berita baru

"Aku membawa berita yang baru untuk kau dengar dan bacakan hari ini" Berita Baru, literally translated as New News, is one of the title tracks from my Ratu album. It's a catchy song and I'd like to share the first line of the chorus with you as this page will feature latest updates on my public appearances and performances. - Sheila Majid

Sing it again, Sheila

Sheila Majid's concert on Friday night (1st Feb) reminded those present why she is one of the nation's most loved artistes. So, it was no surprise to see such a diverse bunch of people attend the "Sheila Majid In Concert" show on Friday night (the first of two shows) held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in aid of the National Heart Institute (IJN) Foundation. From kebaya/batik-clad ladies and gentlemen, to much younger T-shirt and tattered jeans youth, everyone was there.

Sheila had already proven her mettle as a first-class entertainer, pausing at all the right moments and building up the intended drama. But it was at the end of Embun – as she reached the pinnacle of the song – when Sheila and her band froze for over 45 seconds prompting whistling and thunderous applause before a stage lift slowly lowered her, and she disappeared from view. Yes, there was no doubt that Sheila, the diva, was in her element.

Read more on The Star
Picture credit: The Star

Style personified: Sheila Majid

A walk down memory lane to revisit a style icon. Let me tell you about growing up with Sheila. She was different, her music, her clothes, her style. She was a breath of fresh air, at a time when the Malaysian music industry was to most of us, rather boring and full of rock music. Then again, when her first album Dimensi Baru came out, I was only 12 years old, so I can’t quite say that I knew much about music then, but yes, I knew about clothes, and I loved the way she dressed. From cute berets, carrot cut trousers and pixie hair, I watched the evolution of Sheila’s style as she made her way through the latest trends of the time.

There was this phase she went through: white shirts, tailored pants and a ton of pearls. Every time I see white shirts and pearls, I think of Sheila. And then there’s the jewellery. I used to look very closely when she was holding the microphone because, really, she had fabulous rings and bracelets!

Now Sheila tends to wear goddess gowns, Grecian-inspired looks for her concerts, while her daily wear is more reflective of her role as a busy mom. But she always, always, looks right, and always knows the perfect thing to wear, and that is what I love the most about Sheila’s style. During her recent concert, I went on Friday night, and was close enough to be able to see the detailing on her first outfit, a silvery short-sleeved gown and yes, of course she wore Louboutins; the flash of red sole was unmistakeable.

Read more on The Star-Lifestyle

Sheila’s back

It’s been some time since Sheila Majid has held a full concert. The last "big" concert was perhaps in 2000 when she had the honour of being the first local singer to perform at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas. That was really more of a showcase. In 2006, she made an appearance at Planet Hollywood. In the same year, she celebrated her 20th year in the music industry with a concert at Singapore’s Esplanade. Needless to say, all performances were packed to the brim. Getting tickets was impossible. For those of us who have followed the singer’s career – from her early "spiky hair" days to the sophisticated and stylish performer she is today – Sheila’s ability to draw a crowd is a given. The songbird has proven time and time again that she is capable of belting it out like the best of them.

Read more on The Star E-Central
Picture credit: The Star

Sheila Majid – Satu dalam sejuta

Tidak keterlaluan dikatakan, jika setiap kali Sheila mengadakan konsert besar mahupun tertutup, sambutan yang diberikan terhadap persembahannya itu sememangnya luar biasa. Itulah penangan Sheila. Seorang penghibur yang berada di kelasnya yang tersendiri dan sudah pastinya dia merupakan antara penghibur terbaik negara dan mungkin juga di Asia Tenggara.

Uniknya Sheila, apabila dia membuat persembahan, kita tidak akan melihat dirinya cuba untuk meniru atau mengambil konsep artis-artis lain. Kita dapat melihat Sheila akan tampil dengan dirinya sendiri dan disebabkan itu, persembahannya sentiasa menghiburkan dan jauh sekali, akan terbit rasa bosan menonton persembahannya. Dalam usia 43 tahun, Sheila masih lagi bertenaga dan mampu memberikan persembahan yang cukup mengagumkan. Malah, vokalnya juga masih lagi ampuh dan masih mengekalkan identiti Sheila Majid yang dipegangnya selama 23 tahun menjadi anak seni dalam menyampaikan 33 buah lagu penuh dan medley.

Bukan itu sahaja, penghibur seperti Sheila juga berjaya merentasi budaya, kaum dan kedudukan apabila konsertnya itu juga berjaya mengundang pelbagai bangsa untuk sama-sama menyaksikan konsertnya. Malah, mereka juga turut sama menyanyikan lagunya sambil bertepuk tangan.

Sheila Majid antara salah seorang artis yang mampu memberikan persembahan yang hebat di atas pentas. Malah, profil seninya juga hebat dan menjangkau ke negara luar seperti Indonesia dan Jepun. Sheila Majid In Concert sememangnya sudah cukup untuk membuktikan Sheila Majid merupakan penghibur yang tiada galang gantinya. Dialah satu-satunya ratu dalam sejuta!

Read more on Utusan

Sheila tetap berbisa di pentas

Sememangnya Sheila Majid yang digelar Ratu Jazz ini mempunyai pakej sempurna dalam dunia showbiz. Keindahan suaranya yang gemersik bersama himpunan lagu-lagu yang terus menjadi siulan dan iringan muzik mantap, Sheila Majid juga punya pesona untuk memuaskan setiap keinginan penggemar yang rata-rata membesar bersama lagu-lagunya. Tanpa perlu berlebih-lebihan gayanya penampilan, Sheila juga bijak bermain mood penontonnya. Selepas lapan tahun menyepi tanpa sebarang konsert, Sheila membuka tirai persembahan pada malam itu dengan lagu Warna yang telah memperkukuhkan dirinya sebagai anak seni.

Sheila berjaya membawa kemuncak persembahannya dengan baik walaupun pada beberapa pilihan lagu awalnya agak membuatkan penonton kelihatan kebingungan. Sheila sendiri menyedarinya terutama selesai mendendangkan lagu Patung. Tapi sebagai seorang penghibur sejati yang punya pengalaman bertahun di pentas seni, mudah sahaja Sheila menaikkan semula semangat peminatnya.

Seperti janji Sheila lagu-lagu pilihan pada malam konsert amalnya itu adalah lagu-lagu pilihan peminat. Lalu lagu yang disampaikan tidak sahaja bertenaga tetapi juga penuh emosi.

Read more on Utusan
Picture credit: Utusan

Sheila’s a smash

SHEILA Majid in Concert, a two-night charity event in aid of the IJN Foundation, was a night to remember for many reasons. It marked Sheila’s glorious concert return for a massive solo show after seven years, but also served as a retrospective celebration of her 23-year career (her debut album Dimensi Baru was released in 1985 when she was a high-pitched 20-year-old vocalist).

It's heartwarming to see how responsive the crowd was, something that we don't see very often at a show. Sheila's audience obliged with anything she asked them to do — clapping, standing up, singing along and even dancing. This is a singer who, after all these years, continues to be an inimitable figure with genuine warmth and tasteful sense of style. If great singers today have their clones, Sheila can be proud that her unique voice dares no one to copy.

Her dramatic signature pose at the end of each song — with stretched-out arms, arched back, and tilted head, is another feature of Sheila's shows that only looks good when she does it, adding a touch of old-school cabaret to her show. It's difficult to see anybody doing this without looking tacky.

Read more on NST
Picture credit: NST

New feel to Sheila’s hits

The magic in Sheila Majid's vocal is undeniable, a singer’s voice naturally changes over the years depending on how they look after such a precious gift. In Sheila Majid’s case, it’s easy to see how gracefully it has "matured".

If you didn’t get a chance to see her private live shows around the country, just listen to her 2004 release Cinta Kita and you’ll be amazed at how enchantingly soulful her voice has become. Full-bodied, bright and smooth like chocolate, it surely beats her earlier chirpy sound, which Sheila described as sounding "like (high-pitched) Minnie Mouse getting squished!"

Although she admitted that "I can no longer hit all those high notes", singing in a lower range allows her to put more emotions into a song.

"Singing has taken on a new meaning compared to how it was for me back then. In the 1980s it was all about note-bashing, without truly understanding what the song meant. Now it’s more about conveying the soul ingrained in the music," she said at an interview recently.

Read more on NST

Sheila lepas geram selepas enam tahun

Tepat jam 9.10 malam, penyanyi ini muncul dari pentas hidraulik sambil diiringi tepukan gemuruh penonton. Irama Warna menjadi lagu pembuka tirai malam itu diikuti Bahagia dan Nada. Persembahan penuh bertenaga itu membuatkan peminat fanatik Sheila mula tidak senang duduk. Ada yang menari sambil menyanyi atau sekadar menggoyangkan badan sebagai tanda persembahan Sheila itu benar-benar menghiburkan.

"Adakah anda semua merindui saya?" Saya rindukan anda, getaran dan tenaga seperti ini" katanya sambil disambut dengan sorakan penonton.

Menepati janjinya sebelum ini, Sheila memberikan kepelbagaian dalam persembahannya dan untuk berlaku adil, sambil menyanyikan lagu popularnya, Sheila juga tidak lupa mengalunkan lagu yang sebelum ini jarang dinyanyikan di mana-mana persembahan.

Biarpun sekadar persembahan amal iaitu mengumpul dana membantu Yayasan IJN, namun Sheila tidak pernah berkira dalam soal ini. Buktinya, walaupun pada awalnya konsert itu dijangka berlangsung selama satu jam setengah namun ia berlanjutan sehingga lebih dua jam.

"Untuk konsert ini, saya nyanyikan 33 buah lagu termasuk lagu medley. Jadi tak hairanlah andai konsert selama satu setengah jam boleh terlajak menjadi dua jam lebih. Apapun, saya tak kisah kerana seronok melihat reaksi penonton yang terhibur menyaksikan persembahan saya. Kebanyakan lagu yang saya nyanyikan ada yang kami pilih sendiri dan ada juga yang diminta peminat menerusi kiriman emel. Memang pening juga nak pilih lagu sampaikan kena rombak sebanyak tiga kali," katanya di atas pentas sambil ketawa.

Seperti yang ditegaskan sebelum ini, peminat Sheila masih setia dengan lagu lamanya. Jeritan penonton yang mahukan lagu Sinaran membuatkan Sheila akhirnya mengalah. Namun sebelum Sinaran dinyanyikan, Sheila menghadiahkan dua lagu tambahan iaitu Ku Mohon dan Dia. Dan sebagai menutup persembahan, penyanyi ini lagu Legenda sambil memaparkan wajah bekas Perdana Menteri terdahulu dan terkini sebagai simbolik kepada lagu yang memiliki melodi dan lirik yang terindah itu.

Read more on Berita Harian