FAUZIAH Latiff is not an unfamiliar name in the Malaysian music scene. Once upon a time, long before Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza, Dayang Nurfaizah, Misha Omar and many others, she was Malaysia’s pop princess. Blessed with striking good looks and amazing vocals to match, Fauziah or more intimately known as Jee (Kak Jee to most of her fans) ruled the local Malay pop charts with countless hit songs.
Each album she released would spawn more than one hit single, and that made her one of the nation’s best-selling artistes. She also made a name as one of the judges of the international reality franchise, Malaysian Idol discovering Jaclyn Victor and many others slightly more than 20 years ago.
With such credibility, her iconic presence was never questioned on stage.
However, several years passed and many (including this writer) knew of her declining vocal prowess. For some unexplained reason, her capabilities of performing live were no longer similar or close, to the Jee Malaysia once knew. Some simply blamed it on age, while others speculated with countless unconfirmed factors.
Hence, when I was invited to write about her much awaited ‘4 Decades Fauziah Latiff’ concert, I didn’t have much expectations. However, I believe she proved me and so many others wrong.
Despite the throng of naysayers, Kak Jee proved why she was once THE Fauziah Latiff.
Kicking off the evening with ‘Setia Ku Korbankan’, one of her more popular ballads, she managed to show everyone that she was still capable of giving her best.
Although the star did give a disclaimer at the beginning of her concert after opening the night with some of her hits, her loyal fans were never deterred from their favourite star.
“It may not be perfect, but let’s make it a memorable evening for everyone,” uttered Kak Jee with a beautiful smile dressed in Ezuwan Ismail after her first set which was later met with a rapturous applause from the audience.
And memorable the evening was.
Yes, throughout the evening there were minor glitches, but nothing major. Her fans stood by her every win and loss disregarding anything that could dampen her (and their spirit) from having a great night.
Most importantly, she managed to hit the high notes in the songs her fans were anticipating, proving that pure determination and some refresher vocal lessons were all she required to make a big stage comeback.
Throughout the show, there were intervals of some ‘behind-the-scenes’ clips showing her preparation for the concert. This included her vocal lesson sessions with renowned Malaysian vocal instructor Siti Hajar, who was also present and acknowledged by Kak Jee mid-show.
Performing her biggest hits in the last 40 years including Setiaku Korbankan, Apa Sebenarnya, Tua Mengejar Kita, Bukan Berpatah Arang and many others, Kak Jee showed everyone that evening how she really was doing ‘all this’ for her loyal fans.
There was also a special duet segment featuring legendary male singer Datuk Jamal Abdillah who performed Kehebatan Cinta with her, once made popular by Jamal and Francissca Peter. He also sang two other songs including the beautiful ‘Penghujung Rindu’ and ‘Gadis Melayu.’
However, it was her last and closing set that her fans were waiting for as she conjured some of her most iconic ballads that catapulted her to fame.
This included Gubahan Rindu Puisi Syahdu and the unforgettable Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL) award-winning song of 1994, Teratai Layu Di Tasik Madu which her fans sang to with so much emotion.
Kak Jee even gave a special encore of the chorus telling her music director Cha’an, “I want to do that part again!”, much to the delight of the audience.
That evening, the plenary hall of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre was a sea of white as her fans came in the colour theme as advised by the concert’s organisers Ideatelier, holding rose stalks given at the entrance as a sign of the undying support for their beloved singer.
Am glad that I came with low expectations, because kak Jee’s performance definitely exceeded expectations of so many (me included), reaching those notes and managing her breath and pitch as best as she could, throughout the entire evening.
Truly, after 40 years in the industry, Fauziah Latiff is evidence, that what makes a big star is not just beauty and talent, but the influence and support of fans who will always immortalise the moments they captured through the songs of their adored idol.
Simply put, Kak Jee proved she still has what it takes to reclaim her throne as the queen of Malay ballads. Kudos Kak Jee and team and we hope this won’t be the last big show from you.