i received an sms from abie, the editor of metro ahad, saying i shouldnt miss buying metro today - unfortunately i cant get my hands on a physical copy of course but tks to digital technology guess what i found online, yay...
METRO AHAD
Top 10 2007
Oleh ABIE ABDULLAH
Rap
ESOK hari terakhir untuk 2007. Pelbagai cerita manusia terakam sepanjang tahun ini yang kini berada di dalam lipatan sejarah. Baik yang mencapai cita-cita atau yang masih tercari-cari arah, hari-hari 2007 mengisi kenangan dan pengalaman itu.
Tiara pilihan utama
ESOK hari terakhir untuk 2007. Pelbagai cerita manusia terakam sepanjang tahun ini yang kini berada di dalam lipatan sejarah. Baik yang mencapai cita-cita atau yang masih tercari-cari arah, hari-hari 2007 mengisi kenangan dan pengalaman itu.
Industri hiburan kita juga tidak sunyi dengan usaha anak seni dalam memartabatkan dunia seni dan memajukan diri sendiri. Arena glamor yang sering dihambat kontroversi bagaimanapun tetap manis dengan pencapaian yang dibuktikan oleh aktivisnya.
Selebriti Metro Ahad mengamati pencapaian lebih 20 anak seni tanah air sepanjang 2007. Bagaimanapun, hari ini, cuma 10 terbaik disenaraikan mengikut penilaian kami. Perkiraan rawak dibuat berdasarkan sumbangan mereka dan kesan kepada industri hiburan keseluruhan.
10. SHARIFAH AMANI - Atas nama seni
TEMPAT ke-10, kami sepakat memilih Sharifah Amani (Nani). Biarpun tidak merangkul sebarang anugerah tahun ini, keberaniannya membotakkan kepala untuk babak dua minit dalam Mualaf mencuri pandang. Namun keberanian itu menerbitkan isu sehingga beberapa mufti tampil dengan pandangan masing-masing.
Baru saja selesai penggambaran filem Selamat Pagi Cinta, Nani bagaimanapun dilihat sebagai seorang artis yang sanggup berkorban atas nama seni. Kalau sesetengah pelakon hanya selesa dengan pemakaian ‘alatan palsu’, pengorbanan Nani itu dianggap sesuatu yang besar. Lagipun, ia memperkuatkan lagi persembahan Aktres Terbaik Festival Filem Malaysia 2006 ini.
9. JACLYN VICTOR - Bawa nama negara
BIARPUN gagal membesarkan nama Malaysia di Ikon Asian dan Asian Idol baru-baru ini, sekurang-kurangnya usaha Jaclyn Victor itu harus dipuji. Dia antara yang membanggakan industri muzik negara dengan bakat dan vokal yang dimilikinya. Tahun ini, dia memecah monopoli Datin Seri Siti Nurhaliza untuk Vokal Wanita Terbaik di Anugerah Industri Muzik 2007, April lalu.
8. FAIZAL TAHIR - Bakat baru paling menyerlah
BINTANG baru, Faizal Tahir boleh disifatkan antara yang menyerlah. Gagal dinobatkan sebagai juara One in A Million tahun lalu bukan halangan untuk mencipta nama. Kalau diperhatikan secara kasar, namanya lebih melonjak daripada juaranya, Suki.
Metro Ahad melihat Faizal sebagai transformasi penyanyi Melayu generasi baru yang tampil dengan genre muzik tersendiri. Malah syarikat gergasi Pepsi memilihnya selaku jurucakap minuman ringan itu di samping model untuk pakaian DC Superheroes.
7. VANIDA IMRAN - Kepulangan berbaloi
SUDAH lama Vanida Imran di dalam industri ini. Kemenangannya buat pertama kali sebagai Aktres Terbaik di Festival Filem Malaysia 2007 melalui filem The Red Kebaya membuktikan sebuah ‘kepulangan’ yang berbaloi selepas filem besarnya sebelum ini, Perempuan Melayu Terakhir pertengahan 1990-an dulu.
Namanya kembali segar dengan pelbagai aktiviti termasuk model iklan dan ke final Sehati Berdansa yang berakhir semalam.
6. MAYA KARIN - Transisi menonjol
NAMANYA terus menonjol. Kita melihat transisi Maya Karin di dalam filem. Bermula dengan No Problem hingga terbaru, Anak Halal, gadis ini menampilkan perubahan besar bukan saja untuk dirinya, malah industri keseluruhan.
Bintang yang mula mencipta nama melalui program Wavelength ini terus membesar bukan saja membawa nama Malaysia melalui kemenangannya menerusi filem popular, Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam tetapi bakatnya diiktiraf jenama antarabangsa seperti Tag Heuer selepas Celcom.
5. DATIN SERI SITI NURHALIZA - Kekal teratas
KEJAYAAN album solonya sebelum ini (Transkripsi) sebanyak 80,000 unit membuktikan yang pasaran album masih ada, cuma perlukan kualiti yang baik. Album ini juga menang Album Terbaik di Anugerah Industri Muzik 2007 dan 10 Disember lalu, Siti muncul lagi dengan Hadiah Daripada Hati.
Bukan itu saja membuatkan namanya berada di dalam senarai Metro Ahad. Siti turut membuktikan yang artis berkahwin masih kekal sebagai penyanyi tersohor walaupun dikatakan tergugat. Populariti dan kualiti yang ditampilkan masih satu jenama buat industri muzik kita.
4. AZNIL NAWAWI - Angkat jenama pengacara
PENGUNDURANNYA sebagai pengacara Akademi Fantasia tidak menggugat langsung jenama Aznil Nawawi.
Sejak mengendalikan program hiburan masyhur itu, Aznil berjaya mengangkat karier pengacara yang selama ini hanya dipandang biasa atau setidak-tidaknya penyeri majlis saja.
Sebaliknya Aznil membuatkan tugas mengacara ini suatu kerja penting dan lebih menonjol. Jenama Aznil kini dilebarkan sebagai penyampai radio.
3. AHMAD IDHAM - Pecah panggung
BUKAN kerana kontroversi gelombang merah ketika pemilihan pucuk pimpinan Seniman tetapi Jangan Pandang Belakang membuatkan nama Ahmad Idham makin besar. Sebelum 2007, namanya sebagai pengarah sudah mula menjadi melalui Remp-It yang mengutip lebih RM4 juta.
Bagaimanapun Jangan Pandang Belakang memberi impak maksima di dalam jumlah kutipan tiket industri perfileman setakat ini dengan angka melebihi RM7.6 juta bagi tayangan di Malaysia, Singapura dan Filipina. Filem ini turut mendapat pandangan positif luar negara.
Formula sama dikatakan digunakan untuk Congkak yang akan ditayangkan Mac/April depan.
2. YASMIN AHMAD - Perhatian dunia
SERING dicop kontroversi di atas ‘karya jujurnya’ tetapi Yasmin Ahmad melalui tiga filemnya setakat ini - Sepet, Gubra dan Mukhsin masih kekal dengan genrenya. Malah sebuah filem remaja, Talentime bakal meneruskan ‘Yasmin Ahmad’.
Tahun ini, Mukhsin walaupun kurang menyerlah di tanah air sendiri, mendapat perhatian pasaran Jepun, Perancis dan Korea Selatan. Oktober lalu, hak siaran filem itu dibeli pengedar filem kanak-kanak Perancis, Les
Films du Preau, sekali gus menjadikannya filem pertama dari Malaysia yang dipasarkan di Eropah.
Filem terbitan Grand Brilliance Sdn Bhd (GBSB) itu turut dipertontonkan di Festival Filem Antarabangsa Pusan ke-12 dalam segmen khas diberi tema ‘Three Colours Of New Malaysian Cinema’.
Filem itu juga memenangi dua anugerah di Festival Filem Antarabangsa Berlin - anugerah utama ‘Grand Prix Deutsches Kinderhilsfwerk’ bagi kategori Generation K-Plus dan anugerah khas juri untuk Crystal Bear.
Selain, ia memenangi anugerah Filem Terbaik Asean di Festival Filem Cinemanila September lalu dan dicalonkan bagi kategori Filem Terbaik Kanak-Kanak di Anugerah Skrin Asia Pasifik di Gold Coast, Australia baru-baru ini.
Biarpun dikritik mengenai kewibawaan festival oleh sesetengah pemerhati industri tempatan, usaha Yasmin itu seharusnya dilihat sebagai pemangkin untuk kita menjual nama dan karya Malaysia di mata dunia. Buat kerja, usah mengata saja!
Yasmin yang kini berada di Bali bagi menyiapkan skrip Talentime, turut terpilih sebagai juri Festival Filem Thessaloniki ke-48 di Greece yang berlangsung dari 16 hingga 25 November lalu.
1. DATIN SERI TIARA JACQUELINA - Naik taraf dunia seni
ANAK seni paling cemerlang jatuh kepada Tiara Jacquelina. Usahanya menaikkan taraf dunia teater tempatan sejak pementasan Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical tahun lalu diteruskan dengan P Ramlee The Musical tahun ini. Maruah pentas teater semakin dihargai.
Jenama Enfiniti Productions milik Tiara selaku penerbit semakin kukuh bukan saja meletakkan tanda aras dunia teater kita malah kejayaan apabila mendapat kontrak pembinaan Kota Warisan bakal menjadi sebuah lagi mercu tanda seni di ibu negara yang menjadi tarikan terbaru kepada pelancong.
Perkampungan budaya yang menelan kos RM32.5 juta dibina di atas tanah berkeluasan 3.2 hektar di Jalan Davis, di tengah-tengah ibu negara.
Pembinaan kota itu dijangka siap dalam tempoh 10 bulan selepas Memorandum Persefahaman (MoU) antara Kementerian Kebudayaan Kesenian dan Warisan (KeKKWA) dan Enfiniti Productions Sdn Bhd yang ditandatangani di Istana Budaya, baru-baru ini.
Kota Warisan sebuah perkampungan berpagar yang dibuka dengan kepelbagaian kegiatan, tarian, lagu dan acara setiap hari.
Ia perkampungan asli yang memberi pengalaman untuk menyaksikan serta merasai sendiri pengalaman langsung cerita rakyat dan dongeng.
Pembinaan fizikal Kota Warisan merangkumi bangunan dan infrastruktur adalah di bawah tanggungjawab KeKKWA, manakala Enfiniti Productions bertanggungjawab dengan pengisian budaya.
Indonesia dan Singapura sudah mempunyai perkampungan budaya sendiri seperti Taman Ismail Marzuki (Jakarta) dan Esplanade (Singapura) yang berjaya memberi gambaran kepada orang luar mengenai budaya mereka.
Penilaian Selebriti Metro Ahad ini berdasarkan kemampuan Tiara yang cuba memartabatkan kesenian tempatan setinggi mungkin.
Sunday, 30 December 2007
Tuesday, 25 December 2007
its nicer in Nice!
bonjour!
am on holiday with the family in Nice,in the south of France.. am reminded of that song from The Boyfriend, Its Nicer in Nice. it really is beautiful here and its been wonderful spending xmas with the family here.. jennifer and her husband emmanuelle are with us, they have a little one on the way and everyone is excited.
carol and jenn made us a great xmas dinner and i decorated the tree and made the egg nog.
i'm reminded about why our family is special; we find every reason to celebrate every season of the year - xmas, chinese new year, hari raya, even deepavalli whenever kuna's mum is with us. thats what i wd call being true-blue malaysian. i hope mila and dani continue these traditions when they grow up, always respectful and tolerant of the different races and religions that make our malaysia a special place to live in, and never forgetting the wonderful mixed heritage that make them the new breed of malaysians that will rule the world!
merry xmas and have a wonderful time everyone!
Saturday, 22 December 2007
me as pgl
am so glad someone named ju posted these photos on the pgl group website on imeem cos i dont even have these myself... tks ju!
asia pacific film fest 2005 win
cool! so glad i stumbled upon this on the net on imeem cos i dont have this photo myself!
Sunday, 9 December 2007
KOTA WARISAN - one step closer to a new dream project!
yesterday marked the birth of enfiniti's biggest ever project to-date. we (FINALLY!) signed an m.o.u with the ministry of culture etc etc to build my lifelong dream project, a malaysian cultural village, working titled "KOTA WARISAN" for now.
i have always wondered what to do with foreign guests and friends who come to visit us, cos after visiting the twin towers and taking them to putrajaya, what else is there really? here we are selling malaysia as the ultimate tourist destination of asia, "truly asia" and all, but really, what does a tourist visiting malaysia take home with him? photos taken against the tallest twin towers in the world. a coaster and matchboxes from a club in heritage row or jalan p ramlee. a t shirt from hard rock cafe kuala lumpur. memories of eating "malaysian food" every morning from the hotel breakfast buffet.
a visit to the maori cultural village with the family 5 years ago inspired an idea to set up something similar in our own country. at the temaki maori village, what sold me was the idea of the interactive experience that made this a very different one from the experience of watching a maori cultural show at the hotel lobby.
i set to work on the idea upon returning home, sharing sketches and drawings of the village the way i remembered it, with dear ol'pat ibrahim, who has always been there to "layan" my every dream and fantasy for 15 years or so now, bless him. we roped shah rezza in to give us input on traditional customs and palace protocol.
several years later, after the dust had settled on PGL the movie and musical, we picked up where we had left off and pitched the idea to the prime minister who loved it. then the whole business of going from ministry to ministry lah of course, letters here letters there,presentation after presentation, meeting after meeting. i dont know how we can still be as enthusiastic after all this time, but its still burning, so i know its still gonna happen.
anyway. i thought i'd post this for the record and include excerpts from the press release,just to share...
“We designed the concept of this village as an interactive, personalized tour which will include elements of our architecture, folklore, history, traditional storytelling, food, music and dance which form a big part of our rich heritage.”
“The cultural experience the world is talking about today is more than just a passive one. Tourists are becoming a lot more discerning when it comes to what they want to see and the way they want to feel after they see it.” - Tiara Jacquelina
A MALAYSIAN CULTURAL VILLAGE IN KUALA LUMPUR
Visitors to Malaysia will be introduced to another major attraction that will make their holiday in Malaysia an unforgettable one.
KOTA WARISAN Kuala Lumpur will be an authentic Malaysian Cultural Village, right in the heart of the city,in Jalan Davis.
A CULTURAL VILLAGE WITH A DIFFERENCE:
The difference will be the EXPERIENCE. A visit to KOTA WARISAN will be an interactive experience where guests are put into the environment and participate in activities at the Village rather than just,for instance, watching a passive display of culture on stage in a hotel lobby.
THE CONCEPT:
Drawing on our experience and strength in theatre and particularly in musicals, KOTA WARISAN will be presented in the form of a combination of ENVIRONMENTAL and PROMENADE THEATRE, which immerses and involves the audience in the performance; where all the villagers are performers, the action happens around the audience and the audience follows the performers around the space.
THE EXPERIENCE:
KOTA WARISAN is a fortified village that comes to life with traditional songs, dances and activities daily from 5.00 pm. It is an authentic traditional village where one can witness the experience of folklore and legends shared from the hearts of the old through the lives of the young.
Before entering the gateway, visitors are greeted by the Bendahara or Prime Minister and visitors are briefed on Malaysian village customs as well as palace protocol.
OUR AIM:
Our aim is for each visitor to leave the village with a authentic, deeper and more spiritual experience, an understanding of what it is that makes us unique as Malaysia; how our history, traditions, customs and rituals form a big part of our lives even today, how we lived, what we ate, and more importantly, a lasting memory of “living” amongst the people of Malaysia for the day!
At this point, several tour leaders will be introduced in the form of costumed characters from Malay folklore, e.g Pak Pandir, Si Luncai etc. These bi-lingual costumed characters will play the roles of teacher, comedian and host, providing information on our culture and traditions as visitors encounter and experience it, and advising on the protocol that is expected throughout their tour of KOTA WARISAN; all the while injecting their commentary with generous doses of humour. Female Visitors are then given a “selendang”, Male visitors are given a Sarong to wear over their clothes.
They are now ready to be a part of the set and the experience.
WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE THE VILLAGE?
Within the village, there are re-enactments of everyday life and the activities of our people, including food preparation, weaponry, weaving, and even Malay customs and traditions such as a Malay Wedding, the Cukur Jambul Ceremony…
…and even a Circumcision ceremony!
Once again education is mixed with humour, and the entire crowd becomes involved in the dancing, singing, food preparation, and will even experience kampung-style “gotong-royong” spirit as they help out in wedding preparations.
Visitors to KOTA WARISAN will get a taste of both the village spirit as well as experience the grandeur of the highest rung of our culture and society, when their tour ends with an invitation to the Malay Royal Palace. Here, the finest of Malay Architecture, a stage performance and a dinner fit for a Sultan will crown the day’s journey.
KOTA WARISAN Kuala Lumpur is developed by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage ( KeKKWa), who have appointed Enfiniti Productions Sdn. Bhd. to operate, market and manage the Village.
The Village will be built in an area of 8 acres in Jalan Davis, Kuala Lumpur, right in the heart of the city.
We aim to open our gates to our first visitors by the end of 2008.
Friday, 7 December 2007
The Borneo Rainforest
/
The real Tiara
By FARIDAH BEGUM,The Star
Photos by NORAFIFI EHSAN and RICKY LAI
Tiara Jacquelina puts 100% effort into all her endeavours, including her latest project, the Borneo Rainforest Café.
IF you want to know the real me, you must come to the Borneo Rainforest Café and you will understand the person I was, the one I have become and who I will always be,” says Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina candidly.
No pretences, all sincerity!
Cool touch: A waterfall amidst the dining area at the café.
Tiara, as she is more fondly known, has been a runaway success on the celluloid screen since her debut more than 20 years ago. It is often difficult to understand why a beautiful woman such as she would not succumb to the leisurely pursuits availed to her and be a trophy wife to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Effendi Norwawi.
Instead, she has, in the past few years, undertaken gargantuan projects such as Puteri Gunung Ledang (PGL), turning it into one of the most talked about movies, and later a musical, not just in Malaysia but across the region and even in international film arena.
Yummy: Laksa Sarawak is one of Tiara’s favourite foods.
If producing the biggest budget movie in Malaysia was not enough, she even took the pressure out of worrying about whether the budget would hold and took on the lead role and sang the theme song, Asmaradana.
Before the dust settled on PGL, she had already undertaken the job of producing another success, the P. Ramlee musical, entitled My Name is Remy, to allow the legendary celebrity to be understood and loved as part of not just film history but also part of national history.
“These projects are not about feeding the masses with music and entertainment but about understanding the great legends of our society.
“We must pay heed to what had happened and how it has shaped our country and the people as a whole,” she says, during a casual meeting at the Borneo Rainforest Café, yet another pet project of hers that was squeezed in between her two entertainment endeavours.
You see, the thing about Tiara, if one is to understand her, is that she cannot sit idle.
Refreshing: Dining alfresco at Borneo Rainforest Café.
And time, even a second, is precious.
While she sips tea and talks to her audience, she still has time to break into a sincere and friendly smile, greet her staff and ask them how they are!
It is practically amazing that her café, new as it is, has one of the best teams in town, where every single staff member calls out a greeting the moment you enter, and throughout the time you spend there, eating delicious food and drinking exotic beverages, you feel right at home.
Back to Tiara.
Despite the fatigue she must feel in between major projects, and the numerous visits back to her husband’s home state of Sarawak and the travelling that comes with a minister’s job (she also puts in her 100% effort and support for Effendi), Tiara also tends to her two young growing children, Karmila Hani and Eridani, who demand a fair share of her attention.
The café is an entirely new venture for her and marks her foray into the world of food.
Why?
She smiles cheekily, knowing that people are wondering if she is really sane putting together this beautiful outdoor café, right across the Sunway Hotel resort, all planned very carefully and painstakingly to ensure the ambience of a natural setting is imbued into the atmosphere while people partake in reasonably priced and deliciously prepared food.
“This café is my identity. The food is simple yet exotic and it captures the direction of my spirit.
“I like the freedom and choice of eating simple foods, which I do almost all the time.
“But when it came to the crunch, having so much to do and no time to get to these comfort foods of mine, I thought it would be good to have them all in the same place and also to share my simpler pleasures in life with my family, friends and fans!” she says.
Among the foods that she loves are Kelantanese food, especially the Laksam, a rolled rice noodle dish with thick and creamy fish-based sauce filled with a generous serving of thinly sliced herbs and vegetables.
Others on her list are fresh seafood – her notable favourite is the chilli crab, Lebanese food and, of course, the signature dish of Borneo Rainforest Café – Laksa Sarawak, a spicy rice vermicelli soupy dish that is tangy and spicy and filled with delicious ingredients such as prawns, eggs and chicken!
For drinks, the lemongrass tea and Borneo mocktail are at the top of the list but the magic coffee that Tiara seems to favour also looks like a top-of-the-charts beverage.
Borneo Rainforest Café, which has been styled to be a clearing within a jungle setting, has a little something for everyone from hidden soft toys hugging the pillars to totem poles of Sarawak ethnicity and a beautiful waterfall amidst lush greenery.
While you enjoy the ambience of this natural setting, you can also enjoy the delicious offerings of the eight kitchens in this place.
They serve up dishes such as Nasi Kerabu, Nasi Lemak, Cantonese style noodles, grilled seafood – including oysters, crabs, prawns and fish – and delectable Mediterranean fare from the Lebanese kitchen, which serves the healthiest foods with most of its dishes roasted or grilled.
Not forgetting – because Tiara and her family “just love to eat” – there are also dishes like Laksa Johor, pizza and Italian fare to meet the different expectations of every member of a group that comes in to dine.
The dishes are reasonably priced with the Malaysian local favourites going from as low as RM6.90 per generous serving.
When patrons requested for WiFi and Shisha – a water-bottle contraption with which herbal fruit and fruit flavoured tobacco are smoked – Tiara ensured these items were incorporated into the café.
It is usually busy from 8pm onwards when the dinner crowd walks in. In recent times, the café has been the venue of some corporate parties where – you guessed it – the headhunting theme was the choice.
“We have people who book our café to hold corporate parties and even birthday parties,” says Tiara, beaming as she looks around the café, noting the happy faces of patrons and the equally happy staff members who are serving.
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