NOORSHILA Amin was one of the country’s popular female singers of the 1990s, and her infectious tunes such as Rambu Ramba and Aku Sudah Jatuh Cinta fused contemporary pop with dangdut beats.
Rambu Ramba, which spoke of journeying to towns in her home state of Negri Sembilan even became an unofficial anthem in promoting tourism, just as the late rocker Saleem’s hit song Ganu Kite was used by his home state of Terengganu.
Noorshila, 55, is a contestant in Astro Ria’s Gegar Vaganza (GV), a popular reality show for established and veteran singers. GV recently unveiled its sixth season featuring 13 contestants.
A longtime fan of the show, Noorshila has been following it enthusiastically since it began in 2014. She sees it as an opportunity to reach out to young fans who only get to hear her songs occasionally on radio channels.
“GV is a fantastic avenue to reach out to the new generation of music lovers. I’ve always wanted to see a programme where we veterans can popularise our evergreen hits, and at the same time, learn to sing songs from genres such as hip-hop, which is a big trend these days,” said Noorshila at the launch of GV6 at The Gardens Theatre in Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur recently.
“And it’s also a good platform for us to show that we still rock, and are hot as ever. We are all hot mums and dads!”
REACHING OUT
Another prominent female singer of the 1990s, Wan Rashidah Meor Rashid (Wann) is known for her husky vocals which fans find “seductive”.
The 49-year-old Kuala Kangsar-born singer is best known for her hits Darah Muda, Bossanova and Terima Kasih, as well as her cover version of the late Datin Rafeah Buang’s Hari Raya song, Bila Takbir Bergema.
“Like Noorshila, I still sing at corporate events. With singing as our passion, we don’t truly retire, merely slow down to concentrate on our families or businesses that we may have.”
She continued, “I’m always glued to my seat watching GV. It brings back so much nostalgia since most participants are singers whom I used to rub shoulders with during my heyday in the 1990s.
“It’s a joy to watch it, but my loved ones suggested that I take part in the new season to meet up with old friends and learn some new singing styles in the process. So here I am!”
Singapore Idol second season winner Hady Mirza, 39, is one of two Singaporeans in GV6, the other being rock legend Jatt of Black Dog Bone fame.
Famous for his song Angkasa, Hady hopes to reach out to more Malaysians via GV6 as he spends half a year in Johor Baru with his in-laws. “I’m part-Singaporean, part-Malaysian really, and while Singaporeans follow me a lot on social media, I also have my fair share of Malaysian fans,” he said.
“GV is readily available on TV back home, and I had earlier thought of joining it. However, I wasn’t free back then. But I’m glad to have finally found time for it this year, and I’m looking forward to competing with a fellow Singaporean I greatly admire, Jatt, as well as some of Malaysia’s best-known singing sensations.”
He said that old friend Hetty Sarlene (Singaporean singer and actress) inspired him to “give GV a shot”. She had participated in the last season of GV.
“And there’s one very important person in this show, my homeboy Datuk Ramli MS, the chief judge. He’s a great musician, a sifu I look up to.”
HIP-HOP
TV3 reality talent show GangStarz Season 2’s champion, One Nation Emcees, is among the more junior contestants of GV6.
The hip-hop troupe comprising Kedahan Mimi Norhisham, and Sabahans Jojo Hassan Baias, Kozae Murtaza and Zydee Edris, are now joined by Sandakan-born singer-actor Sabhi Saddi who co-starred with them in the 2011 thriller, Klip 3GP.
“Zydee couldn’t join us in GV6 because of other commitments,” Mimi said, “but it’s great that Sabhi is onboard. He has been our unofficial member for years, and this time he’s ready to rap as well as rock!”
Sabhi, best known for his hit single Nadiku and his 2016 romantic comedy series Abang Sado Boleh Beres, disclosed that the had always been a fan of One Nation and has known Jojo, Zydee and Kozae since the early 2000s.
“We all grew up in Kota Kinabalu together.
Back then I had my own hip-hop group called Esprit De Corps with Adam Mat Saman of Akademi Fantasia 2 and Ejarn Tahir. Alas, the three of us chose to go separate ways, and I switched from hip-hop to pop and ballads with Nadiku in 2010.”
FAMILIAR VOICES
The other eight contestants of GV6 are Sejahtera Malaysia singer Muhammad Rauzan Alwi or Roy; singer-songwriter Nur Fatimah Wahab (who now lives in Canberra, Australia); 1990s pop group Kool comprising Hairie Yaacob and Azri Ariffin (or Riot); Ameer Mahiyidin of rock group Sofazr; Wan Naqiuddin Najib or Naqiu of 1990s pop group Boboy; Rohisham Hashim (Sham) of 1990s rock group Visa; Ungkapan Kata Bernafas Cinta singer Feeza Shaari; and Tabah singer Mazleela Mazlan.
Astro Ria and Ria HD channel manager Emarina Kamal said GV6 welcomed the return of Indonesian diva Hetty Koes Endang to the judges’ seat after a two-year hiatus. Teaming up with chief judge Datuk Ramli MS, she takes over from Datuk Khadijah Ibrahim who has chosen to give GV6 a miss, as Hairie of Kool happens to be her nephew.
“This year sees strong participation from our neighbour Singapore as Jatt and Hady are icons in their own right. Hady, together with Taufik Batisah, is a Singapore Idol while Jatt as lead singer of Black Dog Bone is the man behind evergreen pop and rock songs as Gadis Ayu, Khayalan and the Hari Raya song Cahaya Aidilfitri,” she said.
“GV is not just a singing contest for established names, it is also an avenue for them to reconnect with one another and introduce themselves to music lovers of the 2010s. Besides, it also gives retro music lovers a treat as it helps repopularise the music of major names from the 1970s onwards.
10-MINUTE SPIN-OFF
The show, co-hosted by comedians Nabil Ahmad and Jihan Muse, also has a 10-minute spin-off — Gegar Vaganza Live Plus — screened 10 minutes before every weekly concert. Co-hosted by Bell Ngasri and Fiza Saad, it looks at the contestants’ weekly preparations for the live show.
The winner of GV6 will receive RM100,000, while the second and third-placed contestants will receive RM50,000 and RM30,000 respectively.
The fourth, fifth and sixth-placed contestants will get RM20,000, RM15,000, and RM10,000 respectively.
Emarina said that the winning contestant for each week will share part of his or her cash prize with various charitable organisations, identified with the help of non-governmental organisations Yayasan Karyawan and Yayasan Kebajikan Artis Tanah Air, which assist artistes facing health and financial problems.
The eight-episode GV6 is broadcast on Astro Ria (104) and Ria HD (123) live from the Shah Alam City Council auditorium at 9pm beginning Sunday. Marks are 100 per cent determined by Ramli and Hetty.
For details on the show, visit www.gegarvaganza.com.my.