry, but still like an angel.

Hazami: You mean an angel with a dry voice?

Me: Shut up and drink your iced water.

Then Hazami resumed the show with his second set. The best part was when he invited Nikki, Siti Sarah and Amylea up on stage to sing with him. What the three girls have in common is Hazami is the composer of their respective hits, and they all got to sing with him. It was amazing to hear them royally cream the songs! Nikki sang PINTA and whistled all over the place and got the house applauding non-stop. Even I was amazed.

Nikki and Amylea.

Hazami's rendition of MUNGKIR BAHAGIA was heart-breaking, and of course, the entire audience sang along to SONATA MUSIM SALJU. Hazami has improved by leaps and bounds in the audience interaction department. He was natural, not over or under dressed and kept the pace and rhythm of the two sets bouncing along. The show ended just after midnight, a splendid evening of excellent showmanship and vocal acrobatics.

The Bernama News television crew interviewing Hazami.

A fan with a gift.

Hazami's message for my blog readers:

Hazami's official website.


And in other news...

A public dressing-down
SENSE OF STYLE
by DZIREENA MAHADZIR
The Star Online
SUNDAY 11 March 2007

Poor Linda Onn! What was supposed to be her big moment on the red carpet at the Oscars never materialised because she allegedly refused to be dressed as ordered. Was she being a complete idiot or did she do the right thing by standing up for her fashion rights?

THE debacle over a dress! The meaning of fashion came to the fore this week when the papers went to town on why ERA FM DJ Linda Onn refused to do her job at the Oscars. The reason was, apparently, a dress.
Jovian Mandagie
Of course, as days went by, and the she-says-they-say continued, maybe it wasn’t the dress after all, but since I’m not a gossip columnist, I will stick to what I like to do, discuss the fashion aspect.

No matter how you look it at: David versus Goliath, Buy Malaysian First, (ironic since the so-called “Indonesian” designer is actually half-Malaysian) or as a diva tantrum saga, three things are apparent: Linda’s credibility is at stake, Radzuan Radziwill’s image has been dented and Jovian Mandagie is now infamous.

The first two obviously need damage control, but back to the clothes issue – which is all I’m interested in – and let’s take a look at the designers and the outfits. Radzuan Radziwill (RR) is obviously a very well known Malaysian designer whose forte lies in wedding clothes (yes, he did Datuk Siti Nurhaliza’s outfit for the nikah ceremony) and glamorous kebayas. He’s dressed everyone who’s anyone and he’s a fixture in the Malaysian subconscious already, so enough said.

Now, who the heck is Jovian Mandagie? In my opinion, any Malaysian designer worth their salt needs to be featured first in the ultimate Malaysian fashion magazine, Glam. When Glam editor Wirda Adnan recognises you, you have arrived.

Among the Malay celebrities, there will always be a favourite Indonesian designer, remember Anna Avante? Yes, she too did Siti’s wedding outfit (for the celebrations in Pahang). This season and possibly next, it just might be 21-year-old Jovian.

Jovian’s father is Malaysian while his mother is Indonesian, but really, he can be a Martian for all I care, because it’s his designs that should matter not his nationality!

He got his big break by designing outfits for the funky Indonesian pop duo, Ratu, and he’s also dressed Indonesian singer Rossa and local singer Ning, TV presenter Yasmin Hani and Linda too.

I took a look at some of his designs, (he describes his style as “Malindo”) and to me it wavers between heavy embellishments (I don’t like what he did with denim) to elegant simplicity in a design that caught my eye, worn by Yasmin at the Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian 2006 recently. It was a yellow empire waist gown with detailing at the bodice.

For a relative unknown, (he’s been designing wedding gowns and formal outfits for over a year) the Indonesian-born but bred in Kuala Lumpur and recent graduate in fashion and retail design from LimKokWing University of Creative Technology has gotten plenty of mileage out of this affair. He has plans for his first collection soon and a boutique in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, in May.

I managed to get hold of Jovian and ask him to tell me about The Dress.

Basically, what he came up with for Linda was a one-piece black and white modern kebaya (instead of the traditional two-piece outfit) in French lace, chiffon and silk. He says he and Linda both worked on the design, but as we can’t get any photos or sketches, we’ll have to leave it up to your imagination.

The controversy, while bringing him publicity, has left Jovian very uncomfortable.

He laments: “I’m disappointed that there’s a party that’s not happy with Linda wearing my creation just because of my nationality.”

If it’s true, that’s quite a sad state of affairs for the industry, and for Malaysians in general. No thanks for making us look xenophobic. I’d also like to investigate this party’s closet, 10 to one I’d find plenty of foreign labels there.
Another thing, why waste RR’s time and energy and God-know-who’s money flying the dress all the way to Los Angeles via (supposedly) business class? Hello, you’re in the United States, where uber Malaysian designer Zang Toi lives! He’s more familiar with the red carpet than anyone here.

My sympathies to RR; it’s bad enough to be told at the 11th hour to make a dress and toil over it, only to face the indignity of it not being worn! Welcome to the world of the red carpet, RR. Now you know how international designers feel during the Oscars, when the stars change their minds at the last minute.

Having only seen the photo of RR’s rejected dress on a dummy, it’s hard to give an opinion on it because dresses need to be worn to see how they really look.

More importantly, can we stop this nonsense over Malaysian and Indonesian designers? There are more French, Italian, American and British labels in Kuala Lumpur than Indonesian ones. Come to think of it, all these boutiques that have sprung up everywhere carry clothes from Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan.... Fashion is global. It’s also a cut-throat industry, darlings, so deal with it.

As I said earlier, you can be a little green man/woman for all we fashion-savvy people care but if your designs are super fantabulous, they will speak for themselves. And everyone should have the right to choose because no self-respecting woman or man of style will allow anyone to tell them what to wear.

by DZIREENA MAHADZIR
[all pics copyright The Star]

Anyway, for those of you who watched Tirai AF on Saturday and Sunday, what did you think? I liked the 'kidnap' and 'lovers' quarrel' set-ups but I thought the rest were kinda lame, or at least, the kids' reaction were kinda lame (except for the girl who cried and cried and cried and looked like she was going to faint - I felt like smacking her and telling her to not over-do the drama). Everyone looked almost too commercial, and most can just about sing. Hmmmmm... Let the competition begin!

So, how was your weekend?

HAKIM GANG STARZ MEMPERTAHANKAN PENDIRIAN. DAN NIKKI OK DENGAN ELYANA?

Berangan! Selekeh! Bosan! Busana kampung 80s! These were some of the words I used to describe the performances and image of some of the contestants on Gang Starz.

Last night I was invited to record this coming Sunday's episode of Gang Starz On The Spot with Fiqrie. Apparently, some contestants are disgruntled and sungguh tidak puas hati with my comments and critiques on the show. And I was asked to respond to their quiries.

What do you think I did?

Of course lah I belasah balik. Kaw kaw. Hello, jangan bagi muka sangat kat bebudak ni. Belum apa apa dah berani nak cari gaduh dengan hakim? Hakim garang pulak tu!

Anyway, here are some pics I took of the recording last night.

Fiqrie

Producer of the show, Sufian, fondly known as Abg Pian, directing Fiq.


Lights, camera, action!


One of the contesting groups from Indonesia.

So how did I royally give it back to the groups who were not satisfied with my comments? Watch Gang Starz On The Spot this Sunday at 12pm on TV3 and try not to laugh at what I said.

And in other news...

Nikki: Saya 'ok' dengan Elyana
The Star Online
Wahida Asrani
9 Mac 2007

Di awal pembabitannya sebagai anak seni, Nikki pernah dikatakan berlagak 'diva'. Setelah isu itu reda, kecoh pula kontroversi antara dia dan Elyana yang dikatakan berselisih faham semasa pertandingan separuh akhir Anugerah Juara Lagu baru-baru ini.

Gosip dan kontroversi seperti itu bagi Nikki tidak dinafikan memang sedikit-sebanyak berjaya 'menaikkan' namanya, tetapi jauh di sudut hatinya Nikki agak kesal dengan tuduhan yang dilemparkan di saat dirinya sedang mengukir nama di persada ini.

Cuma dia bernasib baik kerana sentiasa mendapat sokongan daripada sifu, Ning Baizura dan pengurusnya Vernon yang banyak membantu Nikki mengharungi onak ranjau di dalam industri ini.

"Saya rasa terkilan juga kerana baru tiga tahun bergelar artis, saya terpaksa lalui kontroversi seperti ini. Memang saya akui, kontroversi dan gosip adalah lumrah dalam industri ini dan memang kita tidak boleh lari.

"Mungkin saya lebih terkenal sekarang berbanding dulu, tetapi buat apa dikenali kerana kontroversi?," ujar Nikki yang ditemui ketika hadir di Menara Star baru-baru ini.

Menjelaskan lagi isu kontroversi 'perbalahan' antaranya dan Elyana, penyanyi yang berasal dari Sabah ini akui sudah malas memikirkan mengenai perkara itu kerana menurut Nikki, tiada apa yang perlu diperjelaskan antara dia dan Elyana.

"Memang ramai yang bercerita mengenai hal ini di laman forum di Internet. Bila saya terbaca benda tu, memang saya akui akan rasa tertekan untuk seketika. Tetapi, saya suka positifkan diri dan saya rasa sudah cukup bersedia dari segi mental dan fizikal.

"Bila rasa down, saya akan cuba bandingkan masalah yang saya hadapi ini dengan masalah Kak Ning yang lebih besar pernah dia alami sebelum ini. Jika dia boleh tanganinya dengan baik, pasti saya juga mampu lakukan," kata Nikki.

Jelasnya lagi, hubungannya dan Elyana tidak pernah terjejas ekoran isu tersebut. Walaupun tidak pernah bersua muka mahupun menghubungi antara satu sama lain selepas tercetusnya perkara itu, Nikki yakin hubungan mereka tetap baik.

"Saya sendiri tahu isu ni timbul kerana ada pihak yang cuba melaga-lagakan kami. Saya dengan dia tetap ok dan saya tidak rasa bila berjumpa dengannya selepas ini hubungan kami akan jadi kekok pula.

"Sebelum timbulnya isu ini lagi, kami memang tidak pernah hubungi satu sama lain, hanya berjumpa di mana-mana show saja. Bila berkesempatan jumpa di show, memang kami akan banyak bercerita tentang muzik," tambah Nikki.

Album sulungnya, Maharani telah pun dipasarkan sejak November 2005 oleh NAR Records. Setahun berada di pasaran, album tersebut diedarkan semula atau 're-issue' oleh Sony BMG pada November tahun lepas.

Menafikan edaran semula album tersebut dibuat kerana jualan album yang teruk, Nikki berkata langkah itu sebenarnya diambil untuk meluaskan lagi pasaran bagi album Maharani itu.

"Kak Ning dan Vernon selalu berpesan supaya jangan fikir untuk menyanyi di sini saja, tetapi kena fikirkan juga bagaimana untuk meluaskan lagi karier saya ke peringkat antarabangsa. Jadi, bila album ini di 're-issue', saya rasa ini satu langkah yang baik untuk ke arah itu.

"Tidak ada kena-mengena dengan isu penjualan album lembab atau tidak, proses ini hanya melibatkan pertukaran pengedar. Ketika mula dipasarkan dulu, album ini mendapat sambutan yang baik. Jadi saya harap bila diedarkan semula, ia akan mendapat respon yang lebih baik," ujar Nikki.

Album ini diedarkan semula dengan konsep kulit album dan susunan lagu yang baru, berserta dua buah klip video. Jika sebelum ini sebanyak 25 buah lagu dimuatkan, kini ia tampil dengan 21 buah lagu termasuk lagu bonus 'Drama' nyanyian Nikki bersama Ning dan Yanie.

"Saya lebih suka edisi ini sebab kulit album dia lebih cantik, hasil rekaan Isma Yusoof. Ia lebih bertepatan dengan genre muzik yang saya bawakan. Dari segi lagu, tiada apa yang berubah, cuma kita masukkan lagu 'Drama' sebagai lagu bonus," ujarnya.

Bagi Nikki, dia tidak merasakan pengedaran semula album ini seperti membuang masa, sedangkan dia sudah boleh mula mengumpulkan material untuk album seterusnya ketika ini.

"Buat apa terburu-buru hasilkan album baru, sedangkan masih banyak lagu-lagu yang bagus di dalam Maharani. Buat masa ini, kami sedang cuba untuk keluarkan lebih banyak single daripada album ini," kata Nikki yang kini popular dengan single terbarunya Imaginasi yang sedang hangat diputarkan di stesen-stesen radio.

[semua gambar hakmilik dan dipetik daripada The Star Online]

AF5 : PENGETUA, TENAGA PENGAJAR DAN 16 PELAJAR FINALIS. DAN JEMPUTAN KE MAJLIS KENDURI KESYUKURAN MAWI.

Today was the much anticipated press conference for Akademi Fantasia. The press and media came in full force and I was like a kid in a candy store! And people in the know were literally throwing information, public as well as private, at me!

The Q&A session with Pengetua Roslan Aziz was anything but quiet. Suffice to say, this is going to be a very interesting season! Abg Lan was a loose canon and gave as good as he got, and deftly negotiated his way through the barrage of questions thrown at him.

"I will make the students cry buckets, and that's even before they are eliminated!" he announced.

Why do I get the feeling that Astro is going for a more edgy and ruthless AF this season? My guess is that the 'family entertainment' slant the show has always prided itself on is now being subtly manipulated. The ratings war has begun.

I have a whole stack of press releases but I'm too lazy to write it all here I've decided not to regurgitate information that you will get to read in the papers tomorrow, or at the blogs of KlubbKidd and Sensasi Selebriti. Instead, here are comments from the people involved themselves, and tons of piccies!

PEMBUKA TIRAI (The three former champions of AF)

After the press conference, I managed to ask the Principal and each lecturer present what their thoughts were. Have a listen:

Roslan Aziz


Fatimah Abu Bakar


Syafizawati Sharif


Linda Jasmine


Adnan Abu Hassan



TENAGA PENGAJAR










Juga hadir di majlis sidang media:

JUARA AF2


JUARA AF3


Mawi: Minggu depan jemput datang ke kenduri OK?

Me: Terima kasih, dik. I will try my best to be there.


JUARA AF4

Siapakah di antara mereka yang tersenarai di bawah akan menjadi JUARA AF KE-5?

Sebelum itu, sekalung penghargaan kepada sumber saya yang telah "accidentally" drop-kan CD ini yang mengandungi gambar gambar pelajar finalis serta profil mereka ke dalam beg saya tadi...

Finally, here they are, the 16 hopefuls all nicely spruced up and ready to sing their hearts out.

Terima kasih Astro!

And yes, Mawi is going to have a kenduri next week to give thanks for his win at ABP. God willing and kalau tidak ada halangan atau rintangan, I will accept Mawi's invitation and go.

AMERICAN IDOL - Top 8 Girls

I suggest we just get it over with and have the finals and call it THE THREE DIVAS CONCERT: Lakisha, Melinda and Stephanie. In stunning gowns with big hair and nine inch heels, and great lighting. Oh, and a symphony orchestra behind them. And maybe a gospel choir for good measure.

Gina can open the show and we'll have Jordin and Sabrina do backing. The others can help with the costume changes backstage. And Antonella can sell pop-corn in the stalls during the breaks, where she belongs.

Chris Richardson and Blake Lewis can be featuring guest stars. And the rest of the guys could help with the stage props, if they don't mind.

I don't mean to be unkind, but isn't it painfully obvious by now?

Mr. Manager's Top Three

But America will disagree and poor Stephanie might just get axed. So she'll have to open the show and Gina gets to be one of the three divas. But hasn't Gina always behaved like one, and I don't mean that in a nice way?

BMW Shorties Film Competition

What do an English language lecturer, a graphic designer, a freelance director, an actress, a film editor, a Malaysian Multimedia University graduate and an odd-job man in the film industry all have in common?

Their entries have been chosen to be among the Top 10 finalists for the inaugural BMW Shorties Film Competition. They are now in line to win a Grand Prize of up to RM50,000 in production assistance to make a professional short film which, in turn, will have the chance to be showcased in international film festivals through the BMW Group’s global network.

For Ghazali Bunari, 38, the competition was an opportunity to further explore his hobby and passion for short films. The Universiti Teknologi Malaysia lecturer’s entry, Kiri, explores the childhood trauma of a young girl who witnessed the murder of her father, a retired militant rebel, and her obsession with revenge.

"I never thought I would make it to the Top 10. Making videos is a hobby but I’ve always had dreams about being a filmmaker. The one month of planning and three days of shooting were worth the effort," Ghazali said.

For another finalist, Muhamad Norhelmi Antong Ibrahim, 28, the BMW Shorties was a chance to become a 'real' filmmaker after several years of taking odd jobs in the local moviemaking industry.

"I will take any job… crew, extra, anything, as long as it is in the film industry. Jemi Anak Pok is my first effort, my first short film ever. If I win, it means I can make another movie," says the theatre graduate.

Another first-time filmmaker whose entry, Can You Hear Me?, made the Top 10 list was MMU film graduate Chee Kar Ching, 23, who is planning to start a film production company with a fellow graduate. "I just wanted to make the Top 10; I didn't think we would be able to do it because we’ve previously done only animation work. This will be good exposure for us, to meet people in the film industry, because we are so new."

Finalist Kubhaer Thakurdas Jethwani’s entry, Westbound, was "the most difficult but also the most passionate thing I’ve ever done." The 25-year-old assistant director, who is in his third year in the film production industry, is looking forward to making more short films.

For former actress Melisa Alias, better known as Melisa Saila, 35, the BMW Shorties represented another shot to be behind the camera. "All I wanted was to be among the Top 10," says the event manager, whose entry, Kongsi Dalam Gelap, focused on immigration issues.

Making the Finalists’ list is a dream come true for film editor Sasitharan Rajoo, 27. He has always wanted to be a director but "I became a film editor because I need to put food on the table". His Tamil-language entry, Singgam, is his first independent effort at directing.

Graphic designer Muhammad Faiz Ramli, 30, never thought his entry, Kelapa, would be shortlisted. "It was so difficult, none of us knew how to make a film… the cutting, the editing, the shooting, all trial and error. But I am glad I submitted the entry."

The 10 Finalists were shortlisted out of 74 qualifying entries by the BMW Shorties judges after much deliberation. Filmmaker Yasmin Ahmad, writer/filmmaker/photographer Danny Lim, experimental filmmaker James Lee, film editor Affandi Jamaludin, award-winning commercial director Paul Loosley and academic Gregory Wee reviewed and selected the Top 10 entries on February 24.

The BMW Shorties is targeted at aspiring Malaysian film makers of any age, as long as they have never participated and won in any local or international film festival, competition or awards.

BMW Malaysia’s Press and Corporate Affairs Manager, Vijayaratnam Tharumartnam says that, judging from the number and quality of entries received, the inaugural BMW Shorties programme has so far been successful as the shortlisted entries showcase and celebrate the many aspects of Malaysian culture.

"The BMW Shorties is not just about unearthing and nurturing new talent. It is also about providing them with a voice and platform on which to shine, with the assistance of the global BMW network. The overwhelming number of entries and the quality of work we have received shows that Malaysians do have a voice – and are not afraid of using it," he adds.

The finalist with the most votes will receive the People’s Choice Award, to be presented on Friday March 9, after the announcement of the Grand Prize winner.

PENGETUA BUKAN ROSLAN???

Panas! Panas! Walaupun sumber mengesahkan yang Roslan Aziz akan menjadi Pengetua, masih ada kemungkinan ada kejutan dari segi siapa akan menjadi Pengetua!

Ada desas desus mengatakan Astro mempunyai seorang lagi calon untuk posisi itu. Jika benar ia akan menjadi detik bersejarah kerana buat pertama kali AF akan mempunyai pengetua wanita!

Sementara itu, marilah kita menikmati wajah wajah yang berseri di bawah.

Bakal Pelajar Perempuan AF ke 5.


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Terima kasih Astro!

AMERICAN IDOL - Top 8 Boys

Let's talk about Sanjaya. Poor Sanjaya. No one doubts the kid has been trying his level best. But hula hoops??? Seriously, what in heaven's name was he trying to tell America and the world?

The straightened hair is an improvement, I admit, and now he's beginning to show that he understands that this is a competition. Sanjaya, to his credit, sings effortlessly. But the buttery smooth tone of his voice becomes boring after the second verse. He seriously needs to up his performance and give us that WOW factor, which he hasn't. And what's with the song selections??? Is his sister picking his songs? The poor kid cannot merely rely on his popularity to stay in the competition. Sanjaya may be some people's cup of tea, but that will not make him the next American Idol. Period.

I agree with Simon that the guys didn't much impress tonight. As expected, Chris Richardson and Blake Lewis didn't fail to deliver. Though I had expected far more from them. They're safe for now. Simply because the other guys didn't give them a hard fight.

Chris' all-americanness and Blake's almost rough magnetism are their biggest assets after their voices. Where Chris might lack content he makes up pretty well with looks and his signature moves. Blake juxtaposes a bad boy image with strong song selections.

Vocally, I prefer Blake, who has a richer tone with more range and depth. Chris' tessitura is pitched pretty high and that makes him sound too boyish. Though they might have very strong fan support, my only worry for Chris and Blake is that they might just get too predictably stereotype as the competition heats up.

Phil delivered a pretty good performance, though the judges didn't quite think so. I'm undecided if I like Jared's overall package or Brandon's excellent vocals. As for Chris Sligh and Sundance, both sing well but will America vote for them? Yes, this is a singing competition but the voting audience may not necessarily think so.

Undeniably, all the guys can sing, and some quite well. However, generic performances and lukewarm personalities simply do not cut it for a huge competition like American Idol, and all the guys except Chris Richardson and Blake Lewis are borderline boring. At the end of the day, you need to stand out and have an identity.

From an A&R standpoint and overall package, as I see it, only two guys stand out so far:

Chris Richardson and Blake Lewis.

But America may disagree.

PENGETUA AKADEMI FANTASIA KE-5 DAN CALON CALON LELAKI.

A source confirmed yesterday that Roslan Aziz has been formally appointed the next Principal of Akademi Fantasia.

pic copyright PGL website

His appointment, to be officially announced in the next few days, will put an end to weeks of rife speculation as to whom would be the next principal of Akademi Fantasia.

Roslan, who has a long and respected track record in the music industry, has chalked up numerous achievements, some of which include:

Producer, Best Album (Emosi), BASF Awards, Indonesia, 1987
Producer, Best Album (Gamal), AIM, 1995
Producer, Best Album (Ratu), AIM, 1996
Most Promising Producer, Music Producers Awards, USA, 2002

Roslan music directed Datuk Siti Nurhaliza's concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London (2005) and Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical, Kuala Lumpur (2006), respectively.

pic copyright Karangkraf

CONGRATULATIONS Abg. Lan!


Post-script.

As AF commentator KlubbKidd (who has been on Tirai AF, Imbasan AF and Trek AF) and Sensasi Selebriti would agree with me, matilah budak budak baru nanti. Abg. Lan is the fiercest no-nonsense musician I have ever met, after Abg. Ramli MS. Don't play play with him!

And a little bird whispered in my ear that this year, the tenaga pengajar will be reduced to a bare minimum of around 5 or 6 cikgus only! Why? Who? Kita tunggu dan lihat!

And now, for some eye-candies. Calon calon akhir pelajar lelaki untuk TOP 12 LELAKI adalah:

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The ladies are up tomorrow. Terima kasih Astro!

HINT HINT

In answer to the many questions and sms's and comments I've received, asking if those stools that we were perched on were uncomfortable, our unanimous and resounding answer is YES!

Pics courtesy of Marini, the Content Creator of GANG STARZ, to whom this entire posting is dedicated :-)

And how was your weekend?

Siapakah pemilik sepasang kasut meletops GUCCI ini? Untuk jawapannya, sila scroll ke penghujung posting ini.

Last Friday night, I went to support Yanie at the APA-APA AJE TV3 Bowling Tournament at 1U. Yanie played for Team MENTOR.



Sasha and Huda played for Team APA-APA AJE.



That's Jamil, the producer of SENSASI chatting to Saniboey while host Aidil cheered on his team mates.



Michelle MELODI and Sasha EXPLORACE.



Guess which team emerged champion, and who scored the highest personal score? Team MENTOR and Yanie! Yanie won herself a beautiful Tissot watch. And that's Sufian, the producer of GANG STARZ, on the far right holding the trophy.



On Saturday, SURIAfm had a huge event at Berjaya Times Square which drew a massive crowd. Ning sang Awan Yang Terpilu and it was heartfelt to see the crowd singing along with her. I can never tire of this beautiful song, despite having heard Ning sing it for probably 5 million times!

Ning was later joined by Nikki and Yanie for DRAMA.

My two little lovely sisters, Nikki and Yanie.

Ning: Rasa ler. Kak Ning buat sendiri pagi tadi.

Mawi: Eh...sedap lah Kak Ning!

Me: Very the makcik makcik menjaja kuih suji dia!

Kaer was also present, and sang his new single.

DJs Zafrina and Tuah, who also compered the event.

Waheeda, as always, looked fabulous. That's a Zang Toi jacket she had on!

Sean Ghazi and Fauziah Latiff and a friend.

Anuar Zain was also there to sing his deliciously haunting new ballad.

On Sunday, I carried out my responsibilty as one of three permanent judges on prime-time free-to-air national tv. GANG STARZ, the latest talent search show on TV3, is heating up as the weeks progress. The fight is on and some of the Indonesian contestants have thrown down the gauntlett to the rest of the contestants. The benchmark has been raised.

Mom said the sound sucked on tv, but in the studio from where we were sitting, we could hear the contestants very clearly.

After the show, all of us three judges were interviewed on the comments we made during the show, and if we had any further advice for the contestants. The assistant producers thought I was far too lenient this time round. So I was asked to explain why I wasn't as pedas (fiery) as last week. As usual, I stood my ground and spoke my mind. Watch the daily GANG STARZ' BLOGS on TV3 at 6.58pm to see and hear what I said :-)

And in a corner, Azhar Borhan, the Head of Entertainment, had a chat with Sufian, the show's producer.

Anne, the host of the show, posed for my camera.

Maple and I.

After the show, I really wanted to just go home and sleep, but Joe and Budiey invited me to join them for drinks. Rudy joined us shortly after, and as I was trying to finish my nasi lemak Badrul called and harrassed me on the phone about my comments on the contestants! Then more friends called. And like 5 million sms's continued flooding in. Oh well, the price of fame. (Hakim yang kuat berangan, mengalahkan peserta!)

And finally, the answer to the question at the top:

Mawi: Nak letak gambar kasut i kat blog la tu!

Me: Habis tu?!!!

Friends said I looked tired and exhausted on TV. You don't say. Try having a weekend like mine.

And how was your weekend?

ANUGERAH INDUSTRI MUZIK 14

Malaysia's most prestigious annual music awards (our version of the Grammys), AIM 14 will be held on the 28th of April 2007, live on ntv7 from the Putra World Trade Centre.

A press conference was held yesterday afternoon to announce the event's presenters, performers, hosts and music director, and KlubbKidd, as usual, struck fear into the hearts of the organisers asked all the right questions during the pc.

Artis-artis yang akan menyampaikan trofi (presenters):

Adibah Noor
Datuk Siti Nurhaliza
Dina
Faizal (AF4)
Faizal (HotFM)
Faizal (OIAM)
Farah (AF2)
Hannah T
Jaclyn Victor
Jinbara
Maya Karin
Nita
Noryn Aziz
Phat Fabes (FlyFM)
Ramlah Ram
Shanon Shah
Sharifah Aleya (HotFM)
Syafinaz
Zahid

for Lyana :-)

Barisan artis yang telah dipilih untuk membuat persembahan (performers):

Anuar Zain
M. Nasir
Mawi
Rabbani
Ramli Sarip
Reshmonu
Samsons
Sean Ghazi
Sofaz

Slot persembahan juga akan diserikan oleh calon calon finalis bagi kategori Artis Baru Terbaik yang keputusannya akan diumumkan pada sidang media akan datang. Kesemua persembahan yang pastinya hebat ini akan diiringi oleh kumpulan pemuzik profesional, diketuai oleh Pengarah Muzik, Aubrey Suwito.

AIM 14 akan dihoskan oleh gandingan Afdlin Shauki dan Bob Lokman.




My grandmother used to say that if you have nothing nice to say, keep quiet. So, I'm keeping quiet.

AMERICAN IDOL - Top 10 Girls

Vocal-wise, it's a straight fight between Lakisha "Jennifer Holliday" Jones, 27, and Melinda "Shirley Bassey" Doolittle, 29. With Stephanie "Beyonce" Edwards, 19, coming in a close third. These girls are in a league of their own.

Granted, Edwards is the best-looking girl of the three, and Jones and Doolittle can hardly be called commercial, but when we're talking about incredible talent and exceptional voices, formulaic conventions don't apply. Really, I don't see any reason (except monetary) not to kick everyone else out now and get on with the finals.

We're into the second week and it's becoming apparent that despite her enthusiasm and wonderful gift of an angelic voice, 17 year old Jordin Sparks is just too young and inexperienced in so many ways. And trying-too-hard Sabrina Sloan comes across as a very experienced lounge singer. I don't think America will vote for them as much as they will vote for Jones, Doolittle and Edwards.

The other girls are merely intermission. And judging by her singing and if recent revelations on the internet about her colourful past are true, Antonella Barba serves no purpose other than to keep the boys entertained, and not in a musical way.

The only danger I forsee for Jones, Doolittle and Edwards is over-confidence. But then again, these girls want too much to win, and they won't let up or let slip.

VS.

I look forward to what they'll dish up next week, and that's already a sign of success when people start wanting more of you.

The next American Idol?

Stephanie "Beyonce" Edwards

SEKSI - The Malay word for SEXY.

Petikan daripada Harian Metro (Cit Cat Azwan Palit Sejarah Kelat oleh Rudy Imran Shamsudin) semalam (extract from an article in yesterday's Harian Metro by Rudy Imran Shamsudin):

5) Pada malam konsert di Dataran Shah Bandar, Ning Baizura ditegur pihak kerajaan negeri dengan alasan dia kelihatan seksi walaupun penyanyi itu memakai baju berlengan panjang sehingga ke paras peha dan kaki bersarung ‘legging’. Atas alasan itu dia tidak dibenarkan bergerak dari tempat duduknya, membuatkan Ning sedih dan kecewa kerana tidak dapat bermesra dan bergambar bersama peminat.

On the night of the concert at Shah Town Square, Ning Baizura was reprimanded by officials from the State Government for looking sexy, although the singer was wearing a blouse with long sleeves and leggings. For that reason, she was not allowed to move from her seat. Ning felt sad and disappointed that she could not meet and greet and pose for pictures with her fans.

Me: Rudy, seksi ke Ning malam tersebut tu?

Rudy: Pada pandangan i, tak seksi. Tutup dari atas ke bawah. Ala, tak kira ape ape pun yang Ning Baizura pakai, tetap dikatakan seksi. Dah potongan badan camtu, nak cakap ape.

KlubbKidd was also present at the concert, and has written a 'review' of the gossips events that ensued.

AMERICAN IDOL - Top 10 Boys

It's obvious and apparent that all ten boys can sing. No question about that. Granted, some had pitch issues last night. I can live with that. Even professionals have pitch issues during live performances.

The likes of Chris Sligh, Sundance, and AJ bounced back and gave pretty good performances that showcased their individual strengths while Phil, Nick, Jared and Brandon kept up the pace. But no one really stood out and made an impression. Most were too focussed on redeeming themselves. Except for Sanjaya who made a huge impression, though: he was way freaky, and should really go home.

Having good voices, neat moves, excellent song choices and charisma are not nearly enough in a competition. That elusive and certain 'X' factor needs to stand out. Which is why I thought the eye candies won the night, with their respective inimitable styles and identities.

Street-smart Blake Lewis, 25, and pretty boy Chris Richardson, 22, have the commercial appeal to make it to the finals. Blake swaggers while Chris bounces along. Attitude vs. Sunshine. Two different products with their corresponding markets. Tough fight.

VS.