The Auras opening the show with Projek Pistol‘s “Wanita Seluruh Dunia“…

Time seems to fly by in the blink of an eye. For all we know, we’re only left with two more episodes of Ratu before the competition wraps up. Before I move on, I would just like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a great and prosperous 2013 ahead. The sixth episode of Mediacorp Suria‘s beauty-cum-talent competition this past New Year’s Day was the first live show to be aired on the station’s channel in the new calendar year, something which the hosts brought up and were proud to be a part of when they introduced us to the show. And since we’re on the subject of firsts, well this is also my first entry of the year. I certainly look forward to sharing more photographs, thoughts and perhaps video highlights (if I have the time and patience to edit them) in this humble domain of mine on happenings in our local Malay entertainment scene, those that I am invited and have the opportunity to attend in time to come, God willing.

Wawan, the lead vocalist of The Auras…

Truth be told, I don’t quite know what to comment on this past week’s episode, simply because there were no eliminations made, in a surprise move made by the show’s producers. Well actually I was given a hint by trusty insiders when I was on my way to the Mediacorp TV Theatre, that the show might not be worth attending afterall, but did not quite understand what it meant till the show was over. I will not say that it was a wasted trip in a nutshell, as I did learn who might be possible finalists in less than a fortnight’s time. Speaking of which, I would like to apologise for my judgment error when I said previously that the semi-finalists will be the Top 4, when in fact they will actually be the finalists. For the first time in the competition, the contestants were given random questions for them to answer spontaneously and it was a good test to see how they reacted and answered when previously they knew what questions to expect and prepared them beforehand.

Fauzie Laily and Marina Yusoff…

Even though there were no eliminations made this past week, slowly but surely the Top 4 who will grace the Grand Finals on 15 January 2013, is taking shape. If we were to crown the winner now, I think Fatin Amira would win it at a canter, such is the young lady’s calm, confident and composed demeanour. Week after week, her level of progress and improvement seems to be going upwards and if she nails the next episode’s challenges, I think we will not have to wait for the end of the show to know that she would be a straight shoo-in. Everything she does, she seems to ace them. Another name I am inclined to believe would make the Top 4 based on her quietly consistent performances is Wida Alisa. Her eloquence, maturity and calculated answers are a reflection of her personality. From my weekly observations watching them live and listening to their radio interviews on Tuesday afternoons, Wida seems to appear to be resident judge Hafeez Glamour‘s favourite contestant as well.

Rudy Marican (right) joining Nuraliza Osman and Hafeez Glamour on the judging panel…

Which leaves us with another two slots to be filled. Who else do I feel deserve the remaining two places??? Each contestant has her strong selling point – Nor Aishah Ahmad (gentle and demure), Shillah Marlysha (killer dimples), Tiara Atyra (normally-cool nature), Wan Anisah (exotic looks), Nur Aqilah and Surya Rahmanty (warm and charming smile), but somehow like what the judges had mentioned in their assessments, the girls lacked that wee bit of self-confidence and some still appearing to be quite timid at this stage of the competition. I do not wish to tempt fate or disappoint the others by picking the last two because all of them will begin the seventh episode on equal footing. At the same time I also hope that even though I had praised Wida and Fatin for their consistent performances, they do not rest on their laurels just yet, as the other six can still steal their spots if they up their game and channel their self-belief and confidence for a better performance, which I am sure they will.

The relief and happy faces upon knowing they were all going into the semi-final round…

I think for a few of the contestants whom I will not name but am sure they know it themselves and even viewers in the TV Theatre and at home would note, the non-elimination this week was like a major lifeline for them to give it one more shot at getting into the Grand Finals. Based on previous weeks’ performances, the judges’ job was made rather easy to give lesser points to those who did not perform well, especially during the Q&A session. Those who had stuttered, lost their composure at crucial points or did not answer to the point, had felt the brunt of the culling. And I believe it will be no different right up to the end of this competition where composure would play a crucial part for them. I was initially surprised when the judges said that some of them still had opportunities to be crowned the champion, which was a prelude to the announcement of the non-elimination. So let’s hope the girls who did not do quite well this past week can atone for their mistakes and do better for this coming make-or-break seventh episode where four eliminations will be made. Till then…

The seventh episode of Mediacorp Suria‘s beauty-cum-talent competition, Ratu, saw its semi-final round eliminating two more contestants this past Tuesday, 8 January 2013. In my previous entry I had mentioned that four of them would be eliminated, but I must have missed the all-important information in the mediakit that we received during the media conference to introduce the sixteen contestants, whereby the Grand Finals will actually be graced by six of them. If it is any important indicator to you my dear readers, it just goes to show that I too am not free of making errors, overlooking the details and coming across as wayward in my initial assessments, but yet funnily enough no one else came forward to correct me. Makes me look a bit silly now. Oh well…

Trisno of Urban Xchange / Parking Lot Pimp fame was the guest artiste of the night…

So what do you think of the results thus far??? Are the six finalists justified??? I have been observing comments online that Nor Aishah Ahmad should not have been eliminated. I thought she did quite ok in general, the tribute she gave to her sister was extremely heartwarming. However, if there was one glaring mistake she made that day, it was to ask the judges to repeat their question, a possible indicator that she might not have been entirely focused. I did say in one of my previous entries, the judges are scrutinising and judging them through minute details like body language and other things like posture etc. Any trivial shortcomings displayed by the contestants would be penalised and eventually affect their total scores. My guess is, this was one of them.

Khairudin Saharom joined Nuraliza Osman and Hafeez Glamour on the judging panel…

Tiara Atyra, the other one who was eliminated did much better than the previous week, but somehow I think her answer did not quite resonate with the judges. By saying she likes an Audi car for its physical outlook, style and elegance, it could probably have given the judges the impression that Tiara favoured beauty on the surface rather than highlighting how a car could serve its purpose better. Maybe if she had answered a Toyota Estima or Chrysler Grand Voyager for example, she could have scored a bit more points as the car models mentioned cater for a big family, on top of looking classy. If it was me answering the question and I had answered a Lamboghini Gallardo (my dream car), people would also have the impression that I am quite the selfish person as the car only sits two people.

It has to be said, in a question-and-answer segment in a beauty competition, in general there is no right or wrong answer. Judges are more interested in hearing what a contestant has to say and learning a bit about their personalities and the way they think through the answers they give. It’s a psychological thing which I have no technical expertise nor background to explain further. The question-and-answer segments are the judges’ way of getting to know the contestants, not merely throwing random questions. This is where the contestants need to be aware of and I admit, is a big challenge for them to overcome. The challenges the girls face every episode could not be more daunting as some of them still look extremely uncomfortable in their high heels when they strut and do the catwalk.

Presenting the six finalists!!!

Adding a bit of wit to their answers is more than welcome, but not overdoing it and being mindful of their surroundings, situation and circumstances. I can more or less sympathise with Wan Anisah as I know she meant her answer that night as a joke, but it did not sound quite right in a competition, leaving guest judge Khairudin Saharom who had asked her what questions does she avoid answering, a bit stunned and perplexed. Maybe if it was said on a normal show, the audience would have laughed along and praised her for being witty and cheeky at the same time. Even though the finalists had been announced, post-show, a few of them wore disappointed looks on their faces as they reminisced the answers they gave during the question-and-answer segment.

It was heartening to see some of the earlier eliminated contestants returning to support the show and their fellow contestants, proving the bond they share is not a one-off affair…

To the six finalists, time to forget about what could have been or what should have been done or said better. Use the experience of making errors to give off a better performance in the Grand Finals. Making mistakes is part and parcel of life and en route to success, one of the ingredients to a good recipe. Brooding over them will only affect your confidence level this coming Tuesday. Learn from it and you should be able to do well, not only for the current competition, but also for the future. The six finalists are deserving of their places in the Grand Finals on merit in my opinion, though deep down I thought that Elfiana Ismail would at least be one of them from my observations a few weeks ago, but the judges’ decisions have to be respected afterall. Before I end this entry, I would just like to congratulate Fatin Amira, Nur Aqilah, Shillah Marlysha, Suria Rahmanty, Wan Anisah and Wida Alisa on advancing to the Grand Finals stage!!!

Graphics poster courtesy of Mediacorp Suria…

This is it!!! The Grand Finals of Mediacorp Suria‘s latest talent-spotting competition comes to an end this coming 15 January 2013. After eight weeks of sweat and tears, and with the number of contestants whittled down to six out of the sixteen that began the competition, we will know who will be crowned the new face of the television station by the end of Tuesday night. Joining Nuraliza Osman and Hafeez Glamour on the judging panel will be Metrowealth International Group‘s CEO, Major David Teo, renowned Malaysian fashion designer Jovian Mandagie and Mr. “Adam Mukhriz” himself, Aaron Aziz. The guest artistes of the night will be Awi Rafael, no stranger to our local music scene, who has made a name for himself across the Causeway with hits like “Pulanglah“, “Bila Aku Jatuh Cinta” and of late, “Asalkan Aku OK” and making a welcome return since the very first episode of the competition, Sezairi Sezali. In this entry I will give a lowdown on each of the six finalists based on my observations and through making small talk with them after each episode.

Fatin Amira – I was actually surprised when I found out that Fatin Amira just turned twenty years of age this past New Year’s Eve. Her maturity belies her age. Other than coming across as a dead ringer for Malaysian R&B princess Dayang Nurfaizah, she did not strike me initially as a possible Ratu in the initial stages of the competition. But from Episode 4 onwards, she progressed and grew on her own through the carefully crafted and matured answers she gave during the Q&A segments. Add to the way she improved and aced on her catwalk, she was never in danger of elimination. Definitely a hot favourite to win, though she needs to calm down, enjoy herself and just forget about winning to detract the jitters away. Television and radio hosting could also be her thing in time to come as I had previously mentioned that she definitely has the tone of voice suited for the two broadcasting mediums.

Nur Aqilah Kamaruddin – She first captured my attention during the Media Conference to introduce the sixteen contestants of this competition through none other than her megawatt smile. This is not to say that the other contestants are not sincere nor generous with their smiles, far from it, but Aqilah‘s smile I feel is the most sincere and could melt one’s heart. Also the most demure and gentle of the six finalists, she is blessed with gracefulness and this was evident in the earlier rounds when we saw her execute the Malay dance and Silat routines as though she was born to perform them. However, she still comes across as a bit shy and needs to be a bit more vivacious and above all, be more confident of herself that she can still win the competition. If there is someone she can be compared to currently in our scene, then I am looking no further than to resident host of Ratu, Marina Yusoff.

Shillah Marlysha – I am not sure if she knows or is aware of this, but Shillah Marlysha is actually one of the favourites to win and touted by those working behind-the-scenes as someone that could grace our television screens in time to come, either as a host or an actress. The potential in terms of physical aspect is there, she is tall, pretty and already has some modelling background prior to joining this competition. For that experience alone, she has had quite a headstart over the others, and you can see that from the way she struts on the runway. And those killer dimples are a definite attraction, since not many female artistes are blessed with that. She needs to show it more by smiling even when the cameras are not panning in her direction, because when she does not smile, she looks a bit aloof and fierce (I get this feedback about myself from time to time as well, so we’re in the same boat, Shillah!!!). Other than that, the only other thing she could work on is answering her question by adding on a bit of pizzazz, perhaps take a bit of risk to add some colour, as I feel her answers so far have been more on the safe side.

Surya Rahmanty – She is another one with a very warm and generous smile on her face. The eldest amongst the contestants at twenty-six years of age, her performances so far have been commendable, not too flashy but still having lots of room to improve, most notably on her catwalk. I know it is very uncomfortable having to walk on high heels and trying to look classy at the same time, but I think for a newbie in this modelling aspect of the competition, Surya has not done too shabbily. Her answers have always been well-thought out and she seems assured with herself. I think her biggest strength is being cool and calm in the face of adversity. Surya also has a steely and hidden iron-willed determination about her, which perhaps have kept her soldiering on in the competition. But would it be enough to crown her the winner??? Anything is possible, especially when she is rated as an underdog, and we always have a soft spot for underdogs, don’t we???

Wan Anisah – Another one who had captured my attention during the Media Conference for her sharp and exotic looks, thanks to her Indian heritage. When I first saw her back then, two words came into my head – “Bollywood Queen“. But really in all seriousness, she does remind me of those beautiful Hindi actresses and will not look out of place if she were to act in a new season of “Cinta Bollywood“. I thought she was a bit quiet in the early weeks of the competition but began to open up more and even tried to crack a joke during the semi-final round, which depending on how you perceived them, was either a decent attempt or a shot on the foot. That attempt proved that she is willing to add variety to her answers and a bit of wit, and for that I cannot penalise her because it showed that she is a trier and risk-taker. Sometimes fortune favours the brave and she was definitely brave enough to attempt that, although it almost backfired on her. I also heard that she is one of those who normally has no problem crafting her answers without the need for any refining or corrections. In that respect, she just needs to maintain her poise and composure.

Wida Alisa – In terms of educational background and constantly attaining high distinctions for her school examinations, Wida who is doing her Masters in Business Administration, is right up there and an inspiration for our community and younger generation to emulate. Not only has she the beauty, but the brains to back it up as well. When I think of that combustible combination of beauty and brains that Wida possesses, she does remind me of Rita Zahara and Hazlina Halim, two beauties who have graced our television screens as newscasters and television hosts. I’ve said before that she has been quite consistent in the competition without much fanfare, but still getting the job done when it mattered. A very pleasant person to talk to off-stage, what impresses me about Wida, is her humility. She has that natural wit which might bring her places. Winning on Tuesday might just be the passport she needs to realise her potential, if others have not already taken notice by now.

So who do I think will win the competition??? Like the previous time I said I did not wish to tempt fate nor jinx the contestants, I will again be non-committal over who I think will win, simply because in a Grand Final of a reality competition, anything can happen. Underdogs can outperform and go beyond expectations when you least expect it. This scenario has happened many times when the likes of Hyrul Anuar, Aliff Aziz and Rahayu Ridwan had won previous Anugerah competitions. Shahril Wahid and Erwin Shah Dawson were also considered underdogs when they won in the 2006 and 2010 editions of Anugerah Skrin. I did say last week that Fatin Amira would win at a canter if the winner was crowned last week, but somehow she showed that she too could make the odd mistake and this happened during the semi-final round when she tripped and stumbled upon her words during the Q&A segment. I think the winner will be crowned based on who keeps her cool and composure that night, making the least errors during the Q&A segments and how she carries herself in whatever outfit she wears. Each finalist has her own strengths and factors that could see them score more points and I hope that this preview of mine could help them one way or another into maximising their potential. To the six finalists, I wish them the very best for this coming Tuesday‘s penultimate episode of Ratu…

Ratu Elegan & Ratu Suria – Fatin Amira

Ratu Popular – Wan Anisah

Ratu Kebaya – Shillah Marlysha

I purposely post this entry a week after the competition series ended for the fact that I do not foresee much entries that I will be making between now and March, so a little breather is more than welcome. Afterall, I have been quite diligent with my weekly reviews over the course of the competition. I know most of you who are not linked to me via social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram would not see the photographs I snapped, unless you follow the contestants themselves. So fret not, because this penultimate review on Mediacorp Suria‘s inaugural beauty-cum-talent search competition will have hundreds of them featured, even more than what I normally upload for your viewing pleasure. So where do I begin??? With the choice of the winner, Fatin Amira, of course!!!

Like the first episode, Sezairi Sezali opened the show, this time performing Dato’ Sheila Majid‘s “Ratu“…

Fatin‘s coronation as the first winner of Ratu was in truth, no surprise to yours truly, and I’m sure to regular viewers of the series as well. She has been very consistent since Episode 4, has a very strong grasp and understanding of the Malay language, confident, composed and dare I say, a certain air of nonchalance which sets her apart from her fellow competitors. I did not say explicitly who were my favourites to win but along with Wida Alisa, both of them were my personal two choices to win the competition, with no disrespect to the other finalists, even though physical beauty-wise, the others had the edge. It was a matter of who was to blink or make that odd mistake that would sway the odds against their favour. I did say in my preview of the Grand Finals, the one who would win would be the one who maintained their poise and composure and not be let down by small mistakes and this was true, as Fatin aced almost every segment that night.

Fauzie Laily and Marina Yusoff‘s onstage chemistry was one of the plus points of the competition series…

I saw several comments online from sour grapes who questioned the choice of anointing Fatin as the winner as she is not as pretty as some of her fellow contestants. The aim of this competition was not merely to choose who is the most good-looking or who is the most popular. The aim was to choose an all-round winner, someone who is not only good-looking but a person of holistic substance. She has to be intelligent and media savvy, confident in the way she carries herself and have a certain degree of raw potential that could be polished in time to come as a television personality in hosting or acting. In Fatin Amira, I have no doubt that she was the right choice by the judges who carried the heavy responsibility of choosing a winner who could be someone we can be proud of in time to come – a beauty with brains. Above all, I am convinced that Fatin is ready to face the media across the Causeway, whom we all know are more harsh than our own and will always be ready to find faults and not give an inch, what more a yard.

The Top 6 Finalists!!!

Why I said I am convinced, is how consistent and calm she has been at answering questions throughout the competition. Even when she was interviewed by Hafeez Glamour in his Go Glam radio programme the day after her win, she answered several difficult questions with ease, even those questions that were posed to her fellow finalists during the Grand Finals itself. When she appeared a second time during Dzar Ismail and Nity Baizura‘s Personality Zoom segment last Friday, I posed a challenging question on how she would react if the President of Seniman were to question her credibility and presence in their scene. Her answer suitably impressed me, saying that she is new and will no doubt learn from the people she is working with to improve on her flaws. Opportunities are also available everywhere for people to work and add value to a certain industry, no matter which country they are working at. She ended by saying that people should just widen their mentality and not be hampered by selfish interests. No doubt she is ready and feisty, willing to face the challenges in store.

The panel of judges sharing a laugh when Aaron Aziz (hidden) made his point across…

I will not put down Wida Alisa for her gaffe that night. I think enough of criticisms online have been hurled at her and I am sure she did not mean what she said on purpose. We all make mistakes, it was just unfortunate that such an error was made on live television, under such pressure-cooker situations. Most of those who have hurled their criticisms are the same people who will equally freeze or make mistakes themselves if they swapped shoes with her. It is not easy to look pretty and answer random questions thrown at you. What more to translate in Malay when we think daily in English. Likewise there was not much wrong with Wan Anisah‘s final answers, other than the fact that it did not resonate with our community and culture. The prerogative was hers to answer as best she could and one that suited her personal interests and personality. No one should put her down for her honesty, at least she did not lie her way just to score points with the judges.

The suave Awi Rafael performing “Bila Aku Jatuh Cinta“, his second hit single after “Pulanglah“…

It was also good that the finalists were put through a short acting segment to suss their potential in this particular area, since they will after all, go on to star in a movie produced by Metrowealth International Group. They are raw as evident from their voice intonation and static delivery, having no prior background before this, hence one cannot expect a flawless performance. Even most new actors and actresses in Malaysian movies have been panned as wooden before, but they built on the opportunities given to them and improved over the years. Likewise the same can be expected from our Top 3, with Fatin Amira and Wan Anisah the better performers that night in the acting skit they were involved in. Even though the camera was not focused on them, what impressed me was they kept the scene flowing with their facial and body expressions. For that, we have to thank the likes of Mastura Ahmad, Zaidi Ibrahim and Seriwahyuni Jaes for imparting useful acting knowledge to the girls.

Fatin Amira, the deserving winner of Ratu!!!

Ratu has been a relative success in my opinion, no matter what the critics might say. Critics are always willing to give their piece of mind at anything and everything, but almost always failing to give substantial alternatives and suggestions on how to better the show. This is the first of its kind which Mediacorp Suria has embarked upon, and naturally, glitches are to be expected. Definitely the producers will do a review on how they can better the next edition or if there is another one of its kind, but for the males instead. This is a new venture on uncharted waters, which no matter the storm they faced, at the end of the day, the ship still reached its harbour safe and sound, if I were to put it in such analogy. The opportunity and experience given to up-and-coming beauties was definitely enriching for all the contestants and I am sure they came out better and confident ladies. This was evident in their catwalk during the Grand Finals. Oh how beautiful all sixteen of them looked, especially the opening segment and one wondered why were they not dolled up like that since the first episode???

Group photo of the contestants, judges, hosts and guests-of-honour after the show ended…

It has been fun covering the competition over 61 days, from the time the media conference was called to introduce the sixteen of them, right down to the Grand Finals. I gained sixteen new friends as a result, all charming and sweet ladies and I wish nothing but the best to all of them on their subsequent endeavours henceforth. If they still harbour hopes on entering the entertainment industry, then I suggest that they sign up with the various local performing arts / theatre groups to hone their craft, learn the ropes from experienced hands and come back for another shot when another reality competition comes around. It does not have to be in acting, because I know some have talents in dance or having the voice for hosting. Do not limit themselves to just acting because with their respective strengths, they can expand and try viable alternative avenues. Anything is possible. To Fatin Amira, congratulations once again on being crowned the first ever winner of Ratu in Mediacorp Suria‘s history!!! I do look forward to seeing her grace our television and silver screens very soon!!!

I’ve gotta admit, I’ve had a nice three week break since the last entry. I’ve managed to catch up on a lot of me time, with family and friends. So much so that laziness had crept in and I was beginning to delay this particular entry that I’m about to embark on. I think two weeks since the event launch of the Dunia Sinema channel on Starhub TV is long enough and I cannot delay any longer since Pesta Perdana 12 is just less than a fortnight away. Speaking of Pesta Perdana 12, I will be posting an entry on the nomination list pretty soon, but I’m sure some of you might already known or have seen it on your respective social media accounts. Hand to heart I have not been keeping myself abreast and don’t even know who is nominated in which category, which shows how much I have switched myself off from the local entertainment scene since the Ratu competition ended.

Ms. Sandie Lee and Major (Hon) David Teo officially launched the Dunia Sinema channel…

Touching on the topic of Ratu, well the launch of the Dunia Sinema channel held at Fairmont Hotel on 2nd February 2013 felt like a reunion of sorts all over again, as at least ten of the contestants attended the event hosted by Metrowealth International Group (MIG). Familiar up-and-coming local actors and actresses like Erwin Shah Dawson, Lydia Izzati, Atikah Suhaime and Erni Aidil also graced the occasion with their presence. Even radio personality Hafeez Glamour, came to support the launch. Prior to the event, a closed-door auditioning session was being held next door to the event venue. It was the perfect opportunity for the Ratu contestants and our up-and-coming acts to show their potential and perhaps be the next face to be featured by MIG in their upcoming productions, be it on the silver screens or for television viewing. At a time where some bigwig in the scene across the Causeway is making all the negative noises about welcoming acts from outside their country, MIG should be applauded for welcoming them with open arms.

The Ratu contestants with Hafeez Glamour and Major (Hon) David Teo…

Anyway, back to the topic of the Dunia Sinema channel. MIG has been entrusted to manage the newly-launched channel, where there is a collection of Malay films produced by them and can be viewed through this collaboration with Starhub TV. The high demand for Malay films in Singapore in recent years, convinced Starhub and MIG to create this channel. This collaboration hopes to trigger a new history in the world of broadcasting, in turn further strengthening bilateral relations between Singapore and Malaysia, particularly in the field of publishing. Subscribers to the channel (Channel 120) can enjoy watching ten films of different genres every month at a flat rate of S$8.56 per month. The launch of the Dunia Sinema channel was inaugurated by Major (Hon) David Teo, CEO of MIG and Ms. Sandie Lee, Vice President for Content Services, Starhub TV.

Pelakon Lelaki Terbaik dalam Watak Utama – Drama Bersiri (Best Lead Actor – Drama Series)

Hasnul Rahmat (Anakku Sayang)

Pelakon Wanita Terbaik dalam Watak Utama – Drama Bersiri (Best Lead Actress – Drama Series)

Ariati Tyeb Papar (Selamat Malam Maria)

Pelakon Lelaki Terbaik dalam Watak Pembantu – Drama Bersiri (Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Drama Series)

Izzat Yusoff (Anakku Sayang)

Pelakon Wanita Terbaik dalam Watak Pembantu – Drama Bersiri (Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Drama Series)

Siti Hajar Gani (Anakku Sayang)

Pelakon Lelaki Terbaik dalam Watak Pembantu – Drama Khas (Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Drama Special)

Osman Zailani (Terbelenggu)

Pelakon Wanita Terbaik dalam Watak Pembantu – Drama Khas (Best Actress a Supporting Role – Drama Special)

Rosita Hussin (Yakin)

Pelakon Terbaik dalam Watak Komedi (Best Actor/Actress in a Comedy Role)

Mastura Ahmad (Anak Mak Samseng)

Pengacara Terbaik (Best Host)

Rilla Melati (Rudy & Rilla)

Bintang Cilik Terbaik (Best Young Star)

Danish Qayyum Putra Shahrin Azhar (Nama Saya Kassim Selamat)

Drama Terbaik (Best Drama Series)

Pinggiran Ramadan Sr 2 (Media Reel)

Drama Khas Terbaik (Best Drama Special) &

Mr. Perfect (Papahan Films)

Rancangan Hiburan Terbaik (Best Variety Series)

Kita Gerek (Dua M)

Rancangan Kanak-Kanak Terbaik (Best Children’s Programme)

Nama Saya Kassim Selamat (Dua M)

Rancangan Hiburan Khas Terbaik (Best Variety Special)

Muzika Ekstravaganza 2012 (MediaCorp Eaglevision)

Arahan Terbaik – Hiburan (Best Directing – Variety)

Muzika Ekstravaganza 2012 (Zulina Karim, Samri Badi & Zaharian Osman)

Skrip Terbaik – Hiburan (Best Writing – Variety)

Muzika Ekstravaganza 2012 (Wan Firzaleenazrah)

Rancangan Informasi Terbaik (Best Info-Ed Programme)

Jalan Sr 5 (Oak3 Films)

Skrip Terbaik – Informasi (Best Writing – Info-Ed)

Jalan Sr 5 (Idzwan Othman & Ibrahim Sawifi)

Lagu Tema Terbaik (Best Theme Song)

Anak Metropolitan Sr 3

Song Title: Anak Metropolitan / Composer: Mayuni Omar / Lyricist: Hamed Ismail

Rancangan Paling Popular (Most Popular Programme)

Anak Metropolitan Sr 3 (MediaCorp Eaglevision)

Personaliti Lelaki Paling Popular (Most Popular Male Personality)

Syarif SleeQ

Personaliti Wanita Paling Popular (Most Popular Female Personality)

Nurul Aini

Anugerah Perdana Emas

Yusnor Ef

Fun Awards

Due to personal health reasons and family commitments, I have not been involving myself with anything pertaining to our local Malay entertainment scene since Pesta Perdana ended, in fact harking back to the end of the Ratu Suria competition. You can safely say that I have been switching myself off from the scene. I had initially planned to attend and post weekly photographs of the current TeRaSeh competition which is currently underway, but the fact is, I have not attended a single weekly episode since its inception some seven weeks ago, no thanks to my schedule and also my reservist, which was during Episodes Two and Three. However, thanks to Mediacorp Suria, I was brought out of my “hibernation” for a memorable trip to Kuala Lumpur recently.

Our kind sponsors for the trip – Orange Coach & Travel Pte. Ltd.

Close to four weekends ago, I was fortunate to be invited by Mediacorp Suria to be a part of the football team that took on Persatuan Seniman Malaysia at Kelab Sultan Sulaiman, which is situated in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur. Similar to the last Piala Dollah Kassim tournament, the squad that travelled to Kuala Lumpur was more or less the same with Rafaat Hamzah again captaining the side and familiar faces like Shahril Wahid, Sahfuddin Mahfudz, Effandy Idris, Anugerah Skrin 2010 alumnus Md Idris Jamin, Aidil Jufri Jumari, Raja Razie, not forgetting the First XI players Alang, Mohd Helmi and Faliq Sudhir. This team also welcomed a few guest players namely Danial Ashriq, Izzat Yusoff, Hasyf Nasir, Hafiz Nasir, Noe Chicanoe (Opening Act Go Glam fame) and local singer Raja Izzuwin Shah, who also acted as the coordinator of this friendly match, along with his wife Lydia (Shootz 19).

The Kelab Sultan Sulaiman pitch with the stunning backdrop of KLCC Twin Towers…

It was initially advertised that some players from the opposing team were supposed to play, but the only ones I knew who took to the pitch were ex-members of Nico, Shades, KOOL (who are all known as the super group GX-4 by the way) and Kamal Adli. The rest were unknown to me, simply for the fact that I do not watch Malaysian dramas or shows to be kept abreast of who’s who. Acappan and Isma Aliff as well as the President of Persatuan Seniman Malaysia (you-know-who) were initially touted to play, but the former two were not seen and the latter did not change into his gear, but remained a concerned spectator by the sidelines. I was actually looking forward to meeting Isma Aliff, a legend in his own right for the number of comedy films he did back in the late 80s, as well as recording several parody songs which I remember till this day.

Players warming up before the match…

Anyway, the match was a whitewash, played in three halves of half an hour each. I hope I don’t sound too pompous and arrogant when I used the word “whitewash”, but I cannot describe it any other way. It was too one-sided, even if our team had started the first fifteen minutes playing with a lot of jitters and making a number of basic, silly mistakes, myself included. We were tired as we only arrived in Kuala Lumpur two hours prior to the game, but the moment we scored our first goal through Razif Ariff, we began to dictate play and became more confident. Further goals by Raja Izzuwin Shah, Danial Ashriq, yours truly (yes I had a cameo playing upfront in the last ten minutes, scoring with my first touch!!!) and a brace by Alang, made the scoreline a bit too flattering. You can understand why I said a 6-0 scoreline is a bit flattering.

Alang celebrating his first goal and the team’s fourth for the evening…

Much had been said prior to the game by well-wishers online, when they saw who was initially supposed to play in the opposing team (no prizes for guessing who). I know it is easy to get sucked into nationalistic feelings or be aggrieved by the constant sniping by you-know-who with regards to some of our artistes making a name for themselves across the Causeway. But the match was indeed a friendly match born out of goodwill and I was glad that it remained extremely cordial from the start right to the end. For that I am very happy that the players were all playing with smiles on their faces and never put ourselves in situations where things could get complicated. We were ambassadors of our country afterall and it was a great advertisement to show that we were professional, gracious and respectful towards our hosts. Let’s hope that we can return the same favour when the second leg returns in June, this time on our home soil.

Both sets of players in a show of solidarity and friendship after the match ended…

P.S. Special thanks go out to bro Syah Ibrahim and his team from Orange Travel for kindly sponsoring our trip to Kuala Lumpur as well as the the accomodation at Sunway Putra Hotel. The service and hospitality rendered were first class. Thank you also to Mediacorp Suria for again inviting me to join the football team and team manager Ishak Jamid for allowing me to play upfront as a striker for the last ten minutes of the game. I enjoyed the trip very much and brought home memorable moments I could replay in my head from time to time. For the record, Alang was awarded the Top-Scorer trophy whereas Mohd Helmi was awarded the Man-of-the-Match award. Prizes were kindly sponsored by none other than popular radio deejay of ERA.FM and comedian, Johan (Raja Lawak). Last but not least, to the two busloads of supporters who made their way up just to support us, THANK YOU!!!

(All photographs and video clip featured in this entry are courtesy of Mediacorp Suria)

Have you gotten your tickets yet???

It’s been a very dull 2013 indeed on this domain. Simply because I have been extremely busy on the family and personal front and blogging has been the very last thing on my agenda. Heck, I have not even been helping my good friend, DJ KC, update the Misteri Jam 12 Official Blog for quite some time as well. Logged into this blog for the first time in more than a month, and I realised that I only made six further entries right after the RATU competition ended in January 2013, with at least half being simple single promos for our local acts, Fauzie Laily, Sezairi Sezali and the SHR Menage production – Mega Lawak 2013 (You can scroll down to see the previous entries). I dunno if I should call this a “long rest”, a “hiatus” or “hibernation”, but it does feel that I have retired from the scene.

All that changed when I received an invitation to attend the media conference of Anugerah Planet Muzik (APM) 2013 towards the end of August. And I thought, what a great timing to make a long-awaited return. Of course, I accepted the invite with open arms, as regular readers would note that APM is close to my heart since it began in 2001, following it religiously on an annual basis. You can say that this is definitely one event I look forward to yearly. I got wind of sketchy details of this latest edition of our regional music awards event sometime during Ramadhan. Just hearing the name of the event venue made me bristled in anticipation. For those of you still wondering where it will be held this year, it will be at the newly-refurbished Suntec City Convention Centre Hall 601-604 on 18 October 2013.

The coveted trophy to be won come 18 October 2013…

You might ask why the excitement all of a sudden. If you have been following this blog since years ago, you would note, like a bad record how I have been championing for the event to return to the venue that provided the best APM throughout its twelve years of existence. It has been a long wait. Eight long years to be exact. And I am ready to be swept off my feet once more. The moment I heard that Suntec City Convention Centre will play host this year, memories of the 2005 edition began playing through my head. From the opening performance by Gerhana Ska Cinta, to the debut of PeterPan, the great performance by Dewa19, our own Bhumiband, the humourous medley of songs sung by Saiful Apek as well as the three Divas – Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza, Melly Goeslaw and Kris Dayanti belting away each others’ hits, from the start till the end, it was a definite joy to watch that edition.

The event was hosted by AB Shaik and Aura Shai…

What made that 2005 edition the best in my opinion, was also the acoustics of the venue as well as the sound system that was crystal clear. Something that did not do justice to such a prestigious show when the event was thrice held at Max Pavilion Singapore Expo. I remember watching SLAM‘s reunion concert on 24 February 2012 at the same venue and had secretly wished that APM would return some day, such was the rich sound quality that we got to enjoy that night and how close we were to the stage, that watching the monitor screens was a bit irrelevant. Ok am speaking on my personal experience sitting in the first three rows so it doesn’t count especially to those who were seated behind but for those who went to that concert, am sure you got my drift about the sound quality we enjoyed that night.

And then there was the Red Carpet event during the 2005 edition, a proper one whereby the artistes came in limousines with fans clamouring by the sides wanting to snap photographs with them. My hopes of wanting to watch another good show this time around, were further raised when I heard that the current newly-refurbished venue makes the fans feel closer to the stage no matter how far they sit. That alone my friends, is why you need to purchase the tickets to watch this upcoming edition of APM2013, which already promises acts like Indonesian crooner Cakra Khan and our own Jamiel Said to show their worth to the regional audience. I do not have the names of the performers yet, but you might like to check out the official APM2013 Facebook page for more details as well as the voting mechanics on how you can vote for your favourite / popular artistes.

Group photograph before the event proper began…

Speaking of voting, I hope that our regional neighbours would take the time to vote for their favourites and not complain afterwards when the awards go to “less-deserving winners”, according to them. I think in the past, they were given the opportunity to vote for their favourites or respective acts in their countries but did not do so. In the end, when the likes of Hady Mirza and Taufik Batisah won, there was uproar on social media like how a particular artiste or song was not popular in other countries but yet still able to win something, citing favouritism by the organisers and questioning the legitimacy of the wins. The voting game is simple, you vote more, your favourites have a higher chance of winning. If you don’t, be prepared to suck thumb and whine away. Heard that this time there will be a limit of 20 votes per voter. I think that’s a fair means to level the playing ground since we all know how “hardworking” some of these fans are at voting for their favourites.

Yaya Hamid seen here performing “Taman Hati“…

My goodness, I have been blabbering the past six paragraphs but have yet to talk about the media conference proper. This is what happens when you’ve been away for far too long from blogging and side-tracking way too much as a result. The media conference, unlike last year where it was held at Rendezvous Hotel, was once again held at the humble multi-purpose room at Mediacorp Caldecott Broadcast Centre on 3rd September 2013. APM2013 is special this year, for the fact that this is the first major project between Warna 94.2FM, RIA 89.7FM and Mediacorp Suria channel since their merger on 1st August 2013 to form the Mediacorp Malay Broadcast Division. As such, it would be very interesting to see what creative ideas can be exchanged between radio and television for this particular project and what viewers can enjoy come 18 October 2013.

Sufie Rashid performed Adele‘s “Rolling In The Deep“…

The media conference was graced by the performances of upcoming local acts Yaya Hamid and Sufie Rashid of “The Final One” fame. It was good to expose and introduce them to the invited guests though it has to be said that both of them still need to learn to be more composed and be wary of their pitching. I detected several flawed notes and going off-key from the two of them, but I attribute that to jitters, which is understandable since they were performing in front of more experienced performers as well as bigwigs from the local entertainment industry. I think I would have felt a little intimidated myself if I was in their shoes. Still, I hope that they will build on the experience and give off better performances in future.

The addressing panel consisting of Dr. Edmund Lam, CEO of COMPASS, Ms. Zakiah Halim, Senior Vice-President, Mediacorp Malay Broadcast Division and Mr. Hassan Salleh, Assistant Vice-President of RIA 89.7FM…

Ms. Zakiah Halim, Senior Vice-President of the Mediacorp Malay Broadcast Division praised the efforts of our local acts who had submitted their entries, noting that a lot of improvements have been made to the extent that the judges had a difficult time choosing the nominees. One of the judges had also noted that the quality of our local music is almost on par with their regional counterparts, so much so that they could not distinguish which country they belonged to. Over the years, a lot of good music, quality ones, have been produced and our creative songwriters out there should take heart that they are on the right track and that their works have been recognised, not only by the judges judging their works for APM, but also the listeners have received and liked their songs on the airwaves as well. Long may their good work continue!!!

With regards to the list of nominations, I am happy to see the likes of Tengku Adil and Jamiel Said getting their recognitions by their respective nominations. The former especially, who has been in the scene since he first came to our attention with his involvement in Anugerah 2003. Faced with many setbacks and pitfalls, all that hard work over the past decade has been worthwhile for Adil. Likewise it is difficult to break into the Best categories with our regional counterparts being stronger in many aspects. To see a local name in those categories, no matter if they win in the end or not, is already a positive sign that Singapore acts can breakthrough and be on par with those in Malaysia and Indonesia. And of course, we share their pride at being nominated. Another nomination I am pleased with was Sheikh Haikel‘s nomination for Best Collaboration (“Eh Lah“). I had expected it to be nominated last year but did not qualify for evaluation as the song was produced in 2012, not 2011, which was the qualifying criteria. However I am a bit disappointed that Diorama‘s “Hipokrasi” did not get nominated for Best Singapore Song at the very least, as I felt it had the right quality and vibes of a Top Five song.

Tickets to Anugerah Planet Muzik 2013 go on sale from tomorrow 16 September 2013, priced at $48, $68 and $88 at all SISTIC outlets.

Music consumers from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia are given the opportunity to vote for their favourite songs and artistes in the fan-driven categories. Voting for the Popular categories began on 3rd September 2013 and will end on 10 October 2013 at www.facebook.com/Anugerah.Planet. APM2013 is with the support of the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA), Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS) and Indonesian Music Award Foundation (Yayasan Anugerah Musik Indonesia). This year, viewers can catch the LIVE simulcast of APM2013 on MediaCorp Suria (Singapore), RIA 89.7FM and Warna 94.2FM (Singapore), Astro Ria (Malaysia) and Brunei Darussalam) and Net Media (Indonesia).

Anugerah Planet Muzik 2013 List of Nominees

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN A SONG (NEW MALE ARTISTE) PERSEMBAHAN VOKAL TERBAIK DALAM LAGU (ARTIS BARU LELAKI)

1. Ammir – I Love You

2. Bo Amir Iqram – Lagu

3. Cakra Khan – Harus Terpisah

4. Jamiel Said – Nafas Ku

5. Mosyi – Bulan

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN A SONG (NEW FEMALE ARTISTE) PERSEMBAHAN VOKAL TERBAIK DALAM LAGU (ARTIS BARU WANITA)

1. Asmidar – Biar Sampai Ke Bintang

2. Citra Scholastika – Everybody Knew

3. Giselle – Pencuri Hati

4. Kamaya – Terperangkap Cinta

5. Shae – Sayang

BEST COLLABORATION KOLABORASI TERBAIK

1. Aliff Aziz & Adira – Keajaiban Cinta, Komposer:Manusia Putih, Penulis Lirik: Manusia Putih

2. Art Fazil & Imuda, Rilek Brader, Komposer: Art Fazil, Penulis Lirik: Art Fazil

3. Najwa Latif, SleeQ & Syamkamarul, Sahabat, Komposer: Najwa Latif, Penulis Lirik: Ika Latif & SleeQ

4. Sheikh Haikel Feat. Ila Damiaa, Eh Lah!, Komposer: A’Trez, Penulis Lirik: A’Trez, Sheikh Haikel & Ahmad Tihamy

5. The Trisno Trio Feat. Altimet, Dunia, Komposer: Trisno & Altimet, Penulis Lirik: Trisno & Altimet

BEST MALE ARTISTE ARTIS LELAKI TERBAIK

1. Glenn Fredly, Malaikat Juga Tahu

2. Hady Mirza, Betapa Berat Cintaku

3. Hafiz Suip, Bahagiamu Deritaku

4. Judika, Aku Yang Tersakiti

5. Tompi, Waktu Takkan Mampu

BEST FEMALE ARTISTE ARTIS WANITA TERBAIK

1. Agnes Monica, Muda

2. Bunga Citra Lestari, Cinta Sejati

3. Maudy Ayunda, Perahu Kertas

4. Nicky Astria, Terus Melangkah (Carry On)

5. Shila Amzah, Masih Ada Cinta

BEST DUO/GROUP DUO/KUMPULAN TERBAIK

1. Black & Malique, Teman Pengganti

2. Hafiz Suip & Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza, Muara Hati

3. Tangga, Cinta Tak Mungkin Berhenti

4. The Trisno Trio Feat. Altimet, Dunia

5. Truth, Hati-Hati Dengan Hati

BEST BAND BAND TERBAIK

1. Bunkface, Panik

2. Gigi, Mutiara Yang Hilang

3. Kotak, Kecuali Kamu

4. Mojo, Andai Ku Bercinta Lagi

5. NOAH, Separuh Aku

BEST SONG (SINGAPORE) LAGU TERBAIK SINGAPURA

1. Akur, Dinodi Feat. 2kangkata & Erma Maulood, Komposer: Reyza Hamizan, Penulis Lirik: Reyza Hamizan, 2kangkata & Idi Hakim

2. Babak Cinta, Tengku Adil, Komposer: Tengku Adil, Hang Dimas & Awi Rafael, Penulis Lirik: Tengku Adil

3. Betapa Berat Cintaku, Hady Mirza, Komposer: Hady Mirza & Maman, Penulis Lirik: Hady Mirza

4. Jangan Ganggu Pacarku, Aliff Aziz, Komposer: Panji Sakti, Penulis Lirik: Panji Sakti

5. Jauh, Seyra, Komposer: Seyra, Penulis Lirik: Sarah Ismail

BEST SONG (MALAYSIA) LAGU TERBAIK MALAYSIA

1. Andai Ku Bercinta Lagi, Mojo, Komposer: Edry Abdul Halim, Penulis Lirik: Edry Abdul Halim

2. Bahagiamu Deritaku, Hafiz Suip, Komposer: LY, Penulis Lirik: Baiduri

3. Masih Aku Cinta, Shila Amzah, Komposer: Shila Amzah, Penulis Lirik: Shila Amzah

4. Muara Hati, Hafiz Suip & Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza, Komposer: Manusia Putih, Penulis Lirik: Manusia Putih

5. Pelangi Senja, Stacy, Komposer: Taja, Penulis Lirik: Tun Teja

BEST SONG (INDONESIA) LAGU TERBAIK INDONESIA

1. Harus Terpisah, Cakra Khan, Komposer: Aldi Nada Permana, Penulis Lirik: Aldi Nada Permana

2. Hati-Hati Dengan Hati, Truth, Komposer: Titi DJ, Penulis Lirik: Titi DJ

3. Kecuali Kamu, Kotak, Komposer: Pay, Dewiq & Kotak, Penulis Lirik: Dewiq

4. Perahu Kertas, Maudy Ayunda, Komposer: Dewi Lestari, Penulis Lirik: Dewi Lestara

5. Separuh Aku, NOAH, Komposer: David & Ihsan Nurrachman, Penulis Lirik: David & Ihsan Nurrachman

MOST POPULAR SINGAPORE ARTISTE ARTIS SINGAPURA PALING POPULAR

SG1: Aliff Aziz

SG2: Audionauts

SG3: Awi Rafael

SG4:  Didicazli

SG5: Diorama

SG6: Hady Mirza

SG7: Sezairi Sezali

SG8: SleeQ

SG9: Taufik Batisah

SG10: Zahidah

MOST POPULAR SINGAPORE SONG LAGU SINGAPURA PALING POPULAR

LP1: Babak Cinta, Tengku Adil

LP2: Belaian Rindu, Teacher’s Pet

LP3: Betapa Berat Cintaku, Hady Mirza

LP4: Dikalung Kasihan, Imran Ajmain

LP5: Diriku Dirimu, Wawan,

LP6: Hipokrasi, Diorama

LP7: Kalut, Audionauts

LP8: Nadi Simfoni, Raven

LP9: November Itu, Northbound

LP10: Untuk Dia, SleeQ Feat. Najwa Latif

MOST POPULAR REGIONAL ARTISTE ARTIS SERANTAU PALING POPULAR

AS1: Agnes Monica

AS2: Aliff Aziz

AS3: Bunga Citra Lestari

AS4: Cakra Khan

AS5: Hady Mirza

AS6: Hafiz Suip

AS7: NOAH

AS8: Rossa

AS9: Shila Amzah

AS10: SleeQ

AS11: Taufik Batisah

AS12: Yuna

MOST POPULAR REGIONAL SONG LAGU SERANTAU PALING POPULAR

 LS1: Aku Bersahaja, Taufik Batisah & Rossa

LS2: Anak Kampung, Jimmy Palikat Feat. One Nation Emcees

LS3: Andai Ku Bercinta Lagi, Mojo

LS4: Cinta Sejati, Bunga Citra Lestari

LS5: Harus Terpisah, Cakra Khan

LS6: Muara Hati, Hafiz Suip & Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza

LS7: Patah Seribu, Shila Amzah

LS8: Rindu, Agnes Monica

LS9: Separuh Aku, NOAH

LS10: Sudah Cukup Sudah, Nirwana

LS11: Teman Pengganti, Black & Malique

LS12: Terukir Di Bintang, Yuna

NEW MEDIA NOVA NOVA MEDIA BARU

NV1: Afie Khalid

NV2: Afrina Adnan

NV3: Ari Safitria

NV4: Fairul Adzreen

NV5: Hafiz Zainal

NV6: Isa Abdillah

NV7: Ivan Saputra

NV8: Norhafizah

NV9: Sufie Rashid

NV10: The Siti

SOCIAL MEDIA ICON IKON MEDIA SOSIAL

IK1: Agnes Monica

IK2: Aliff Aziz

IK3: Bunkface

IK4: Hafiz Suip

IK5: Imran Ajmain

IK6: Mizz Nina

IK7: Najwa Latif

IK8: NOAH

IK9: Sherina Munaf

IK10: Shila Amzah

IK11: SleeQ

IK12: Vidi Aldiano

Not surprising, my blog stats jumped these past three days with people searching for photographs of two celebrity weddings happening this past weekend. While one has been publicly known for quite some time and even made known in this month’s issue of Manja magazine, the other has been relatively low-profile and not even announced or mentioned on radio where the radio presenter works, other than subtle hints being dropped by the other presenters. I know there are still question marks out there with regards to Adi Rahman‘s marital status, but yes, indeed he got married over the weekend to Ms. Sharifah Mukminah. Apologies if you entered this domain hoping to view pictures of the wedding, but yours truly was not invited as the event was low-key and attended by those close to the groom and bride. But fret not, cos I’m here to share photographs of Fauzie Laily and Nurul Huda‘s marriage solemnisation ceremony and will share more photographs of their event at both sides of the family in the days to come. So be sure to return sometime at the end of the week for more.

5th October 2013 was indeed a memorable day for both Muhammad Fauzie Laily Bin Ramlaily and Nurul Huda Binte Abdul Khalid, a day they both, and the people around them, have been waiting for ages. The couple have known one another since primary school but only got closer together about five years ago. Finally they have tied the knot and I could see from the faces of all the guests who attended on both days, how happy they were for Fauzie, a person who is very likeable and adored by those who know or have worked with him. I am sure most, if not everyone, who has rubbed shoulders with him only have nice things to say about him. Likewise for yours truly who has known him since before he joined his first Anugerah competition back in 2003, I only have positive things to say as his personality from the first time I got to know him, never changed nor waned till today. He is still the same humble, down-to-earth, friendly, goofy and affable guy I knew. Fame certainly has not changed him for the worse, but make us all respect him even more. He is afterall the local Malay entertainment scene’s favourite younger brother to most of the established personalities.

In truth, I have known about Fauzie‘s wedding date on the day Fiza O announced her wedding date to DJ KC on 12 September 2012. He told me to keep it low for the time being and out of respect for his wishes, I complied to the point I nearly forgot all about it. But as the days neared, we could see the couple getting excited on their respective social media accounts, and who can blame them??? I’m sure anyone in their shoes would be equally excited. Some of us have been through it before and we all know how exciting and stressful it was at the same time for all of us who have gone through our own wedding events. It’s a happy experience afterall and one that we would like to go through again if given the opportunity, but of course with the same person we’re married to. Kudos to Nurul for inspiring me to get back on the healthy lifestyle regime I have somehow stopped-started over the past year.

The couple solemnised their marriage in front of a crowd of about 200 guests, made up of mostly close friends and family members at the multi-purpose hall of Blk 316 Tampines St. 33 at about 12:10pm on 5th October 2013. The setting itself was like a page out of a fairytale wedding and credit should go to the bride and groom’s wedding planner and team for making it possible. Ustaz Syed Ahmad Bin Syed Mohamed was the Kadi who solemnised the marriage. What caught my eyes that day were the wedding gifts which were simple, but an honest reflection of both bride and groom who are down-to-earth people. Instead of a wedding cake by the dais, they had Pulut Kuning instead, in line with the traditions of our Malay culture. Though the groom was nursing a very bad cold that day, he was still upbeat and cracking jokes from time to time to ease any tension felt from within.

Fauzie & Nurul, congratulations once again on your union!!! May Allah bless you both with good health, more happiness, patience, guidance, love and understanding to go through the trials and tribulations, the challenges and cinches, the good and the bad times in a marriage relationship and subsequently parenthood. Also for HIM to grant you both beautiful, filial and pious children. I’ve seen with my very own eyes how you both adore kids, especially how Fauzie‘s eyes light up when he sees my kids. Always touches my heart whenever I see him greet my children with so much warmth and candour, to the point I feel that he already has the attributes of being an excellent father-to-be. All the best guys in your new life chapter as husband and wife!!! Praying for the best for both of you…

I know I promised you guys in my last entry that I would upload more photographs of Fauzie Laily and Nurul Huda‘s wedding by last weekend, but I was caught up with several unexpected stuff happening that I did not have the time to upload them. Looks like I will have to push it to a later date once the Anugerah Planet Muzik 2013 fever is over. Speaking of which, I just came back from attending the soundcheck and rehearsal for tomorrow’s event proper over at Suntec Singapore Convention Centre. I have never attended a rehearsal / soundcheck session and stayed on for about two to three hours observing the proceedings before, and this was a very new experience for me. The reason I came down was also to fine tune my camera settings which somehow have gone haywire over repeated tests and meddling on my part!!!

Indonesia’s S4 in action…

I only knew the soundcheck schedule sometime around 4pm this afternoon. Initially I thought the rehearsal proper would be done at night but it seems that they staggered all the items in stages so that the artistes can have ample rest and also to do some promotional work on their own. I thought I could make it and watch Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza rehearsing but by the time I left home, she was almost done. When I reached the event venue, I was fortunate enough to catch her leaving and returning back to her hotel. You can view the three photographs I took of her below. I was pleased that I managed to catch two acts I so wanted to watch in this year’s edition, in action – W.A.R.I.S. and S4. The latter especially had me dancing along whilst snapping their photographs. They really make you want to get up from your seats and join them.

SG‘s very own The Trisno Trio and Bushmen rehearsing their segment…

I tried to get a feel of the venue by standing at the back tiers and I must say even when seated far away, the stage seemed close enough. And the sound quality, oh my God!!! The event has been crying out for such good quality sounds for the past few years and finally, we are getting crisp and crystal clear sounds. But you can only appreciate it best if you are watching it live at the venue. Some acts are gonna make your hairs stand with their vocal prowess and showmanship and with a good sound system, the effect is amplified even more. So for those who are still in two minds whether to catch it live at the venue or on television, I say, ditch the thought of staying at home and come enjoy an excellent array of performances. At the price you are paying, it will be worth it!!! Tickets are still available at $48, $68 and $88 at all SISTIC outlets and Muzika Rekod…

(Graphic poster courtesy of Mediacorp Suria)

We’re just a few hours away from the abovementioned event and as is customary in this domain of mine, I will play soothsayer and try to predict the possible winners who will receive the eighteen awards up for grabs tonight. Had wanted to post this up along with my previous entry I published last night but was already too sleepy and I had to work this morning so here I am with a quick one before I prepare for tonight’s big event in our local / regional Malay entertainment scene. All predictions are solely my personal views, not influenced by any parties or individuals so if I were to get it wrong, it’s all good, cos this is something fun I like to do on an annual basis. So here goes:

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN A SONG (NEW MALE ARTISTE) PERSEMBAHAN VOKAL TERBAIK DALAM LAGU (ARTIS BARU LELAKI) :

Cakra Khan – Harus Terpisah

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN A SONG (NEW FEMALE ARTISTE) PERSEMBAHAN VOKAL TERBAIK DALAM LAGU (ARTIS BARU WANITA)

Asmidar – Biar Sampai Ke Bintang

BEST COLLABORATION KOLABORASI TERBAIK

The Trisno Trio Feat. Altimet, Dunia, Komposer: Trisno & Altimet, Penulis Lirik: Trisno & Altimet

BEST MALE ARTISTE ARTIS LELAKI TERBAIK

 Hafiz Suip, Bahagiamu Deritaku

BEST FEMALE ARTISTE ARTIS WANITA TERBAIK

Agnes Monica, Muda

BEST DUO/GROUP DUO/KUMPULAN TERBAIK

Hafiz Suip & Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza, Muara Hati

BEST BAND BAND TERBAIK

NOAH, Separuh Aku

BEST SONG (SINGAPORE) LAGU TERBAIK SINGAPURA

Akur, Dinodi Feat. 2kangkata & Erma Maulood, Komposer: Reyza Hamizan, Penulis Lirik: Reyza Hamizan, 2kangkata & Idi Hakim

BEST SONG (MALAYSIA) LAGU TERBAIK MALAYSIA

Muara Hati, Hafiz Suip & Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza, Komposer: Manusia Putih, Penulis Lirik: Manusia Putih

BEST SONG (INDONESIA) LAGU TERBAIK INDONESIA

Separuh Aku, NOAH, Komposer: David & Ihsan Nurrachman, Penulis Lirik: David & Ihsan Nurrachman

BEST SONG LAGU TERBAIK

Separuh Aku, NOAH, Komposer: David & Ihsan Nurrachman, Penulis Lirik: David & Ihsan Nurrachman

MOST POPULAR SINGAPORE ARTISTE ARTIS SINGAPURA PALING POPULAR

Taufik Batisah

MOST POPULAR SINGAPORE SONG LAGU SINGAPURA PALING POPULAR

Untuk Dia, SleeQ Feat. Najwa Latif

MOST POPULAR REGIONAL ARTISTE ARTIS SERANTAU PALING POPULAR

Taufik Batisah / SleeQ / NOAH

MOST POPULAR REGIONAL SONG LAGU SERANTAU PALING POPULAR

Muara Hati, Hafiz Suip & Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza

NEW MEDIA NOVA NOVA MEDIA BARU

Sufie Rashid

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN A SONG (NEW MALE ARTISTE) PERSEMBAHAN VOKAL TERBAIK DALAM LAGU (ARTIS BARU LELAKI)

BEST SONG (INDONESIA) LAGU TERBAIK INDONESIA

BEST SONG (REGIONAL) LAGU TERBAIK SERANTAU

CAKRA KHAN – Harus Terpisah

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BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN A SONG (NEW FEMALE ARTISTE) PERSEMBAHAN VOKAL TERBAIK DALAM LAGU (ARTIS BARU WANITA)

Citra Scholastika – Everybody Knew

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BEST COLLABORATION KOLABORASI TERBAIK

Najwa Latif, SleeQ & Syamkamarul, Sahabat, Komposer: Najwa Latif, Penulis Lirik: Ika Latif & SleeQ

MOST POPULAR SINGAPORE SONG LAGU SINGAPURA PALING POPULAR

Untuk Dia, SleeQ Feat. Najwa Latif

SOCIAL MEDIA ICON IKON MEDIA SOSIAL

 SleeQ

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NEW MEDIA NOVA NOVA MEDIA BARU

Hafiz Zainal

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MOST POPULAR SINGAPORE ARTISTE ARTIS SINGAPURA PALING POPULAR

Audionauts

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BEST SONG (SINGAPORE) LAGU TERBAIK SINGAPURA

Jangan Ganggu Pacarku, Aliff Aziz, Komposer: Panji Sakti, Penulis Lirik: Panji Sakti

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BEST SONG (MALAYSIA) LAGU TERBAIK MALAYSIA

Masih Aku Cinta, Shila Amzah, Komposer: Shila Amzah, Penulis Lirik: Shila Amzah

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BEST MALE ARTISTE ARTIS LELAKI TERBAIK

JUDIKA – Aku Yang Tersakiti

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BEST FEMALE ARTISTE ARTIS WANITA TERBAIK

Bunga Citra Lestari, Cinta Sejati

(photo courtesy of rmol.co)

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BEST DUO/GROUP DUO/KUMPULAN TERBAIK

MOST POPULAR REGIONAL SONG LAGU SERANTAU PALING POPULAR

Muara Hati, Hafiz Suip & Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza

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BEST BAND BAND TERBAIK

NOAH, Separuh Aku

(photo courtesy of Last.fm)

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MOST POPULAR REGIONAL ARTISTE ARTIS SERANTAU PALING POPULAR

Hafiz Suip

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APM2013 SPECIAL AWARD ANUGERAH KHAS PLANET MUZIK 2013

Black Dog Bone

Due to the fact and norm that I traditionally post my annual Anugerah Planet Muzik reviews about a week or fortnight after the event has passed, I would normally fill the waiting time by posting photographs of the Red Carpet event as well as during the post-event reception afterwards. But somehow there was no Red Carpet segment and even more surprisingly, there was no post-event reception this year, which I personally felt was a disappointment, as I had planned to take more photographs and even dedicate a separate entry for it. Still I believe visitors to this blog have been looking forward to viewing photographs I snapped during the event. Well here I am with all the miscellaneous shots I took during the “Walk of the Stars” segment (which replaced the Red Carpet), backstage about an hour or so before the event begun, during and after the show. Enjoy!!!

P.S. I was not able to snap more and better photos of the “Walk of the Stars” segment due to the speed that the artistes were walking out and some were not even stopped to be interviewed by the hosts, due to the lack of time before the event commenced. Hence I did not get good photos of the likes of Bushmen, The Trisno Trio and Altimet…

This is gonna be a brief entry because the photographs that will be featured will speak for themselves. I have yet to start on the review of APM2013 but already have some points in my head, waiting to be typed in this domain of mine. I actually wanted to dump all the photographs under one entry but that will be too lengthy and will take several days to complete and I do not wish to keep my returning readers waiting. Seriously, editing 3400-odd photographs and selecting the best few hundreds to be featured here has been quite a tedious affair. Hope that you will not mind waiting a wee bit more for the review, which I will try to post before the week is out. Till then, enjoy the photographs I snapped of the award presenters as well as more photos of the winners and their victory shots…

(Graphics poster courtesy of Mediacorp Suria)

It is exactly a fortnight since Anugerah Planet Muzik 2013 (APM2013) was held successfully at the newly-refurbished Suntec Singapore Convention Centre. Over the years, and with the increased participation on social media by the masses, this event has slowly come to the fore and made its presence felt with the regional audience. One can see how the event has created a buzz positively and negatively, when you see comments flying around on Twitter, Facebook and other social media networks, especially in the last three years when the show caused a lot of unhappiness amongst the regional audience for being “boring” in terms of entertainment aspects (their subjective criticisms) and for being biased towards our homegrown artistes in the popular award categories. Well, you can’t win them all, but it was indeed pleasing to hear after the show that “#APM2013” was the most trending topic on Twitter on the night of 18 October 2013, in both Singapore and Malaysia.

Wacky hosts who lifted the show with their nonchalance – Adi Rahman, Sarah Sechan and Dato’ AC Mizal…

As for this year’s edition and before I proceed on with this review, let me first congratulate the good people behind Anugerah Planet Muzik for a job well done and for improving the standards of the show as most of you who had witnessed it live would agree. This was indeed the very first project since the Mediacorp-owned Malay radio stations (Warna 94.2FM & RIA 89.7FM) and television channel (Suria) merged together to form the Malay Broadcast Division of Mediacorp. Officially this was not their first project or APM together, but one can see that since the merger, the cooperation and working in tandem has resulted in a more concerted and synergised effort with more interactions now being done online to engage viewers of the event. Ok I know there will be those who would disagree based on individual preferences and personal judgments, but I believe if there are any, then maybe they are of a minority clique. Let’s start off with all the good and positive stuff that went on that night.

S4 of Indonesia pumped up the audience with their hit single “She Is My Girl“…

For years I had been complaining of the poor state of affairs over at Max Pavilion Singapore Expo, where the event was held in 2006 and as recently as the previous two editions (2011 and 2012). For all the star-studded cast that had performed in those editions, it did not bring justice to their pedigree and reputation as outstanding acts in the region, since the sound system and acoustics of the venue were absolute letdowns. Like a bad record, I had appealed on an almost annual basis for the event to return to Suntec Singapore Convention Centre where the best edition was last held in 2005. Eight years since it was last held there, I finally got my wish and God knows how elated I was upon hearing the news as personally I feel that Suntec offers a far better dynamics than Max Pavilion. What made it even better was the fact that Suntec had undergone a major refurbishment recently and it definitely promised a far-better viewing experience, not to mention the crystal-clear sounds. What’s more, no matter how far you are seated, the stage still seems near enough to you. With a potent combination like this, you simply cannot go wrong with any production, as those who had purchased tickets to watch the event live would agree with me.

Jamiel Said, Citra Scholastika and Jazz Hayat performing “Sahabat” made popular by Syamkamarul, Najwa Latif and SleeQ…

Performances-wise, I personally don’t think there was one performance that was bad or boring, but it has to be said however, that the closing performance by Amy Search and Bunkface felt a bit weird for the fact that the song they performed together towards the end (“Rentak Laguku“), did not quite resonate with the watching audience as most had not heard it before on our local airwaves. As a result, the energy levels and anticipation which were felt earlier when Amy Search sang “Isabella” and Sam, Bunkface‘s vocalist, performed “Situasi“, went down slightly and the audience were not bobbing their heads as much as before. Perhaps both could have finished off with their respective fast-tempo hits like “Isi & Kulit” and “Panik“, just to name two examples. Still, if you were to ask me, this was a much better ending to the awards show when you compare it to recent years. At least the show still went out on quite a high.

Jazz Hayat was the sole Brunei representative that night. Previously, his compatriot Faiz Nawi performed in the 2005 edition, which was also coincidentally held at Suntec Singapore Convention Centre as well. Let’s hope to see more Brunei acts in upcoming editions!!!

My personal performing favourites of the night were S4, W.A.R.I.S., Awi Rafael, Altimet and The Trisno Trio, to go along with crowd favourites Judika, Shila Amzah, Hafiz Suip, Cakra Khan and of course Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza. S4 of Indonesia, born from the reality show, “Galaxy Superstar“, might have been strangers to viewers or music lovers in Malaysia and to some in Singapore, but they certainly announced their presence in definite style when they kicked off the show excellently with their hit single “She Is My Girl“, complete with their slick dance moves and all. It is not easy to perform and sing live like them and even though one can detect that they had accompanying vocals in their track, I believe they sang live throughout even though some members looked a little unwell, judging by the constant coughing I heard when I met them backstage an hour before the event started. It could be an unexpected technical fault cos when I witnessed them during the soundcheck the day before the event, the group breezed through their rehearsal and sang live immaculately.

The rapper who hails from Negeri Sembilan, W.A.R.I.S., performing his debut hit “Rembau Most Wanted“…

I was extremely pleased to see a very much under-rated talent performed that night and he is none other than Malaysia‘s Altimet. I have been a silent fan of his for years, always loving his new singles that touch upon social issues and relate to our everyday lives. It strikes a chord with the listening audience and his lyrics allow us not only to self-reflect, but to self-improve on our personal level. It was unsurprising that he was nominated for the Best Collaboration and Best Duo / Group awards for “Dunia“, his collaboration with The Trisno Trio. I did say back in 2007 when he last performed at APM, that I was not too impressed with his opening act that night, but everything about his performance a fortnight ago oozed class, attitude and confidence. He is like the Pitbull of Southeast Asia, a master collaborator with so many local and Malaysian acts and churning out radio-friendly hits after hits. And who is to say “Kalau Aku Kaya” will not be among the five nominees for Best Collaboration or Best Duo / Group in APM2014??? I’m confident enough that the song will be one of them. The only complaint I would have would be that he should have performed with The Trisno Trio and Bushmen that night, as “Dunia” is still technically his song as well. Two to three minutes of him rapping to “Kalau Aku Kaya” was just not enough.

Altimet and Awi Rafael performing “Kalau Aku Kaya“…

This was the first time since the advent of our local reality singing competitions like Singapore Idol, that none of the touted local Big 4, namely Taufik Batisah, Hady Mirza, Sezairi Sezali and SleeQ, took to the stage to perform at Anugerah Planet Muzik. I dunno if this was a calculated decision made by the organisers wanting to feature other local acts or the fact that both Taufik and Hady had their own personal commitments on the same night (the latter was out of the country performing his Hajj from what I heard), but it was a decision I personally felt was a good one, a fresh perspective, even if some of their fans had complained that it was the same faces every year. I wonder where some of these fans have been all these while when the likes of Taufik, SleeQ and Hady have been performing in APM since 2007 on an almost annual basis. Even Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza skipped the last one to attend to her husband’s well-being from his motorcycle accident last year and the show still went on smoothly.

Adi Rahman and Sarah Sechan…

With all due respect to the touted Big 4, Singapore‘s talents are not limited to them alone, as we still have other acts crying out to be featured every year. We are definitely not short of talents as we all know by now the success and strength of our community when it comes to performing and winning national talent competitions. And now with Youtube giving birth to indie talents and wannabe artistes, it has become another platform to display their talents to the world. I was extremely proud of our local contingent who performed above themselves and showing that they were worthy to be featured that night. Maybe a little gripe I might have, was the non-availability of a female singer from our shores, as I had at least expected The Final One winner, Farisha Ishak to be invited to perform. Even Audionauts, by virtue of being last year’s Best New Duo / Group award winners and this year’s Most Popular Singapore Artiste award recipients deserved an invitation to perform.

Syahrini was joined onstage by Aliff Aziz, singing the former’s debut hit “Jangan Memilih Aku“…

Speaking of the latter group, I believe their win in the Most Popular Singapore Artiste category caused more than a ripple that night. In fact it caused shockwaves on social media accounts asking who were they and questioning if they deserved it. Well one could hear a pin drop in the arena when their group name was mentioned by award presenters Syirah Jusni and Dzar Ismail. To the detractors, wake up and start smelling the many roses in the garden. For the past two years, Audionauts have been churning out hits after hits on local radio. Quietly, their fans have done their job to put them up where they currently belong. Accept their win and take it that the fans from the other nominated artistes in the popular category were complacent and sitting on their laurels. The idols will always be respected and deemed of a higher status, that is a given, but we should also not begrudge the winners of their achievement as it was their fans who had been instrumental in their win. For me at least, it gives the group the opportunity to reintroduce themselves to the regional as well as home audience and showing that we have more talents on our shores than our Big 4.

Sarah Sechan and Dato’ AC Mizal hosting next to the front row audience…

The three hosts that night I felt carried their responsibilities down to a T. Before the show, just by looking at the promotional poster of the event and seeing their faces, I had a good vibe that they would do the show justice and I was not disappointed. Sarah Sechan being the chilli padi that she is, and Dato’ AC Mizal being quickfire with his jibes are a common sight on television in their respective countries. The newly-wedded groom, Adi Rahman, is also no stranger to dishing out witty punchlines in his daily morning show on radio. The chemistry between the three was certainly evident, but I just felt Adi was perhaps a little too cordial to his fellow presenters. While Sarah and Dato’ AC were trading barbs at one another, Adi was a little laidback and played more of the “good guy” card. Which perhaps prompted some people to comment online that Adi was “boring” that night. But somehow people dunno that the characters and traits of personalities differ onstage or the deliberate roles that they are supposed to play to keep the momentum of the show to a considerate level.

Trisno Ishak (The Trisno Trio) and Mohammad Izaar (Bushmen) did Singapore proud that night with their performance…

In years past, people have complained that the script was either too “in-your-face”, vulgar or redundant. I think credit should go to Adi Rahman, being the script writer, for keeping it simple, eradicating the sexual innuendos (even though the other two hosts did slip their tongues once or twice, probably taking the mick out of Adi‘s newly-minted status) and without being too excessive. Speaking to him after the show, he did say that it was a huge challenge to write the script as he first had to study the characters and backgrounds of not only his fellow presenters but the award presenters as well. For them to click, he had to find a common theme or subject for them to talk about (the small talk and banter between the presenters). He found it especially challenging to blend the conversation between Aura Shai, Mike Kasem and Dato’ Rossa (I am still getting used to the title which was recently conferred to her). While Aura Shai did not look out of place, the latter two did look a bit uncomfortable, at least from my own observations. Which made me wonder whether Mike Kasem‘s presence was relevant at all, no disrespect to the guy. But I was all too happy not to hear the “Gerek Seh!!!” phrase being mentioned at all, cos seriously nobody in Singapore uses this on a daily basis anymore.

Stacy Angie always packs a punch in her livewire performances…

I would like to reserve a special mention to the “Radio Ultras” (or also known as the “Singamania” group that attends football matches involving Singapore / Lions XII) who came in numbers and filled up the rear seats. I thought their presence lifted a rather subdued atmosphere (what’s new anyway about Singapore audience???), but prompted the audience to clap and cheer along to their chants before the show began. Those at home were unfortunate not to witness this spectacle of a performance and I doubt it was shown on television. It was typical of what you might see if you were to watch a Malaysian Super League match at the Jalan Besar Stadium. But this felt much better as perhaps the arena is enclosed and their singing was heard loud and clear. I think the foreign delegates from Malaysia and Indonesia were very impressed, judging by the smiles on their faces upon witnessing it. The rousing applause that accompanied their performance was testament to that.

Sarah Sechan and Dato’ AC Mizal were poking fun at one another the whole night…

Every year, the same complaint has been made time and time again of the lack of a Red Carpet segment or the “poor standards” of it whenever it was held. If one were to observe similar segments in other countries’ award shows, you would note that this separate segment alone has either a main sponsor or several sponsors attached to it. Unfortunately, even for a progressive country like us, sponsors are hard to come by when it comes to supporting our local Malay entertainment scene. There is only so much the organisers are able to budget and rental of the auditorium alone is expensive. Add to payment of artiste appearances, performers, accomodation, flight tickets etc, certain aspects had to be dropped and unfortunately they saw no need to have the Red Carpet segment, which was fine by me and one I have come to accept over the years. Even some of the other acts I talked to said they were ok with it.

Art Fazil and Imuda with their hit “Rilek Brader“…

People always complain that the organisers have no budget and that if they did not, then why do up such an event??? Sometimes people fail to look at the big picture and sometimes too it is a matter of “damned if they do, damned if they don’t“. This is an event that honours the best in the region as well as our own cos we certainly do not have our own awards show save for Pesta Perdana and the only Anugerah Hitz.Sg event back in 2010. For all the success and more hyped-up entertainment industries of our neighbouring countries, do not expect them to do something similar to what Mediacorp has done. Yes, they might have one separate category for foreign artistes in their award shows, but that’s it. This event brings together big names from the region, a chance to collaborate and network, honour the best and it is because of that you see the likes of Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza lending her support on an almost annual basis, either through performing or just making an appearance as a guest, bar the 2012 edition. It is not about payment, but endorsing the credence of the event. Mediacorp I think has done well to work within their means and funding. Of course we would all like to see all the other razzmatazz associated to award shows but it’s also how best they can come up with something that others might not / do not want to do.

Judika and Shila Amzah put in a memorable performance singing “Aku Yang Tersakiti” together…

However, I did not quite like the “Walk of the Stars” segment that much, which occurred half an hour prior to the show. This somehow replaced the Red Carpet segment, with the artistes who were either performing or presenting awards coming out from the back to be introduced to the audience. It seemed a bit too rush for me as only the big names were stopped by the hosts, A B Shaik and Fiza O, to be interviewed. As a result and as mentioned in my entry before last, I could not get good shots of some of those who had walked onto the stage for their introductions. I think if they were to do this in future, they should extend it by another fifteen minutes or so, interview each and every artiste that walks onstage and not only that, include the other award nominees who did not get the opportunity to perform nor present an award. I think it is only fair to include them as this is a day to honour each and everyone of them. Especially the local artistes, am sure the audience too would like to catch a glimpse of them and get themselves acquainted to their own homegrown acts.

Another thing that baffled me was the post-event reception or lack thereof of one. I actually heard about its non-availability when I came for the sound check a day before the event, and I thought perhaps my informer had pulled my leg. But there wasn’t any, much to the surprise and disappointment of the other artistes and industry people who had come to watch the event, either as nominees or guests. They had told me that they were indeed looking forward to the reception as they had wanted to use it to do some networking with their neighbouring counterparts and of course to catch up with one another, seeing their respective busy schedules. Confusion reigned when ushers showed them to the back once the event ended, but there was no reception nor instructions telling them where to go and the waiting area was pitched black before the lights came on about ten minutes later. Some ended up walking aimlessly at the back before they were able to go out from where they first came from. I knew because I was there too.

Dato Siti Nurhaliza with her duet partner, Hafiz Suip, performing “Muara Hati“…

For all the hype and star-studded cast on show, I was surprised that the auditorium was only about two-thirds full. I mean, don’t people want to pay and watch performances from artistes you know exude professionalism, charm, charisma and not to mention quality anymore??? I think gone are the days when the likes of Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza are able to perform to a sell-out audience. In the past, just one big name alone was able to fill up an entire arena. In recent years, it has been quite a struggle. I dunno if it’s due to the ticket prices, timing (Friday night is actually the start of a weekend so what excuse do we have???) or the lack of knowledge on some of the other neighbouring artistes, but if it’s Anugerah Planet Muzik, one should know by now that the quality on show has never been compromised since its inception in 2001. The problem with us is that we want quality but are not receptive enough to want to pay for it. And like what I had often mentioned in the past, I blame those monthly expo events for devaluing the artistes.

Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza joined Cakra Khan in singing “Harus Terpisah“…

One thing I’ve been quite consistent in pointing out yearly is the lack of time for the winners to give their acceptance speeches. Bar the recipients of the Special Achievement award, all the other winners were only accorded about thirty seconds to express their gratitude to the people that matter. I know that they are afraid of the show being over-run as they had only allocated two-and-a-half hours, but such an event demands at least an extra fifteen minutes to half an hour’s grace for any unexpected occurrences. Just imagine, the winner is busy preparing himself / herself backstage or perhaps granting an interview with the media scribes and they have to rush to the stage to accept their awards. By the time they reach the stage, at least fifteen to twenty seconds (half a minute in some cases) would have been wasted and they are only left with about ten seconds worth to thank the people behind their success. I think the thirty seconds rule should start the moment they open their mouths to speak.

I had a major peeve that night with the lack of decorum and self-respect of some artistes towards the event. Even if you are not performing or presenting an award, the least you could respect the event was by turning up and wearing something presentable other than donning t-shirt and jeans. At the very least you could have done was wear a jacket over the t-shirt or put on some simple / fancy accessory to go along with it. As an artiste, I am sure you want your works to be noticed and in turn gain recognition. I think we are living in an era where making music alone is not enough and consumers would look to see if their favourite artistes would be presentable or have no sense of style at all. Am not asking you to play dress up, but such an event has not only the eyes of those in this country watching, but the region as well. If artistes like Raven, Northbound, Seyra, Diorama, just to name a few, could look presentable or stay true to their genre, why can’t you??? It reflects badly on not only you, but the other acts in your country as well, as it only shows that you don’t care at all. And when you don’t care, do you expect others to do the same towards you??? It works both ways. Never forget that impression counts or you remain forgettable / not worth being featured if you do not have any self-worth. Think about it and don’t be selfish!!!

A great tribute performance to Black Dog Bone by Awi Rafael, Judika, Jatt Ali and Hafiz Suip…

I remember beginning last year’s review by hitting out at the brickbats of this event. This year, am pushing it towards the end. Simply because, I am heartened to say that they belonged in the minority. I think majority of viewers were quite pleased with the performances on show as well as the winners. Though it has to be said that I still saw a few sour grapes / wet blankets / spoilsports who questioned the credibility of the winners in the popular categories. In recent years, our Singapore Idols were the subject of their ire. This time the “honours” went to Hafiz Suip and “Muara Hati“. And the ones making all the noises are the ones in Indonesia, well to be fair, just a few of them. As usual, the common complaints we hear are, “Who is Hafiz???” and “Why haven’t we heard Muara Hati before???” I’ve been monitoring the Facebook page of Anugerah Planet Muzik and there is one particular guy whose name starts with a calendar month, who has been consistent in putting down the show, its credibility and the winners, while saying how good his countrymen and music industry are. He obviously did not realise that the judging panel for the best categories also included a few of his own countrymen and that the popular categories were voted by people from outside his country (and perhaps some from his own, cos c’mon Dato’ Siti is extremely popular in Indonesia as well!!!). This is one example where you get too big for your own good and disrespect those outside your sphere. Continue living under your coconut shell, pal!!!

Rousing end to the show by Amy Search and Bunkface…

Overall, Anugerah Planet Muzik 2013 was not too bad, certainly not shabby at all, even when you have the shortcomings I mentioned in the latter paragraphs. In fact I would rank it the best within the last six or seven years. In terms of entertainment, esthetics and sound quality, I think the organisers have done extremely well to stop the rot and improved different aspects of it. For that alone, they deserved full marks cos simply put, an event of this magnitude demands quality, the audience paid for it and they got it and more. Of course in a live event, there will be the unexpected technical glitches but other than the botched video clip during one of the awards presentation, it was a smooth one throughout. To those who had attended and watched the event live, I salute you for coming to support. I am sure most of you brought home sweet memories of the event. Here’s looking forward to APM2014, hopefully a better one than this year, or at least maintaining the standards that it has set this year. Congratulations to all the winners and to the organisers once again on a job well done, not to mention, for the kind invitation as well…