Datuk Syafinaz Selamat plans to unearth new talents — by inviting them to give her new single their own spin
SHE may be better known as a "cikgu" these days, but Datuk Syafinaz Selamat still comes out with powerful singles occasionally.
However, the "teacher" in her always prevails and the 48-year-old music lecturer, soprano and reality talent show judge is doing just that with her latest song, which she is using to discover Malaysia's future balladeers.
Syafinaz's haunting new single is Persis Salju (Like Snow), which she describes as a song of loss and grief.
She recently released it at a ceremony in The Westin Hotel, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, complete with a music video that shows her singing in a snowy white hall and wearing a stylish red outfit.
TALENT SEARCH VIA INSTAGRAM
Syafinaz describes Persis Salju, composed by KuSham and written by Zaira, as "a sad anthem about missing loved ones as well as old friends deeply".
"It's a song that's close to my heart because I miss many of my departed family members. I've also had good friends from the past whom I've regrettably lost contact with," she says.
Persis Salju, she adds, is her "labour of love" for them.
The song brings the best out of Syafinaz's soaring vocals.
As to how the song will be used to discover new talents, Syafinaz has invited aspiring singers, especially YouTubers, to perform it their way and post their videos to her Instagram account.
"Aspiring singers can perform it in any genre they are comfortable with. However, they have to sing it well and make it their own song — as I've always told reality talent show contestants."
RAISING THE BAR
While there are many new talents today, Syafinaz laments that it's not the case with new balladeers.
"We do have talents like Ernie Zakri and Aina Abdul, but overall the standard of ballads needs to be raised," says Syafinaz.
"The message in a ballad can be simple. What's important is the song must evoke deep emotions which connect with listeners at different levels."
DON'T STOP LEARNING
Syafinaz laments that many talents who showcase their compositions on social media "stay in their comfort zones" and only hope for "brief moments of fame".
"It's good to showcase your talent but don't just do it for instant fame," she says, adding that "flash in the pan" musicians are a sad waste of talent.
"If you are really serious about making music, upgrade your musical knowledge.
"Study music composition or go for vocal lessons so that you improve as an artiste.
"Better still, learn to write and compose your own music. This makes you more 'bankable' in the industry," says Syafinaz.
"The only way for our music industry to grow is for artistes to keep learning and improving, and not resting on their laurels."
BE METICULOUS
Syafinaz, who took vocal lessons overseas, says new artistes ought to learn from the meticulous preparations of South Korean pop groups.
"Those K-Pop artistes spend days and hours preparing their acts. That's the level of perseverance we need in order to be good entertainers," she says.
"Korean artistes spend years preparing themselves for the music industry. Those who enter the industry at 13 only come up with their first hit single when they are 17 or 18."
Syafinaz's advice to new singers is that they master vocal and dance techniques.
"It takes time, but they must persevere in order to be entertainers. There are no short cuts to success in music and entertainment. It requires a lot of time and patience."
POPULARITY DOES NOT COUNT
Syafinaz strongly believes that "popularity will fade, but talent is here to stay".
She regrets that many new artistes are "in the game" because of social media popularity instead of possessing any talent.
"It is unfortunate that these artistes with a strong following get a lot of airplay, with radio stations compelled to play their music.
"The regrettable end result is an eco-system involving artistes who are popular but lacking in talent," she says.
Syafinaz calls on producers and radio stations to emphasise talent, instead of popularity, when it comes to promoting new artistes.
"If the artiste is popular and talented at the same time, that's even better. Then they should go all out and promote the artiste.
"On my part, I'll continuously help discover talented people through my classes as well as through social media."
20 YEARS IN MUSIC
While Persis Salju marks Syafinaz's 20th year in the music industry, the song was actually composed a decade ago.
"KuSham and I go back a long way as we studied music together. We recorded
Persis Salju around 2011, but felt that it wasn't the right time to release it then," she says.
Syafinaz adds her new single was a promise made to fans several years ago.
"The last time I recorded a single was in 2010. That was Terpesona, my duet with Frank Scott Hew," said Syafinaz.
"I also recorded a Hari Raya single, my only one to date, two years ago."
The Hari Raya song titled RahmatNya featured Syafinaz's proteges from TV3 reality talent show Mentor — Lazarul Afiezy Zakaria, 31, and Farranisha Shazwany Mohamad Faizul, 21.