ELECTION 2008: ‘Think what’s best for future generations,’ says Siti Nurhaliza

GEMAS, Sat.:

Singer Datuk Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin has urged voters to think what is best for them and future generations on polling day next Saturday.

She also said: “Make the best decision based on what the government has given so that we can live comfortably and peacefully.”

She said this when persuaded by Taman Gemas Indah residents to make a speech when she came to watch Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Gemas state seat Zainab Nasir conduct her campaign here today.

She and her businessman husband Datuk Khalid Mohd Jiwa were invited to the campaign by their personal friend Deputy Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor who is defending the Tampin parliamentary seat.

Her presence drew thousands of people including women and children of all ages and races to a small stall in Taman Gemas Indah.

The crowd jostled to shake hands with the artiste but Umno Youth members managed to maintain order by acting as security guards.

Siti Nurhaliza told reporters that it was a new experience for her.

She said that previously, such a big crowd happened only during concerts and she had never seen a similar situation in a political campaign.

She admitted that she got fired up seeing people gathering to listen political speeches but stressed that she did not intend to venture into politics.

2,000 at Ning’s wedding reception

Ning Baizura and Omar Sharif looking their dazzling best at their kampung’ (village)-themed reception. Watching them is songstress Datuk Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin and her husband Datuk Seri Khalid Mohamad Jiwa.

KUALA LUMPUR: Singer-cum-actress Ning Baizura Hamzah and husband Omar Sharif Christopher Layton Dalton held their wedding reception at the Matrade Exhibition & Convention Centre (MECC) last night.

Joining them in their celebrations were Omar’s parents, Colin and Maureen Dalton, and Ning’s parents, Sheikh Hamzah Sheikh Mohamed and Satilah Abdullah.

Present were 2,000 guests including Datuk Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin and husband Datuk Seri Khalid Mohamad Jiwa, M. Nasir, Helen Yap, Noryn Aziz, Fasha Sandha and Ramli Sarip.

The kampung-themed wedding saw livestock — chickens and goats — surrounding the well-lit hall.

The singer paraded a string of designer outfits, startingwith a royal blue baju kurung Pahang by Rizman and Ruzaini.

Then, the actress of Diva wore a traditional Javanese attire, a gold Ceribon, complete with headgear from Java and hand-printed Indonesian batik, courtesy of Jovian Mandagie. The final outfit was a gown by Michael Ong.

Each outfit was made complete with jewellery from Rafflesia and Habib Jewels.

She also wore Golden South Sea Pearls and a set of White South Sea Pearls by Rafflesia.

The pair, who were wed on Thursday at the Masjid Saidina Abu Bakar As-Siddiq in Bangsar, will hold another reception in England in the middle of the year.

Gambar Siti Nurhaliza di Kenduri Ning Baizura

Spectacular showdown

A glorious moment for Estranged (left), which nabbed the Best Song Award with Itu Kamu, while fabulous duo Jaclyn Victor and Lah VE won Best Vocal Award.

New talents and various local bands showed off their mettle at the recent Anugerah Juara Lagu, writes RADIN SRI GHAZALI.

IT was, quite simply, the showdown of the year — a glorious start to the music industry’s calendar.

The annual Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL 22), held at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil Kuala Lumpur last Sunday, provided much-deserved attention to emerging talents.

Also, seeing almost all of 2007′s big guns performing live in one show was in itself a reason to cheer.

As predicted, 2008 sees the emergence of bands in the local music industry in the Pop/Rock category — which saw an increase in the number of songs to the final round

And there’s no better way to mark its resurgence than the grand finale of AJL!

Kudos to Estranged who had battled hard to pave its way to stardom. The members comprise Rich, Andy, Din and Hanafi.

The band, which started by playing gigs at colleges, won the Song of the Year Award with its bouncy hit Itu Kamu.

“We are delighted to have won. This is a great way to mark the comeback of bands to the mainstream audience. We hope that our win will pave the way for more indie bands to enter the show,” said guitarist Din.

“We had a lot of stiff competition to begin with. We knew that this might be the year of the bands but we thought Sofaz would bag the honour,” added drummer Andy.

The band will use the pize money RM37,000 to finance its second studio album.

The finals also saw substitute performers (who replaced the original singers who couldn’t be at the show for various reasons) justifying the opportunities given to them.

Lah Ahmad (from vocal group VE) and Sahri rose to the occasion by giving a personal touch to songs, Ceritera Cinta (a duet with Jaclyn Victor) and Izinku Pergi respectively.

(The songs’s original singers were Rio Febrian for the former and Kaer for the latter).

“I am very surprised. I didn’t expect to get any awards,” said Lah, who gave a solid vocal compatibility with Jac.

“It is all about chemistry. I have performed with Jac on numerous occasions. To me, our approach to the songs made the difference,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sahri, a former student of Akademi Fantasia, was overwhelmed when Izinku Pergi was picked Best Song for the Ballad category.

“I am thankful to Kaer and the composers for giving me the opportunity. It is hard to live up to people’s expectations and be compared to the original singer, but I did my best and am so happy to have won,” he said.

Hopefully, his win will lead to more media attention and maybe even a long-overdue recording deal of his own.

As for the spectators who packed the stadium despite the downpour, the night offered many memorable moments.

There was Datuk Siti Nurhaliza’s new look for a start.

The singer, who performed the Haj last year, proved that she still has what it takes to wow the crowd despite a more subdued appearance in a head scarf.

She had the crowd screaming and clapping throughout her performance of Destinasi Cinta.

Meanwhile, the reigning “king of SMS”, Mawi is well on his way to becoming an entertainer.

His performance of Angan dan Sedar blended elements of magic (befitting the theme of the night, Music Magic) when he reappeared on stage in a black suit after singing the first half of the tune in white.

The 26-year-old singer clearly deserved to win the Best Performance Award, of which 50 per cent of the votes came from the audience through SMS.

The return of “old-timers” Nora, Ramlah Ram and Aishah added to the magical moments.

Nora was the clear winner of the Ethnic Creative category with Samudera, her win after 12 years of participating in the competition.

Her perseverance paid off in the end through her performance that was nothing short of spectacular.

The other lads from rock outfits Jinbara and Sofaz also contributed to an overall entertaining evening.

Jinbara opened the night with an acoustic performance of Farhana (Puteri Bumi Kenyalang) before pumping up the tempo with a rollicking rock moment — a good start to the evening from those who expected AJL to be somewhat different this year.

Similarly, the guys from Sofaz gave a decent show in comparison to their dull performance during the semi-finals of the competition last year. They really rocked the stage with substance and stepped up their game through the song.

The substitute singers for Faizal Tahir, Fiq and Bob managed to give their own touch to their rendition of Maha Karya Cinta and Kasih Tercipta.

Bob, who should also be given a nod of recognition for his solid vocal performance, closed the night beautifully.

Despite disturbing noises from the sound system and the enormous stage, the night proved to be magical, thanks to the string of songs performed and determination showed by the finalists.

AJL 22 has indeed set a new yardstick for the coming AJLs.

Roll call

- Song of the Year: Itu Kamu, performed by Estranged. Composed by Estranged and lyrics by Richael Lawrence.

- Best Pop/Rock category: Itu Kamu sung by Estranged with Estranged (composer) and Richael Lawrence (lyrics).

- Best Ballad category: Izinku Pergi sung by Sahri with Azlan Abu Hassan (composer) and Sulu Sarawak (lyrics)

- Best Ethnic Creative category: Samudera, performed by Nora with Johan Nawawi (composer) and Ahmad Fedtri Yahya (lyrics)

- Best Performance: Mawi for Angan Dan Sedar.

- Best Vocal: Jaclyn Victor and Lah VE for Ceritera Cinta

High note for traditional melodies

The gathering of creative talents at the 4th Cipta Ekspres 2008.

The irama Malaysia music genre gets a boost from MACP and songstress Siti Nurhaliza, writes SHUIB TAIB.

M. Nasir (left) and Siti entertained the crowd with an impromptu duet.

MUSIC Author’s Copyright Protection (MACP) has dedicated its recent four-day 4th Cipta Ekspres 2008 event to the irama Malaysia music genre. Chairman Habsah Hassan said that of late, not much attention has been given to this type of melody and it is “suffering” as a result.

Co-incidentally, MACP, which co-organised the event with the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage), also learnt that Datuk Siti Nurhaliza has been looking for material for her upcoming traditional album for the last three years.

“Usually, when we organise this event, we get composers to write songs for the function.

“Unlike past events, all composers this time are hand-picked by us. Most are award winners while some, such as Radhi OAG, are participating for the first time,” said Habsah.

“Since Siti is looking for songs, we got top composers come up with traditional numbers. This is also a belated birthday gift for her.

“Siti is under no obligation to record the songs but it would be great if she did.”

The event saw top-notch songwriters gathering in Port Dickson to come up with songs by the end of the fourth day.

Spotted were M. Nasir, Fauzi Marzuki, Adnan Abu Hassan, Johari Teh, S. Atan, Johan Nawawi, Khairil Johari Johar, Zul Mahat and lyricists Ad Samad, S. Amin Shahab, Alfa Booty, Zubir Ali and Abot.

Although MACP expected 10 songs to be written by the end of the event, creative juices flowed with composers coming up with 13 numbers!

Siti, who attended the event on the last day, was full of praise of the songs.

Accompanied by husband Datuk Seri Khalid Mohamad Jiwa, the singer, who had just returned from performing the haj in Mecca, has given her assurance that she will be using some of the songs for her album.

The songs were performed by Rosma AF, Zila Seeron, Mohaizam Ahmad, Azfar Booty, Khairil Johari Johar and Zubir Ali.

“There are plenty of good songs tonight. Although the production is still raw, I’m pleasantly impressed by the quality. I’ve tried writing songs myself and it is not easy,” said Siti, who wrote the lyrics for several songs on her past albums including Percayalah.

She added that MACP couldn’t have given her a better gift.

“This is truly a meaningful gift. It is also an honour for me to be among the first few to listen to the songs and to be in the presence of such greatness. If my latest album is Hadiah Daripada Hati, this may be called Hadiah Daripada Komposer.”

The ministry represented by its director-general (arts development division) Mohd Adnan Hamzah, also gave its assurance that the songs not used by Siti will be aired in its social campaigns.

“We will work together with MACP. Hopefully the songs can be used for our TV commercials,” said Mohd Adnan.

Estranged tops in Juara Lagu

KUALA LUMPUR: Estranged bagged the top honour of the night when Itu Kamu was hailed the best song of the year at the Anugerah Juara Lagu 22 at Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil last night.

The band, which also won in the pop/rock category, received a total of RM37,000, including RM25,000 for the best song.

Nora, with her song Samudera composed by Johan Nawawi and Fedtri Yahya, won in the ethnic creative category while Sahri, who sang Izinku Pergi (composed by Azlan Abu Hassan and Sulu Sarawak) on behalf of Kaer, the song’s original singer, won in the ballad category.

Fabulous duo Jaclyn Victor and Lah VE won best vocals for their song Ceritera Cinta (composed by Ross Ariffin and Habsah Hassan), beating others such as Datuk Siti Nurhaliza, Nora, Aishah and Misha Omar.

The best performance went to Mawi who sang Angan dan Sedar, composed by M. Nasir and Loloq.

Siti will follow her heart

By : SHUIB TAIB

Siti hopes her hopes for a child will be fulfilled soon.

Pop queen Siti Nurhaliza’s off on the Haj after launching her new album. SHUIB TAIB finds out what her plans are.

SONGSTRESS Datuk Siti Nurhaliza turns 29 next month. And yesterday she left for Mecca to perform the Haj, something she has wanted to do before turning 30.

She may sport a headscarf on her return but that’s a decision she’ll take when she is back.

“I can’t really say when, though; but when I do, it will not be because of anyone else but because I want to,” said the singer at the launch of her latest album Hadiah Daripada Hati earlier this week.

“I don’t think (wearing the tudung) it will lessen my popularity because my fans accepted me because of my talent first, not my hair or my image.

“Besides, you can still create all kinds of images with the tudung,” said the singer who was once criticised for refusing to take pictures with male celebrities.

(For the record, Siti has been been photographed with male personalities but mostly at awards shows and never for a cover of a magazine).

Siti recently renewed contracts with Pantene (a haircare product) and said the company doesn’t seem to mind although she has made it known to them her intention to cover up.

Of her album, Siti said she chose the title as it is more direct, unlike the previous album Transkripsi which was “tinged with messages”.

“Hadiah Daripada Hati is really that (a gift from the heart). Hati (heart) is the most lonely organ but it is the one that whispers hopes, aspirations and dreams to you.

“I wasn’t sure if it would be on par with Transkrispi (which won Best Album at the last Anugerah Industri Muzik) but once it was mastered, I thought it sounded quite good.”

The album contains more mid-tempo than slow numbers, she said, and of the slow numbers Melawan Kesepian (composed by Pongky Barata who also wrote her hit Seindah Biasa from her 10th album, Prasasti Seni) is one of her favourites.

The album features compositions from Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

Siti included works by Azlan Abu Hassan (Biarkan and Sekian lama) and Sharon Paul (Hati, the theme song for Shuhami Baba’s latest film, 1957:Hati Malaya, and Cintamu).

For the first time, a composition by Singapore songwriter Dick Lee is on Siti’s album. The song, Mulanya Cinta was performed by Siti in the recently-concluded P. Ramlee, The Musical.

Then there is Ku Mahu, the theme song for drama series Spa Q composed by Audi Mok with lyrics by Rina Khan.

Siti said that if Anuar Zain has a song called Lelaki Ini, she has one called Wanita (Muhammad Fahmi Rizal/Shanty Ramadani) while Tanpa Kalian (Taufik/Siti Nurhaliza and Taufik) best describes her relationships with close friends like fans and the media.

The other two are Kerana Dirimu (Cynthia Lamusu) and Sutramaya (Aubrey Suwito/Tinta S), a song which she recorded last.

Although it was a bit of a rush, Siti managed to get it all done by the release date, three days before she left for Mecca.

“It was planned that way. I wanted this album out before I leave so that I can fully concentrate on my pilgrimage,” said the singer.

Siti also launched her latest business venture, SN Mobile Digital, through which fans can download her songs by mobile phone (just type SN and send the text message to 33777).

Since her marriage to Datuk Seri Khalid Mohamad Jiwa, local media have been vying for a scoop on her expected pregnancy.

She said she was not concerned about having put on a few pounds. “I’d rather be healthy. Since I’m trying to get pregnant, I don’t think going on a crash diet is a good idea. Yes, my husband has noticed that I’ve grown in size but he’s never asked me to shed any. In fact, he’s been very supportive of what I do,” she said.

Siti said she had cut back on 70 per cent of her singing activities and found it harder to not only stay slim, but to sing as well.

“There were a few songs which took me longer to record. The thing is, when I was still single, I used to sing almost every night, which was good practice. But now I don’t perform that much and the lack of practice has made it difficult to sing perfectly.

“When you don’t sing as often, you tend to get pitchy here and there and breathing correctly is a factor.

“However, my producer Aubrey Suwito never pressured me and told me to go home and come back when I was ready because he knew that I could sing better,” said Siti.

Siti is scheduled to be in Mecca for two weeks with Khalid, mother Siti Salmah Bachik, brother Saiful Bahri and others in an entourage comprising slightly more than 20 people.

When asked what she would pray for in Mecca, Siti flashed another smile and replied playfully in a child-like manner, “Adalah!”

“Well, of course I would ask God the best for my family and me, and for a child. Khalid will be extremely happy if we have a girl, since he already has four boys,” said Siti matter-of-factly.

She also admits to being slightly pressured for not having conceived, but said: “All I can say is, belum ada rezeki (it’s not meant to be yet).”

A singer’s surprise for Hui Yi

Datuk Siti Nurhaliza and Dina Bato Sam Bua were overcome with emotion at the surprise visit while Tee Hui Yi (left) looks on.

KUALA LUMPUR: Heart tran-splant girl Tee Hui Yi is used to getting visits from VIPs.

But she could hardly believe her eyes yesterday when her idol, Datuk Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin, entered the visitor’s lounge at her ward about 9.30am.

Despite wearing a surgical mask, the 14-year-old lass lit up at the sight of the songstress, who was accompanied by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy and his wife Datin Seri Ann Chan.

Siti was seen wiping away tears as she spoke to Hui Yi.

Hui Yi’s mother, Dina Bato Sam Bua, was also overcome with emotion at Siti’s surprise visit.

The singer spent about five minutes with Hui Yi at the National Heart Institute and gave the teenager an autographed album before kissing her on the cheek.

Only selected photographers and cameramen were allowed into the ward as Hui Yi had developed a slight fever in the morning.

“Her strength is an inspiration and I pray that she recovers soon,” said Siti.

“When I met her, she was so happy. She told me that she has been a fan since she was young and told me to keep on singing.

“But I did not sing for her because we could not stay for too long and she was recovering.

“Although the visit was short, it was very meaningful to me.”

Siti also revealed that she was invited by Kong Choy to visit Hui Yi when he called her husband, Datuk Seri Khalid Mohamad Jiwa, on Monday night.

However, Khalid could not accompany her as he was away on business.

Siti said she had initially planned to visit Hui Yi last month, but was unable to as Hui Yi was in the Intensive Care Unit.

Kong Choy also wished Hui Yi a speedy recovery and hoped that she would resume her studies soon.

Hui Yi has put her studies on hold for the past three years following her heart condition.

Kong Choy and his wife also presented Hui Yi a bouquet of flowers and a book on Qigong, a slow traditional Chinese breathing and movement exercise.

Hui Yi had a dramatic heart transplant procedure last month after she was diagnosed with end-stage heart failure from a viral infection when she was 2 years old.

Progress does not depend on mastering English

By : Brian Yap

LANGUAGE is of course one of the main pillars of any culture, a defining characteristic of any race.

Considering that Malaysia is a former British colony that is also home to three major and countless other races, it is not surprising that a plethora of languages and their dialects are used here.

What’s more, with so many foreign workers and international students in our urban centres these days, I almost have to think twice before opening my mouth — should I use Bahasa Malaysia, English, Cantonese or Mandarin?

Surprisingly, English is the language I feel most comfortable and confident using. I read, write, think and probably dream in the language. I say surprising because I never went to an English-medium school — aside from international schools, there was simply no such option available during my time. So for all 11 years of my primary and secondary education, I learned all subjects — except English, of course — in the national language.

At the same time, I had private Mandarin lessons when I was younger, but it never got very far. After quite a few years, the Taiwanese lady who taught me gave up in exasperation at my non-progress. Today, I can speak little more than casual Mandarin, and write little more than the three characters that make up my name.

It’s ironic that despite being taught Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin, English would be the language I’m most proficient in. I suspect it had a lot to do with what my pop culture references were — meaning the books and magazines I read, the TV programmes I watched and the pop stars I looked up to.

In recent years, many have lamented the decline of the English language in Malaysia. The previous administration even tried to address this by making schools teach Maths and Science in English.

While it’s hard to argue that the learning of languages, especially one that is practically universal like English, is beneficial and crucial, I feel its importance is often overrated.

More than teaching Maths and Science in English, schools need to improve the standard of both subjects instead. If improving English is important, then it could be addressed with improving the quality and quantity of lessons instead.

The decision in 2003 to teach Maths and Science in English was a controversial one. The vernacular schools felt that it was another way for the government to exert control over them, while rural schools were worried about how well prepared the teachers would be, and if their students’ performance in Maths and Science subjects would decline because of the additional burden of learning an unfamiliar language.

It has now been all but confirmed that the sudden switch wasn’t the best of ideas. The initial plan was to have Year Six pupils answer their Mathematics and Science papers completely in English from next year.

But now, examinations in English for Maths and Science subjects will continue to remain optional.

Of course, it’s not quite a reversal of the decision, but there are obviously difficulties and doubts, which unfortunately leaves the education system in a state of a limbo. All that to improve the standard of English in this country.

For all the worries about our declining standard in English, we probably do have a better command of the language than many other countries in our region, generally speaking.

I’m confident that Malaysians on average speak better English than the Thais and Indonesians, for instance. Economically developed Asian countries like Japan, Korea and, now, China, have not been particularly disadvantaged by their lack of English skills, because they have other more important things to offer — a strong work ethic, a thirst for knowledge and progress, and a quality education that provides solid foundation. These are areas Malaysia needs to be more concerned about than merely mastering English.

English-speaking Malaysians often make light of others who cannot speak the language well, as if it were the only measure of intelligence and modernity.

For instance, pop star Siti Nurhaliza has been ridiculed by some for her inability to speak in English, even when she is interacting with foreign media. The few times she’s tried, some even pointed out her mispronounced words. But why should she care? She is the biggest pop star in Malaysia, with fans all over the region.

Smug English-speaking Malaysians can make fun of her all they want, but none of them will ever sell as many records as she does, nor entertain as many people.

No doubt, it would be ideal if all Malaysians had an excellent command of English. That would surely be an advantage in a time when much of the world’s communication is conducted in that language. The Internet, for instance, is overwhelmingly dominated by content in English.

But it’s silly to think that our progress depends solely on our ability to master the language. We need Malaysians to be more hardworking, intelligent, well-read and open-minded, and we can be all of those things in whatever language we choose.

Ramlee musical a smash hit

P. Ramlee (Sean Ghazi) on a train to Singapore.

All seats for the P. Ramlee musical have been taken, for the duration. DENNIS CHUA reviews the show.

P. Ramlee (Sean Ghazi) and Saloma (Liza Hanim).

TAKING on the life story of Malaysia’s King of Entertainment is a monster challenge particularly when the country is marking its 50th anniversary.

But executive producer Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina and Enfiniti Productions successfully created the first major musical on P Ramlee by focusing on the human side.

If one measures success by ticket sales, P. Ramlee The Musical … The Life, The Loves And The Inspiration is certainly a winner, as all seats in Istana Budaya from Oct 18 to Nov 3 were taken on the first night itself.

Trimming Ramlee’s story down to that of a screen idol longing to be loved struck a chord with the audience, as few Malaysians know of him beyond his iconic status, songs and movies.

Props “carbon-copied” from Ramlee films, footage of his films, his movie posters and “newspaper reports”, accurate retro-fashion, stage technology which changes scenes by elevation, curtains emerging from all sides and credits in black-and-white, added to the show’s appeal.

The story begins and ends in 1973, with Ramlee’s last days at the Jalan Dedap bungalow in Kuala Lumpur that is now a memorial museum. Pudgy and tired, he busily composes his last hit song Air Mata Di Kuala Lumpur as a thunderstorm roars outside.

Ramlee (played by Sean Ghazi) retires to his favourite sofa and is joined by his third wife and soul mate Saloma (Liza Hanim), who assures him that the country will never forget him once he is gone.

Ramlee’s sadness slowly turns into a smile, as he reminisces on his journey to stardom beginning in Penang 36 years earlier.

Young Ramlee, played with zest by up-and-coming theatrical talent Mikhail Merican, 12, often plays truant from school, sings and dances to cendol customers and brings George Town’s streets alive.

The Penangites have high hopes for the boy to become a star, but Ramlee is soon distracted by his second dream, to win the love of rich girl Azizah, played convincingly by RTM Young Star 2005 winner Nurazliana (Lynn) Rusli.

Azizah and Ramlee are drawn to each other, but her mother (Soefira Jaafar) forbids her from going out with him.

Later, in his 20s, Ramlee wins a talent contest in Bukit Mertajam singing his first hit Azizah, composed with his childhood sweetheart, now portrayed by pop queen Datuk Siti Nurhaliza, in mind.

Film director B.S. Rajhans (choreographer Joseph Gonzales) who works with the Shaw brothers, Run Run (Colin Kirton) and Runme (Douglas Lim), and their company Malay Film Productions in Singapore, invite Ramlee to pursue an acting and singing career in Singapore.

Ramlee is heavy-hearted as this means leaving Azizah, but in Siti’s defining moment of her theatrical debut, she performs the moving Mulanya Cinta and encourages him to reach for the stars.

Joined by his best pal Sukardi (Chedd Yusoff of So You Think You Can Dance?), Ramlee boards a Singapore-bound train, and ends up at the Jalan Ampas studio, where he meets his future father-in-law, actor Daeng Harris (Wan Kenari Ibrahim).

Ramlee later marries Harris’ actress daughter Junaidah, played by jazz singer Raja Atilia Raja Haron, in a scene reminiscent of his comedies. The marriage is shortlived, as Ramlee is too busy chasing fame, and he soon ends up with the elegant Norizan Mohd Noor, the ex-wife of Sultan Yussuf Shah of Perak.

Sadly, Ramlee’s new added responsibilities as a director and composer keeps him away from the tempestuous and possessive Norizan who is convincingly played (right down to her facial expressions) by Saloma’s real-life niece and award-winning actress Melissa Saila. The couple often quarrel, and yet another marriage ends.

Ramlee eventually gets smitten by singer Salmah Ismail or Saloma, a fellow divorcee who was his secret admirer. They become duet partners, as she proves a gifted interpreter of his works.

Their professional relationship quickly becomes romantic for “Remy” admits to “Sally” that he cannot spend a day without her in the romantic Taman Tasik Titiwangsa.

Meanwhile, the Shaws face problems of their own as political instability rocks Singapore and the island chooses to leave Malaysia. Studio staff are angry with the Shaws’ act of retrenching and “underpaying” them.

Throughout the musical, Ramlee and his wives are confronted by four paparazzi members played by GangStarz pop group Infinatez. First-timers in theatre, they were cut out for the job.

However, the main supporting stars were Izlyn Ramli, Maya Tan Abdullah and Ida Mariana, who opened every scene as colourful, singing narrators.

While experienced Melissa proved the most applauded of Ramlee’s wives, Atilia and Liza also deserved kudos for mastering their respective characters, right down to their fashion and accents.

And all three are great singers who hold their own against Siti, who was not bad at all as a first-time actress.

Sean is living proof that hard work pays. While he hardly resembles Ramlee, the former Broadway actor and award-winning singer made extra effort to adopt the legend’s mannerisms, speech and style.

He was best as a distraught Ramlee freshly divorced from Norizan and a cheeky Ramlee wooing Saloma in between rehearsals.

Tiara picked the right man for the director’s job, her ex-Puteri Gunung Ledang co-star Adlin Aman Ramlie who is the son of Ramlee’s fellow actor A.R. Tompel.

Adlin co-directed the play with Zahim Albakri, and also wrote its 20 songs such as Mulanya Cinta and Lihatlah Dia. Ramlee’s evergreen hits such as Di Mana Kan Kau Cari Ganti, Azizah and Istana Cinta were also performed by Sean and Liza.

As Ramlee is also loved in Singapore and Indonesia, renowned Singaporean composer Dick Lee was roped in as composer and Indonesian maestro Erwin Gutawa as music director.

In a year of biographical musicals, Ramlee’s story stands out as first among equals.

Full house at P. Ramlee musical

Sean Ghazi (as P. Ramlee) and Datuk Siti Nurhaliza (as Azizah) in ‘P. Ramlee The Musical … The Life, The Love, The Inspiration’ yesterday.

KUALA LUMPUR: The much-awaited musical on the country’s “King of Entertainment”, Tan Sri P. Ramlee, premiered at Istana Budaya here yesterday.

P. Ramlee The Musical … The Life, The Love, The Inspiration, made its debut at 8.30pm.

All tickets for the show were sold out.

The two-hour musical, which runs until Nov 3, is produced by Enfiniti Productions, which also made Puteri Gunung Ledang — The Musical in 2005.

Its executive producer is Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina. Its co-directors are Zahim Albakri and Adlin Aman Ramlie, the host of talk show Jangan Tidur Lagi and Tiara’s co-star in Puteri Gunung Ledang.

Adlin, whose father was Ramlee’s close friend and fellow screen legend A.R. Tompel, also wrote the lyrics for the musical’s 20 songs, with music composed by acclaimed Singaporean composer Dick Lee.

Indonesian music maestro Erwin Gutawa is the music director, while Pat Ibrahim of reality television series So You Think You Can Dance? is the choreographer.

Taking on the role of Ramlee is West End musical Miss Saigon and Anna And The King star, Sean Ghazi.

Popular singer Liza Hanim plays Ramlee’s wife, Puan Sri Salmah Ismail, or Saloma.

Saloma’s niece, popular actress Melissa Saila, plays Norizan Mohd Noor, Ramlee’s Perak-born second wife. Norizan was the award-winning actress famous for her film, Esok Untuk Siapa?

Singaporean actress Junaidah Daeng Harris, Ramlee’s first wife and the mother of actor Nasir P. Ramlee, is played by jazz singer Raja Atilia Raja Haron, the daughter of veteran jazz star and “advertisement jingle queen” Salamiah Hassan.

Pop queen Datuk Siti Nurhaliza is making her debut in acting in the musical. She portrays the mysterious Azizah, widely believed to be Ramlee’s first love and the inspiration for his hit song Azizah.

The supporting cast includes Chedd Yusuf of Audition fame, GangStarz finalists Infinatez and So You Think You Can Dance? winner, Alam.