Friday May 23, 2008
Fantastic five
Six seasons on, and Akademi Fantasia is looking to crown a new winner.
By AZHARIAH KAMIN
entertainment@thestar.com.my
Mohamed Idris Zaizizi (Riz) AMERICA has just crowned its seventh Idol. On the local front, tomorrow will see the winner of the sixth season of the highly popular talent show Akademi Fantasia 6 (AF6).
At a glance, all five finalists – Nadia Haswani Hasnan (Nadia), 18, Mohamed Idris Zaizizi (Riz), Stracie Angie Anam (Stacy), 18, Khairul Nizam Baharom (Toi), 31, and Ahmad Nubhan Ahmad (Nubhan), 22 – stand an equal chance at grabbing the coveted prize of RM800,000.
A recap of what has transpired over the last few months is in order, though. The new season of Akademi Fantasia started with a bang when Astro announced that the initial auditions attracted 6,000. The figure was quickly whittled down to 25 hopefuls, all of whom were put through the three-day preliminary rounds to make it to a team of 14 students to enter the academy.
Khairul Nizam Baharom (Toi) Hopes for the show have been high, given the participation of new hosts – singer-actor-TV personality AC Mizal and actress-singer Sarimah Ibrahim. Adding to the prestige of the reality-based programme were top-notch professionals and trainers like Anita Sarawak (stage performance consultant), Siti Hajar Ismail (vocal technique), Syafizawati Sharif (vocal performance), Linda Jasmine (choreography), Jasmi Rejab (fashion consultant), Fatimah Abu Bakar (motivation councillor/ English trainer), Fauziah Nawi (performing arts) and violinist-composer Genervie Kam (vocal trainer/ musician/ band leader of the show). The no-nonsense Ramli M.S. also returned for a second time as the academy’s principal, reprising his role from AF2.
Then came the nine weeks of elimination rounds which saw nine students axed. After watching them a few times on Diari AF (a complementary diary-type programme which traces the activities of the students throughout the week between performance and elimination shows) – goofing around mostly – it was a bit disappointing to see who had made the final five (apart from Stacy and Nadia who are blessed with powerful vocals) out of 6,000 hopefuls.
Stracie Angie Anam (Stacy) One wonders if some miscalculations had occurred along the way and if the real talents had slipped through the cracks of the system, making way instead for a group of playful students to be in the limelight.
All the same, each finalist is bound to have his or her fan club (albeit without the student’s knowledge as, stuck at the Akademi, they have been denied any contact with the outside world since March 16). And the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil should be home to a riotous display of colours and banners displaying support for the finalists at tomorrow’s finale.
Expectedly, many fans want Nadia, Stacy and Riz to grab the top three places. Having said that, in the last two concerts, Toi and Nubhan ended up with strong votes as well. For their final performances tomorrow, each contestant will perform two songs, including one previously unreleased track.
Here’s a short take on the five finalists:
Nadia Haswani Hasnan (Nadia) Nadia: Nadia is vocally accomplished and, in the past nine weeks, she has performed well and deservedly secured a place in the finals. Her weekly performances have garnered praise from the judges. Blessed with great vocal prowess, Nadia will perform Aku Lebih Tahu (made popular by Mila of AF5) and a new song, Karut Lagi Mengarut during the finals.
Stacy: A quick look at the weekly official AF votes reveals that Stacy has always been in the top three, with her consistent performances, all of which have gained kudos from the judges.
With her excellent sense of choreography, determination and powerful vocals, Stacy is expected to come up tops in the finals in which she will perform Atas Nama Cinta (Rossa) and Siti Lela vs Cinderella.
Toi: Following eight weeks of mediocrity, Toi surprised everyone with his excellent show at the ninth concert on May 17, an effort that propelled him to the top of the AF charts for the first time ever. If he keeps up with this momentum tomorrow, he may well be crowned champion of AF6. He will perform Cinta Zulaikha (Mawi) and Paling Terindah for the finals.
Ahmad Nubhan Ahmad (Nubhan) Nubhan: Despite all the hype over the soft-spoken Nubhan, I personally feel that he has a long way to go before he can be champion. But then again, with the results solely determined by SMS votes, anything can happen. For the grand finals, Nubhan will perform Bukan Di Sini (Sofaz) and Ada Untukmu.
Riz: One of the most versatile students of the current season, Riz has to nail his songs at the finals to become Stacy's most serious contender. For the finals, Riz will belt out 11 Januari (Gigi) and Hanya Sandiwara.
The Akademi Fantasia 6 grand finals will be held at Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Selangor, tomorrow at 9pm and will be aired live on Astro Ria (Astro channel 104).
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