Sehati Berdansa

aI know there are gonna be tons of reviews on Sehati Berdansa, so aku malas nak tulis panjang lebar about the actual event, especially seeing I didn't really follow it throughout the debut season.

Having watched a few episodes, it was rather painful to watch the celebrity couples gerak cam kayu that it made me feel all the more stronger about not following it.

Still, malam tadik final aku gi gak. Not so much for the actual competition - tapi nak catch up on friends I used to be close with.

Of course, one couple I knew them separately before they got married. Tapi meka ni awal da eliminated tapi sebab meka pon. Of course aku cita pasal pasangan As dari kumpulan Feminin dulu dan Azman Adnan, bekas pemain bolasepak Selangor (ok so he played for a few other teams, DBKL the first tak silap aku, and I think the last was Negeri Sembilan).

Seronok sangat jumpa meka nih. Memula serempak backstage masa tuh sebab aku parking keta aku that area. Bumped into everyone getting ready. First person aku bump into abang Azman, tapi tak sempat chat, walaupun aku sempat say hi. Moka dia blur... tak ingat la tuh. Well, considering the last time we met was I think in 1993 or 1994, no surprise gak.

The men from the six eliminated teams getting ready.


Moved a little bit further lak, ada pasangan 'kawan' nih lak. Sempat tuh posing walaopon running through their script.

Ever ready to pose - Linda and Fahrin. Kawan je ek?


Grabbed a seat, and then since it was some time headed backstage again sebab tadik rush nak chat tak sempat bebetul tegur everyone.

Caught up with Azman again. Sebab earlier dia tak cam aku (after 13 years or so tak jumpa - no surprise la)... started refreshing his memory time kita lepak skali dulu.

Bila aku cakap aku dak SSFC, fan club tuk Selangor FC, satu satunya ahli bukan Melayu dulu la... dia cam ingat ingat sikit.

Tapi bila pakai the privy info baru dia recall.

"Ala...dulu...padang FAS, pas practise, lepak kedai Pak Man...ngan empat budak hitam and (takleh cita sini)...."

Then he was laughing and we caught up. Lama siot tak jumpa bang Azman. Besh! Dia dulu one of my fave footballers - time tuh memang takde orang leh lawan dia la. Aku ikut career dia ever since dia moved from Kuala Lumpur to Selangor punya team and memang fan gila time tu yang aku masih belajar.

Kira hampir semua game home and away aku wajib ada. Yang tak dapat pegi dulu pun Sabah dan Sarawak, and Brunei sebab cost factor (studying ma masa tuh) and also Kelantan (always dangerous sebab kena ujan batu kang)

Hah...jangan tatau. Aku ni footie freak gak dulu. My teams were Selangor and Manchester United. Smakin tua... guess my minat slowly hilang. Skang haram nak ikut bola. Kalao gi mamak orang tengok Star Sport - kecoh kecoh... aku blah terus sebab tak tahan bising.

After that session - tanak kacau dia bersiap, so made said a few more his.Bumped into Hanapfe, laki si Haiza... dia nih kelakar. For some reason, ko dengar dia gelak pun rasa nak gelak skali.

Matilah... Haiza pinjam laki ko jadik model sini jap sebab sempat snap pic dia tengah wat lawak.

Hanapfe nih...


And then there were the unmentioned singers yang nyanyi smalam in Farhan and Rosma. Bab samba ke salsa tuh si Farhan yang wat, while Rosma did the joget songs. Piccie time!

Rosma dan Farhan. Kesian tak dengar pun mention - and wish they had let Farhan sing the theme song to Sehati Berdansa live.


Didn't have much time to mingle and chat, and also didn't want to get into anyone's way - so after a brief chat with Radhi, and discovering my camera had run out of batteries (won't happen after this because I just got a rechargeable pack), scooted to the front to enjoy the show. Here are some pics - from the start... and then masa pas umum result. Malas nak komen lebih pasal keputusan, but it's not like we didn't know who was going to win, kan?

No problems with it cause could hardly care about it. Managed to get some batteries off Iqram (tima kasih) and snapped away.

As the show was starting. Too many colours!


The park in the Putrajaya International Convention Centre that was my smoking area for many a commercial break.


Time nak umum result.


Announced - and roll credits!


Mobbed! By photographers and fans.

Have to compliment the kids who did the tap sequence though. I think of all the performance yesterday night, termasuk lapan choreographer masa intro tuh, bebudak tuh the best lah! They were helluva a lot more professional and in synch with each other showing that they had worked hard on their routine, and came off as total pros. Can't say much for anyone else who danced throughout the remainder of the program.

Yeap, I'm trying to be nice... especially since it is for charity. So no mention of the loud, garish outfits, the cheesy techno music, or the wrong choice of performances.

Nope... none of that. Just wished other organisations got the money though. I know the Malaysian Association for the Blind, the Malaysian AIDS Council and the Kiwanis Down Syndrome Society (can't remember their exact name) needs the funding a lot more for the lack of funds flowing in. Oh well...

Made my way to the press conference and post party before the mob hit, so managed to chow down awal and get a nice shot of Putrajaya from the terrace deck where the event was held.

Nampak very the futuristic.


So time tuh ler dapat catch up. Si As mati mati nak perkenalkan aku ngan Azman. See, the last time aku hang out ngan As pun was I think in 1996, sebelom dia even jumpa Azman. After that we all just lost contact.

Aku kenai As I think sometime in 1994 masa aku kat college in Ampang, because I was... erm dating someone in that group she was in. Matilah no further info on that.

So we became buds and she was my party mate masa zaman Boom Boom Room Kuala Lumpur.
When they got married, aku terkejut, sebab tak sangka two people I knew separately had hitched, tapi tak kesempatan. And because I didn't go for the weekly Sehati Berdansa progrsam, tak kesempatan ler meet with them.

"Hah.. dia ni member aku dulu time party party," si As nak perkenalkan.

"Eh matilah ko... aku kenal laki ko sebelom ko pun kenal dia," aku gelak.

"Tak kisahlah... aku nak kenalkan gak," si As tergelak gelak.

Matila... dari time aku kenai dua orang ni, kicik jer... half my size. Merasalah celah meka skang ala happy family lak semua bolat. Well, all of us grow up... or sideways... sooner or later.

To my former sis... (sebab lama tak lepak former la) Asfarina, all the best, gurl, in everything. And to abang Man... jangan tambah bulat agik wei...


Moving on... korang perasan tak ada someone kat Sehati Berdansa punya finale tuh. Kak Ogy la... pengkritik jemputan. Tertanya tak pasal kehadiran kak Ogy? Hah...tengok... sampai kedudukan kat PC pun... special sikit.



So what exactly was she doing there? Nih some pre-season Akademi Fantasia musim keenam gossip.

Sebenarnya aku sebelum ni da dengar banyak spekulasi pasal kak Ogy punya potential involvement in the upcoming season.

Ada yang kata permanent pengkritik lagi... then ada sumber kata dia la bakal host pengganti Aznil dan bukan Sarimah atau Zainal Alam Kadir, and tak kurang juga yang membisik dia nih bakal PENGETUA untuk Akademi Fantasia akan datang.

Any truth in it?

Potentially... maybe.

Sebab there must be a reason for her high profile appearance and association kan? Do you see Linda Jasmine or EE there in the press conference up front? No? So who is Ogy going to be.. I mean in what position? Dengan promosi camni mesti ada sesuatuh kan?


"Tahniah ek kak Ogy kerana benda tuh bulan tiga nanti tuk program Astro tuh" aku usik.

"Eh... mana ada!!!!!!" gelak kak Ogy before running off, shouting an additional remark of "Mulut jahat!!!!" and then more laughter. Oops...pecah lobang ke? Oh, I guess I wasn't supposed to suspect. Merasalah.

Well, knowing production Akademi Fantasia slalu last minute, I wouldn't expect anything to be signed on YET, tapi I sense some potential in her name being one of the favourites.

Well, Sarimah ke... Alam ke... Ogy ke... semua aku stuju. Jangan AC Mizal dah ler. Puke! Ok lar guys... tired... nak wrap up this entry. Enjoy the rest of the pics.

The trophy - er... cam beli kat Hot Market lak.


Vanida and Rashidi - the champs. Don't you guys think Shidi ni cam Jalaludin Hassan da rupa dia?


Linda tangkap feel pose jap.


Sorry malas sangat letak bebanyak pics. Hope these will do. Later, guys...

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Kisah tak sempurna

First of all, being Monday, things were a little hectic. With the Monday blues and all, aku pun malas sebenarnya nak wat apa apa hari ni. Ada ler bebenda main pala aku. I think too much sometimes.

Erm... but I suppose it's better than being brain dead, though like the first bite of the Adam's apple, awareness and the ability to differenciate things for what they are or aren't is just such a bitch.

First, let me get the Ikon pics out of the way cause aku pun baru dapat email tadik, nak touch up pelbagai pics aku tima. Not too many as I didn't want to weigh down my blog.

The Ikon Asean final champions from the solo and group categories from Philippines in Vina Morales and Kjwan. Below, our Malaysian best in Jaclyn Victor and OAG who both put up more than a good fight, and finally, the not quite the best representatives from Indonesia in Judika and Tahta.




Our darling! You did great no matter what, Jac!


So now that's out of the way, here's my Samsons bit. Actually, like the me that you guys pun tau, I'm always on my mood swings. Being happy for over a week, being with that person everywhere, However, like I said, realising things don't happen on their own, my mind is into overdrive and thinking about how it will be, which just totally f**ks me up. Oh well.. biasalah.

The song that's been keeping me company for today is Kisah Tak Sempurna. I know it's not the newest song of the second album... tapi it just fits me in this current mood. Cepat gila kan berubah mood aku...sebelom ni, the whole week was summed up by Dengan Nafasmu from Samsons' first album...oh well. At least music remains teh best lover. Proven.

Erm... dalam melayan perasaan, suddenly I just feel like going down to Johor tomorrow for the Samsons showcase there. Tengok lar kalao aku gila.Mesti aku nitis air mata kalao dengar meka nyanyi Kisah Tak Sempurna lagik sekali live. Ok ok... cukup merapu. Here are the pics. By the way, orang Johor... turun Danga Bay tuh kalao ada amik pics kongsi kongsi ler ok. Send your pics to me kalao korang sempat amik aku publish sini.
At the Samsons press conference, Planet Hollywood Kuala Lumpur.



At the Samsons Live! showcase at Menara PGRM, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur




Amacam...ok tak. Sorry ler. Walaopon inbox aku banyak pics yang dihantar, malas tol nak letak semua. Hope these are sufficient.

Ok la...nak sambung layan Kisah Tak Sempurna hingga aku dibuai lena kesepian. Merasalah jiwang nak mampos. Heh! Tadi da jumpa camtuh lar kan.

Dia ni...da jadik cam a drug lak. Addictive. Aku kena jumpa dia tiap hari kalao tak... erm... rimas lak kang. Esok jumpa agik. I think we've been inseperable for the past one and a half weeks or so. And I hope it continues.

Apapon, good or bad, nampaknya album Samsons skang yang menjadi teman aku. Penantian

Hidup is a must. Cam album Agnes Monica yang second da where every song just grips you.

Hardcore fan of Samsons katanya. To Bams and gang... hope I can make it down to Johor tomorrow. Would love to see your show again.Be posting again tomorrow...

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LIVE - Ikon Asean - Final

Baru sampai Putrajaya nih... cam tak happening lak sebab kurang orang. Dewan about two thirds je terisi, unlike semifinal yang sampai melimpah kuar jumlah orang yang menghadiri. Erm... takkan takde Mawi, ramai yang tak sanggup datang sokong bakat senegara. Hish... tapi nak wat camna lak.

Anyway, Dollah Cantik briefing pelbagai before si Sarimah muncul onstage.
Erm...tak minat Dominic tuh... tapi ada yang suka. Prefer kalao Sairmah with someone else, but whatever la.

Opening tetap Citrawarna Malaysia, showing the world we're colour blind.

And then it's one with the show.

Kjwan - One Look (Philippines)
I love them! Memang dari performance meka hari tuh kat Planet Hollywood aku da suka. They musicianship is awesome! Tight! Rarely I have seen bands that have the level of skill they have and yet, don't appear so contrived. Meka ni memang besh abih
And proven by their past record, and their performance, Kjwan is leading the pack for the winners of the group category.
I only hope, OAG will go all out dan buktikan meka ni bukan calang calang.
Verdict : They're the favourites all right for the Ikon group.

Judika - Malaikat (Indonesia)
Erm...tak minat dia sangat but I have to admit he did quite well. While I think he's still hardly on par to be in competition with Jac, he foes have a good set of windpipes on him. Tapi pelik sikit sora dia, memula kepit ayu, then rock jantan lak. Heh... not bad, but I would have preferred kalao Mike Prabawa yang tewaskan Judika masa Idol bertanding.
Verdict : Not good enough to beat Jac, but a good fight.

Tahta - Dasar Pengecut (Indonesia)
Why do they remind me of New Boyz? Erm.. bosan sikit ler. Pretty boy rock doesn't work for me, but I suppose some people liked it.
Have to admit musically they were quite ok, but it was standard pop fare jer, not even close to what Kjwan did.
Definitely out of the champions race as predicted if they keep this standard up. No freat shakes.
Verdict - Tight pants and platform boots like worn by the lead is so wrong!

Jaclyn Victor - Kau Laksana Bulan, Tunggu Sekejap & Getaran Jiwa (medley),(Malaysia)
What else can you say about Jac, Dia sorang je berani nak wat medley tribut to the late and great Tan Dri P. Ramlee tuk competition. Picking such understated songs to maximise through no other reason but using her superb vocals.
I kept my eye on Hety Koes Endang, and aku leh kata she was blown away.
Inilah Jac...
Verdict : Winner!!!! Pariotism aside, they should just give her the trophy and cash.

OAG - Nowhy2 (Malaysia)
Awmigawd!!! I thought Radhi was going to remain calm, and he did for most of the song to maintain his vocals, tapi sampai bab break tuh yang dia naik psycho pusing pusing tuh, I thought he was freaking out and losing it.
But pas dia drop, leh teruskan lagik aku da...haiyoo...on your feet heathens! Rcok stars in the house!
Tahta is out for sure, and OAG has just climed a point higher to pit themselves against Kjwan.
By the way, time si Radi terjun tergolek tuh, kalao ada yang terkejut... aku pun sama. Masa tu kan dia pakai sunglasses kan? Pastu cabut. Guess what I found near my seat...
Heh...amik ko. Yang pentingnya, mula mula aku ingat spek dari rehearsal ke haper, tapi bebudak kata Radhi ada campak ke audience. Matilah...ni dia hasil keganasan jiwa rock Radhi!
Verdict : Bye bye Tahta.

Vina Morales - All That I Want (Philippines(
Eh...kenapa Sharifah Zarina pakai baju diperbuat dari tisu? Erm... heh. Tak tahan aku tengok imeh dia sebijik tuh.
But to be fair, she went all out an pulled out the stops and did quite well. More than I would give her credit for before.
And she did look radiant. Like how OAG closed the gap with Kjwan, Vina came close to Jac. The favourites remain just that though.
Verdict : Indonesian who had 100% SMS sent the wrong people to represent their country.

Judika - Bukan Rayuan Gombal (Indonesia)
Looks like Judika is hard pressed to follow Jac and Vina. But I think he realises it is a little too late now. And it is... good effort but a little too late.
Verdict : Next!

Kjwan - Shal (Philippines)
What the hell happened? They sounded great tapi cam kurang semangat saja. I hope it's not a case of getting too comfortable sebab they don't have that much of a lead after OAG's great performance.
Dunno... it's a tough one and depends on OAG's next performance.
Verdict : Too laid back and wrong for the competition.

Jaclyn Victor - Gemilang (Malaysia)
WOW! Malas nak komen persembahan dia, but I have to say that Hetty Koes Endang's reaction was enough to basically sum up what the other judges thought of it as well.
"Pak Iskandar... bagus kan..!!!". Yeap... Hetty pas Jac abih excited gila ok, aku she was gushing. Iskandar dok terdiam. Only mamat yang Filpina tuh cam tak puas ati je muka. Heh... No komen. Yang penting, kita tunggu dan lihat. Tapi for me, Jac's as good as won!
Verdict : Ladies and gentleman..the winner, rregardless of the jury decision!

Tahta - Tempat Yang Paling Indah & Aku Masih DiSini (medley) (Indonesia)
Bak kata someone with me, "terus boring je masuk band ni". And that was a reflection of what everyone seemed to think of Tahta after the excellent performances of Kjwan and OAG. They were just nowhere on the scale of greatness when it came to band power.
Honestly... just go home. Could we have Samsons, Garasi or Seurieus please.
Verdict : Go home already!

Vina Morales - Feels So Nice (Philippines)
She's smart. She planned her performance well, first going for the classic weepie then a fast number to rock the house. And she did quite well too.
Mesmerising, Vina clawed her way back to the competition with Jac.
It's going to be tough.
Veridct : Judika dan Tahta da balik ke lom?

OAG - Dayang & Beautifool (medley) (Malaysia)
Like Vina caught up with Jac, OAG have caught up with Dayang, and it's turning the tables on the possible favourites.
It's a photo finish all right and it'll be interesting to see who the judges pick though I wouldn't hold my breath for an Indonesian winner.
Verdict : Jac vs Vina and OAG vc Kjwan

So it's over, and like I said, it's right down to the finish line. We'll just have to wait and see. Erm... why the hell did they get Ella? Takde orang lain nak wat show ke. Tak sesuai la. No matter what her status is here at home as rock queen. Hardly something I'd be proud to show off regionally.
Don't know rationale behind the choice, but I think it's a little shabby for her to be the sole guest performer.

Oh well, we always seem to pick 'the best' kan.

Anyways, the results?

Kjwan emerged the winner of the group category, which was no surprise really sebab their musicianship is above par. OAG gave them a good run for their money, but hey... competition kan?

The surprise of the night, for me perhaps, was Vina Morales winning the solo category. While admittedly she did put on a good show, I still think Jac had the edge.

Oh well... I don't blame anyone, after all, each competition has its criteria.

Wish we knew what this one was.

The competition was undetermined from the start.

Contoh... pemilihan final by jury, was already a question mark for a lot of people. Four people picking icons of the region? I admit they're professionals, but in all meaning of the word, someone of iconic stature should be determined by a wider base.

Not that I'm for SMS, as you can see Indonesia which picked its representatives by 100% did not send their best.

Malaysia had 30% SMS votes determining while Philippines had 40%, which meant a different degree of choice involved.

So why not standardised? The question was raised early on.

Then there was the minor argument at the PC. Hetty revealed it was a no no for medleys during a competition, something which contestants were not told. Dan mangsa yang wat medley...ramai. tengok senarai. Erm..kalao takleh bagitau awal awal kan? Kalau tuh bukan apa meka nak tengok...cakap je.

But at the end of the day, aku tak salahkan Hetty or the jury, sebab meka wat tugas based on their scope of judgement they were briefed (if they were briefed)

And the artistes did what they could toput up the best show. Tapi tuh lah pasal. Wat competition tamau lak make it clear.

Judika questioned why they were not told they had a choice beyond their own albums, as he would have picked something more competition based, because Jac did too.

Erm... I don't blame the jury or the artistes, but maybe, the organisers should have ironed out more of the conflicting understanding of the event's rules and regulations early on and not let it affect the final.

Lain kali, make the criteria clear of what it takes to be an 'Ikon', apart from being branded something with bad spelling.

Oh whatever...

Anyway... kudos to those who entertained me in Jac, OAG, Kjwan and Vina.

Congrats to Kjwan especially for more than deserving their title. Nothing against Vina, but I think somehow... while she put up a good fight through her performances, she won more by default than anything else.

Dan walaopon ramai suka lau Pang Ako Sayo tuh, aku rasa ramai buta pada kesilapan dia hanya kerana suka lagu tuh It was a package, dan kerana rupa, lagu yang memang besh dan lain cukup, orang tak beri perhatian sepenuhnya kot kat sora dia.

At the end of the day, we have to wonder... what actually makes an icon. And how Indonesia, one of the region's superpowers can just die out in the competiton because of organisational values. Makes you think kan?

Oh well...

Before I forget, congrats to Sarimah and Dominic for the good job, depite the couple of glitches. Walaopon aku terpaksa korban tempat duduk at one point sebab Sarimah dok seat aku masa nak perkenalkan next performance, takper. Heh!

You guys rocked! More than Ella...ela ela...(merasalah Abu Bakar Elah!)

After the event had a chat with the folks involved, including ibu Hetty and Ramli M.S., who I must commend for the great work with the orchestra. Good one maestro!

Apapon, I suppose it's hard to cater to the masses, as well as maintaining quality... and I suppose in the case of Ikon, is win some, lose some.

Kjwan - rock gods in the making!


Sarimah and Dominic - what a pair!


The maestro and the legend!


Spoke to Kjwan, who is the only good thing to come out of Ikon, awareness of a great band, with OAG who did Malaysian rock proud, and with Jac, who whould have won. Que sera sera...


PS - More pics of Ikon tomorrow selain ga,bar dari persembahan Samsons.

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Ikon Malaysia - Final

They call Putrajaya our federal administrative capital. Boy are we doomed!!!

Aku ari ni ke PICC for the final of Ikon on my own sebab gatal bijik nak drive. Akibatnya tunggu ler sejam baru manage to find my way to the venue walaopon da gi sana beberapa kali sebelom tuh. Yerlah sebelom ni naik beramai ramai bukan aku drive...

Bila da pandu diri sendiri ke sana tuh yang seram. Takde sign board langsung!!!

Until I reach the main area kawasan Jabatan Perdana Menteri along the main federal road, baru spotted sign board.

Tu pun papan tanda konsep Chipsmore, kejap ada, kejap takde.

In the end managed to find it, no thanks to the beautiful spirit of government servants. Stop a coupke of times tanya...lombab!!!

Argh... everyone seems blur here. Ok lar tuh... sama cam gi government department. Cam tak biasa lak kan...

Anyhoo... found my way, masuk area backstage lak again berdepan one more hurdle, pak guard yang sibuk nak cakap takde tempat parking pelbagai. Terus kena laser sebab show da start.
Aku punya tanya, dia nak bagik info trafik ke? Terdiam jap, dia direct aku ke area loading bay.

Heh...thanks Jolyn and Nik dan abang abang security Astro yang da reserve ngan ngan kat pintu masuk backstage. Love you guys...

Nampak Mawi dan Jac... wished good luck and rush to find my seat.

Ok lar...show da start...nak review...

Flop Poppy
Medley Dewi & Ye Ke
Honestly I didn't know what to make of them. We had a tacky trojan in glitter, a Bollywood hero wannabe, Zorro, a matador, and some other mishaps from the cheapest costume rental store out there.
Not only it didn't gel with anything, it marked the beginning of everything about to go wrong for the night. For Flop Poppy at least.
The choice of the medley was boring and didn't rivet the audience.Bosan lak layan meka ni, unlike their performance masa semifinal yang rocked the house and brought it down!
Bosan nak mampos. Aduh.... apa da jadi ngan Flop Poppy nih.
Verdict : Based on this performance... why are they here?

Jaclyn Victor
Medley Jangan Tinggal Daku & One Thousand Million Smiles
I think she overdid Jangan Tinggal Daku tapi terpaku gak ler ngan power sora dia. Her version of it was so so, but her One Thousand Million Smiles, buat aku meremang bulu roma yang berdiri ala ala salute Negaraku.
Not only did Jac look radiant tonight, with her simply and yet elegantly stunning outfit, her hair simply done back, she felt every word she sang. Is there any doubt she should be the Ikon for Malaysia?
Verdict : Is there really any doubt???

OAG
Medley Akustik & PerMYsuri
Padan moka bebudak sound bila Radhi campak mic tuh. I hope it was a very expensive Sengeiser or Shure and it broke...and cost the sound company a bomb. Sebab sakit hati tol baru nak start takde sora lak. Kesian lak kat Radhi.
Apapon aku salute kat meka tul... they had this little acoustic set which just worked so well with a little appearance of visual and as well as audio fusion going on.
It was spellbinding...and I think OAG established early on, they're the icons when it comes to bands sebab aku nak tengok band cam meka nih, rock ker haper, tetap maintain this respect and tribute to our local heritage.
Apart from the technical glitch, the rest of OAG's performance was enjoyable... nay!!! Praiseworthy even!!!
Verdict : Our heritage is cool!

Dayang Nurfaizah
Tiba-tiba
She had her hits and misses. Aku suka baju dia pakai sangat! Yeah yeah! Me likey! Sexy and yet stunning...classy! Lain daripada apa aku selalu nampak yang dikenakan.
Anyway puas gak sebab orang kecoh jangan dedah atas...dia cover la. Takde sapa cakap bab bawah tuh kan...heh!!!
Sekali imbas ngan rambut dia dan make up, cam Ayumi Hamasaki versi tan lak. Very the living doll.
Tapi tengok dua kali, aku horror rambut dia... cam baru sprint seratus meter punya tahap kekusutan.
Vocally she did better than in the semis. Ok lar tuh... kira she managed to give Jac a run for her money, even though she didn't have the same level of power.
Still, kudos to Dayang for finally managing to balance her soul and the commercial appeal of her performance dan tak over goreng seperti sebelom ni.
Her voice memang aku rasa bagus gila malam ni... she pushed it to the limits... and I hope she maintains this, Ikon or not... sebab kalao camni...memang ni la Dayang yang I know who exploded onto the scene years ago.
She proved she was no underdog despite Jac and Mawi being favourites.
Verdict : Can we have TWO representatives?

Def Gab C
Medley Retrospektif (Marilah Maria, Ibu Kota Cinta & CInta Sakti)
I honestly don't know how they got in. Ikon haper ni. Asheed needs to get rid of that pencil mustache and also go for proper vocal lessons. Oh gawd!!! Some people think vocals kesengauan yang ala a badly dubbed Doraemon character ni actually rocking ke.
I remember their songs well of course sebab very the knsep fave rempit rock kapak leleh dok tepi longkang with a kapok. Erm...Ikon? I hardly think so.
To sum it up I hope the Indonesians and Filipinos are not watching any of this. I really hope not...wat malu je
Motif yo yo yo yo yo...poyolah. Heh...adus...time for a cigarette break.
Verdict : Kenapa aku terasa cam kat show funfair lak...

Mawi
Salam Mesra & La Aube
Erm.. dunia magic Mawi? Heh... good idea tapi execution cam busuk sikit lar. Sebab semua da agak how magic itu was done kan? Sapa tatau rahsia show tuh, erm gi mandi Sungai Klang dan tapa kat tebingnya seama tiga hari. Dapat la the answer...
Heh... tapi aku tak suka tol pilihan lagu dia sebab tak sesuai ngan sora dia. It was way too low and he didn't seem confortable to dip that low to reach it.
Still, I suppose it was kind of amusing, the songs itself... and dari segi fun factor ada la kot. Cuma aku lebih risaukan suara dia yang strain sikit nak dip that low.
Tapi kekadang comic sangat like part dia menari ala bersilat ker whatever that movement was almost embarassing. Aduh...
Erm..ok la. At least he made the effort.
Verdict : Walaopon tanak masuk dan dipaksa...ok lar tuh. Semangat gak kan...

Jaclyn Victor
Medley Gemilang, Cepat Cepat & Impian
Oh my god... she just looks amazing tonight. Everything is just perfect! Her dress is gorgeous!! Sebab nak cover sebab takot ada yang kecoh pasal bab dedah ketiak (nampak ketiak leh stim ke???), she wore a skin coloured top which I thought was smart.
On her dress, I think her choice of colours in gold, champagne, off white, really brings out the best of her features and skin tone, so pepandai ler pasni ek keep it up ek. Even the embelishments on her dress, were minimal..simple and just stunning.
Vocal?
Aiyo...perlu ke nak cakap lagik?
Impian was amazing display of her projection... Cepat Cepat (I hate that song) showed she could groove... and finally when it came to Gemilang, she killed all the competition... and I mean everyone.
Semua orang leh pack barang barang dulu ek. Congrats Jac. Kalau tak menang tatau la...
Verdict : Why are we doing this still?

Flop Poppy
Medley Jangan Begitu & Sembunyi
Perhaps after pujian tuk persembahan meka masa separuh akhir, confidence level meka hanya ada kalao ada costumes and gimmicks like the KL Marching Band .
But it just didn't work this time. Not at all.
Andy tried to come across as a jazzy and suave character, but it was hard to take him seriously despite his vocals sebab nak gelak everyone else yang pakai baju tailcoats cam dari koleksi Datuk M. Daud Kilau. Salah era dan salah konsep lah ni...
I wish they had kept it simple this time. It just didn't work as well with all the clutter, and they should have gone simple this time.
Andy himself was interesting in Jangan Begitu. In Sembunyi things got slightly better and even the musicians had a proper role, but despite the appeal of the horns section aku still feel it was a little too late.
Verdict : Ala lagu Moluccas aku nyanyikan...lupakaaaaannn...lupakan laaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh...

Dayang Nurfaizah
Medley Lagenda & Jeritan Batinku
Erm...baju dia frumpy la. Cam konsep makcik sikit. Takde shape langsung. yang ni nampak cam lilit cadar ke bedsheet jer and tied with a cheap gold sequinned sash for a belt.
Don't like how she looks here though rambut dia lebih cantik banding ngan konsep Lion King sebelom ni.
Vocally, her soulful but more cheery version of Lagnda made for nice easy listening. But looks like she already forgot this is a competition.
She however picked up masa Jerita Batinku but it was like being left a whole lap nak catch up balik. Jac da tinggalkan semua orang da, so Dayang diberi handicap sepuluh tiang pon susah nak catch up da (matila konsep metaphor rempit gituh).
In other words, Jac's second performance set the bar so high it was almost imposible to catch up for anyone else.
When she went back into Lagenda, it was better because the build up was there and designed for an all out vocal assault.
Still...a little too late. But Dayang was still amazing no less.
Verdict : Kalao takde Jac, Dayang da makan semua da...

OAG
Medley Generasiku & MerDAYka
Honestly, they've made wearing songkoks cool. It's not supposed to sound rude... sebab kang ada yang kata apa ni lak cakap camtuh. But aku suka cara meka blend in this appeal yang tak terlalu ikut gaya orang.
This time it was tracktops with the songkok.
Performance wise? Flop Poppy dan Def Gab C balik dulu ek. Jangan amik hati... you guys were good (Flop Poppy...not Def Gab C), just that OAG were way, way, way better.
Verdict : OAG, please...!!!

Mawi
Medley Padamu Kekasih, Kian & Gadis Ayu
Mawi dressed better this time about, but aiyo perlu ke feeling konsert siap mintak crowd nyanyi skali. Takper la. Dak botak pon da cakap dia akan perform only because of the fans, so I guess he did it to make the fans happy, which was good.
The fact that he took the enjoyment of the fans as a priority is a point for him, though not in a competition like this.
Still, good performance. Cuma kenapa dedua show dia asik kangkang je. Heh... and someone please don't use those burok dressed dancers anymore leh tak. Very the konsert Akademi Fantasia tau.
Verdict : Congrats Mawi for being a good sport and aku harap peminat Mawi tak marah dia tak dapat Ikon kang. He did his best... cuma it's not his time.

Def Gab C
Merah
Erm... camna nak komen ni. Aku sebenarnya suka lagu ni. Tapi sora dia.. aduh. Bingit! Nak cakap apa lagik.
Their wardrobe is so Eighties without being a parody, which makes it scary. To be fair though, Def Gab C musically are quite an impressive band. Just someone replace the lead vocalist lar.
Aku tak larat....erm... nak isap rokok agik.
Verdict : Can we get on to the results please?

Kalau ikutkan aku, aku personally prefer Jac as the solo representative and OAG as the group rep for Malaysia kalao nak betul betul bangga ngan jiran jiran kita.
It would be horrendous if someone incapable (fill in the names youre thinking of) wakili Malaysia.
So officially yes, my prediction, and also who I would prefer wakili Malaysia is Jaclyn Victor and OAG.
Lantak lar Philippines, aku pikir pasal Indonesia jer yang hanya hantar generasi pelapis meka tuk cabar the best in our industry yang diwakili kebanyakkannya otai.
Erm...mau kalao we can't least put on a show as good as theirs, if not more.
Sambil tunggu result yang mintak mintak takde kejutan, it was nice that Astro and Ikon called David to keep the Alleycats flame burning with two of their favourites, in Sampaikan Salam, Hingga Akhir Nanti
Everyone knew the words ok... aku ndagap laptop ni pun nak focus, nak nyanyi sekali (sempat light light je)
Erm... suka cara David nyanyi.. sampaikan lah salam aku pada nyehhhhhhh!!!!!
heh... lain jer.
Sedih bab Hingga Akhir nanti...erm biasalah kalao tengah emo konsep cinta tarik tali nih kan.
Dan keputusannya?
Ikon Solo Malaysia : Jaclyn Victor
Ikon Kumpulan Malaysia - OAG
Terkejut tak? Not at all. Yeah! THe best won. And congratulations to all yang put up a good show and made us believe that there is still Malaysian talent we can be proud of!

Kalah? No way! Dayang was a winner too... dalam hati peminat because of her awesome performance.


Seorang lagi juara di hati peminat, who did very well malam final, Mawi. Sekali pose ngan Dayang... cam dok pelamin jer lak. Heh!


Juara Ikon Solo Malaysia, Jac, along with Juara Senyum Paling Lama, Sarimah.


Wakil Ikon Malaysia, Jac (solo) dan Radhi representing OAG (kumpulan)


Party time for OAG!!!




Jac joins in the fun!


Alahai...manjanya semua....

Now that pencarian dah over for wakil Malaysia, kita tengok sapa wakil negara lain and how our wakil fare at the Asean level. Apapon, all the best to Jac and OAG and hope you guys make us prouder that you already have.

Win one for us kiddies. Break a leg! Mai ramai ramai sesakkan PICC (kalao tak sesat carik jalan kang) dan sokong meka.

Malaysia Boleh!


PS : Pic Dayang tuh khas buat ko BTTB sebab walaopon aku masih geram ngan what happened, I do owe you something still. So hope you at least like the pic.

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Thank you

Wow. Semalam was kind of weird for me. Erm... I don't know. Maybe because it's my birthday and nothing ever goes well on my birthday. This time pn tak lari konsep.

There were a few downs kali ni. Like some people I consider family not even making to make an effort over my birthday (I know... it's childish... but I thought they'd care more, not that it's that big an issue.

Then, there was someone in my mind yang disappear da berapa hari ni, which I was disappointed sebab tak dapat spend my birthday with. Again... so much for the big planning kan. Never quite works out as hoped.

If that's not enough... erm... oh never mind...

After all, tahun ni, apart from the real pain of having those close to me not really giving a toss (ok..fine, I'll stop being childish, but I thought they'd bother just a little more), other things more than made up for it, I suppose.

First, there was that someone who kept me smiling throughout the last couple of days, which made me feel real good, no matter what.

Then, trust one of my best friends, Ted, to faithfully remember my birthday walaoapapon... but erm... in true him fashion, dia gi bagik aku nih...

Somehow Ted forgot that I have already given up drinking. I admit, used to binge, tapi aku da lama tak sentuh bebenda camni. Skang paling jahat pon rokok jerk. Tu pun selagi mampu.

He may have remembered I liked vodka, tapi obviously dia lupa aku dulu kaki Smirnoff and not Absolut, which I think just sucks big time (sorry Ted... love your gift anyway!)

Yang kelakarnya kawan aku ni... ada ler eccentricity dia tuh. Kepelikan dia.. erm... korang kawan ngan dia baru tau.

He's got some weird habits... and one of them, I recalled masa bukak package dia bagik malam tadi.

Dahler bungkus plastik duty free King Power (nampak sangat dari Bangkok), it came complete with resit lagik ok! Aduh...keji... aku gelak pecah perot. Dan tuh memang trademark dia kalao bagik hadiah.

Burok tol perangai... kalao balut hadiah skalipun, mesti ada resit atau price tag tunjuk how much he spent. Heh... memula ingat nak offended masa dulu dia bagik hadiah. Lama lama, biasa lak habit dia nih.

Erm... kalau Zack lagik pelik. Bagik hadiah, nampak sangat last minute gift, pastuh balut lak kelam kabut. Sekali tuh dia penah bagik hadiah, berbalut suratkhabar jer (ala...aku beli wrapping paper pon ko koyakkan kang...) which had cellophanetape clumsily holding it all together.

That's Zack for you. Tapi still, always appreciate them through a decade I've known them, they've been there for me through the thick and thin. Sibuk sibuk pun... meka ingat aku. Cam si

Ted... dia yang call aku nak jumpa semata mata nak passkan hadiah walaopon kesibukan dia punya pasal tak jumpa dia for three weeks or so dah.

So thank you anyway Ted, for your present. People say it's the thought that counts... and at least through the years, you made an effort to be my friend. No matter how weird you are.
Now, anyone want a bottle of vodka? (matilah aku kena carut... ok ok... aku simpan wat perhiasan)

Also thanks Juan kerana ajak minum sama, with the rest of the gang, joined by Vern much later.

Ingat gak nak ajak aku...

And of course, banyak sangat orang nak thank.

Ari aku started late. Aku tak gi event Mawi. Well I did, tapi after it was over, sebab cuma nak interview dak botak. And yesterday evening, aku terharu, sebab kawan lelama ngan botak, dia dan family Maestro dan Mawi World (Man, Baha, Wan, Liza, Nasser etc - love all of you), tengah aku interview, tetiba bak cake surprisekan aku.

Erm.... terbodoh jap aku termalu.

Aku tak sangka... and yet meka surprise kan aku. Se-down nya aku yang kawan kawan aku yang anggap cam kuarga sibuk ngan urusan memasing, ada lagik extended family aku yang ingat aku. Abang Wan - keji tau nak rub it in Mawi celebrate sekali!!! Heh!!!

To dak botak and gang - love you guys, korang memang WORLD lah! Erm...tapi kek tuh aku nak wat apa (semua feeling tanak makan - aku lak diet - merasalah!) Kena bak balik seketul da..
Pastuh, gerak sekali ngan Liza ke PC Ikon tuk umumkan wildcard entry kat Planet Hollywood. Jac, Dayang and finalists lain in OAG and Flop Poppy ada.

Yang dapat Def Gab C dan Mawi, tapi sebab Mawi ada recording ngan Ajai, dia tak hadirkan diri sebab pas kami habih lepak tadik dia rush ke studio (cewah... kira bangga birthday aku leh sempat celebrate skali)

Erm... aku tengah send news pakai opis Planet Hollywood (thanks Sherina and Elina - the most beautiful women in Planet and my sistas!) si Aniz dari Astro dan kak Shahila da kecoh kecoh ajak aku kuar.

Seb baik instinct aku supaya tamau kuar... apparently program dimana bebudak Filipina punya Ikon tengah perform, ada kes naya nunggu aku...(thanks Sarimah kerana pecah lobang pastuh).

But after event abih, Sarimah announce lak ada yang celebrate birthday. Aku nak lari tak sempat da. So another round of public embarrasment. Well, not really.. it was touching to have Sarimah, Jac, Dayang and Radhi who I consider people I closely work with, together ngan the likes of kak Aina and kak Shahila (tetap maintain penyandang title ratu ratu production Akademi Fantasia walaopon last season tak terlibat) as well as Aniz and more there. Even Shawal pun ada sekali sebab jenguk event Ikon.

Anyway, Sarimah naya aku ek!!! Kak Mah Gali keji!!!! Heh!!! Tunggu ko aku letak pic baju ko tadik.

Dayang pose vogue masa event berjalan. Maintain ayu ler tuh!


Partners in crime - kak Shahila comel and kak Aina yang ayu(matilah aku pasnih!!!)


Kak Mah Gali part time keja Planet Hollywood ke? Pakai uniform cam sama je (matilah aku!!!)


Another cake???!! Jap.. ikut lilin, besar satu kecik tiga... aku baru...13!!!


Perlu ke???? But thanks Jac, Dayang, Radhi, Sarimah and all the guys from Philippines (Chris Cayzer, Sitti Navarro and Kjwan) kerana celebrate skali walaopon tak kenal aku. Matilaaaaa....


Shawal dan Jac


Kalao merujuk pic kat atas sama tak baju Sarimah ngan staff Planet Hollywood? Amik ko! Kata Kak Mah baju Naff Naff ok... merasalah return pasnih. Mintak mintak simpan resit. Heh...thanks you guys. Had fun...!!!! And just before the stroke of midnight too.

Oklah... malas posting entry pepanjang. Kang later aku post agik satu entry. Alamak... sapa tunggu clip Mawi terbaru kang je aku wat ek sebab sibuk seharian kena dok surprise takde masa lak wat.

By the way... about Mawi. Don't ask me why I ask this question... but persoalannya, Mawi akan bertanding ke untuk final Ikon nanti? Oops...

Erm... korang usha la sendiri kalao nak tau cita sebenar. Mawi kalao leh tamau, dan nak Jac dan Dayang teruskan je final sebab meka da pilihan juri dan SMS combined. But keputusan lum dibuat.

I actually agree with Mawi, dan rasa dia pon tak perlu nak ada dalam final for reasons obvious kalao korang paham konsep Ikon, dan sapa yang untung (merasalah pasni kena carut ngan deadly duo!)

Apapon, Mawi... hope you make up your mind, dan mintak mintak ler peminat terima keputusan Mawi whether or not dia nak tarik diri dari Ikon.
Kalao dia perform... or dia tak pon... it's his choice.

Eh... merapu lak. Nak prepare. Hari ni aku off tapi aku program sikit. Kang aku update. Ciao!


PS - Tunggu seseorang update myspace seperti dijanjikan... erm...

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