VJ Paula calls it like she sees it
VJ Paula calls it like she sees it
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
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STANDFIRST: Of Bruneian-British parentage, VJ Paula begs to
differ when it comes to those who say her good looks have paved
her way to success, including a recent appearance on The Oprah
Winfrey Show.
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Smaller and less established than MTV in Asia, Hong Kong-based
Channel V has greater freedom to make its own choices as a music
channel.
Sure, you still find boybands and candy-coated pop, but the
content is decidedly more diverse, including a weekly look back
at what was big 10 or 15 years ago.
Part of the reason is that it is aimed at an older market than
the MTV generation, reflected in the 20 and 30-something VJs.
They are still funky and hip, of course, but they are not the new
kids on the block.
In the case of Paula Malai Ali, it comes across in a
straightforward, blunt and occasionally self-deprecating take on
life; she calls things as she sees them.
Now living in Kuala Lumpur, the 30 year old is also a model
and actress. She was involved in a theater version of Educating
Rita, singing and acting on stage for five years. Paula recently
appeared on Oprah, in a section focused on the lifestyle of women
around the world.
She sat down with The Jakarta Post during a recent visit to
the capital.
Question: Being half Bruneian, does that raise a lot of
questions from people?
Ali: Yes. Everybody reads a lot of stories about this very
little country that is very rich, and they want to know other
stories about the country.
It is a strict Muslim nation, unlike Malaysia, which is a lot
more relaxed. But Brunei's got a lot of special things about it.
It's got the most amazing, like, ecologically, it's beautiful.
The jungle is still untouched. The sky is so big, that's what I
really notice when I go back home.
Why did you choose to live in Kuala Lumpur?
It was one of those places that when I arrived there -- I was
21 -- I really felt comfortable straight away. I felt my luck was
in this country. I felt very positive that it was gonna work for
me.
I've lived in Singapore, I've lived in England, I didn't have
that much chemistry with those countries.
How do you like being a VJ?
I've been a VJ for two years. I love it. A lot of people think
it's an easy job. Well, it's not the hardest job in the world,
but it does take a certain kind of talent to read a script while
it doesn't look like you're reading it. So, you gotta work your
whole body and you gotta do it fast. You must be focused.
If you weren't Eurasian, do you think you'd have got a job on
TV?
I think if you're a good host and you got the right look,
definitely. Not all the VJs of Channel V in the past have been
Eurasian. We have Thai, Singaporean and Filipino VJs. I don't
think I was chosen because I'm mixed, but because I gave a good
audition.
How was it being on Oprah?
It was very exciting. I didn't meet her -- I don't want to
pretend that I went to the studio and met her. It was taped and
we sent the tape over.
It was very rewarding, not just for me but for the people whom
I work with every week. We were proud to do this and make them
see how we work. Because maybe in America and Europe, they don't
know Asia is a capable area, so very full of talent and rich.
The Malaysian media didn't seem to be amused. They said you
don't represent Malaysian women in general.
The Malaysian papers, I think they kind of misunderstood the
whole theme. I'm not a Malaysian -- why would I be representing
it? I'm basically allowing the American viewers and the globe to
see that I'm a woman who's living in Malaysia and this is my
lifestyle.
The producer at Oprah studio knew very well that I was from
Brunei. So, originally I talked about Brunei and this lady said
to me, "Are you living in Brunei now?"
I said I'm in Malaysia. She went, "Oh, why don't we talk about
Kuala Lumpur then, that's more relevant". I said OK, fine. So,
nobody pretended, or anything like that.
What do you think about the Asian music scene?
It's getting very good. And the Indonesian scene is very
exciting. In Malaysia and Brunei, there's a lot of respect for
Indonesian talent. Their music is really original.
It's also the fact that your music videos are just a certain
level above other Asian countries. There's a certain polished,
refined feel to them.
What about the scene in Brunei?
The Brunei music industry is so small, it's a lot bitchier
than any industry I know. I know because my sister is a
songwriter. There's a lot of backstabbing within the small arts
company. Malaysia, we don't have this kind of bitchy, petty
stuff. The pie is very small in Brunei.
Is it really important for Asian musicians to go
international, to penetrate America and Europe? Or should they
just strengthen the Asian market?
I don't think there's something wrong with looking to be very
big, with setting a very high standard.
The only problem is if you don't achieve recognition in the
U.S. or Europe, you feel like you failed. That we can change.
Just because you're not hitting the market in Europe or America
doesn't mean you're not good.
Those two markets are completely different, anyway. Even
Robbie Williams isn't penetrating America. Kylie Minogue has just
made it there and, even so, she's not a superstar. So, it's all
relative, isn't it?
How is the competition with MTV?
The thing is that our channel is aimed at a slightly older
market, unlike MTV. Our VJs are grown-up persons.
We can't compete with the big animal. I mean, MTV is known
throughout the world, the brand has been there for a very long
time. Compared to them, we're still a baby channel.
We don't want to upset ourselves with who's bigger. But I
think we take a lot of care.
We just want to work a little bit harder. We make such a point
to have these diverse shows. There's a rock show, R&B show,
Billboard show, Rewind show from yesteryear. And our viewers are
very loyal, and it's cool.
But, say there's an offer to be a VJ at MTV Europe or MTV
U.S., would you take it?
I've never seen MTV Europe anyway, and MTV U.S. is all about
reality TV shows. Stuff happens, people move on, but today I
would have to say no. I like the philosophy of this channel, I
believe in this channel.