Post by uptowndragon on Nov 7, 2008 16:32:06 GMT 7
Dragon's KLue (Sep) Article on Faizal Tahir
Below is the unedited version:
Faizal Tahir is as indestructible as the comic character whose merchandise he endorses for one of his sponsors. Unlike Superman, Faizal is even immune to kryptonite.
I first met Faizal Tahir just hours before the recording of the first live episode of OIAM 1. He was comfortably perched on a sofa in the lobby of Sri Pentas 2 bantering with his fellow competitors Alif, Azfar & Lokman, and was all ears when I approached him for a quick chat. Within that enlightening hour I discovered a well educated young man with the talent, disposition, in depth knowledge and passion for the arts unlike many others, who shared a similar musical journey as I did, although I was fifteen years his senior. It was simply impossible not to like a fellow aficionado who loved Queen as much as I did, and it was no surprise that I become one of his biggest fans throughout the competition and beyond.
Although Faizal did not win a million ringgit, he certainly won a million hearts that spring. Being second certainly did not stop him from working on his debut album immediately, which he was completely immersed in throughout the production process. Knowing Faizal to be the perfectionist that he is, it was quite obvious to me that he will not disappoint his fans when he finally released his epic debut to rave reviews. If it weren¡¯t for deadlines, Faizal would have still been tinkering with it.
At the launch of Aku.Muzik.Kamu at the Hard Rock Caf¨¦, it was an indication that Faizal Tahir had arrived in an electrifying way. His live performance was nothing short of exemplary as he rocked the stage with a hand picked live band instead of the usual minus ones. His outstanding ¡°Sampai Syurga¡± was the epitome of what the local music industry should be striving to achieve. During the Q&A with the press, Faizal irked some of the mainstream press when he said every artiste should be involved at every stage of album production and not just turn up when it was time to record. Many who missed the point argued that he should not criticize others who did not have similarly broad talents as he did. I though it was a salient point that the industry should take note of instead of being defensive about and felt that Faizal was justified and fearless in saying so. Nevertheless, his debut was the talk of the town, and he was the darling of the press.
It looked like nothing could go wrong for Faizal after he won an APM award and was nominated for multiple AJLs & AIMs, as well as being primed to host Gangstarz once again. But unfortunately I was witness to the minor debacle that turned his world into a nightmare. That boldly emblazoned ¡°S¡± on his tees that I associated with Superstar rather than Superman, become the folly of him at 8TV¡¯s Rockin Birthday Concert. Although it was a minute indiscretion on his part and was only intended to infuse some comical theatrics in his performance, it was portrayed rather exaggeratedly by most of the mainstream and tabloid press as extremely offensive and corruptive. Many who wrote about it and dragged him and his family through the mud, were not even witness to the event. Even many of his hardcore fans from his fan club were up in arms against him and even wanted to petition him. Personally, I found nothing offensive about what Faizal did as it was just a tongue & cheek display that was more humorous than risqu¨¦ and all the hoo-hah was merely intended by a certain few to disgrace him. That incident left Faizal deeply wounded, especially since his innocent family were the target of many malicious attacks, so much so that he nearly gave it all up. It was his kryptonite. When I spoke to Faizal weeks after the incident, I never asked him about it, simply because I didn¡¯t have too. During those many painful months, when he was barred from performing on TV, many wrote to defend him, including yours truly.
Although more than a little fazed by the onslaught, Faizal Tahir bounced back with aplomb, by deservedly winning four out of the six AIM awards he was nominated for. I was at the awards and it was more than evident that the crowd favourite was certainly our Superman regardless of the negative publicity, but I was surprised that he did not make a clean sweep of all the awards. He certainly deserved the best engineered album as well as far as I was concerned. At the press conference after the show, an elated Faizal was mobbed by the press, and when I finally managed to give him a congratulatory hug, the sparkle in his eye that was missing for a while, was back again. He was finally vindicated. It was also a sign that nothing will ever undo him again.
I have been a fan and friend of Faizal from the very beginning of his journey to stardom, and still am. I will always admire him for his passion, desire and perseverance to accomplish whatever he sets his mind to. I will admire him for being bold & courageous in the face of adversity and for always speaking his mind on matters that are dear to him. And most of all I admire him for his musical soul & for being a simple, caring and decent human being. Rock on dude!!!
By
Kumaraguru @ uptowndragon
www.rentaksejuta.com
Below is the unedited version:
Faizal Tahir is as indestructible as the comic character whose merchandise he endorses for one of his sponsors. Unlike Superman, Faizal is even immune to kryptonite.
I first met Faizal Tahir just hours before the recording of the first live episode of OIAM 1. He was comfortably perched on a sofa in the lobby of Sri Pentas 2 bantering with his fellow competitors Alif, Azfar & Lokman, and was all ears when I approached him for a quick chat. Within that enlightening hour I discovered a well educated young man with the talent, disposition, in depth knowledge and passion for the arts unlike many others, who shared a similar musical journey as I did, although I was fifteen years his senior. It was simply impossible not to like a fellow aficionado who loved Queen as much as I did, and it was no surprise that I become one of his biggest fans throughout the competition and beyond.
Although Faizal did not win a million ringgit, he certainly won a million hearts that spring. Being second certainly did not stop him from working on his debut album immediately, which he was completely immersed in throughout the production process. Knowing Faizal to be the perfectionist that he is, it was quite obvious to me that he will not disappoint his fans when he finally released his epic debut to rave reviews. If it weren¡¯t for deadlines, Faizal would have still been tinkering with it.
At the launch of Aku.Muzik.Kamu at the Hard Rock Caf¨¦, it was an indication that Faizal Tahir had arrived in an electrifying way. His live performance was nothing short of exemplary as he rocked the stage with a hand picked live band instead of the usual minus ones. His outstanding ¡°Sampai Syurga¡± was the epitome of what the local music industry should be striving to achieve. During the Q&A with the press, Faizal irked some of the mainstream press when he said every artiste should be involved at every stage of album production and not just turn up when it was time to record. Many who missed the point argued that he should not criticize others who did not have similarly broad talents as he did. I though it was a salient point that the industry should take note of instead of being defensive about and felt that Faizal was justified and fearless in saying so. Nevertheless, his debut was the talk of the town, and he was the darling of the press.
It looked like nothing could go wrong for Faizal after he won an APM award and was nominated for multiple AJLs & AIMs, as well as being primed to host Gangstarz once again. But unfortunately I was witness to the minor debacle that turned his world into a nightmare. That boldly emblazoned ¡°S¡± on his tees that I associated with Superstar rather than Superman, become the folly of him at 8TV¡¯s Rockin Birthday Concert. Although it was a minute indiscretion on his part and was only intended to infuse some comical theatrics in his performance, it was portrayed rather exaggeratedly by most of the mainstream and tabloid press as extremely offensive and corruptive. Many who wrote about it and dragged him and his family through the mud, were not even witness to the event. Even many of his hardcore fans from his fan club were up in arms against him and even wanted to petition him. Personally, I found nothing offensive about what Faizal did as it was just a tongue & cheek display that was more humorous than risqu¨¦ and all the hoo-hah was merely intended by a certain few to disgrace him. That incident left Faizal deeply wounded, especially since his innocent family were the target of many malicious attacks, so much so that he nearly gave it all up. It was his kryptonite. When I spoke to Faizal weeks after the incident, I never asked him about it, simply because I didn¡¯t have too. During those many painful months, when he was barred from performing on TV, many wrote to defend him, including yours truly.
Although more than a little fazed by the onslaught, Faizal Tahir bounced back with aplomb, by deservedly winning four out of the six AIM awards he was nominated for. I was at the awards and it was more than evident that the crowd favourite was certainly our Superman regardless of the negative publicity, but I was surprised that he did not make a clean sweep of all the awards. He certainly deserved the best engineered album as well as far as I was concerned. At the press conference after the show, an elated Faizal was mobbed by the press, and when I finally managed to give him a congratulatory hug, the sparkle in his eye that was missing for a while, was back again. He was finally vindicated. It was also a sign that nothing will ever undo him again.
I have been a fan and friend of Faizal from the very beginning of his journey to stardom, and still am. I will always admire him for his passion, desire and perseverance to accomplish whatever he sets his mind to. I will admire him for being bold & courageous in the face of adversity and for always speaking his mind on matters that are dear to him. And most of all I admire him for his musical soul & for being a simple, caring and decent human being. Rock on dude!!!
By
Kumaraguru @ uptowndragon
www.rentaksejuta.com
