Sheila sways her music from Malaysia to Indonesia

By Helly Minarti

JAKARTA (JP): She emerged agleam from the backstage, elegantly stepping along the narrow catwalk-turned-stage under the soft, flashing lights. She greeted the patient throng -- the gig was almost two hours late -- with her affable mix of Malay and English. It's her trademark which reminds her fans here that although she looks Indonesian, she is Malaysian. Sheila Majid, a singer who first gained popularity in Indonesia more than a decade ago, was in town again.

Playing to an audience of almost 1,000 people at the Fashion Cafe last weekend, Sheila opened the night with four songs from her last refined album Ratu (Queen) in 1996.

The songs -- Di Sisi Daku (Beside Me), Tanda-tandanya (The Hunch), Percayalah (Trust Me) and Patung (The Statue) -- were never formally released in Indonesia. Well composed and delicately arranged, the songs offered milky, jazzy and melodious tunes, a slight variation from her sweet R&B. Percayalah (Trust Me), a mushy number written by Indonesian composer, Tito Sumarsono, sneaked onto the album.

Sheila later took a wider berth with her 17 minute medley of Michael Jackson's ballads -- her childhood idol -- before singing unfamiliar tunes for Jakarta fans from Ratu -- Gangguan (The Trouble) and Embun (The Dew). But she also catered to her Indonesian fans, introducing her latest hit here Cinta Jangan Kau Pergi (Love, Don't You Go Away).

The atmosphere was electric as she presented two other songs Warna (Color) composed by renown Indra Lesmana and Manusia (Human) before simply waving goodbye and disappearing into the darkness.

An old trick, indeed. Yet it worked nicely. In the dim light, the crowd cried in unison, "We want more", orchestrated by an anonymous DJ. Expectedly she then popped up from among her five young Malaysian musicians and two backing vocals, and shrieked in delight, "You want me to sing Antara Anyer dan Jakarta (Between Anyer and Jakarta), don't you?", referring to her famous hit both in Malaysia and Indonesia. She also promised to perform more of her old hits, the familiar tunes, for the public. That marked the second part of the show, and time for a sing-along.

The audience -- divided between those who were seated, those occupying the wings of the stage and those who were standing -- were likewise excited. She continued with Emosi (Emotion) -- the lead song of her first album released in Indonesia. She enchanted the audience with Wanita (Woman), a song with a typical Malayan melody. Some casual chat here and light humor there, and Sheila alluringly persisted to present a song which marked her television debut, turning down the crowd's request to sing her other hits. Later there was a mosaic of her old and new numbers -- Aku Cinta Padamu (I Love You), Legenda (Legend) and Ratu (Queen), closing with one of her popular dance hits in Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan, Sinaran (The Light).

New Release

Sheila's fans were not only more than happy to sing along with her but also applauded her amiable quirky charm. The night was also devoted to the release of her new album, titled Cinta Jangan Kau Pergi (Love, Don't You Go Away) which was specially arranged by Erwin Gutawa, one of Sheila's favorite musicians from Indonesia.

Featuring 10 songs, Cinta Jangan Kau Pergi was obviously compiled in a hurry. Printed on cheap paper -- unlike her previous well-designed albums -- it doesn't list the supporting musicians or include a brief greeting from the star to her fans.

It blends the only new song (the title) with four songs from Ratu, offering a new interpretation of her old songs -- carefully chosen by herself.

Her affection for Indonesia is not only reflected by the inclusion of songs from Indonesian composers on her album, but also through her close collaboration with Indonesian musical talents -- songwriters and musicians spanning 11 years. Renown musicians such as Indra Lesmana and Erwin Gutawa are her longtime friends.

"I listen to a lot of Indonesian albums. And I often find songs that I really want to sing, songs which I believe I could carry well," Sheila said.

Beyond her fondness for Indonesian songs, she has an even stronger reason for singing to the Indonesian public. "Indonesia is the largest market of the Malayan language," said the mother of two who is also very popular in Japan.

Starting her singing career in 1985, Sheila is certainly no resurgent rookie who once rocked the Indonesian music scene in the late 1980s as her hit, Antara Anyer dan Jakarta, climbed up the local chart. The public was attracted by her distinctive Malay dialect and adored this enchanting element which overcame the cultural shades of difference -- in pronunciation and meaning. The strange Malayan words, which normally sound awkward to Indonesian ears, became a distinguishing and amusing characteristic of her songs.

"There are a handful of singers in Indonesia who probably can sing better than her. But she has other qualities which makes her 'more than a singer'," said Erwin Gutawa, an arranger who played bass on Sheila's 1992 Malaysian tour.

Erwin said it is the way she answers reporters' questions and communicates with her fans from the stage that add to her appeal. This includes her natural gesture in approaching the stage edge to let photographers capture her Asian beauty.

"It's her personality and professional attitude. Besides having a very solid team to back her up, she manages every phase of her career carefully," he said.

Sheila always gets closely involved in her production -- making her creative choices clear and not just following her producer's orders. This is reflected in her move from the upbeat R&B in the 1980s and early 1990s to the more swaying jazz sounds on her album, Ratu, complete with a string performance by the Australian Concert Orchestra and violinist Aska Kaneko.

Sheila has been crowned the best artist four times in Malaysia. She was also the first foreign artist to win the BASF Award in Indonesia, and she has successfully penetrated the Japanese market -- the second largest music market in the world. Last year, she was invited to sing at Royal Albert Hall in London.

Despite her overwhelming regional success, she hinted at caution when asked if she would "go international". She said she would take one step at a time. "Singing is my deep personal interest. I never expected, or planned, to come this far -- selling my cassettes in Indonesia and achieving so much success," she said.

Her next step will be a tour of several Indonesian cities to promote her new album. "I just want to go as far as I can, and sing for as long as I can," she said.