another gloomy monday...



I think the ones that felt the lost most would be the ladies, in particular Ekin & Marsha. You can clearly see the bond they have with Idayu during the final moments when Idayu left the show last saturday. And as Syafinaz said, "penyingkirannya adalah kerugian besar kepada AF3 kerana kehilangan seorang penyanyi yang berkualiti dalam pertandingan itu sendiri". But its all history now and sadly, I dare say that history will repeat itself in the next few concerts to come unless the audience comes to their senses and not get over fanatical - which is somehow very unlikely too. I'm ready to see Amylea, Marsha, Akma & Ekin go no matter how good they will be for the coming concerts. Somehow the boys has a much stronger following than the girls, so I'm predicting they'll be more guys than girls in the final concert.

The best thing about Monday is the new tugasan. SM said he aint happy about the spoilers being posted by one of his many visitors as SM like the suprise element of the tugasan. Someone spoiled it for SM at about 5hrs before the evening Diari. And on this blog, someone actually mentioned about the Beautiful Maria song ought to be given to Mawi or Felix, just a day before the 4th concert! Did he know for sure about this weeks tugasan? Was he just lucky? Or maybe the Astro people actually browse to different blogs to look for song suggestions? Anyway, here are the list of the new tugasan for the 5th concert. I've made comments on some of them, some are short due to the fact that I havent heard it before.

Aidil - Senyuman Ragamu (Gerhana Ska Cinta)
Theres a Warren G rap verse in here?! And its given to the stiffest guy around? Nice! This oughta be fun!

Yazer - Takdir Penentu Segalanya (Jamal Abdillah)
He better not put so much of his husky voice into this, otherwise its gonna be another forgettable number.

Marsha - Bossanova (Pun Sri Saloma)
I think she'll have no problem at all with this song. Even seeing her in the normal Diari attire today trying out the song was quite good enough. Gosh! my gut feeling is acting up again! Must ignore gut feeling...must ignore....

Felix - Hari Ini Dan Semalam (J.Mizan)
An oldie that I hardly can recall. Sounds familar though. I guess I'm not that old after all! Hahaha....

Akma - Camar Yang Pulang (Aishah)
Hearing her trying out the song just now, I can tell shes gonna have problems with the chorus. But I think she'll be taught some technique to handle those parts.

Kefli - Berhenti Berharap (Sheila on 7)
Oh my. I just hope he wont slaughter this song so badly.

Ekin - Let’s Get Loud (J Lo)
Another fast tempo song for this sweety. The tutors are really pushing her no doubt, I just hope Ekin will take up the challenge and prove what shes worth.

Reza - Ala Emak Kahwinkan Aku (Zainodin Mat Dom)
I barely remember this song but I think its a fun song. Theres some acting needed to tell the story of the song. I hope Reza will be paying more attention to his vocals instead though.

Amy - Antara Anyer Dan Jakarta (Sheila Majid)
She does seemed to be struggling a bit with this song but again I;m sure as the week progresses, we'll see her finding ways to master this song.

Mawi - Beautiful Maria Of My Soul (Los Lobos)
One of my favourite song from a film that is worth to have in your collection. Mawi I admitt has the vocals for this but if he cant pronounce the words correctly it could be messy. But then again I'm sure his fanatics will clean it up for him right? Sad. Try and find the spanish version, its even a more soothing.

Amylea - Hak Milik Kekal (Linda Diana Rafar)
I think this is a no-brainer for here. I just her to 'bulatkan' her pronounciations. No doubt this will be fun to watch. She will sing it better than Linda would, if Adlin remarks were true.


And so we shall see how things will evovle. Hmmm... I just had some a nasty conspiracy theory. What if Idayu was deliberately kicked out because Astro wants to teach everyone a lesson so that they'll vote more for their favourites more. Its like, if Idayu whos so talented can be forced to leave, apalagi yang nyawa2 ikan?! Hehehe..... Thats just my head being silly really, so if you Astro people are reading, I meant that as a joke. Oh in the tradition of AF, this week I'm gonna have a kezutan of my own too! What is it? Hehehe.... you're just gonna have to stay tuned. Before I go, below is the lyrics and also midi file for Mawi's next tugasan, do you think he could handle those big words?




Images from http://ydotcom.blogdrive.com/
.

...WTF???!!!

Excuse my French but I'm just sick of AF3 now. Its no longer based on how much talent you have or how one have improved in their vocal techniques or that they gave a good performance. Blind/Deaf votes are just flooding the scene of sensibility. Probably these people have something to gain from it, - "oh he is my cousin/friend, kalau dia masuk finals dapatlah tumpang glamour & senang jumpa students yang lain" - that is just one reason of how I see the voting goes for the less improved students now.

I hate it when my gut feeling gets the best of me. If you checked my previous entry, my concerns were of Akma, Amy & Amylea but the instance that Aznil asked them to walk back and asked Marsha, Ekin & Idayu to move forward instead, I knew it was her to leave. I was just speechless when the results were finally announced and with that comes the sickening notion of reality that Aidil & Kefli are still safe!? Oh Reza, you're none the better too.

Even as I'm typing this (30 mins before midday), both are in the 5th & 6th spot. I dont hate them but I dislike the fact that them being the least improved and always giving messy performances, are still in the running! I know its not their fault but their fans are just tainting the Akademi by keeping them around with their below par entertainment, which probably deserves its place in a seedy karaoke joint deep in the jungles of the amazon.

YES! I'm pissed. While I feel Idayu might not be the most talented one or angelic, she still doesnt deserve this early exit. Some might not like her smugness or its simply because she is not eye-pleasing to some but hey thats reality tv as they say. Well reality tv my ass! Its everything else but that!

I think the contest is as good as over. Astro, please just give Mawi his crown/car/trophy/apartment/holiday as no one can take him of that top spot for sure. Oh I wonder what you (Astro) guys would do if all the top 5 or 6 for the finals are mostly boys? Yup, Mawi, Felix, Aidil, Kefli, Reza & Masha/Ekin/Akma/Amy/Amylea. I've actually been making travel arrangements for the final concert but by the looks of things, I think I'll probably just save my money, watch it on TV and buy a pirated B$6 DVD copy of it the next day; thats how second-rated the show is to me right now.

Ok now that I've got of my chest, I'll proceed to my review of the 4th concert.... after I had my lunch hehe....

Well lunch turned out to be a big one; spent about 2hrs enjoying ambuyat with my friends at a restaurant. Somehow the conversation turned into having another bbq for dinner since we had leftovers from last night. So by the time I got home just now, it was 10pm. Now I'm fully refreshed and ready to rumble. The dvd is already in my player just to refresh my memory of certain parts that I miss last night. Ok here we go....

I think the idea of not lining up the students inorder of their performance sequence is good, atleast it creates some suspense. Aznil also announced that theres some good news for everyone at home. That I'm sure would kept (as if the show need it) everyone glued to their screen. The standings were then showed, no suprise on the top two spot, but right at the bottom is Kefli, somehow I know he is gonna be safe despite how he performed that night, The resident critic is not available (where did she go? personal function I read), so Adlin aka Sultan Melacca/sleepy-rude-guy-on-LRT, Fauzi Marzuki & Syafinaz (that Armani was an eyeful!! hehe) were given the task to "CSI" the performances. Break. Show commence.

AMY - She tried hard to put some punch into it and she did quite well with confidence. Although she did kinda ran out of gas. It was quite a good effort and a very safe performance. One thing annoyed me, the background vocals was couldnt be heard at all. I guess the sound technicians were out for a smoke. 3.25/5.

YAZER - *Yawn* Kinda dull really. That husky rocker tone, I aint buying anymore. But I guess we will be seeing lots more of YAZER, he seemed to have a stable following. He is probably the only guy who I see would stand with MAWI & FELIX in the final concert. 3/5.

AKMA - She held back. And even if she gave her all, I dont she has the pulling factor of a sassy-cabaret-vixen attitude - she looks to nice though. AMYLEA & MARSHA would probably excel with this song. Her pronounciations were also not proper; its "extraordinary" dear, you pronounce it "hextraordinary" at times. Its was an OK performance. 3.15/5.

KEFLI - Seksa indeed. I actually walked out after listening his first verse last night. Watching it again, I dont think I missed anything at all. A forgettable performance and pitchy all over. I dont understand why he got cheered really. Oh as I'm typing this review, the dvd is playing in the background. Time to 32x speed the disc to the next student. 2/5.

MARSHA - Finally! The first captivating performance of the night. Her vocals were just soothing and like Adlin said, she is in a different level from the rest. It was a performance commanding undivided attention and worthy to be placed in the finals. Even Sayfinaz couldnt find real faults in it. 4.35/5.

FELIX - Susah susaaahh! The joker did it again. Seeing him trying to maintain a serious look to get into the feel of the song is just hilarious. His lil bump-n-grind is definately the highlight of the night. But I think his feel wasnt so convincing. He needs to learn to open his mouth more, as Syafinza said. Adlin said he just cannot not like him and that he is probably from another planet. The critics really gave colorful remarks due his clever interactions with them. Oh, love that white shoe dude! 4.15/5.

REZA - I think the arrangement was weird but thats no excuse for his rather dull rendition of it. This song is one of my favourite karaoke song and I dare say I can do it better! Hehe... He should've concentrated more on his vocals rather than over-infectious play with the salendang. Another forgettable performance. 2.75/5.

EKIN - Just an 'OK' performance. I think EKIN needs to work hard to take on such up-tempo songs like this. Her voice is just not so stable and she 'scratches' easily. If she was to get proper training and studio time, she could probably do this song justice. EKIN should've put some more attitude towards her act. Oh and those two jokers 'hijacking' her performance was a really stupid kezutan. You producers running out of ideas huh? And Syafinaz, you have poor taste in boots. 3.5/5.

IDAYU - The second most captivating performance of the night. Her vocals were just simply crispy and clear. She handled the song like a pro. Its worthy of her 3rd spot just as the show started. Adlin said she (& MARSHA) should be an example to the rest of the students, Fauzi said she needs to put her own style and Syafinaz who's really just nit-picking this & that but overall said its a good performance. 4.25/5.

AMYLEA - A pleasing performance. She is just simply adorable. I had no doubt she could handle this song. But I was more concerned about her pronounciations. If you listened carefully, her 'come' sounded like 'comb'. And over half of the song, I couldnt make out what she is saying. Adlin gave the highest compliment saying that she probably performed it better than any current recording artist can. Fauzi said she is good. Syafinaz said she needs to annuciate clearly and overall loved her performance. 4/5.

AIDIL - By right, the person who should be leaving tonight. It was another boring performance despite being given the right song. His emotions are as usual almost blank as if he had overdose of Botox and he takes his usual robotic stance - microphone right hand, left hand close to the chest. Adlin said he would sound better singing the song. Syafinaz went all techincal so that she wouldnt have to be really blunt. Let me say it for you 'yang': "Aidil, you have learned nothing". 2.5/5.

MAWI - Is that news clip any real? Anyway, it was another ordinary performance by MAWI. I dont see why would it command such cheers and screams. The song is simply not testing his vocals because like most Arabic songs, its kinda mendatar. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable performance except for that rather out-of-place silat bit. And Adlin said he is beyond books and degree which is in a way saying that Mawi is unbeatable and beyond reach of the other students. 3.5/5.

Ok all done. Aznil made his 'special' announcement. If I understand correctly, he is saying that the 5th concert will be an al-fresco event i.e. open air, no more an indoor event? Sounds cool and its free entrance too. But I wonder why this change came about though. Can anyone shed some light please? And with that the voting is closed.

Alright, after the break, we saw the 12 students (high heels) version of Menuju Puncak. And a very revealing it is! All thanks to the ever so clever wardrobe department. Just look at the screenshot here, how sungguh cuai you all buat kerja not being able to anticipate that the movements Amylea needs to make is not suitable for that dress!

    
Anyway, we know who left. Aznil played on the many alphabetic elimination theory and proved them all wrong. As he had a look at that tag, his reactions tells it all - its another shocker. The moment Aznil mentioned the word Idayu, Marsha who was already long in tears simply brokedown even more. I felt sorry for her after knowing the reason for such an emotional reaction from her, if you wanna know why, goto klubbkidds blog.

    

And despite her smiles, Idayu was in a tearful tone when she said her final goodbyes. Good luck dear, we'll miss you. Heres some more screenshots of the ending, point your mouse at the pics to read my comment.



Ok as for the Imbasan I'll probably review it tomorrow, I wanna beradu and rest well for the start of a new week. Take care and cya!

Concert 4. Hurray!

Just a short entry. Ok tonight I wont be doing any on-the-fly review, got a bbq birthday thing at a friends' place. I have secured his room and his astro to watch the show hehe..... So my review will probably be here say about late afternoon, maybe after I watch the dvd again.

I cant quite predict whos gonna be leaving tonight. In my previous entry, I said my gut feeling tells me its gonna be a girl. But if the tradition was to follow, it'll be a guy. Having said that, no one can really tell, as like last week, even being top 5 aint safe. But by right - talent wise - it would be one of the boys. The girls I see has got it all together. It'll be a shame to see people like Amylea, Amy & Akma walking out of the Akademi.

The most anticipated performance will be by Mr World, I guess it'll be like that also for every coming concert. The hype will always be his. But for me, I'd be looking forward for the performances by the girls, they have so much to prove and personally, this year I would like a girl to win this contest. Ofourse chances are pretty slim considering how the votes go at the moment.

Ok I think this no longer a short entry, as usual my bibiran got the better of me hehe.... I gotta go and get the cake so I wish all a good time watching the concert tonight. I so wish I could vote. Anyway, take care all and blog ya soon!

Ekin faking it?

Finally I see Ekin looking comfy and all smiles after weeks being in the Akademi. All this while she has been so gloomy and looks unmotivated. I believe we are beginning to see Ekin in her true colors and I guess to some she is simply putting an act. I see no cheekiness in how she is potrayed during the midday Diari just now. I guess the only ones who sees her being fake are probably the ones whos a fan of Kefli, in particular the ladies goup of his fans, getting unnecessarily jealous when its been shown that as if Ekin is flirting with Kefli. C'mon people, give her a break! Remember we are only shown a few seconds worth of clips but I guess some people thats enough to accuse someone of doing foul play? Chill ok?

Mawi & Felix, whom I would like to dub as the two stooges of AF3, has been really entertaining but like Cikgu Fati said to Mawi, it seems he is using humour to cover his shortcomings in his classes. I know they are suppose to be having a good time but I think this jokers has been strecthing it a bit. They should be the one whos making an effort to really improve their english. You know what I think? Well I think the Akademi wont dare to give Mawi or Felix any English songs. Take this as my dare to Astro/Maestro, I dare Astro/Maestro to give Mawi and Felix English songs. Let those two prove to everyone they have the versatility to justify their current top position. So what do you guys think, will we ever see this happening?

From the short clips shown of Akma, Marsha, Idayu, Reza & Mawi practising their songs, it looks like its gonna be another good concert tomorrow. And somehow my gut feeling is saying that a girl will exit the show! I do hope not, theres other deserving males who should be giving the journey a rest already. But it seems unlikely for them to exit as most of the guys are given a safe song, as if to help them recover from their average performance last week.

Oh Papa Rock made a visit today and the most smitten person is ofcourse Yazer. I'm sure its a surreal moment for him and one that he should take as an inspiration. Ramli Sarip really gave some good advise. Infact I think he could make a good motivational speaker. Even I was touched and inspired from what he said - naik bulu roma! No kidding hehe... Anyway, thats all for now, I hope theres something spicy in the 2nd Diari later. Oh I'm sure everyone has head about that robbery at Idayu's home. If you havent, just goto KlubbKidd's blog for the full story. Cyassss!

Silly names...

"Diari Tengah Hari Khamis ini dimulakan dengan sambungan dari isu menamakan kamera semalam. Hamba rasa seperti membazir masa Astro tunjuk benda-benda remeh ini. Tetapi untuk membetulkan keadaan, hamba rasa bukannya pelajar-pelajar harus memberi nama tetapi MENEKA nama yang telah dipilih oleh Astro dan dilekat pada kamera (pendapat sahaja). Sebab itu susah sangat hendak dapat yang betul.Akhirnya mereka menyebut setiap satu abjad sehingga terkena yang betul. Kamera betina di bawah diberi nama Tipah-tipah. Tipah-tipah??? Susah-susah untuk nama sebodoh itu?? Si Reza dapat meneka nama si jantan iaitu Tuan Besar. Tidak seteruk Tipah-tipah, tetapi bukankah sukar untuk menyebutnya. Langsung tidak catchy!!" - From fantasiaakademi.blogspot.com

And what a waste of air-time has that been indeed. Astro could've used it to show more interesting activities in the Akademi really. I guess they are indeed running of ideas on how to keep the Diari exciting. And the silly thing about this camera naming is that they eventually picked a crap name for it! How creative.... NOT! Also if you've clicked on the fantasiaakademi blog, you'd read about Ekin being stressed out a bit about her performance this week. She's having a lil difficulty carrying the song. She must be lacking the confidence now so I suggest the Akademi to have Farah AF2 to give Ekin a visit to give some motivation. It'll do good for Ekin and also for me. Why me? Because I miss Farah so atleast kalau shes on the Diari terubatlah rinduku! Hahahaha....

"there was this one Diary where Siti Hajar asked Marsha the mood of her assigned song this week and she said "GATAL"then she said something else so quickly I bet none of you understood what she meant! hahah!well, me having the upperhand in this case will tell you here what she said: "IH saya selalu dapat lagu GETE oh, malas sia" which basically means that she's pissed off because she gets bitchy songs every time. GETE is Sabahan Malay for bitchy" - From ShellOnAF Blog

I think this is done on purpose, someone in the Akademi has been having lil pleasures of their on everytime Marsha makes lurrrrvvee to the camera! Hehehe.... But seriously, I dont think theres no song that Marsha cant make it sound sexy right? I'd personally like to hear Marsha sing the typical happy birthday song, but in the way that Marilyn Monroe sang it to JFK. I bet my last dollar that she could pull if off easily! As I said in my comments on ShellOnAF, I think Astro is slowly moulding her to have the sexy sassy seducing diva aura which ofcourse would easily sell her future recordings like hot cakes. Its not only her, I can see in the song choices for this week, it seems the Akademi is already trying to catogerize each students to their particular on forte. Just simply look at Aidil, Kefli and Mawi. They've been given songs that will not be a tough challenge to them because its vocally within reach so that they'll be safe (?). Whatever happen to the task of digging-out the versatility of each students by giving them different genres of songs which could challenge their vocals technically? I mean if they do this, I'm sure the students will be more motivated to learn more vocals techniques inorder to carry different genres of songs.

But somehow I suspect theres some legality matters that comes into this. Maybe Maestro/Astro/Akademi couldnt get rights to certain songs that they would like to assign to the students by the major recording companies. Or maybe they can but it could be costly in royalty. Just remember, every song has its own publisher, writer and composer, so theres money to be paid out to these guys especially when Maestro/Astro/Akademi are gonna produce/compile/market those songs on cd/dvd/vcd/tape. Its a multi-million dollar bueiness so the complications are simply mind boggling. I'm sure certain songs will be cheap but those that went million over sales worldwide wont be easily available and will definately break the bank to have. Ok thats my assumptions anyway, could be wrong but I sure would like if someone in the know could clarify me in this matter.

Oh can I just say one thing? Is this blog scary? Intimidating? I mean I know I'm having so much hits but none are quite keen on leaving any comments. Not that I'm like really desperate or forcing anyone to do so but I just wanna say kalau nak tinggalkan komen, bahasa melayu or rojak melayu english pun ok. I am Malay afterall so please feel free to share pendapat anda k? Till then, cyaaas!
.
.

AF3 got spicy!

I guess its a hot debatable issue at the moment about the Reza whinning session with Cikgu Fati & Siti Hajar. We obviously dont know what his motives are or if he does have one but its all clear that things are not as rosy as they are in the Akademi.

Was it just frustration? I remember seeing him all grumpy during that Cikgu Shahrul class, Felix & Mawi was behind him and they were clearly not concentrating, giggling all the way. Probably Reza got annoyed at them and had this thought "Mentang mentang diaorang top two, blajar pun main-main!" Theres no doubting that Reza doesnt know where Felix & Mawi stands and how his position is way below/unstable. Is Reza just worried about being the next out of there? He might sound like he doesnt really care, or if its a big deal if he stays long in the Akademi or not, but infact I think he is worried of leaving.

That boy is lost and frustrated maybe because he felt as being the eldest, he aint given much respect. He said he feels himself not suitable if he go 'hoohaah' with the younger lot because of his age and worries what the audience might say bout it. But then not long later he conflicted his own words by saying he doesnt care what people wanna think or say about him! Oh c'mon, make up your mind boy! And that bit about him saying that he does get along with girls but not the type of "bintang bintang di langit" girls yang currently dalam Akademi now shows how difficult he is. If I'm not mistaken he is a virgo and yes I admit as a virgo, I'm very picky and find it hard to get along with new people, but no matter what I never belittle them. And if I know I have to spending time with them, I make the effort to be open with them and try to adapt to their behaviours. Also I have friends who are like years younger than me and when im with them I feel young and I go with the flow and mood of the crowd. I dont try to tell them do this or that or to act mature bla bla bla, I adapt to them. So I see the problem as his, he has to get off his high pedestal of righteousness and take things easy. But then again they are on TV, so the pressure is obviously to the max.

I know Reza probably didnt meant all this a 'pancing undi' move and basically just speaking his mind, but the damage is done. Maybe he is doing this also because he is tired of being in the Akademi and wants out. Maybe he planned this early with his family and friends, if he did this its a sign to stop voting for him because he wants out? Hehehe....conspiracy theory plak, I'm kidding. Or maybe Reza miss having a puff and all jealous that his buddy Fuad is now menDunhillkan dirinya already. Oh well, we shall see. But if this the way he behaves in a group, then he will be having a hard time when AF3 is over because after all that, they are gonna be touring all over to perform and meeting the fans. Its too late for him to back out from it all, so he should just try and adapt to it and dont expect everyone to behave the way you think or want them to.

And today, just before the first Diari ends, we were shown a clip of the girls in the hostel bitching about a particular 'abang' who seemed to be annoying. I think Akma said "kalau setiap hari aku pun tak tahan tengok". Dare you guess who are they talking about? Its not nuclear science is it to guess who they are talking about. Ooohhh my, AF3 is getting more spicier, the reality TV is getting more dirty, the way it should be. Is ASTRO gonna play this down & try to put out the fire? Are we gonna see an intervention by one of the tutors or the principal himself? Whatever it is, I'm sure AF3 aint gonna be just all about talent now or whos gonna win - I think we know by now who will be champion anyway.
.
.

Concert 3 screenshots.









And with that we say all the best to Fuad. The show must go on, check out the new lagu tugasan for the Concert 4. I dont have time to comment on them now, although I do have some issues I wanna touch about this matter. Later maybe. Anyway, heres the list;

Idayu - Tiada Lagi Tangisan (Misha Omar/Aishah)
Amylea - Don't Know Why (Norah Jones)
Reza - Senandung Semalam (Jamal Abdillah)
Marsha - Tunggu sekejap (Jaclyn Victor)
Kefli - Seksa (UKAYS)
Akma - L-O-V-E- (Natalie Cole)
Ekin - Antara Dua (Farah AF2)
Mawi - Nurul Ain (Amr Diab)
Amy - Bilang Saja (Agnes Monica)
Yazer - Nyanyian Serambi (Ramli Sarip)
Felix - Aku Semut Merah (Meggy Z)
Aidil - Suratan Atau Kebetulan (Kenny, Remy, Martin)
.
.

Minggu ke 4. Hari pertama. Lapuran pertama. Eseehh! macam Diari ler!

Drat! The dvd for the concert 3 is Marsha-less! And clever me, I just took it and paid without even trying or reading the sleeve! Oh well, small issue, my friend who actually taped the show with his newly bought 'B$600plus-dvd-recorder-with-built-in-80-gigs-memory' is gonna make me a full copy. Apparently his area wasnt affected by the rain & no signal bit that I had to endure last Saturday. I think I need to invest on that dvd recorder thingy actually, my friend now is even compiling the Diari on dvd! He said its all easy, he just program for the time to start and stop recording and then before burning to dvd, he could actually edit the adverts, all just by using the remote control! How cool is that huh? He is off for holidays now but once he's back and managed to find those blank double layer (I think) dvd-r, he said he'll be able to fit in the whole week of Diari & the concert all in one disc! Yehhaaaa!

Ok I better calm down hehehe.... Oh do you guys really wanna read bout my review on the Imbasan of the 3rd concert? Its like I scribbled everything on a notepad and now I'm like so lazy to type it all down mainly because I hate trying to make out my own handwriting! Hahahaha! Serious, I hate it when I confuse myself with my own scribblings. Let me see...write...dont write...write..dont write... alaaaaahh malas lah! So you guys are just gonna have to go to other sites to read about it. But in short is was a heavy INTIMATE, eh salah hehe..... PREMIER moment and I dont think I've seen Aznil looked so tearful about an elmination. Noticed Aznil went up the stairs and stood in the darkness when Fuad performed his Puteri song at the end of he show? I bet Aznil is crying his eyes out and avoiding the cameras! I mean that wasnt the case, why didnt he sit at his usual spot? Good point or what huh? Anyway, Fuad was gracious at losing, he was again trying to motivate the crowd to keep voting to help his friends. He wasnt likely to be the final few but him going out this early is quite sad. Theres like a lot more under-performing individuals who deserved it.

I've updated the radio blog with some songs from Concert 3. I'm not gonna do a full song list because I'm just damn lazy hehehe... I had a chance to watch the concert again and see if my reviews earlier on were way off, but I theres none that I wanna add or edit actually, the reiview still stands despite some wise-ass-oh-your-ratings-are-crap-cos-i-know-better comment. Go get get a life! Or learn the concept of a blog or if your are so damn great, go write your own blog instead of bitching on others! And since I'm in a bitchy mood hehe... I wanna say that today I visited the most fun AF blog i've ever read! Its ShellOnAF.blogdrive.com. I just lurve the way she rant & rave about the whole show, she got me really laughing! Here is just a bit of some of the many refreshing writings by Shelley;

Amy-- (asmara dana) she looks like she's going to eat you up alive without you having to look so edible and all. I think the makeup wasnt dramatic enough and so far I have yet so see a Jawa princess who wears leather boots around town and palace. Well not around town anyways. Maybe this one has a secret fetish for leather boots and she's not goin gto come out with it anytime soon. I just don't think that she was effectively dramatic, she just looked... well, pissed off. I'm so angry at you because you didn't do the dishes and the laundry kind of piss off. and then there was this one look she gave (glared) to the camera like 45 seconds before the song ends. It was smug, like, LOOk at me, I have leather boots kinda smug.Okay, i give ten lah for the EFFORT, but like zig says, it's not winning that matters, it's the effort to win that matters.

So goodie amy !here's what I think afdlin would have said if he was speaking in english : you tried to hard.heheeheheh

Reza--aka MR Coool (not!) (mungkin nanti) i like the non movement idea, but what does he think he's doing? a video clip or something? i'm not sure about this but it seems to me like there's an outbreak of pupils going all the wrong way for all the wrong reasons, or worse, for reasons that are not there even. vocals s0-s0. I would say his hair looks better than his voice sounds. teda power bah at all. he sounds like he's just about to slaughter a chicken and he's a vegetarian. but i'd give him ten lah for his facial expression, it's just right, it's not too much, it's perfect for the mood of the song, except for when he wrinkles his nose, then he'd just look like he's kidding with a kid and he's giving a child a nose kiss or something. oh i like kudsia's idea of coming down to the floor... that's a thought! wow, this blond fattie boyish looking man is making intellectual comments!

Yazer-my-shirt-just-got-ripped-on-both-shoulders-but -i-am-decent-enough-to-wear-a-serious-stripe-trousers Rocker (suatu masa)*yawn* ... *went round to the kitchen to fix me a sandwich* ... he's eating his hair... *yummy* he's always like this... he ALWAYS picks up at the chorus... *M Nasir, I'd gladly shave your moustache, anytime of the day of the year, you don't even have to pay me for doing it*

I guess its not everyones cup of tea, some might find it rude and offensive but I think its all just light humour and plus, we need this kind of offbeat and slightly bitchy commenting. Looking forward to read more from Shelley. Ok I'm gonna bugger off now, cyass!

Another shocking result?!

Half an hour before the show, it was raining heavily and the signal was totally zero on Astro. I was worried but tried to comfort myself by saying that it'll come back just before the show. And true indeed, just 5 mins before the show, it was ok and I got to see that Adam AF2 video clip in full. Very nice and well done actually, not like the cheap-looking Zahid's "Wooo!".

Then the opening montage came on but in an instant it's gone! Services currently not available! Arrrggghhhhhhh! When it came back on, MAWI just finished saying his hellos. Pheewwww! But it's gone again just after IDAYU. It came back again when Aznil was going through the % chart. At this moment the signal is still on & off. Finally, it stabled after seeing REZA at the last spot. This is how they actually stand;

MAWI - 24%
FELIX - 21%
FUAD - 5%
IDAYU - 5%
MARSHA - 5%
AMY - 5%
EKIN - 5%
AKMA - 5%
AIDIL - 5%
YAZER - 5%
AMYLEA - 5%
KEFLI - 5%
REZA - 5%


The jury tonight, other than Kudsia is Sharudin Mustafa (journalist from Metro, if I'm not mistaken) and Afdlin Shauki. I'm kinda doubtful on how Sharudin will be with his comments, he looks so conservative. Afdlin I'm confident will give some very colorful comments.

Oh before I go on, please just take note that I actually wrote this review as I watched the show. I just didn't get to post it last night because I had to rush and meet up my friends after Imbasan. Ok that's sorted, let's get on with the show.

MARSHA - She is just oozing with sexiness when she is on stage. Her looks alone demands the undivided attention and it's hard to avoid it. As for her performance, she needs to be clearer in her pronunciations and not to be too jumpy. She knows how to work the camera and as Kudsia said, MENGIURKAN! - 4/5.

AIDIL - The black & white, grainy film 50ish look is just cool! That's a clever way to get everyone into the mood. But unfortunately, he is so STIFF! I can't believe this guy, does he only have one expression? Did he have a Botox injection on his face before the show? It's the same expression like last week. Now I'm sure FELIX is more expressive than him. His vocals lacks power too, he should've put some more vibrato into it. Sharudin said he has the element of 'seorang bintang' - I think looks wise mate, vocal versatility is certainly not there. 2.75/5.

AMY - She approached Aznil already in character, good touch but kinda corny. First thing I must say is she nailed the dance routine nicely. But unfortunately, I think she indirectly sacrificed her vocals. I guess trying to get into character and the dance steps was really distracting. They're just asking too much from a beginner really. I found her stares a bit scary rather than captivating and Afdlin confirmed that when he said it's more of a pontianak look. 3/5.

REZA - His 'slamba' act doesn't work. Makes it so dull. His first few verses were just berselerak all over the place. He only managed to recover during the chorus. I don't think the song is so trying but he seemed to be out of breathe, no stamina at all. No stage presence and 0% feel. Again Afdlin agreed with me. I'm sure he has spoiled this song for lots of people. 2.65/5.

YAZER - Ok first of all, his top must go! I mean he has the rocker image but must he be dressed like that every week? Stylists pay attention! The spotlight effect was good but his first note was note. But he managed to regain some composure and add some drama into it. Unfortunately, for me it seems lifeless, his emotional display didn't grab me and I find it all dull. And why for the 3rd concert running is he given a slow number again? Anyway, Afdlin said it was one of the best performances tonight. I guess seeing it live a few feet away has a different effect. For the first time, I disagree with him. 3/5.

KEFLI - Oh no! He is all pitchy and totally out of tune! Just terrible. Thank god for the backup dancing by the rest, otherwise it would have been disastrous! I don't know if he started on a wrong key or what, but it’s just simply bad. Again maybe it sounded better live in the stadium because everyone seemed to like it. Though Afdlin did touched about the vocals but he was being kind about it and not 'laser' it too much. 1.75/5.

AMYLEA - Finally a good performance! She is like a petite Ziana Zain! Not a copy though, she brought her own style into it. I find AMYLEA as one of the most consistent and versatile female student of AF3 so far. Emotional or brutal she might be but she knows how to put on a show. At this very moment, as she is singing Ziana's song, the original singer is actually performing live at a charity dinner here in Brunei together with her bro Anuar Zain. Anyway, AMYLEA did exceptionally well. Her vocals were spot-on and powerful in her own unique style, and that she must maintain. 4.25/5.

Oh oh Kaer is in the house! He looks like he is losing weight somehow.

FUAD - He got into this song very well. Too well that his penhayatan was a lil bit too much at times though. He must be careful about that. Overall he sounded good and its a safe performance. And I got it right again, Afdlin confirmed he is overacting. 3.75/5.

AKMA - She is like the ugly ducklin, she always looks so good during concert time which is always captivating but in the Diari she seemed unnoticeable. I think this a tough CT song but I would say she did well not to sound like her because AKMA has different class of vocals, probably more dynamic than CT. That fireboy is just annoying and the guy seemed determined to steal the show! I was like hoping that something exciting would happen, his hair catching fire or something! 4/5.

FELIX - Why is he still doing that Elvis hand spin? Isn't that for his last weeks' character? Anyway, another good and safe performance. He has no problem handling the notes but again he lacks the feel. He will maintain his 2nd spot I'm sure but Cikgu Siti Hajar doesn't look so happy about it though. 3.95/5.

EKIN - She looks soooo adorable! And that "belilah bulu" bit is just soooo hilarious! She's just too sweet and naive at times to be spontaneous. This is a very touching song, the weird musical arrangement and her big voice seemed to work. EKIN sweety, you must menghayati the song even better, the occasional smile doesn't fit in here because it's a very sad song. 4.25/5.

MAWI - Undoubtedly, the most anticipated performance of the night. I know theres gonna be a backlash about this but I must say I see nothing special really. Still he has that nasyid tune in his vocals. He played well with his audience who I'm sure would blindly cheered on even though he makes a mistake. Even the tutors are having fun. Indeed it is an enjoyable act but like Afdlin, I see it as normal, not 'werld' at all. 3.5/5.

IDAYU - Oh I like this upbeat version. So ngam for her vocals. She surely brought a difference to it and not so Ning-ish. It's a safe performance and I find it more enjoyable than Mawi's. Afdlin said she sang from her heart and I agree. You go girl! 4/5.

And that's it for the students. I can't decide now whether it's better than the 2nd concert really. Voting closed.

MENUJU PUNCAK - Versi 13 students. MARSHA is getting into the groove quite well. MAWI is stiff. AMYLEA is right in front as she moves the best amongst all. Cikgu Linda & EE looks happy with it.

Its crunch time, Aznil has that tone already and he announced that the result tonight is gonna be shocking as its one of the higher ranking guys. I'm gonna stop writing for awhile and try to get into the drama... FUAD! He has the lowest votes! Shocking indeed as he was 3rd spot when the concert started. Poor boy. I personally thought its AIDIL, REZA or KEFLI. He was sporting about it, amidst the shock I'm sure he was kinda ready for it. He was sweet enough to get the crowd to cheer up and keep supporting his pals who are still in the running. I think we can see how much she is adored by the tutors, the ladies gave him a motherly hug, simply touching.

Ok that's the concert review, Imbasan will follow soon. I wanna go out and get the dvd first! Kekeke....

3rd Concert looms....

Finally we got to hear Ekin cakap the Brunei dialect when she was talking to the mum on the phone during the 1st Diari today. She was in between mumbling and in tears so its pretty hard to catch what she was saying. But I think she said something like this ;

"Behapa kan kemari bulan 7 kalau tekeluar minggu ani?" I guess you guys can guess 'behapa' means buat apa. I'm assuming that maybe the mum or a close relative is planning to go in July to watch the concert to which she replied that it would be useless to do so if she gets voted out tomorrow, which is really a slim chance of that happening.

And then there was also that bit "Payah baikon atu, luan sajuk tesumbat idung, kan suruh damiti inda dapat". Payah = susah, baikon = beraircon, tesumbat = blocked and idung = hidung. The word 'luan' is usually used to emphasize on something, its the same as "too". And 'damiti' in direct translation would be to minimise but here it means kurangkan & 'inda' means 'no'. So in standard malay shes saying "Aircon terlampau sejuk, nak kurangkan tak boleh". Also I think she mentioned 'penyangat damit', damit = small and penyangat is a bee. Hehe... macam sehari sepatah kata plak huh? Anyway, I must say her Bruneian accent is so thick that if I didnt know she was from labuan, I couldnt probably tell she doesnt live in Brunei. One of these days I'm gonna write in bahasa Brunei, lets see if you guys can make something out of it or not.

Other fun bits were the English class clips. I was laughing in tears looking at their antics, being asked to act out old P Ramlee movies - Ibu Mertuaku & Hang Tuah - but conversing in english was just hilarious! Its a must watch, the most entertaining Diari so far for me.

The second Diari started out with the boys apologising about that "confidential" result paper that was used to "jerat" them. They explained that they actually approached Asrul after that session we saw them denying it all infornt of the girls. The reason they gave was that they didnt wanna create curiosity and make the girls all worried. I guess thats logical, if the girls knew about it, they would have wanted to see it too. And as the guys said, some would probably cry if they see where their standings are. Clever reply guys. Pheewwww! But then again I think some of them are worrying about their standings still.

Most of the Diari was taken by the students performing infront of the tenaga pengajar, it doesnt look so organised because probabaly most are just tired and maybe just scared or nervous. I dont want to comment about it too much really as its nothing I wanna predict or assumed about. Lets just watch and see how it goes tomorrow night. Hope ya'll have fun watching it! Cya!

The Principal has spoken.

It was quite a tense scene. The 'oucch' factor was probably the same as that Ramli MS 'buang pen' scene. Here is a snipet of the conversation;

Mawi : Tak peghasan.. tak tahu yang saya salah melodi.

M. Nasir : Kamu tak perasan yang kamu salah melodi? Itu bermakna kamu tidak memberi keadilan kepada lagu tu. Kamu tak dengar betul-betul. Kenapa kamu buat macam gitu? Kamu tahu kamu nak persembahkan kepada berapa ribu orang? Semua orang mengharapkan kamu bersinar. Kamu tahu tak kamu ada sesuatu yang Tuhan nak bagi kepada kamu. Sesuatu tarikan yang orang tak tahu kenapa. Tapi magic tu memang takde orang yang dapat melainkan kamu sahaja. Kamu tahu tak harapan saya apa?

I wonder is theres gonna be a backlash from Mawi's fan. So far I see the votes are still the way it is but are we gonna see it running over the 50s again come concert time? I'm sure lots of fanatic supporters will be voting just because they are mad at seeing that scene. If an individual votes in this manner, than its sad. Someone also said that Mawi has an aura about him that makes you just like him and then even went on to say it was the same with Kaer. I beg to differ. Kaer made his mark in the 1st concert back then with his unique vocals. It was evident at that time the boy can sing and has the versatility, it was impressive. Mawi has performed 3 times already and in the critical last 2 performance he was not captivating. Instead we hear forgotten lyrics and out of melody tunes.

So maybe Mawi does have that special something, but he surely aint shown anything yet. This 2nd concert will be critical fo him, if he messes up and still got the high votes, then we can say its all AFUNDI buta. I hope he gets his act together, it'll be a shame if he didnt get with the program. I certainly dont hate him, I'm rather disappointed the way he is taking things at the moment.

One other thing I wanna mention was about that 'confidential paper' that the guys denied seeing. I mean what were they thinking when they said they havent seen it? Didnt it click in their head that cameras are all over the place? Mannnn I dont really know whats the point of that jerat but I'm sure it would be highlighted in the diari today, which I would probably miss because I have Batman Begins premiere to go too! Oh well I guess I'll just have to read about it from JK's blog. Cya!

Credits: Thanks to Malique's Blog for the image and the conversation snippet.

And the show goes on.....

So whos next to go? By the look of the votes, it could be anybody! Well anybody excluding Mawi & Felix I guess. Its so obvious those two are rock solid - 21 points between the 2nd spot & 3rd is really unheard off! Might as well do the finals soon, I dont think Mawi can be beaten. I suggest the Akademi do one final concert for just Mawi & Felix to battle it out. While the rest have their own final too. I know that sounds stupid but take a look at the percentages now, its very obvious who will be King. Yes, I predict, if this trend goes on, for the 3rd year running will be a guy. Boring.

Lately, I've been trying to think of how could Mawi be getting that much support/votes from his fans. What factors contributed to that dominating number? Are the fans just letting out their anger over his early elimination in the Prelude concert? I dont think his performance that night deserves the ratings where he is now. Nothing outstanding about it. I think what his fans and most people can relate to him is his life story. Being in a keluarga susah, trying to support his family and his image of a down-to-earth individual who is active in religious activities might have been the factors. People suddenly can relate to him and see justification in his cause. So people naturally wish to see him suceed as they may be in his position and is fighting for what he is trying to achieve too - trying to give a better living to his family. Its only normal for people to think, "If I cant make it, atleast someone who is in the same situation as mine, could." So I'll say its a mixed emotions vote, if theres such things. I'm no expert in psychology but I'm just speaking my mind, so please dont blast me.

I hope its a quite valid point to ponder. I'm not anti Mawi at all, I'm just merely studying the factors of human behaviours that could contribute in such favouritism of a particular person. I think Mawi's connections with his fans is more than just his talent. So far we have seen no versatility in his performances. Him forgetting his lyrics in the second concert doesnt deserve the votes he got that night. It seems that he cant do anything wrong now, no matter how much it seems he messes-up, he will be on top still. I admitt he has a likeable character with a good voice but I can see no entertainer qualities in him yet. I hope to see him grow though so that the votes from his fans can be truly justified. But if he doesnt rise up to the challenge, then we are in for a boring AF3.

And on a slightly tender note, the Diari yesterday was surely a Kleenex, ooppps! a Premier moment. Touching moments indeed seeing all of giving their greetings to their dads. It was kinda funny too as with some, you cant even make out what are they trying to say, kesian Ekin. I agree with JK about the shoe & greeting cards sponsorship, its less fun than like before when the students had to make their own gift and present. I think Vince still tops being the most creative with his dancing Elvis cups. Yesterday also we saw the Tutors reviewing the last concerts' performances with the students. I hope all have learned their short-commings and put some more effort for the next one. We also see them being assigned new songs for the 3rd concert, most of the songs seems alright. No toughie really.

Felix - Memori Bahagia (Sahri AF1). I dont see the high notes being a problem to him. its the feel factor that he should worry about.

Akma - Lagu Rindu (Siti Nurhaliza). A fun song and she should be able to put some color into this. It'll be tough not to sound like Siti here.

Mawi - Gadis Melayu (Othman Hamzah/Jamal Abdillah). An oldy. ~Siapa bilang gadis melayu tak menawan~Tak menarik hati~Tiada memikat~ Yes I'm a veteran so thats why I know this song! Hahaha.... This is a fun song and he should make good of this.

Ekin - Mimpi Sedih (Emylia Contessa). ~Diri ku tak pernah lepas dari penderitaan~ Yes another oldy and a karaoke favorite of mine. I thought this song was originally sang by Broery Marantika but anyways, her vocals should handle this song nicely.

Fuad - Gerimis Di Lautan (Sudirman). Is this considered Irama Malaysia? Well I think Fuad will be able to handle it nicely and it'll be interesting to see him joget to this. Putting a rap into this would be risky huh?

Idayu - Curiga (Ning Baizura). I hope Aznil wont do his overkilled Ning impression again. Idayu should be handle this song, she has to shine with this song and make her mark.

Kefli - Keindahan Pantai (The Zurah II). Havent heard of this song yet, so no comment.

Marsha - Lelaki Idaman (Melly Goeslow). *Ehem*ehem* Thanks dear! Hahahaha terus prasan! An upbeat number that should see her doing some jumpy dance routine. Vocally she can surely cope with it.

Reza - Mungkin Nanti (PeterPan). Millions of people are really gonna be pissed at Reza if he didnt perform well for this song. Whatever image/style he performed for this song, it will be long remembered. This is his make or break song.

Aidil - Anak Dara Rindu (P. Ramlee). An easy song. But that said, he will really have to put some feel into this and also a style of his own. He does not want to sound like he is in a karaoke competition at a wedding reception.

Amy - Asmaradana (Tiara Jacqueline). This should be fun. She has to give it all here and really make her stage presence dominating.

Yazer - Suatu Masa (M. Nasir). I dont see him having any problem with this.

Amylea - Anggapanmu (Ziana Zain). I think this is the song that will lontarkan her suara. I wonder if they'll low down a key eventhough I think she should have no problem at all with it.

So from the looks of it, the 3rd concert is gonna be another cracker. Who do you think will leave next? Click on comments and tell me who & why. Cheers!

Elimination starts here...

As usual the show kicks off with Aznil. He welcomes the Bruneian viewers but no mention of not being able to vote was mentioned, touchy subject so its best not to elaborate really. Then time for the students to give their intro. Everyone looks good, especially theladies! Felix looks hilarious! They really pimped him up! So cute! Hahahaha... Marsha *sigh* was simply gorgeous! Aznil had to talk fast, no wasting time! As he said, 14 students, chop chop!

Idayu - Superstar. No real challenge for her vocals. Really silly that shes been given this song. Whatwas is they want to check on her? Diction? I think she was ok. Her impro on the high note seems not songam with the song. At times she seemed out of tune.I think the judges got it all wrong. I think therewas not much she could do about it. 3/5.

Kefli - Mungkin. I think his voice is not soft enough to carry this song. It doesnt sound so soothing at all. At times it was pitchy and he seemed uncomfortable, probably trying to control his tongue? He has no problem hitting the high notes but again his low keys are is just all over the place. I agree with Kudsia, he made it his version but it lacks feel as Hattan said. 3/5.

Elliza - Aku, Dia dan Kamu. Hmmm... She was out totally out of tune! I wonder what happened? Hattan was cool not to mention about it though. I was actually speechless. Was the acting bit distracting her? She surely has the attitude and definately one feisty lady. Full marks on penghayatan though. 3/5.

Fuad - Puteri. Suprisingly pleasant. It shows he is really trying hard to give the song his own flava, rnb balladish. He got the feel and the facial expression for the song too. I'd say well done, even Kudsia was touched. Also Hattan was spot-on when he said Fuad needs stamina. 3/5.

Amy - Sesalan. Should've put more attitude to that song. She could handle the song but at times she seemed reaching hard. The low keys sounds a bit gibberish too. Kudsia got it right about she not enjoying the song. Adlin was getting to annoy me at this point but I guess he knows bestbut he has to remember this is not the theatre and none of this people are stage trained. Hattan I like, didnt have to say much but gets to the point. 3/5.

Yazer - Sejati. Another rocking performance by Yazer. He is getting to be really good at this. Next week, please give him a Dat SM Salim song or best still, a Dato M Daud Kilau number. That said, his low keys were not impressive though. Oh, note to hairstylist: please do something with his hair. I agree with Kudsia, not an Awie clone. And yes the guitar was distracting as Hattan said. 3.75/5.

Amylea - Asmara. She looks so sassy and cabaretty (if theres such thing) in a good way. You can see shes really digging the song and was really in character. I loved it. Even Adlin was impressed and geram in a good way too. Zahid, Farah *sigh* & Nana was such a good kezutan, I bet it gave the AF3 bunch a good boost to do 'yang terbaaaiikkk'. Cliche. 4.25/5.

Aidil - I Don't Want To Miss My Flight. Hehehe Aznil so klakar! OK he didnt start out so well and throughout the song he was just all over pitchy and souless. The song was so stiff and totally had no feel to it. He was like expressionless too. His versatility has been proven - that he doesnt have it. But to give him some credit, this is not an easy song. Not many people can do a steven tyler song well. 2.5/5.

Ekin - Joget Sayang Disayang. Ohh maakkkk cutenya Ekin! Puteri Labuan indeed! That basuh pinggan clip was just funny. Unfortunately she didnt sound so comfy with the song. She was pitchy at times. I think they should've raised another key, this song is too low for her big voice. The stage antics of Felix is just distracting rather than helpful. Adlin was definately flirting! Lay off dude! Shes mine! Hahaha... But overall she really pleased the judges. I was also so carried away that I reached my phone to vote but stopped when I remembered I cant! 4.25/5.

Felix - Berjuta Batu. This guy is one funny dude. He is definately in the finals. His style was truly his, no copy-copy. The song was no challenge at all. He handled it with ease. I dont have the words for it but I'd say it was the most enjoyable performance of the night. His "Alamak!" was just hilarious! 4.5/5.

Akma - Cahaya. Well she definately add her on style to this song. The high notes really showed-off her crips vocals, just the low notes were a lil bit off. She gave her best to give more soul to song and personally I think she did well. And true like Kudsia said, she has confidence. Adlin was impressed and so did Hattan. 4/5.

Marsha - Ingin Bersamamu. Again, simply stunning *sigh*. Her first note was simply melting. It was such captivating performance. I bet everyone was just bengang. Her play with the camera was seducing and the feel she injected the song I'm sure made everyone fell in love with the song! Mannnn I need a smoke! Hehe... So anyone still doubt about her taken in back? Oh Adlin is flirting again, BLUURRGGHHHH! For the second time tonight, I wish I could vote! Tomorrow, must get the DVD, wanna watch her performance again and again! 4.75/5.

Reza - Terhangat Di Pasaran. And enjoyable performance, although at times he sounds 'semput'. I think this type is song is his genre. The backing of the rest of the guys were good too but at one point it was as if Fuad's performance. The judges agreed with me on this eventhough Adlin actually blabber too much. 3.75/5.

Mawi - Dari Kekasih Untuk Kekasih. Definately the man everyone wants to see tonight. He looks dashing in that (leather?) jacket, bad boy he can be. And his performance was a lil disappointing. He just lacks the feel once he got into the song, the starting was good. Mawi has potential and we will for sure see him in the finals. Hattan was disappointed that Mawi forgot the lyrics but I guess to his fan, it didnt really matter. 3/5.

And with that the voting was closed. Overall a good improvement from last week. Its gonna be toughseeing someone go when they had performed well. And then for the first time, we see 14 students doing the Menuju Puncak. They did well, we can see Mawi & Marsha working hard to catch up with the rest.

Then abruptly we cut to the news? But then in about 15 seconds we're back (also abruptly) and in less than a minute, with less drama, the bag came up and then Aznil announced Elliza was the first to go! For a few seconds everyone was 'bengang' and then the tears and hugging starts. Aznil was in tears as he said good night and to stay tuned for the Imbasan.

Gosh! It didnt cross my mind that she would go, I thought it would either be Kefli, Reza or Aidil. Three years in a row now that a girl was the first to go. I know she didnt do so well tonight but I think last week her Elegi Sepi was good. Oh well, time for a break - yes this is another blow by blow account of the show, so mind the typo errors hehe...

Imbasan is on. M Nasir was the first interviewed. He said overall he was satisfied. Asked about the judges reviews, he said he could relate to some of them, well atleast 60% of it. And when asked if he was acting up as the principal but his answer was somehow about how some people on AF2 was tone deaf! Ooouucchhh! Initially he answered he is kinda a romantic principal! Good one sifu! He is indeed a caring soul and eventhough AF3 hasnt gone far, I think he will be good for AF3.

When asked who was most disappointing, he said Mawi. Wow! he definately wont be popular with Mawi's fans but infact thats the truth. His most favourite was Akma & Felix. Indeed I would agree with that. Once in awhile we see clips of the sifu in the Akademi giving his advices and 'teguran'. He also said Elliza has a bigger talent than some of the people who are safe tonight. And with that we go for another break.

And we're back with Elliza. Aznil said he is sad that he didnt have a chance to get to know her well. When asked if she felt she should be out, she somehow admitt that she had a strong feeling that she was gonna leave. Its obvious Aznil was not happy with the result. We then see some clips of her in the Akademi, its clear she is a very studious girl. And as she said the person she will miss most is Idayu, her tears flow. I think people not voting because if she is too playfull for her age, thats just silly. That has nothing to do with her on stage performance.

Another break. I went to check AFs official site and it shows Mawi has 56% And second place Felix is only 15% Surely a big error here. Anyways were back with Elliza joined by her dad and brother. No need to guess if they are disappointed or shocked or unhappy really. All they can say is that they have always been supportive for her. After seeing her clip, Aznil said he saw a daring performance, usually in privious years it only comes on a later stage of the show. When asked who she thinks will win it this year, she said Idayu and her dad agrees too.

Then some more clips of her saying goodbye to her teachers and Aznil took the opportunity to erase any speculations that may arise saying that it was an instant elmination, it was obvious its a time factor. Then the AFUNDI charts were shown and no suprise, Mawi is on top with 20% and the second last was actually Fuad! The most shocking placing was Reza, who jumped up to the third spot! As the show comes to an end, Elliza and her dad says thanks to all. She has such a cool dad really.

Added Sunday June 12: This was the actual standings after the concert;

Mawi - 20%
Felix - 19%
Reza - 6%
Marsha - 6%
Amylea - 5%
Ekin - 5%
Amy - 5%
Idayu - 5%
Yazer - 5%
Kefli - 5%
Akma - 5%
Aidil - 5%
Fuad - 5%
Elliza - 4%

And thats the end of it all. Maybe Elliza wont be able to go as far as the finals but she certainly doesnt deserved to leave tonight. I dont wanna mention names but its obvious again and again, the voting is not really about talent, its always on other factors. It seemed this year the AFUNDI kesian is back again.

Single or Double?

And so we are just a few hours away from the second concert. A lot of speculations I'm sure about tonight is on whether theres gonna be an elimination, or if theres one, will it be a double one? And then who is it gonna be? My favourite AF3 blogs right now are of JavardKent, Alienaet and Klubbkidd. Have a visit and you'll find lots of interesting twist on how tonight could turn out to be. I consider them my blogging mentors. They always have a good outlook on how things are at the Akademi right now. Thank you guys.

So anyway, I've missed a lot of the Diari for this week and I think it would be also for the coming weeks. Thanks god (haha! JK I know you cant stand that bit!), JK's blog always gave me an almost detail review of how the students are progressing and how silly some classes tutors can be. I've been missing it mostly because thats my usual time to go out and chill with my friends. So I guess you can say I'm not so as 'demam' as last year. I would have made excuses and sacrifice my time during the AF2 times, but for this one, I havent got to that stage yet. Maybe as the competition gets tough, but I kinda doubt it.

I did managed to watch that bit when the students were rehearsing their songs for tonights concert. I guess its all so-so, none really stands out. I dont know if the songs were just all wrong or they all are just not giving it all and saving it for the concert. I think when its on stage and live to millions, these students always manage to turn it up a notch, like the previous years. I remember during AF2 when I saw the Diari and them practising before the concert, I would assume it would be a dull night but everytime I think like that, I've been proven wrong. So I hope these AF3 lot will keep up with the tradition and prove me wrong always.

As you can see from the AFUNDI % on the right side, Mawi is now king. The top 6 should be save tonight. The bottom 4 will be in the hot seat regardless if its a single or double elimination. Are we in for another kezutan? Possibility is high. Worth a mention is also that lots of Bruneians are gonna be so frustrated because they wont be able to vote for their favourites. This issue about the banning of voting for AF3 is as if a taboo issue. No public announcement were made and not even the papers or the most popular news website care or rather dare to comment about it. You can even see that ASTRO didnt make any comment about it and just omitted the voting infos from the website and @15. But I guess those yang really 'demam' can go across the border for awhile to do their voting. I know of some people who actually drive down to Miri just so that they can vote using their Malaysian line, now thats what I call DEMAM!

Ok so thats all for now, cya in my review of the 2nd concert soon.

And then there were 14.




I guess the Diari probably reached its highest viewer ratings today, all thanks to M & M. Yup! Mawi & Marsha is now where they belong, or rather where the Akademi/Astro want them to be. We can already see the "manja" side of Marsha, with her special request about food. She has lots of stuff she had to stay away huh? Is that because she is trying to recover or is that just normal? If it is normal, then dining out with her could be interesting indeed! Hehehe..... I'm not making fun of her ok you Marshanatics....oohh thats a good one huh? Marshanatics. Ok I claim that came from here!

Ok I know you guys know I'm smitten by her and totally adores her. So get ready for the coming weeks to come, me bibiran (membebel) about her, you have been warned! I think my attraction to her is probably due to the fact that I once dated a girl who looks exactly like her! No kidding! Hmmmm.... I'm carried away here... ok I was gonna talk about the lagu tugsan for the second concert which us Bruneians WONT BE ALLOWED to vote for anymore. Great!

Ok so here goes...

Guys
Aidil - I Don't Want To Miss A Thing (Aerosmith)
Felix - Berjuta Batu (Alleycats)
Fuad - Puteri (Zainal Abidin)
Kefli - Mungkin (Anuar Zain)
Mawi - Dari Kekasih Untuk Kekasih (Hattan)
Reza - Terhangat Di Pasaran (KRU & Adam)
Yazer - Sejati (Wings)

Ladies
Amy - Sesalan (Ezlyn)
Amylea - Asmara (Annela Gronloh)
Akma - Cahaya (Kris Dayanti)
Ekin - Joget Sayang Disayang (Anita Sarawak)
Elliza - Aku, Dia dan Kamu (D-Va)
Idayu - Superstar (Jamelia)
Marsha - Ingin Bersamamu (Syafinaz)

So Marsha got her wish-list song and Mr. CabinCrew got a tough one, which I'm sure got a lotta people smilling. I promise if he can pull it off, I'll lay any furthur not-so-favourable remarks about him. Some of the songs I've never heard before really but I'm sure by following the Diari I'll probably have a good idea about it.

It should be an interesting 2nd concert this weekend. Are we gonna be in for a kezutan? Like since they took two in, they will have to kick two out to keep with the time schedule? Or are they gonna just prolong it so that considerable profit can be generated from extra voting, extra vcd concert bla bla bla......? Well we're just gonna have to brace for it. One thing for sure, it sure looks like the show is getting so scripted for a so-called reality show!

Ok this review is actually written "secara langsung" I noted the comments as I was watching the show. I dont think I'll do this much often but since it was the first concert, I thought I'd put some effort into it. So here goes....

Anyways, on with the show. The opening is quite ok. Everyone looks all nice, especially the ladies. Aznil gives the intro for everyone. I think by now, we're all familiar with them.

Fuad - Pop Ye Ye. And the show kicks off nicely with his performance. A good balance for his rap n vocals. The prof was correct, he needs to limit the unnecessary movement. Otherwise he is an energetic performer. Although it makes me wonder how it would be like if he is given a serious song. Cant wait to see that really. 4/5

Eliza - Elegi Sepi. Good crisp vocals. She managed not to sound like d original singer. The backing vocals were excellent. Eliza needs to give more feel to really give soul to the song. I dont have much to say but overall she did well. 4/5

Yazer - Ready For Love. His voice just right for the song. Good stage action but needs to be more dominating on stage, like Bo. Diction was clear so I dont see any problems if he's given more english songs. I think Kudsia already has her favorite for this season. 4/5.

Its time for a break. I really love the Suzuki Swift advert! Oh dat girl in tudung is sweet, anyone knows her name? Hehehe... Oh thank god no annoying ladies-towel advert. I guess her pms is all ok now hehe....

Amylea - Inikah Cinta. She needs to pronounce her words clearly. Too much control it seems. She has to be aware of other people on stage. The song didnt hv so much oomph. I dont see why she needs to take Aidil into her performance. Shes gonna get less brownie points from his fans I'm sure hehe.... 3/5.

Kefli - Nur Kasih. He didnt sound so right for this song. His 1st key was out n the 'suara burung' needs work. Theres no consistency in his voice. He is so stiff in his movements too. Credits for him for the good cover due to the cd jump. 3/5.

Ekin - Erti Cinta. WOW! (I actually wrote this before she even started her first note) She really gave soul to the song. Her voice is so merdu, not like the stiff rendition by the original singer. Javard was spot on when he said she sounded better. Ekin has good controlled voice as if shes been doing it for ages. The song is obviously no challenge for her. I predict she'll go far. She has that right package. As Aishah said, good things comes in small packages. I'm proud she's Melayu Brunei too. 4/5.

Another break. No good ads.

Akma - Nazam Berkasih. Konichiwa has to go! Its not gonna pick-up like "breep-breep" girl. Akma looks smashing though. Vocally she handled the song well with less effort really. Never heard the song before, so I cant say if theres any similiarity but Kudsia said she seems like a pro carrying the song. Used the stage pretty well & very confidence. 3.5/5.

Reza - Roman Picisan. "Ahmad Dani" made an appearance. The pembantu rumah joke seems awkward, but knowing Aznil, he'll get away with it. They really made a fool out of Reza. Kesian. The call by the real Dewa didnt make things rosy again really. Anyways, Reza seems to be struggling with the song. Pitching problems indeed. He covers-up well though. I dont think it was fair giving him such a tough song this early. His stage presence was good too. 3.5/5.

Amy - Fallin. No doubt she has the vocals for the song eventhough the intro was a bit off but good cover. Managed to give the song her own style as Kudsia said. I must say the backing vocals were just excellent. I think that really gave Amy more confidence. I'm proud with the level of support within themselves. Fuad coming in with the rap adds spice to her performance. They blend so well like they've been doin it like pros. 4/5.

Break time again. Oh NO! I spoke too soon! The PMS girl is back! Damn! Damn! Damn! Couldnt they have atleast made a new one for this season with a much better "story line" and a cuter chick!

Aidil - Semua Orang Tahu. Hahahaha pramugara buat vcd! Aznil is crazy,nice one! Anyways, I think the mic technicians needs to tune them better, it makes everyones first note not clear. The song is just right for aidil. good intro. His vocals sounds much better now. I guess the song he performed for the final 12 selection was just wrong. He seems a bit stiff interacting with the dancers, Aidil needs more work in drama class. And as Aishah said, he needs to macho-up his vocals. 3/5.

Idayu - Percayalah. Theres no way not to sound like Siti singing this song huh? I think if anyone tries to it'll be out of tune, but Idayu managed to give her best. Idayu has the vocals for this song, possibly more power than Siti. No challenge really. Her pronounciation is crisp and clear even at low key. Excellent performance, so professional. 4.25/5.

Felix - Tiada Lagi Kidungmu. I guess its no suprise we all know he has the vocals for this. He just needs to give more facial experience. I mean even at the highest note, he looks so controlled. He should atleast pretend that the notes were giving him problems. But I guess this is his niche. I think the fans likes the fact that his performance is effortless. And as Kudsia said, he was never out of key. 4.5/5.

Wow! what a suprise, voting closed so early. I sense some kind of kezutan. And with that, we went for a break. Oh, that Bob advert somehow makes me laugh! I really dont know if its like inappropriate or not.

We're back and the prizes for the winners were shown. Then it was the very first AF3 performance of Menuju Puncak. They actually sounded alright. The new dance routine is quite interesting too. Fuad gave an R'nB flava but what if he is not around, whos gonna take over that bit. Aznil walked out getting all serious telling everyone that there is actually gonna be someone leaving tonight. He did well playing on the names of the songs of the students just performed to spike-up the drama.

The floor opened-up and the bag blossomed. Aznil called Kefli to take the back but then thank him after that. And then more drama came, it seems the tag aint labelled. Aznil had to give it too the floor tech and then the principal went up and asked that all the tenaga pelajar to join him backstage. He said that there should be TWO bags! Serious?

Everyone was confused and the suspense grew as Aznil said they have to break for the news, but why roll the end credits? Mannn i somehow felt that its all scripted. I mean they surely have tabulated the votes, why wouldnt they be able to have a clear result. If theres two students to exit, that means they have EXACTLY the same number of votes?

Ok so finally the news ended and we staright to Imbasan Akademi Fantasia? Aznil gave a brief rundown how things were before the break. Theres now two bags and he principal came on stage. And what he said was indeed a suprise!

Actually two more students are taken-in back to the Akademi. And to choose whos gonna be in, the other 8 will be performing tonight! Oh man! I never expected this one. This is REALLY a kezutan! But then again, M.Nasir did say that there was suppose to be two bags, so its a kezutan for us but its all been planned already for the show. Also those bags are fakes, I mean did they asked the other eight to pack their stuff just incase of any kezutan. Theres so many loopholes here so I'm sure this controversy will be much debated.

Anyways my money is on Marsha, the other one it didnt quite matter to me, as long as she's in, I'm happy. But you know, as much as the motive for this is all is to give what the audiences wants, it could also be seen as a money making scheme. They know the most favourite two students (Marsha & Mawi) is not in the Akademi and I'm also sure Astro knows without them the show and most importantly the votes is not gonna pick-up. So they need M & M power to give AF3 more infectious.

Diana - Pilihlah Aku. The song is obviously right for her. She sounds quite Krisdayanti-ish really. Didnt see any uniqueness. 3/5.

Hayder - I Live My Life for You. Just another average performance. It seems as he knows that he wont be selected as the favorites are really clear. 3/5

Marsha - Awan Yang Terpilu. Started quite shaky. Her first verse is not upto what everyone expects really. Her voice is not coming out. Its all pitchy a bit too. No stage presence also. Wow! this aint looking good, are we gonna be disappointed? She needs to be in as with good guidance, she'll be golden. 3/5.

Aznil informed everyone that none of this students had time to practise so they all kira turun-turun ayam. So I guess everyone is all shocked and nervous in many ways.

Azlif - Mengapa Perpisahan Yang Kau Pinta. Oh dude! Lose the shades! Its just silly! I have to be honest, I dont think he has a good voice at all. Why he was in the final twenty baffles me. I think I'll stop here before i get more harsh hehe... 2/5.

Shiha - Andai. I find the song boring. Never heard of it. She managed to handle it well though. Cikgu Adnan seems to agree. Cikgu Linda looks bored and sleepy. 2.75/5.

Isa - Kata. Another song I've never heard before too. No energy in his performance. Isa has good vocals but it didnt make the song any special. It was pitchy at times. 2.5/5.

Rina - Dia. Didnt start out quite well too. I think all of them has been losing voice and feeling rather tired after cheering for the earlier performance by the other 12. Her low notes were out of tune. I think she could've put more power to this song. 3/5.

Mawi - Kekasih Awal & Akhir. Good choice. I think he needs to prove that he can do not just Nasyid song. His first sentence got lots of cheers. Then he forgot the lyrics and the crowd goes all quiet. But he redeemed himself when it came to the chorus bit. And he really alun the song, the nasyid tune is still there though. Overall its a good performance. 3.5/5.

And so its crunch time. Aznil took over but its another break before the results are announced. Oh no, the PMS girl again! Arrrrggghhhhh! Oh my, Nazura is hot! I think I might take-up yoga soon! Hehe....

And we're back, Aznil played with the 8 song titles again, TWICE, brilliant as usual. Scripted? Naaaahhhh! He stalls while we wait for sifu to come back with the results. And not long then, the sifu is on stage to pass the results to Aznil. The girls were asked to step forward. Rina out. Shiha next. Marsha & Diana then asked to step back.

The guys now stepped forward. Hayder first to go. Then Mr. Pinky (thank god!). So 2 guys and 2 gals left. Aznil stalls again. And then the results came. As expected, Marsha got her seat on stage (pheewwww! alhamdullilah hehe...) and so did Mawi. And with that AF3 came to life. And I'm sure all night tonight, fans of Mawi & Marsha will be hard at work. I wont be suprised if the M & M will top the voting charts.

So there it is. Another exciting(?) twist. I posted this just as the show ended. So forgive any typo errors and the pictureless review because I'm in a hurry to go out and meet up my friends. Cya!

Pics added 13:50, 05/06/05.