AREF OMAR

May 22

He’s still the same, soft-spoken youngster that made 8tv’s Malaysian Idol finals last year. AREF OMAR meets Saiful to find out what’s he up to since then

IT is but the first step as Malaysian Idol finalist Mohd Saipul B. Bakeri embarks on his journey to be a good singer and entertainer.

Saiful, as the Kuching-born singer is known as, has signed a record deal with Sony BMG Music and will be releasing his first album at the end of July.

“I'm really excited about my album. I am spending most of my time now in the studio,” said Saiful whose idols are the late Sudirman and Siti Nurhaliza.

The album will offer a fusion of pop ethnic songs and Saiful will also sing two tracks in Mandarin.

For Saiful, all this would not be possible but for his parents who are his uno numero supporters.

“I started singing when I was very young and my parents always encouraged me, especially my father,” said Saiful, 19.

“In fact it was my father who talked me into entering for Malaysian Idol.”

The album recording and doing shows take up a lot of time but Saiful, a sensitive guy, still manages time for TV dramas and tearjerkers.

“I don’t do as many performances now because of the hectic recording schedule but Iím always looking for ways to learn and improve.”

Saiful listens to all kinds of music, from contemporary pop and rock, to ethnic sounds but maintains his own style when it comes to singing.

“When I sing, I always base it on my own style and not follow that of the original singer.”

While maintaining a clean and chic urban image, Saiful muses that his style and stage movements would depend on the song he sings.

“I enjoyed myself the most at TV3ís Sure Heboh concert in Kuching. The fans were great and I had a load of fun,” he said.

“I have more confidence now and Iíll do my best with this coming record.”



8tv will air the new season of Malaysian Idol on May 27 at 9.30pm with a repeat on TV3 on May 29 at 11.30pm.

Source: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Features/20050520152826/Article/indexb_html

Related link: www.Jaclyn.com.my

AREF OMAR

May 22

He’s still the same, soft-spoken youngster that made 8tv’s Malaysian Idol finals last year. AREF OMAR meets Saiful to find out what’s he up to since then

IT is but the first step as Malaysian Idol finalist Mohd Saipul B. Bakeri embarks on his journey to be a good singer and entertainer.

Saiful, as the Kuching-born singer is known as, has signed a record deal with Sony BMG Music and will be releasing his first album at the end of July.

“I'm really excited about my album. I am spending most of my time now in the studio,” said Saiful whose idols are the late Sudirman and Siti Nurhaliza.

The album will offer a fusion of pop ethnic songs and Saiful will also sing two tracks in Mandarin.

For Saiful, all this would not be possible but for his parents who are his uno numero supporters.

“I started singing when I was very young and my parents always encouraged me, especially my father,” said Saiful, 19.

“In fact it was my father who talked me into entering for Malaysian Idol.”

The album recording and doing shows take up a lot of time but Saiful, a sensitive guy, still manages time for TV dramas and tearjerkers.

“I don’t do as many performances now because of the hectic recording schedule but Iím always looking for ways to learn and improve.”

Saiful listens to all kinds of music, from contemporary pop and rock, to ethnic sounds but maintains his own style when it comes to singing.

“When I sing, I always base it on my own style and not follow that of the original singer.”

While maintaining a clean and chic urban image, Saiful muses that his style and stage movements would depend on the song he sings.

“I enjoyed myself the most at TV3ís Sure Heboh concert in Kuching. The fans were great and I had a load of fun,” he said.

“I have more confidence now and Iíll do my best with this coming record.”

8tv will air the new season of Malaysian Idol on May 27 at 9.30pm with a repeat on TV3 on May 29 at 11.30pm.

Source: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Features/20050520152826/Article/indexb_html

Related link: www.Jaclyn.com.my

JOHN TIONG
KUALA LUMPUR, May 21:

Only 125 of the 9,000-odd contestants who turned up for auditions at Malaysian Idol studios in Penang, Kuching, Johor Baru and here, have been chosen for the four-day elimination rounds at Panggung Bandaraya beginning on Monday.

The elimination rounds will be televised over 8TV on July 1, 8 and 15, and repeated on TV3 at 11.30am on July 3, 10 and 18.

The contestants will be divided into groups and tested on their singing techniques, this time on a piano, said Roslan Aziz, one of three judges for the contest which will be aired over 8TV on May 27. The repeat will be on TV3 at 11.30am on Sunday.

Twenty-four will be chosen for the workshop stage where the public will be able to vote for the 10 finalists.

From there, one contestant will be eliminated each week, until two are left for the final show at Genting¡¦s Arena of Stars on Sept 23, where viewers will pick this year¡¦s Malaysian Idol.

Last year, about three million viewers tuned in to watch the final on 8TV and TV3, said 8TV chief operating officer Ahmad Izham Omar.

Roslan said this year¡¦s contestants are better than Season One because they have been exposed to the first show and know what is expected of them.

Roslan, music producer Paul Moss and singer Fauziah Latiff form the main judging panel.

The trio were also the judges last year.

Roslan said of the contestants, the female singers performed better.

¡¨There were so many male hopefuls who tried to sing like Anuar Zain. But their techniques are all wrong, not to mention their originality,¡¨ he said.

Moss, who was also at the Press conference in Sri Pentas in Bandar Utama to announce the candidates and sponsors, said despite the stiff competition, the judges did not think they had left out any of the better contestants.

He said selection was based on voice talent, star quality, and the ability to captivate the audience.

The sponsors for Malaysian Idol are TMnet, Malaysian Airlines, BP Malaysia, Clean and Clear, Toshiba Sales and Services, Creative Technology LPD and Pepsi.

Source: http://www.mmail.com.my/Current_News/MM/Saturday/National/20050521105030/Article/index_html

Cheryl Samad, the
new co-host for Malaysian Idol

THERE were factory workers, clerks, students and even established artistes. They all came together, driven by a common dream – to become the next Malaysian Idol. The first hour of the Kuala Lumpur audition alone attracted 205 hopefuls when registration began at 9.30am at Berjaya Times Square.

Up till Sunday, 5,300 turned up for the three-day audition in Kuala Lumpur. Similar auditions attracted 1,200 in Penang, 1,100 in Kuching and 1,500 in Johor Baru.

At the KL audition on Sunday, the hopefuls were mostly in their teens and early 20s. Most were in casual attire.

They gathered in and around the large hall on the sixth floor of the shopping complex.

As there were no seats, they sat, squatted, and lounged in or near the entrance.

Some lined up for registration while others just waited for their turn for the auditions, conducted in four temporary studios on the seventh floor.

Several even brought along their guitars to strum away and practice their songs.

To lighten the atmosphere, the organisers invited several young singers to perform for the crowd, much to their delight.

On the first day (Friday), Cheryl Samad, the new co-host for Malaysian Idol, was seen coaxing the young people to talk and to sing for her camera crew.

She is Soo Kui Jien’s new partner, replacing Sharifah Aleya.

Cheryl is the current host for TV3’s Muzik Muzik and is experienced, having worked on programmes like MTV No Limits, Pulse, Chicky Hour and Nescafe Kickstart.

Her other credentials include acting in English dramas Each Other (TV3), Table for Two (TV3) Island FM (RTM2) and also the longest running Malay drama Astaman Idaman (Astro Ria).

Cheryl was most encouraging to the Malaysian Idol hopefuls.

She said: “If you think you have it, give it a shot. If you don’t, you’ll never know what you can achieve.”

For Cheryl, hosting Malaysian Idol was a great challenge to her as it is both a reality and talent show.

On May 8, the last day of the audition, Jien was caught in literally in action. He had to run round the concourse outside the hall for the 8TV cameras!

“It’s for light relief in the show as sometimes we need fillers between the songs,” Cheryl explained.

Jien said he was looking forward to the show. While the format would not change much he promised there would be lots of fun and excitement.

Jien who had heard some of the earlier contestants chosen – 21 from Penang, 15 from Johor Baru and 11 from Kuching – said that he had been impressed by two from Penang whom he thought had the potential to make it to the top 10.

“Two boys, a Malay and a Chinese, were impressive. One of them sang a Rick Price number,” he hinted.

Well, you should know who you are. We’ll see whether you prove him right.

A producer outside one of the studios on the seventh floor said contestants were required only to sing a little part of their songs in the audition.

Their performances would be taped.

Judges Paul Moss, Roslan Aziz and Fauziah Latiff would then review the performances and select their picks for the next round.

They would join the selected candidates from Penang, Johor Baru and Kuching for further elimination rounds.

Basically, the judges were looking at their approach to the songs, their personalities and their poise.

The 100-odd selected would be required to go through a three-day Theatre Elimination stage at Pangung Bandaraya at the end this month.

From there, only 33 will be chosen for the Workshop stage on television where the public would be able to vote for the top 12 Malaysian idols to go into the final round.

From there, one is eliminated each week until two are left for the finale on Sept 23, which would see the birth of the new Malaysian idol.

Last year’s grand finale was held at The Arena of Stars, Genting Highlands. This year’s venue has yet to be decided.

Malaysian Idol 2 goes on air on May 27 at 9.30pm on 8TV and is repeated on Sunday over TV3 at 11.30am.

The live telecast of the elimination of the 12 finalists will start in July.

The first episode will feature the audition in Kuching, followed by the auditions in Johor Baru, Penang and Kuala Lumpur respectively.

The theatre elimination episode will then be aired after which the programme would go ‘live’ with the 33 contestants chosen vying for the 12 spots in the finals.

8TV business development manager Lam Swee Kim said the actual number of contestants for both the elimination stage and the final may be increased or decreased according to their performances.

AND THE HOPEFULS ARE...

CUSTOMER service officer Siti Jaidanah Abdul Malik was sitting on the floor and chatting happily with friends in the hall when approached.

She was trying her luck at Malaysian Idol for the second time, she said. She was at last year’s audition but failed because she was overwhelmed by jitters.

“I was not able to even open my mouth to sing!” Siti recalled.

She had chosen to sing Allure’s All Cried Out then.

This time round, she said, she had more confidence and was hoping for the best with a Ruben Studdard’s ballad.

Siti, who spoke fluent English with a slight accent, said Malaysian Idol was the best platform for young singers as they could get professionals to comment on the performances.

Siti added she loved rhythm and blues music and her favourite singers were Alicia Keys, Beyonce and Blu Cantrell.

She now works temporarily as a customer service officer and plans to take up an English course at the British Council.

Seventeen-year-old Elisha Hong who had just finished his audition, said he was told only to sing two stanzas of his song, Josh Groban’s Now and Forever, his favourite artiste.

He said he had been practising for the last four months.

Malaysian Idol, Elisha said, was challenging, exciting and competitive. However he was confident he could be among the top 50.

Elisha had already won numerous talent contests held in his school, the Methodist College in Brickfields.

As for long-haired Mohamed Shah Mohd Saad, 28, it was his first foray into Malaysian Idol.

The soft spoken graphic designer whose favourite artiste is Michael Buble, was accompanied by his sister.

The song of his choice was Flybaits’ Episod Cinta.

“I’m more of a bathroom singer,” he said.

He joined the Malaysian Idol just for fun.

Data entry clerk Shahrizal Raman, 24, sang Simple Plan’s Perfect for his audition. This was his first attempt at Malaysian Idol, although he had won many talent contests.

He said that he valued the guidance from the judges of Malaysian Idol and had never missed the programme.

Hopefully, Shahrizal’s experience with his band which performs at the Coffee Bean in Bukit Bintang, would stand him in good stead.

© Copyright 2004 The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad. All rights reserved.

by Jérémie Pelletier (2004/10/27)

Because World Idol 2 is, hopefully, just around the corner, I’ve decided to write about one of the winners who will be competing. That person is the first Malaysian Idol, Jacklyn Victor, better known simply as Jac, who has been crowned only two weeks ago. I had been following this Idol show since they were seven. All the videos are available at www.kreees.com if you sign up.

I have to be honest with all of you - as ignorant as it might sound, I was really skeptical about a world class singer coming out of this competition. Really, I didn’t think any great singer would be found like the ones we hear in America. Boy! Was I wrong! I found two of the greatest singers in any Idol shows around the world in Malaysian Idol. One of those was Jacklyn Victor. There is no doubt in my mind she will blow all of you away so that is why I’ve decided to recap her journey on this show.

Jac performed live for the first time in group three of the top 33. Her performance of Superwoman was received very well by the Malaysians as she got the highest number of votes that evening being the seventh person to make it into the final twelve. In the finals, also called “The Spectaculars," like in Canadian Idol and American Idol, the contestants had to pick songs according to the different themes. Because of the fact that they could sing in two different languages, there was a big variety of songs sung. There were also three judges, two men and one woman.

In the first spectacular, the theme was “Song from your Pop Idol." Jac chose a song from her own language, Keliru. This was probably my favorite performance of hers in the foreign language. Even though I did not understand the words, I was really moved by it. The crowd went nuts and she was obviously safe that week while Sufiah, the judges’ wildcard pick, and Fazly were sent home.

The second theme was “Song from your Classic Idol." Jac’s pick was When I Fall In Love, also sung by Jasmine Trias, whom you cannot compare to her at all. Jac’s rendition was so much superior. She finished her performance with a bubbly “Hi mom!" The advantage of downloading the videos is that you get to see everyone’s personality and Jac’s might be even bigger than Fantasia’s. The judges did not only tell her she was a super, good, excellent singer after this performance, but also that she was sweet and precious. The mean judge told her “I was ready to tell you something bad, but I just can’t. That was easily the best performance ever on Malaysian Idol and it set a new standard for everyone else.

After another double elimination, Jac was back next week with an uplifting performance of her “Song from the 80’s,” Chaka Khan’s I Feel For You. That same week, the favorite to win started to have competition as Nikki stepped up with her Mariah Carey version of Against All Odds, Victor took a risk with Billie Jean and Dina finally started to shine.

But Jac was not threatened one bit by her new competition. She was actually the only one who did brilliantly in the “Rock Show” with her rendition of Sweet Child O’ Mine. The judges thanked her for saving the night and even though the female judge thought she rocked, the two men agreed she could have done a lot better because she is “a fantastic singer."

Down to only six contestants, Jac along with her fellow idols, Nikki, Dina, Victor, Andrew and Saiful, had to bring it on. R&B night was one of the greatest. Jac performed an effortless Lady Marmelade. A little too effortless perhaps because one judge said she was “not an Idol” and that he was getting bored with her performances. That same judge then told Dina that her (in my opinion) ordinary interpretation of Blu Cantrell’s Hit ‘Em Up Style was on par with Fantasia’s performances. On the results show, Jac found herself in the bottom two for the first time with Nikki, whom had done the best version of Emotion I’ve ever heard the previous night. Everyone was shocked about Nikki’s elimination.

After two other great weeks of performances and another uncalled for trip in the bottom two, Jac had made the final three. From that moment on, everyone knew she was definitely going to be crowned the winner of Malaysian Idol even though Vic and Dina both had their fair amount of fans. Her chances only improved after giving a flawless performance of Alicia Keys’ If I Ain’t Got You. The following week, Jacklyn Victor was officially crowned the very first Malaysian Idol, giving Dina Nadzir the second place.

I really suggest you download every performance of Jac you find. She is an amazing singer and was meant to be an entertainer. I can’t wait to see how she will do in the World Idol competition. In my opinion, she could be Kalan Porter’s biggest threat. In the meantime, you can also download her first single, Gemilang, which you can find on the same site I mentioned earlier, www.kreees.com. Her CD is coming out in December. If you have any comments on Jacklyn or any other Malaysian Idol you listened to, please email me. I would really like to know your opinion.
 

Source: http://www.beaversonidol.com/articles/jacklynvictormalayianidolseriouscontender.html

More news & articles at www.Jaclyn.com.my

by Jérémie Pelletier (2004/10/27)

Because World Idol 2 is, hopefully, just around the corner, I’ve decided to write about one of the winners who will be competing. That person is the first Malaysian Idol, Jacklyn Victor, better known simply as Jac, who has been crowned only two weeks ago. I had been following this Idol show since they were seven. All the videos are available at www.kreees.com if you sign up.

I have to be honest with all of you - as ignorant as it might sound, I was really skeptical about a world class singer coming out of this competition. Really, I didn’t think any great singer would be found like the ones we hear in America. Boy! Was I wrong! I found two of the greatest singers in any Idol shows around the world in Malaysian Idol. One of those was Jacklyn Victor. There is no doubt in my mind she will blow all of you away so that is why I’ve decided to recap her journey on this show.

Jac performed live for the first time in group three of the top 33. Her performance of Superwoman was received very well by the Malaysians as she got the highest number of votes that evening being the seventh person to make it into the final twelve. In the finals, also called “The Spectaculars," like in Canadian Idol and American Idol, the contestants had to pick songs according to the different themes. Because of the fact that they could sing in two different languages, there was a big variety of songs sung. There were also three judges, two men and one woman.

In the first spectacular, the theme was “Song from your Pop Idol." Jac chose a song from her own language, Keliru. This was probably my favorite performance of hers in the foreign language. Even though I did not understand the words, I was really moved by it. The crowd went nuts and she was obviously safe that week while Sufiah, the judges’ wildcard pick, and Fazly were sent home.

The second theme was “Song from your Classic Idol." Jac’s pick was When I Fall In Love, also sung by Jasmine Trias, whom you cannot compare to her at all. Jac’s rendition was so much superior. She finished her performance with a bubbly “Hi mom!" The advantage of downloading the videos is that you get to see everyone’s personality and Jac’s might be even bigger than Fantasia’s. The judges did not only tell her she was a super, good, excellent singer after this performance, but also that she was sweet and precious. The mean judge told her “I was ready to tell you something bad, but I just can’t. That was easily the best performance ever on Malaysian Idol and it set a new standard for everyone else.

After another double elimination, Jac was back next week with an uplifting performance of her “Song from the 80’s,” Chaka Khan’s I Feel For You. That same week, the favorite to win started to have competition as Nikki stepped up with her Mariah Carey version of Against All Odds, Victor took a risk with Billie Jean and Dina finally started to shine.

But Jac was not threatened one bit by her new competition. She was actually the only one who did brilliantly in the “Rock Show” with her rendition of Sweet Child O’ Mine. The judges thanked her for saving the night and even though the female judge thought she rocked, the two men agreed she could have done a lot better because she is “a fantastic singer."

Down to only six contestants, Jac along with her fellow idols, Nikki, Dina, Victor, Andrew and Saiful, had to bring it on. R&B night was one of the greatest. Jac performed an effortless Lady Marmelade. A little too effortless perhaps because one judge said she was “not an Idol” and that he was getting bored with her performances. That same judge then told Dina that her (in my opinion) ordinary interpretation of Blu Cantrell’s Hit ‘Em Up Style was on par with Fantasia’s performances. On the results show, Jac found herself in the bottom two for the first time with Nikki, whom had done the best version of Emotion I’ve ever heard the previous night. Everyone was shocked about Nikki’s elimination.

After two other great weeks of performances and another uncalled for trip in the bottom two, Jac had made the final three. From that moment on, everyone knew she was definitely going to be crowned the winner of Malaysian Idol even though Vic and Dina both had their fair amount of fans. Her chances only improved after giving a flawless performance of Alicia Keys’ If I Ain’t Got You. The following week, Jacklyn Victor was officially crowned the very first Malaysian Idol, giving Dina Nadzir the second place.

I really suggest you download every performance of Jac you find. She is an amazing singer and was meant to be an entertainer. I can’t wait to see how she will do in the World Idol competition. In my opinion, she could be Kalan Porter’s biggest threat. In the meantime, you can also download her first single, Gemilang, which you can find on the same site I mentioned earlier, www.kreees.com. Her CD is coming out in December. If you have any comments on Jacklyn or any other Malaysian Idol you listened to, please email me. I would really like to know your opinion.
 

Source: http://www.beaversonidol.com/articles/jacklynvictormalayianidolseriouscontender.html

More news & articles at www.Jaclyn.com.my

I THINK it was a disservice to the Malays of this country when the English Press kept on harping that the voting for the recently concluded Malaysian Idol contest would be racial-based. When it was proven otherwise, they concluded that it had put to rest their fears that voting would be race-based, that it was a breaking down of the racial barrier.

Critics dismiss Malaysian Idol as 'empty entertainment' but educators endorse the programme for its unifying factor. Idol wannabe SUZIEANA UDA NAGU reports.

THE recently concluded local reality television show Malaysian Idol has had its fair share of controversies. 

  Among others, critics had called it a morally decadent programme that might influence local youth to go against Asian values. 

  However, educators who followed the show on Friday and Sunday nights for the past few months have only good things to say about the series. 

  Social anthropologist Professor Wan Zawawi Ibrahim from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation loves the show for its multicultural content. 

  "Malaysian Idol is a space for young people of different ethnicity, faiths and cultures to interact," he says. 

  Malaysian Idol is part of the "Idol" phenomenon that swept the world in recent years. Based on Britain's Pop Idol, Malaysian Idol saw 12 young Malaysians sifted from thousands of hopefuls competing for the title. 

  The show culminated with 25-year-old Jaclyn Victor, better known as Jac, winning the Malaysian Idol title with a majority of 76 per cent of the one million SMS votes sent in by viewers. 

  Wan Zawawi, whose main areas of research include pop culture and multiculturalism, admires the bond shared by the participants. 

  "The relationship between Andrew (Tan Khin Huat), Dina (Faradina Mohd Nadzir) and the rest ... there is a strong sense of closeness among them. That gave the programme more meaning," he says. 

  The show was introduced to Malaysians amidst discussions at the national level to reanalyse existing approaches to enhancing national unity which is vulnerable to new challenges emerging from globalisation and modernisation. 

  In local universities, lecturers have had to make conscious efforts to ensure that students do not gravitate towards their own kind when they are, for example, asked to work in groups. 

  It has been noted frequently that Malaysian undergraduates are not comfortable mixing with those of different ethnic backgrounds. 

  Academicians say Malaysian Idol has demonstrated that inter-ethnic and inter-faith communication works best when it is voluntary and spontaneous. 

"When young people of different cultures are given an opportunity to interact, they do not necessarily stick to their own ethnic groups," says Wan Zawawi. 

  Last Saturday's verdict also proved that Malaysians are finally ready to shed their strong sense of ethnicity and accept talent when they see it.

Ethnicity is a non-issue when it comes to rooting and voting for the most promising candidate to represent the country, says Wan Zawawi. 

"Look at Jac. When you hear her sing, you do not judge her for her ethnicity. You see her as a Malaysian who is worthy of representing Malaysia on the international platform," he adds. 

The show is also a good training ground for youngsters to learn to handle criticisms. 

  "I feel judges Roslan Aziz, Paul Moss and Fauziah Latif have successfully put their comments across without robbing a person of his dignity. I believe Malaysians have learnt the art of softening the blow of blunt comments through the use of metaphors and pantun," Wan Zawawi says. 

  Fostering national unity is not easy as there are many factors to consider such as differences in culture, language, religion and beliefs. But there are many ways of forging it. 

  "We have not explored pop culture as a way to promote understanding as much as we should. We should have more cross-cultural interactions (like in Malaysian Idol)," he adds. 

  Universiti Teknologi Mara's Performing Arts Faculty dean Associate Professor Md Rushdi Kubon Md Shariff dismisses the notion that Malaysian Idol is "empty entertainment". 

  "I think it is a quality programme. It certainly has a better approach compared to its rival shows. The contestants were given lots of guidance and they showed tremendous improvement from one week to the next. 

  "In the end, the show created a star whom all Malaysians can be proud of," says Rushdi, who is looking forward to the new season next year. 

  Sarinah Kasbi, who teaches Bahasa Malaysia and Physical Education at sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan USJ 12, also followed the programme religiously.

   Its bilingual format was among the factors which made her a fa.

In conversing easily in English and Bahasa Malaysia, hosts Soo Kui Jien and Sharifah Aleya Yahaya enhanced the show’s appeal, she says.

  “It is also heartening to see non-Malaysia singing Malay songs. This will encourage young people to be bilingual,” she adds. 

Source: New Sunday Times 17-10-2004

For more news & articles, go to www.Jaclyn.com.my