Archive for the ‘Ramli Sarip’ Category
Oh, Kathy!
Khadijah was in her element at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, Kuala Lumpur.
Khadijah Ibrahim’s The Pearl Anniversary Concert at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas had the audience mesmerised.
SHUIB TAIB was one of them.
THIRTY years of a glittering showbiz career sallied forth in a remarkable show by Khadijah Ibrahim billed “The Pearl Anniversary Concert” at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, Kuala Lumpur.
Khadijah took her audience back to the days when her hits like Ku Sangka Siang Kiranya Malam, Ku Pendam Sebuah Duka, Tangisan Hati Yang Derita and Janji Mu dominated the airwaves.
She began the show by singing a line from Leaving on a Jetplane, the first song she sang in public. Kathy, as she was known when she started her career, also entertained the audience with anecdotes.
“To finally make it here is just great. It’s tough competing with all the new stars like Mawi, er, who is he?, she joked. When I first started touring, I went to places like Jengka, Machang, Tasik Cini… not Los Angeles, mind you!
“With my looks, height, a name like Kathy and the fact that I could speak a little English, kampung folk thought I was a mat salleh. So it was all right for me to sing in English. They found it surprising though that I could sing in Malay as well.”
Back in 1979, this writer attended a RM5 concert on a school football field in Kampung Manjoi, Ipoh.
Artistes included Khadijah’s brother Latiff and comedians A.R Badul and the late Yusni Jaafar but Khadijah was the main draw with a 40-minute slot.
Those days, anyone worth her salt would be compared to the dynamic Anita Sarawak who was already well-known in the Asian region. The local Press was predicting Kathy to be the next Anita.
Thankfully, there was no need for comparisons. Khadijah proved that she could hold her own.
And her Pearl concert was added proof. With her powerful and at times husky vocals, Khadijah had the audience in the packed hall mesmerised.
“Before I recorded my first English album, I was required to prove that I could sing in English. I was asked to sing a song of Donna Summer’s (the queen of disco at the time),” said Khadijah before giving a soulful rendition of Summer’s version of MacArthur’s Park, another song she used to sing.
Khadijah recalled how her father did not get to see the day when she released her first album in 1978.
“Mum would follow me around then but after six months, I lost her too. Ladies and gentlemen, I dedicate this next song to my mother,” she said before belting out Mama Oh Mama.
Khadijah’s following medley of numbers reflected her career journey, with the audience cheering her on: Oh Kekasih Ku (a Malay version of Wishing on a Star), Ku Gembira Di Samping Mu, Potret Kasih, Kau Timbul Kembali, Sabar Menanti and English numbers like Memories (which she dedicated to her ex-husband, Mohd Rashid Fahmi Bastaloo), Everyday Girl as well as a cover version of Autumn Leaves.
In between her three costume changes, Khadijah introduced her guests, Datuk Ahmad Nawab and Ramli Sarip.
Ahmad was the man who was instrumental in Khadijah’s success, her mentor of sorts, having penned more than 2,000 songs and so many of her hits. The 75-year-old saxman hit the right notes with the audience when he played Spanish number Besame Mucho and his self-composed winner, Kali Terakhir Ku Lihat Wajah Mu.
Khadijah and Ramli did a beautiful duet with Doa Buat Kekasih, one of their evergreen hits. It also turned out to be the favourite number of Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tuanku Nur Zahirah, who was also present.
Others in the audience included singers Syafinaz Selamat, Halil Chik, politician Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and several corporate figures.
She ended her show with Peristiwa Di Bulan November, and from her performance that day, November 2008 will be hard to forget.
If you haven’t caught any of her shows, you should not miss any of her performances. For here is one entertainer who can lift up your spirit as high as her immitable vocals can soar!
New Straits Times
Khadijah Wants A Memorable 30
Khadijah has a stellar band accompanying her.
Khadijah Ibrahim celebrates three decades of showbusiness with a concert next week, sharing the stage with some very special guests. SHARMILA BILLOT writes.
Khadijah will be performing with Ramli Sarip.
EVERGREEN songstress Khadijah Ibrahim will celebrate her 30 years in showbusiness with a two-night concert at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur.
The concerts, which will be held on Monday and Tuesday at 8.30pm, will chart her musical journey under the tagline “Pearl Anniversary Concerts”.
She will be serenading audiences with her best-known hits, including soulful classics, Broadway numbers and classical jazz.
The concerts will feature Khadijah reinterpreting some of her best-loved hits while revisiting some rarely performed musical treasures.
The songs include Ku Pendam Sebuah Duka and Ku Sangka Siang Kiranya Malam. Luck Be A Lady (from the Broadway musical, Guys and Dolls) and Don’t Rain On My Parade (from Funny Girl).
Though the spotlight will be on Khadijah, she will share the stage with some outstanding personalities from the music industry who have helped shape her career.
Two artistes who have been invited to perform are Datuk Ahmad Nawab and Ramli Sarip.
Ahmad has been Khadijah’s composer, arranger and mentor from the beginning and responsible for some of her greatest hits, while Ramli has frequently collaborated with Khadijah over the years.
Music director Mac Chew will also be joining them. He has put up a stellar band for the occasion. It comprises Jenny Chin (keyboards), Steve Thornton (percussion), Jamie Wilson (guitar), Aji (guitar), Gary Gideon (drums), Andy Peterson (bass), Jaesern (violin), Thomas Theseira (alto sax), Chee Chow Meng (trombone) and Eddie Wen (trumpet).
“What a wonderful experience it’s going to be. I can’t wait to get on stage with these great musicians,” said Khadijah.
“It’s been a big challenge to put together the right combination of songs to reflect my career. And I hope to bring freshness even to the most enduring songs.”
The concert is also a fundraising event. Proceeds will go to designated charities close to Khadijah’s heart dealing with the under-privileged and children.
In order to mark the occasion, Warner Music Malaysia is launching a new double-CD album by Khadijah titled Album Mutiara.
Building on the strong sales of the Khadijah Ibrahim: Nostalgia Abadi album launched earlier this year, the new album will feature some 30 songs in both Malay and English that represent the very best of her extensive repertoire over three decades.
The new album is also a reaffirmation of her ongoing professional relationship with Warner Music, the label that launched Khadijah’s career with Sehari Dalam Cinta in 1979.
It will incorporate new material and will be Khadijah’s “first” album in seven years.
Tickets for the concert are priced at RM120, RM100, RM80 and RM50 and are available at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas box office. For details, call 03-2051-7007.
New Straits Times
Equestrian Event Opening Does Malaysia Proud
KUALA TERENGGANU: It was an evening to remember for some 50,000 people who attended the opening ceremony of the FEI World Endurance Championship 2008 at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Gong Badak on Wednesday night.
Not only was it a historic night as it was the first time the nation was hosting the prestigious equestrian competition, but the lavish ceremony, opened by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, had also impressed many.
There were cultural song and dance, an acrobatic horse show by Lorenzo, fireworks display and performances by popular artistes, including M. Nasir, Ramli Sarip, Jamal Abdillah, Ella and Mawi.
But not many would know the spectacular fanfare was put together in less than a week by event management company Dale Lokman Associates Sdn Bhd.
Its managing director, Datuk Mahadzir Lokman, said he was entrusted with the task late last month but the go-ahead for the programme and opening ceremony came only about a week ago.
He said at such short notice, it was a wonder the show got off the ground. But the hard work and sleepless nights paid off as the event was a success, judging by the many congratulatory phone calls and messages received after the show.
Time, Mahadzir said, was the team’s biggest constraint, but everything fell into place at the right time.
He said he did not know why the tournament organiser had waited that long to hire an event manager for the opening ceremony, but he decided to accept the challenge.
Event deputy director Morne Hashim said she believed it was a rescue job of sorts. However, for the love of the country and the sport, she accepted the challenge of putting up a production with a cast of almost 1,000.
She said an ideal period for such a job would be at least three months but with grit and determination, anything could be done and done well.
SEE ALSO P69
New Straits Times