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CELEBRITY GALLERY - SHEILA MAJID
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Malaysia’s
foremost singing sensation, SHEILA MAJID has continued
to hold her rank presence in regional music scene for
the last eighteen years with her trademark contemporary
pop music tastefully with a Jazz and R&B flavour.
With the 1985 release of her debut album, aptly entitled
Dimensi Baru, (translation: New Dimension), SHEILA MAJID
brought a new dimension to the local music industry;
building a phenomenal following manifested by sold-out
concerts in various cities.
With Emosi (translation: Emotion), released a year later,
SHEILA MAJID made a Malaysian invasion of a very protective
Indonesian market. She went on to win the prestigious
BASF Award for Best Female Artist in R&B category
in 1987; never before by a non-Indonesian. Her success
in Indonesia was further entrenched by a 1988 nationwide
tour, which received an overwhelming response. |
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From
Indonesia SHEILA MAJID spread her wings to Japan where she performed
at the Tokyo Music Festival in 1989. She left such an impression
at the Okinawa Music Pageant in 1990 that she was invited back
to perform in Japan by popular demand that very same year. With
two well-received albums and singles respectively she remains
the first and only Malaysian artist to successfully infiltrate
Japan, the world’s second biggest market.
By the same time SHEILA MAJID released her 1988 multi-platinum
selling album Warna (translation: Colour) her album sales abroad
were outstripping sales in her home country. Her music had broken
all age and racial barriers and she had by now become a household
name. Her popularity topped New Straits Times reader’s
poll four consecutive years between 1987 to 1990, which incidentally
was the last year the poll was held.
Even before she could take time to revel in the resounding success
of Warna, SHEILA MAJID embarked upon yet another pioneering
project in 1990, fourth album Legenda (translation: Legend)
which featured her fresh interpretation of several classics
by the late P.Ramlee; perceived as a daring effort by critics
and fans alike. Her tribute to Malaysia’s most unrivaled
legendary artist captured the imagination of the nation across
the board. Little wonder when in the same year, she was awarded
the Ahli Mangku Negara (A.M.N), a federal honour, by His Majesty
the Yang DiPertuan Agong IX. To date, Legenda remains her best-selling
album which was complemented by an enormously success nationwide
tour, spanning over two years and culminating in a concert at
Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur which drew a record-breaking crowd
of more than 10,000 – hitherto the biggest by a local solo
artiste. |
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release of her fifth original studio album, Ratu (translation:
Queen) in 1996 was a marked transition in SHEILA MAJID’s
singing career. By now her voice and singing style have
matured completely. Her immense popularity, despite a
6 years break, coupled her enchanting new found velvety
smooth sound had enabled her to collaborate with some
of the world’s best musicians – most notably
bassist Nathan East of American jazz group Four Play,
who has worked with the likes of Michael Jackson, Whitney
Houston, Babyface, etc. and Rex Goh of Air Supply fame
on guitars, as well as Japanese violinist, Aska Kaneko.
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With
this critically acclaimed album, SHEILA MAJID took her music
to United Kingdom where she performed at a sold-out concert
at London’s West End Royalty Theatre in March 1996. To
mark this historic event – again, Malaysia’s first
– East West Records, her UK affiliate label, occasioned
a special release of Ratu with a meet-the-fans session at the
world’s biggest music store, Tower Records at Piccadilly
Circus, London – a privilege usually reserved for international
superstars.
With growing demand for her presence in London, in December
of the same year she accepted an invitation by Ronnie Scotts’,
the jazz Mecca of the Music world to take to the very stage
where her idols like Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder had once
performed. In the United Kingdom, much encouragement was given
for her to embark upon a long awaited English album but SHEILA
MAJID’s orientation remains committed to her roots. Many
critics believe her magical delivery is most apparent in her
mother tongue but none has so far ruled out the viability of
an English project. Neither has she. |
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The
release of SHEILA MAJID’s highly anticipated sixth
studio album, Ku Mohon (translation: I Pray) in November
1999 is an affirmation of her leading position in the
music industry. With a successful nationwide tour preceding
the album release, Ku Mohon went on to win four awards
most notably ‘Best Pop Album’ at the Anugerah
Industri Muzik (AIM) 2000, Malaysia’s equivalent
of the Grammy. The title track, one of her five compositions
in the album and incidentally her first lyric creation
was named ‘Song of the Year’. |
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In
July 2000, SHEILA MAJID created history yet again by being the
first local artiste to perform at the Dewan Filharmonic PETRONAS.
The two night sell out concerts were held in conjunction with
her fifteenth year anniversary in the music industry. Amongst
those present to celebrate the occasion were Their Majesties
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong XI and The Raja Permaisuri Agong on
the first night and the Prime Minister and First Lady on the
second.
In November 2001, SHEILA MAJID was invited to represent Malaysia
in Jakarta entitled DIVA SEA which brought together leading
singers from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. The concert
was televised live to millions all over Indonesia.
In October 2003, SHEILA MAJID was invited to headline a live
concert by TransTV, Indonesia. This two hour special, entitled
'Konsert Perjalanan Seni Sheila Majid' was a prelude to the
release of her much anticipated new album. Cinta Kita, her seventh
studio effort was another milestone in her career if not the
Malaysian music industry as a whole. This album, helmed by Warner
Music Indonesia saw SHEILA MAJID collaborating with some of
Indonesia's industry giants like Andi Rianto, Tohpati and Indra
Lesmana who collectively contributed towards 80% of the album
production. To date, both the album as well as its first single,
'Kerinduan' have reached number one in Indonesia. [aplus.co.id] |
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