A BIG Letdown

No, not Mila, but Ebi! I am a little disappointed. No, make that very disappointed!

Am I not happy that Mila won first place and Ebi second? Yes, I am, but I am also very very disappointed with both of Ebi's performances last night. I know he can do better than what he had performed at last night's concerts. He has proven to us many times that he has what it takes to be a good performer and entertainer. Did he not, with his rendition of Bailamos, Al-Jannah, Kasihnya Laila, Kisah Kau dan Aku, Bukan Diriku and My Heart? He has the voice, the height, the looks. He has the package, but last night he lost his magic once again when he couldn't get the feel for his original song, Sinar Cinta, and he overdid it in Farhana. Farhana could have been a killer song, but Ebi almost killed the song. If only he had just sang Farhana without all the gimmicks. If only he had just sang Farhana in it's simplicity, I think it would have worked better for him. If only........

He tried too hard to impress by doing up all the gimmicks in Farhana, but he under did it for his Sinar Cinta when he simply couldn't get the feel for the love song.

The song, Sinar Cinta, is nothing to shout about, at least in my humble opinion. I expected a far better song from M. Nasir, him being known as THE SIFU. No, I am not blaming the song just because Ebi did below expectation at last night’s concert, that it failed to get him into the top spot. In fact, I told a friend that Ebi’s song is a cause for concern when I heard the melody the first time around, and that was even before Ebi sang it. I noticed that the song is simply too simple for a song that is to be sung by someone trying to win a singing competition. I think that it was unfair that Ebi was given the song at such an important concert.

Why didn't Roslan Aziz do something about it? Why didn't Roslan Aziz reject the song? Had Roslan Aziz no say in the choice of new songs that the kids were going to sing in the finals? Roslan did well when he chose the songs for the kids to sing starting from the 8th to the 9th concert. It was songs that he, Roslan Aziz, knew that the kids could carry well. He is, after all, a perfectionist. He is a composer himself and he has produced many successful singers. He knows what suits the kids, what doesn't.

Shall I blame Astro for the choice of songs? What is so special about M. Nasir that his songs were chosen every year since the 3rd season, when he became the principal? Was there some sort of agreement that M. Nasir's songs shall always be listed for the final concert? I am sure there are many more composers out there who can compose far better songs than the song Sinar Cinta and Lihatlah, sang by Faizal, at last year's final concert. If it wasn't Mawi that sang Aduh Saliha, I doubt it very much that the song would ever be that great. Sorry, but, this is just my opinion.

Just because it is an M. Nasir song does not mean that it is good. In fact, I have yet to like any of M. Nasir's songs. They are simply not my taste. I think that most of M. Nasir's songs are just too much ado about nothing. I would go for Adnan Abu Hasan's or Ajai's song, even KRU's songs anytime, but, M. Nasir's songs? Hmmm.......

Aznil said that many singers eagerly awaits songs from M. Nasir. Ebi is lucky to have gotten M. Nasir’s songs when he has yet to even become a star himself. Really? Was Ebi really lucky? I think it is the other way around. While the other composers who contributed their songs came to the Akademi to give the kids who will be carrying their songs tips on how to carry their songs the way they were intended too, M. Nasir never stepped foot in the Akademi. Why? Ebi was left alone to interpret the song. Is that what you call commitment? Is that what you call a `sifu’? A `Sifu’ is one who is an expert in a certain field and people would come to him or her for advice, tips and know how. He is supposed to guide you. Where was he when his guidance was most needed? No, he is too great for the kids. In that case, why bother choosing his song? There are so many other composers. Why him? My advice to Ebi is to go and look for Adnan Abu Hasan for songs for his first album.

When I heard Ebi rehearsing the song in one of the diaries, my heart sank. Added to that, Ebi simply could not get the feel for the song. The melody was simply not romantic enough for a love song. No, make that the melody was simply nothing. I had hoped that the song Farhana would help Ebi get back his magic, but, alas, he over did it. I wished that someone had advised him on the choreography. Too late now.....

I am still hoping that Ebi will re-record the song Sinar Cinta with more feel. If he doesn't, it might be very difficult for this song to make it into the charts at Radio ERA. If ever it did go into the charts, would it be safe to assume that it is because Ebi sang the song, and not because it is an M. Nasir song? Maybe......

No, I think Ebi should quickly come out with a single for a different song, forget Sinar Cinta, more in the likes of Kasihnya Laila, Bukan Diri Ku, or Indo-pop, as some have suggested since that is Ebi's forte, or genre of songs suitable for him.

Because of Ebi's disappointing performances last night, as much as I had earlier on wanted Ebi to win, I secretly hoped that he would only win second place after Mila, after such a superb performance by Mila for both songs. I was afraid that should Ebi win the top spot, there would be no end to him being criticised. Probably even be booed at, because, last night, only Mila deserved the top spot. She sang her original song, Persis Mutiara, with such feel, and simply, it was superb! Her rendition of Ezlynn's Cinta Pura Pura rightly deserved the standing ovation. The top spot belonged to her alone. It couldn't by any chance be staged, could it, that she was the only one with two good songs, while the others only had one good song to carry? *wink*

For a while, I was afraid that it might be spoilt by the guy who's only good at garnering sympathy votes. Okay, to be fair, he did sing quite okay last night. But, spoil he still did for Candy. Candy sang both her songs well, though not superbly. It wasn't her best. She had done better. But, still, she did not deserve to only be placed 5th. She deserved at least a 4th placing. He deserved 5th. No, he doesn't even deserve to be in the finals! He was a spoil spot. He threw havoc at the finals. Heliza deserved her 4th placing. A 3rd placing would have been even better. *sigh*

Overall, I felt that last night's concert, though a lot of effort has been put to make it a grand finale, especially for Aznil, it being the last time that he will be hosting the show, by gathering all the kids from Season 1 – 5, and despite the fact that tradition has been broken when finally a female champion has been crowned after 4 male champions, it failed to give the impact that it had been able to in the previous years. There was no ummpphhh! Or, did I miss the moment? *grin* I think the 9th concert gave more impact with the right choice of songs and the attire worn by the kids were far better than what they wore last night. Definitely, I think Ebi's hair looked better in the 9th concert than at last night's concert! LOL! *wink*

Unlike in previous years, where after the final concert, I would feel 'a sense of lost', like as if I had lost a best friend. At times, feeling anxious even, as the concert is about to start. LOL! *grin* It's like as if I am going on a date with my best friend, and it’s something I would look forward to each week. *wink* But, last night, I did not feel like I had lost a best friend. Instead I felt mad with my best friend for failing to live up to its promise of a concert with a difference. LOL! I felt that last night the concert did not close with a bang despite bringing in the bands, and cheerleaders. Oh yeah, the concert IS different. It failed to close with a bang unlike in previous years. *grin* Err.....is that a sign that I am undergoing withdrawal symptoms, but refusing to admit it? LOL! *grin*

Usually, after every final concert each year, I would be looking forward to catch the new songs sung by the kids during the finals being aired on Radio ERA. This year, somehow, I did not feel that way. I felt that there were no songs that actually hits you the minute you hear it, making you want to hear it over and over again, like Khai’s Dambaan Pilu, Felix’s Warkah Berlagu Pilu, Farah’s Tangisan Dalam Kerinduan, Marsha’s Untuk Terakhir Kali, Farhan’s Hanya Aku Sahaja Yang Tahu and Velvet’s Kini Detiknya. Maybe Mila’s song? But, Mila’s song will probably take getting used to first before you can actually fall in love with it. Okay, I will give it the benefit of the doubt. *grin*

Could it be because the choice of songs simply aren’t worthy of a Final Concert? *sigh* Or, could it be because I had hoped too much that Ebi’s performances would hit me with a bang, leaving me breathless and mesmerized like what he did when he performed Kasihnya Laila and My Heart, and when neither performances were good enough, I am probably just feeling too disappointed, it is making me confuse it with a feeling of mad and dissatisfaction? Hmmmm......Can we have another concert so that Ebi can once again prove that he actually has the magic to make it into the entertainment world after all? LOL! *wink*

Whatever it is, I am sure I am still going to miss 'my date with my best friend' every Saturday night. My Saturdays will now be 'back to normal', and my hubby will be happy that now he has gotten back his control over the TV remote control! LOL!

To Mila, Ebi, Heliza and Candy, I wish them all the best in the real world. Now that they are all STARS already, they would stop dreaming, and start working. Akademi Fantasia has paved the way for them, and I hope that they will not waste the opportunities given to them. I hope that they will always work hard to improve themselves. I hope that they will never stop learning, and always reach for the stars, but at the same time, to remember to always keep both their feet firmly on the ground.

Congratulations to Mila for breaking traditions to become the first female winner. Ebi, we know you have the magic and you have the package, but you just have to work harder and to keep on trying. I hope that Ebi will try to stay out of controversies. Even though he failed to amaze us, eerr..., me *grin* in the final concert, unlike his performances in the previous concerts with his superb rendition of Al-Jannah, Kasihnya Laila and My Heart, I know that he still has the magic to make it work. I hope that he will prove to us that he does have what it takes to make it successfully in this ever challenging world. I look forward to many albums from Ebi!

To Maestro Records, even though Mila is your next Pot of Gold after Mawi, please do not forget about Ebi, Heliza and Candy. They deserve as much attention as Mila too. They are, after all, a product of your own program too. You made them what they are today.

Note: all photos were taken from Akademi Fantasia's official website at http://www.astro.com.my/akademi_fantasia/v5/