Archive for the ‘Misha Omar’ Category
Misha Omar Mahu Buat Surprise!
Teks oleh Ellyna Ali
Sekali-sekala kita mahu bersendirian. Sekali-sekali, kesepian lebih seronok menjadi peneman. Begitulah yang telah diungkapkan Misha Omar tatkala bercerita tentang kehidupannya yang ketika ini begitu jauh sekali daripada simbahan lensa glamor dan publisiti.
Sungguhpun begitu, jiwa seni anak kelahiran Negeri Cik Siti Wan Kembang ini tidak pernah ’mati’.
“Secara profesionalnya, masih lagi menyanyi. Tawaran masih ada dan saya juga masih lagi memenuhi undangan nyanyian di sana sini. Pada waktu yang sama, saya terus berada dalam studio untuk menyiapkan beberapa lagi rakaman untuk album baru saya.
“Bezanya saya lebih sibuk di belakang tabir. Bukan tidak ada orang panggil untuk sesi fotografi tapi ada di antaranya saya terpaksa tolak kerana belum ada cerita terbaru untuk dikongsi bersama.
“Lagipun saya sekarang ini saya sudah mula cuba-cuba cipta lagu. Saya hanya boleh buat melodi dan yang bantu saya membuat susunan muziknya ialah kawan baik saya, Fiat. Sekarang saya sedang cuba buat lirik pula,” katanya kepada murai.com.my.
Ini satu perkembangan yang hebat daripada Misha. Apa agaknya yang mendorongnya?
Misha berkata, ia didorong rasa cemburu apabila melihat rakan penyanyi seperti Amy Mastura dan Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza mampu menghasilkan melodi serta lirik lagu mereka sendiri.
“Saya tanyakan pada mereka, bagaimana mereka membuatnya. Kata mereka, cipta dulu melodinya. Dengan melakukannya secara humming pun sudah boleh dan kemudian barulah beri tumpuan pada susunan muzik pula.
“Memandangkan peminat pun sudah terlalu lama menunggu album baru saya ini, jadi saya terfikir apa salahnya saya selitkan lagu ciptaan saya sendiri sebagai satu suprise.
“Jadi, kebelakangan ini saya memang jadi ketagih cipta lagu. Asal ada saja melodi yang terlintas di kepala, saya akan cepat-cepat rakamkan dalam telefon bimbit. Sedar tak sedar sudah ada beberapa melodi ciptaan saya berada dalam simpanan.
“Kebiasaannya, idea untuk melodi itu akan timbul waktu saya tidurkan anak saya (anak angkatnya). Selalunya, waktu malam. Betullah kata orang, malam selalu mendatangkan banyak ilham,” kata Misha yang berat badannya sudah bertambah beberapa kilogram.
Sekolahkan anak pada usia 2 tahun
Misha juga turut seronok bercerita mengenai perkembangan anaknya yang kini sudah berusia 27 bulan.
“Mungkin ramai yang anggap saya ini zalim kerana sudah mendaftarkan dia ke sekolah pada usia yang begini. Tapi, apa yang cuba saya lakukan ini adalah untuk kebaikan dirinya sendiri. Memanglah pada 3 bulan pertama dia menempuh pengalaman yang susah tapi, sekarang dia sudah OK. Banyak perubahan yang dapat saya lihat.
“Dia tidak lagi terlalu manja. Dia pun sudah mula faham apa yang kita cakap padanya. Dia juga pandai mengawal diri apabila berada di hadapan orang,” katanya.
Kalau hendak diikutkan, Misha memang teringin tambah seorang lagi anak angkat namun ibunya pula meminta dia memikirkan semula cadangan itu.
“Bukan sebab hendak ikut cara Angelina Jolie dan Brad Pitt. Tapi, saya memang suka dengan budak-budak. Ia memang satu tanggungjawab yang berat tapi mengajar kita erti kedewasaan. Lagipun, saya sudah bersedia untuk menjadi isteri. Cuma belum sampai seru saja untuk berkahwin,” katanya terus terang.
Pulang beraya di Kelantan
Jika tahun lalu, Misha dan seluruh ahli keluarganya beraya di rumah bapa saudaranya di Port Dickson, kali ini mereka akan kembali beraya di Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
“Saya pulang seminggu lebih awal sebab hendak elak kesesakan dan beraya di sana sehingga raya ketiga. Kemudian saya balik semula ke KL sebab perlu bersiap untuk berlakon drama.
“Hendak tunggu filem lama sangat, jadi, biarlah saya berlakon drama dulu. Tapi drama saya itu belum ada judulnya lagi,” kata Misha.
Dia juga berkata, sejak Jun lagi, dia sudah pun membuat persiapan raya untuk anaknya itu.
“Senang beli awal-awal. Nanti tidak perlu berebut-rebut dengan orang. Satu lagi, saya suka beli lebih sebab dia boleh pakai sampai lepas raya. Tahun ini semua ahli keluarga kami pakai warna ungu,” kata Misha.
Murai
Catch: Genting Salutes Merdeka
Ruffedge!
GENTING HIGHLANDS’ annual Ambang Merdeka Concert will be held today at the highland resort’s Outdoor Theme Park.
Adam Mat Saman!
The concert kicks off at 9pm and ends with the annual Merdeka countdown and flag-raising from 11.45pm to midnight.
The Ambang Merdeka Concert features popular Malaysian artistes who have become household names in recent years.
Hip-hop group Ruffedge tops the list of stars. The five-member group is well-known for its hit songs such as Da Bomb and Tipah Tertipu, which was also made into a comedy film Tipah Tertipu - The Movie starring the group and up-and-coming actress Intan Ladyana.
Sabah’s top-selling hip-hop singer Adam (Mohamad Aizam) Mat Saman of Kota Kinabalu, best known for his songs Tak Tahu, Joget Lambak, Jatuh and Hai, will also be performing at the showcase.
The graduate of Akademi Fantasia Season Two has also acted in films most notably Main-Main Cinta with Misha Omar and Diva with Ning Baizura and Balkisyh Khan.
Cornetto and Brand’s Essence of Chicken ambassador Dafi Ismail Sabri, who hails from nearby Temerloh and is a popular television personality on Astro, will also perform some of his hits.
The Akademi Fantasia Season Five graduate is best known
for lending his voice to Disney’s High School Musical’s Bahasa Malaysia voiceover edition on Astro last year in a collaboration with Akademi Fantasia Season Five winner Mila Jirin.
Other artistes in the showcase include Dareyno and Project Superstar Season Two winner Henley Hii.
Award-winning, zany and personable television host Aznil Nawawi of Pop Kuiz, Jangan Lupa Lirik, Tom Tom Bak and Akademi Fantasia fame, will be the master of ceremonies for the evening.
Aznil is also a gifted singer and an accomplished actor who has appeared in the films Sama Tak Serupa, Cicak Man and Aku Nombor Satu.
There will also be a breakdance performance and cultural dances from local troupes.
Entry is free to the theme park from 7pm.
Call 03-2718-1118.
New Straits Times
A No-Nonsense Mentor
Azmeer with One Nation Emcees.
DENNIS CHUA speaks to the ‘Alex Ferguson’ of Gang Starz, Azhar Abu Bakar.
DESCRIBED as Asean talent search Gang Starz’s answer to no-nonsense Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Azhar Abu Bakar makes it clear to his students, or the show’s contestants, that he “kicks butt”.
“You have to be cruel to be kind. As a young and aspiring singer and composer in the 1980s and 1990s, my mentors were no different.
“They used to shout at me if my work was not good. And that was why I worked hard to improve my skills and make it in the music industry,” he said.
Recalling his experiences with his no-nonsense mentors back then, the programme adviser of Gang Starz said that when he first became an artiste, acclaimed producer Datuk Aziz Bakar told him point-blank that his performances were lousy.
“He said I was not fit to sit in his place. This really hurt my feelings, but I subsequently strived extra hard to show him I could do it. Seven years down the road, I finally pleased him,” he said.
Another “terrifying” mentor who coached Azmeer was acclaimed composer S. Atan.
“He was the real Sir Alex. He yelled abuses at me if I did not perform well as a singer, and I’m always grateful to him for pushing my limits,” he said.
As the students’ main coach, Azmeer, 42, says he is only “half the terror” that his mentors were, because he “never hurls profanities at them when he is mad”.
“I believe in being ‘brutal’ and honest, ticking them off for lousy performances and making sure they work hard every day for their weekly concerts.
“At times, I even make them sing while carrying chairs. They may feel the pain of such harsh discipline, but at the end of the day, they thank me for it,” he said, adding that it was better to be “abused” by a frank mentor than by fans who see a lousy performance.
“If one is to be a successful entertainer, he or she has to train under harsh discipline. Only then can a star be born.”
However, mentoring students is not all about being nasty.
“You have to give them credit where credit is due too. All good mentors, including the ‘terrors’ who coached me, did the same,” he said.
Azmeer has been programme adviser for two seasons of Gang Starz.
He shares his position with Damian Seet of VE fame and choreographer Sazlan Mat Adnan, handling performances, vocals and choreography.
Azmeer, who hails from Bayan Lepas in Penang, has been an entertainer for 19 years.
The youngest of five children of a police officer, he has two ballad-oriented albums to his credit - Kenangan Lalu in 1989 and Azmeer in 1992.
“My maternal great-grandfather was a back-up singer for the legendary R. Azmi. I guess I inherited his talent,” he said.
Azmeer studied law at a private college in Singapore for a year in 1988 before he chose to pursue a music career.
Besides Atan, he was also trained by Ramli MS and Indonesian composer, Pance Pondaag of Tak Ingin Sendiri fame.
On June 14, 1990, Azmeer was involved in a car accident in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, which virtually put a stop to his stage acts.
“I damaged the cornea of my right eye in the car crash and stayed in hospital for a month. After that, I decided to concentrate on composing and songwriting, though I occasionally sing with other artistes,” he said, adding that his trademark dark glasses were equipped with special lenses to aid his right eye.
He is married to fellow songwriter Azira Azid and has three children.
Azmeer’s famous compositions include Purnama Merindu, a hit for Datuk Siti Nurhaliza which helped her win the Asia Music Festival 2002 in Beijing, China, Ziana Zain’s Menadah Gerimis (Best Ballad in Anugerah Juara Lagu 2002) and Liza Hanim’s Andainya Aku Bersuara (Anugerah Juara Lagu 2001 finalist).
Azmeer also composed and wrote Sharifah Zarina’s hit song Langit Ketujuh (he also sang with her) and Mentor Season 2 winner Fiq Abdul Halim’s Tiga Malam Tanpa Bintang.
Misha Omar’s latest single, Cinta Adam Dan Hawa, was also composed by Azmeer, as was Amy Mastura’s 1995 hit Harapan Semalam.
Azmeer has also written the script for Senario’s comedic appearances on the big and small screen besides composing the funnymen’s hit songs such as Cepat Kaya, Cari Tapak and Sebelum Dan Sesudah.
“I also composed songs for Saiful Apek as a soloist after he left the troupe,” he said.
From 2005 to 2006, Azmeer served as programme adviser for Mentor.
“The show, which lasted two seasons, was a very good initiative by TV3. Sadly, there were not many established artistes who were willing to participate as mentors due to their busy schedules,” he said.
“Nevertheless, there came Gang Starz and it’s a far better programme because it unites young and talented new singers in all of Asean’s original member countries.”
Azmeer believes that a regional talent search will push new local artistes, and even some established ones, to “soar higher”.
“It is good, healthy competition, a chance to learn from neighbouring countries and better oneself,” he said.
Azmeer thinks Gang Starz could not have come at a better time because there was hardly any talent search for vocal groups, as opposed to soloists.
“Damian, Sazlan and I auditioned prospective candidates for the show. More than 5,000 Malaysians auditioned, as well as about 500 Indonesians, 200 Thais, 100 Singaporeans and 300 Filipinos,” he said.
Of the top fine groups in this year’s contest - namely, Malaysia’s One Nation Emcees and Akasia, Indonesia’s D’Reborn and the Philippines’ Paragon Child and 3.5 - he said they all deserve to come this far.
“However, I wish Indonesia’s third group, 3 Voices, could have stayed a little longer. They have great potential, despite their lack of confidence at times,” he said.
On ways to improve the show, Azmeer suggests that some contestants be allowed to play musical instruments.
The Gang Starz final will be held on Aug 24 at Stadium Malawati, Shah Alam at 9 pm.
New Straits Times