Sheila Majid

Selamat pagi!

It has been several days since my last entry. Of course many things have transpired since then.

Hence I could share these things but when I woke up this morning, I saw my old friend Sheila Majid. Well her CD was looking at me. And when I look at her, ah.....many memories come back.....

I got to know Sheila in 1990. It was my first year in Melbourne. There I was, a 19 year old boy from a small kampung or town from Malacca in a big city. From a small kampung insulated from the world and now I felt like I was in the world. And had to learn to do things which I never had too like taking public transport (in Malacca I rode a bycicle and motorbike during my secondary school days), do marketing, cook, do the banking, wash clothes etc.....all these things I never had to do.

Oh well, back to the main story......so anyway I was staying with an Australian family which had a huge rockweller which looked menacing but tame. I was staying in a small room on the 3rd floor with a small black and white TV. After moving in, soon I learned that they took on another tenant, her name was Grace (I think) from Sarawak....hurray another Malaysian. Grace stayed downstairs in a bigger room next to the living room. Grace had been in Melbourne for a while and one can tell from the things in her room.

Anyway, one night, I happened to bumped into her in the living room and we started chatting and somehow I must (being a music lover) have asked her what kind of music she listens to and to see if I can borrow her stuff. So she recommended me Sheila Majid. My first reaction was 'What! A Malay album.....' up to this point, yeah I liked some Malay music....especially a particular song which I really really liked but sadly I can't remember what's the title and the group that played it.

Oh....and it was in tape form (back then....CD was expensive...and slowly was beginning to make its presence felt). Anyway, I thought no harm trying.......and loh and behold.....I really liked it.....the album was called 'Warna' (released in 1988).

Since then I fell 'in love' with Sheila....I mean her voice and music....it's really unique....no body sounds like her....it's kind of a synergy between jazz and pop. Just simply one of a kind. :)

And since then, I've followed her.....her albums..... I guess still after all this time.....my all time fav song is Gemilang followed by Legenda etc etc.

Now Legenda is in the air.....kau budayawan bangsa....kualah legenda....this song was composed in dedication to P Ramlee - the all time best Malay actor ever!!! Yeah I watched many P Ramlee black and white movies with my grandma on Friday nights (back when I was a teenager :). Simply lovely. The bestlah....

Oh oh oh oh....legenda...... I guess this entry on Sheila is also aptlah since I'll be in Sungai Buloh, Selangor tmr night till Sat night. Everytime I go back to M'sia.....the smell, sights and sounds of it always makes me feel like I've 'balik kampung' .

And Malacca...beautiful charming historical Malacca - many fond memories of my growing up years. :)

Anyway, got to go to work. Catch u later. And Sheila...you're the best Malay singer! (at least that I know of). Oh...I remember a song from her live concert album....simply amazing and electrifying. Oh I better stop. I'll leave you with Gemilang....you must listen to it. :) God Bless!