Oleh HANIM MOHD SALEH
hanim@sph.com.sg

Bukan senang untuk menghasilkan lagu Hari Raya yang boleh melekat di jiwa. Sebab itu tidak banyak lagu Hari Raya ciptaan zaman kini berjaya menawan pendengar sebagaimana lagu-lagu klasik malar segar seperti nyanyian Sanisah Huri, Ahmad Jais dan Saloma.

Tetapi membelek lagu-lagu baru yang termuat dalam album tempatan, Fitrah Hazir Lebaran 2007 yang dikeluarkan oleh EZS Music Production memberi satu kesegaran yang agak membuka mata terhadap ciptaan para penggubah tempatan.

Dalam album ini, termuat 12 trek lagu Hari Raya, dengan 11 daripadanya merupakan ciptaan terbaru oleh para penggubah tempatan. Hanya satu merupakan versi cover, iaitu Sepasang Kurung Biru yang dinyanyikan oleh perserta Anugerah 2007, Kaszreel Alfi, Wan Arshad dan Hairi Yusoff.

Saya paling tertarik terhadap lagu ciptaan Imran Ajmain berjudul Tidak Lama Lagi, yang digubah bersama dengan Imran Al-Nazirul.

Dengan muzik ala-tango dengan petikan talian biola sebagai bunyian utama, alunan suara Imran yang begitu merdu mampu membawa pendengar seperti sama-sama menari. Cuma satu saja: Lirik lagu ini bersifat universal -tidak menggambarkan perayaan Hari Raya.

Norfasarie yang agak lama tidak merakamkan album baru dan lebih tumpuan kepada lakonan televisyen, mengingatkan penulis kembali tentang bakat nyanyiannya menerusi lagu Gurindam Syahdu. Norfa cukup baik menjiwai lagu berirama asli dicampur keroncong ini. Tidak sangka pemuzik raggae Izzat Md Yusoff mampu menghasilkan lagu Melayu sebaik ini. Syabas!

Izzat sendiri, secara peribadi, menyumbangkan lagu bercorak raggae berjudul Raggae Rayaku di trek pertama album ini.

Lady E, rapper wanita tempatan, juga membuktikan bakatnya yang bukan sedikit menerusi lagu Bertemu Lagi ciptaan Aliff Abdullah dan Imran Ajmain

Satu lagi lagu yang pasti menarik perhatiaan ialah Kembali Bergema nyanyian Fauzie Laily yang berirama ala pop 1960-an. Cukup santai dan menenangkan.

Peminat rap remaja, Sleeq, juga pasti tidak kecewa dengan Jangan Sampai Terlambat -satu lagi lagu yang bersifat universal tetapi mempunyai nilai-nilai murni yang sesuai dengan suasana Hari Raya.

Lagu-lagu lain yang terdapat dalam album ini ialah Joget Raya oleh kumpulan Solihin, Keajaiban oleh Hryul Anuar, Melodi di Rayaku oleh Tengku Adil dan Kenang Ibu Di Hari Mulia oleh Ann Hussein.

Album ini ternyata mampu membangkitkan semula semangat industri muzik tempatan yang leibh berkualiti.

Sumber dari: Berita Minggu, 30hb Sept 2007

I started out with secondary school students, then it was the primary school students, and recently I took up the challenge of teaching kindergarten students who were clearly more interested in High School Musical than “Tanya Sama Pokok” but heck, teaching music, even in a show & tell style, is the most gratifying thing a singer/musician can do.

I would like to come to your school, during Malay class, or Music class, or Assembly Program, for a Post-Examination Activity, and teach you some important Malay songs and proverbs that you need to know growing up as a Malay or Malay-speaker. Tertiary/post secondary educators like ITE Colleges and JCs can look into Creative Business Development modules such as Event Organizing and such.

So, please, if you’re a student of a secondary (or primary) school, get the contact details (name, email address) of a teacher-in-charge, or teachers yourselves, please write to imran@beats.sg and we’ll see how this thing works. I’ll bring along any of the Beats Society artistes namely Sleeq, Freaky Z, Akeem, Richard J, Zul Mystroe, and Krazie Starr.

Schools I’ve Visited This Year
Tanjong Katong School
Unity Secondary School
Kent Ridge Secondary School
Woodgrove Secondary School
Hong Kah Secondary School
Raffles Institution
Hillgrove Secondary School
ITE Clementi

Schools I’d Like To Visit
Siglap Secondary School
ITE College East
Woodlands Ring Secondary School
Northview Secondary School
Tampines Secondary School
East Spring Secondary School
Tampines Secondary School
Jurongville Secondary School
& more

Lagu Imran Ajmain, Seribu Tahun, yang terakam dalam album sulongnya, Dengan Secara Kebetulan, mungkin sebelum ini tidak pernah mendapat perhatian radio negara jiran biarpun sudah lebih setahun album itu dilancarkan.

Namun keaadaan itu dijangka berubah. Selepas kejayaanya dalam Anugerah Planet Muzik 2007, stesen TV3 di Malaysia telah memilih lagu Imran itu untuk drama bersiri terbarunya, Kerana Cintaku Saerah.

Drama itu dibintangi oleh ramai pelakon popular, dengan watak utamanya dimainkan oleh Umie Aida. Ia mengisahkan tentang gadis kampung bernama Saerah yang memberontak ingin hidup di kota Kuala Lumpur. Namun langkah Saerah terhambat kerana terpaksa menjaga ibu tunggalnya, Mak We (Wan Maimunah) dan adiknya yang terencat akal, Jibel (Bengjy).

Judul drama itu bahkan disertai serangkap lirik lagu Imran, “Relaku Menunggu Seribu Tahun lagi…” Difahamkan, sejak drama itu ke udara awal bulan ini, lagu Imran sudah menjadi siulan para penonton di Malaysia.

Drama itu ketika ini disiarkan setiap Rabu dan Khamis, 10.30malam di TV3.

Sumber dari Berita Minggu, 23hb Sept 2007

LAGU-LAGU Hari Raya nyanyian bakat tempatan nampaknya semakin bertambah tahun ini.

Terbaru, 21 artis solo dan berkumpulan bergabung untuk menghasilkan album berjudul Fitrah Hazir Lebaran 2007, yang dibuat dengan kerjasama tiga badan – EZS Music Productions, Beat Society dan Unit Pengurusan Artis (AMu) Mediacorp TV 12.

Artis yang diketengahkan dalam album ini termasuklah Hyrul Anwar, Fauzie Laily, Norfasarie, Tengku Aidil, Izzat (Shine), Wan Arshad, Khaszreal Alfi, Khairi Yusof, Lady E, Imran Ajmain, kumpulan Solihin, Sleeq dan kumpulan Merah.

Turut diundang ialah penyanyi dan guru vokal Ann Hussein.

Menurut Rahimah Shukor, pengarah EZS Music, album tersebut dijangka menarik perhatian kerana ia menawarkan pelbagai genre muzik yang setiap satu menyerlahkan kemampuan vokal dan gaya persembahan artisnya.

Contohnya, Fauzie Laily membawakan lagu Kembali Bergema yang berentak 1960-an, sementara Norfasarie membawakan lagu nasyid berjudul Gurindam Syahdu.

Kumpulan Solihin, yang sebelum ini popular sebagai kumpulan nasyid, dalam album itu membawakan lagu Joget Raya yang dicipta oleh anggota Solihin sendiri.

Hyrul Anwar pula membawakan lagu ciptaan Imran Ajmain dan Irfan Nazirul berjudul Keajaiban, sementara Ann membawakan lagu ciptaannya sendiri dengan lirik tulisan Saihan Asmo, Kenang Ibu Di Hari Mulia.

Majlis pelancaran album ini berlangsung di Taman Warisan Melayu hari ini dan esok, dari 5 hingga 6.30 petang.

Sumber dari Berita Harian, 22hb Sept 2007

Also appearing are Sleeq, Lady E, Tengku Adil and Hyrul Anuar.

Specially for our Muslim friends, a buffet is available for your breaking fast needs. At $20, a spot can be reserved by sending orders with your contact details to melayuboleh@earshot.com.sg

Date     : 22nd September 2007, Saturday
Time    : 6.45pm / Performances start at 7.30pm

Venue : The EarShot Café, The Arts House.  No 1 Old Parliament Lane.

FEE      : Free Admission. Free Standing. Buffet at $20

Reservations at melayuboleh@earshot.com.sg ends today at 6pm

If not, ala carte, set menu is available for affordable prices too.

For more information, visit the following sites.

http://www.myspace.com/imranajmain | http://www.imranajmain.com 

I had the nicest time yesterday when my cousin Hidier and I made last minute plans, 2 hours shy of buka time. I wanted to revisit Mad Jack’s at Bukit Timah, this lovely halal western joint where I went before. Sani and I also tried the Jalan Kayu branch where the power surged in the middle of dinner. Hidier made reservations for the newly opened Simpang Bedok branch and we were on our way.

Made a cameo at the Tampines Ramadhan Bazaar under the void-deck, and saw rows and rows of cars illegally parked outside ikut suka hati mak bapak mereka. Everybody was selling Ramly Burger but this one particular unique stall was selling ice-cream cakes, made freshly on the spot. I would have given it a shot but I don’t handle durian that well, and I couldn’t find my favourite roti sardin telur. The girl at the ice-cream cake stall said “I saw you on my friend’s friendster. You’re that popular singer right?” I said “Maybe, but I don’t have friendster”. I really don’t!

Bought the katira, and made our way. Fish & chips proved to be too much. We’re fasting, not suffering from famine, so it’s not like our stomachs can handle more than what we usually have for dinner, I reminded myself. I think you can never go wrong with fish & chips. It’s my all time favourite. It rained right before dinner but we took shelter, by moving the outdoor seats to the next door closed shop’s premises.

When we passed by Mesjid Kassim, I was reminded of the nice katira they sell there during Ramadhan and how I’d effortfully buy it for some relatives and send them over. Those days are gone, perhaps. It was a short sigh before Hidier and I continued laughing over private jokes.

This ice-cream parlour at Holland Village called Cold Rock was the bomb! Just like teppanyaki, instead of a hot stove kitchen top, they had a refridgerated marble kitchen top. You choose two types of ice-creams, and whatever you want, from an array of chocolates, nuts, sprinkles and candy, and they mash it up like Japanese bbq, except that it’s cold. $7 for a larger portion and I was still digging into it half an hour later. Bring your loved ones there!

In any way, food tastes better when you’re with great company. Or at least, you can try different things when you’re driving around aimlessly through-out the night. Those eating big this month, watch out for your Raya waistlines!

ps: Thanks for the support of the Triple Bill CD promotion. Selling well!

For S$22 bank transfer, you will get:

all in your home mailbox.

www.beats.sg

Sheerz
http://amp.channelv.com/Sheerz

CTP
http://www.myspace.com/closetoperfectionctp

Rebel Yell
http://www.myspace.com/rebelyells

While I was busy being part of a Hari Raya show in Mediacorp, somewhere along Mohd Sultan Road, in a club called DBL O, was the 7th installation of a series I started a few years back called PLATFORM. It is the search for upcoming Rap/R&B talents to join the Hiphop performing circuit and this is the first time that I wasn’t even there at all.

The judges were Altimet (remember Sayang Sayang, the grand opening of APM?), Mark S (formerly from Bonafide Vintage Flav’r, yes the one with Taufik in it), and our own very Freaky Z. The finalists were capped at 15 contestants and the guest performances included DoseTwo and The Rebel Scum (from Kuala Lumpur) and locals a-plenty such as Lady E, Psykes, Alt, even had Roslan and Nuwarra from Anugerah 2007. I felt that it could easily be the biggest show we’ve put together. And of course, had the necessary fix from the Beats Society roster itself such as Akeem, Krazie Starr, Sleeq, Zul Mystroe, Nthral and Richard J. Even 987’s DJ Soo Wei came down to present.

Thank you to Berita Harian, 987FM, Flesh Imp, dbl O, Noise Singapore, Universal Music, for being part of this PLATFORM experience. Can’t wait to get to work on the finalists above.

Thank you to PlayPause for audio-visuals and artwork and WorkHeart for administrative and auditing work. Thanks to the Beats Society staff for making it possible.

Leave your well wishes for BS and the TOP 5 at their respective sites and also at http://www.beats.sg