Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) recently became a hub of artistic excellence with the hosting of “The Voice of Rekayasa”, an exclusive vocal masterclass organised by the Basic Vocal Credit Course (QKB2104) Groups 2 and 3. Held on 22nd June, the event drew an impressive 110 participants and was orchestrated under the expert guidance of Encik Muhammad Haikal Shariff and Signor Haziq Ahmad.
The Masterclass also featured the esteemed Datuk Syafinaz Selamat, a talented soprano vocalist who is also known for being a jury on shows like “Akademi Fantasia”, “Who Will Win” and “Gegar Vaganza”, as well as the celebrated singer Asmidar, who is renowned for her contributions to traditional Malay music. We managed to grab the opportunity to speak with the two artists about their experiences as vocal trainers, as well as talk about their upcoming projects.
1. Not only are you two extremely talented singers but you’re also very knowledgeable and experienced vocal trainers. Since this event is a Masterclass, we would like to know how your teaching career began. Have you always wanted to teach?
Datuk Syafinaz: “It was very natural for me actually cause during the last year of my studies, I was already teaching my juniors and peers. I was my lecturer’s assistant at the time. Once I completed my studies, the offers to teach just came naturally. As for whether I’ve always wanted to teach, it’s actually something I never thought I’d do cause I enrolled to become a performer but I guess my lecturer saw my potential as a teacher so she sort of guided me in that direction.”
Asmidar: “I felt inspired to become a vocal teacher after learning from Datuk Syafinaz when I was her student. I told her that ‘I want to be like you – a teacher and a singer’. I actually never had the intention of wanting to become a teacher until I met her. After completing my studies, I never had any formal teaching experiences until I was offered to become a part-time lecturer at ASWARA to teach Mek Mulung Traditional Theatre.”
2. What were the challenges you faced as a vocal teacher?
Datuk Syafinaz: “During MCO, when everything was done online. All of us had to figure out how to conduct an online class and teach remotely. Throughout the whole thing, I did not get the satisfaction of teaching – hearing my student’s voices and watching their improvements live. Also, with classical singing, when your voice reached a certain frequency, the mic sometimes could not pick up so I couldn’t hear what was being sung. It was so frustrating.”
Asmidar: “For me, it’s adapting to the newer generations. I teach traditional and classical Malay songs and Mek Mulung so these are not things that many are familiar with. So my challenge is to make them interested in wanting to learn these things. As an educator, I have to convince them that these subjects are important and not as foreign as they appear to be.”
3. For Datuk Syafinaz, could you tell us about the creative process behind your new song “Ketagih”?
So the song was composed by Kusham, who previously worked on my single “Persis Salju” back in 2021. We’ve worked together on a lot of projects so the process was very natural. When I first heard the song, I wanted to release it as my own but sadly, I’ve been busy. One day when I was ready, he told me that the song had already been given to a new group called Cherry On Top and asked if I wanted to be a featured artist.
As it turns out these kids are from ASWARA and since I’m one of the board of directors of ASWARA, I thought it’d be a perfect collaboration. I love working with new and young talents. The lyrics to “Ketagih” were written by yours truly and just as the title suggested, it’s about a type of addiction and we as humans are never satisfied with anything as we always wanted more. In this song, the lead singer is battling her addiction to me- I’m her “addiction”.
4. Once again Datuk, with social media nowadays, it’s easy for anyone to go viral and become famous but it has also created this debate about recognition and opportunities. What are your thoughts on producers or labels nowadays prioritising the number of followers over talent?
It’s the worst thing. I realise that’s the trend now. People would look at the numbers. Those with millions of followers would let the fame get to their heads, thinking that they’re great but sometimes they don’t acknowledge why exactly they became viral. I also realise that the more ridiculous the content, the more viewers you’d get. It can cause a lot of damage to not only the entertainment industry but other industries as well.
And yes, it’s also not fair to those who have actually worked hard to achieve their dreams. So now with this new challenge, people have to figure out how to market themselves and stand out from the rest so they can become one of the ones with lots of followers.
5. For Asmidar, recently, you announced your upcoming “ASMIDARISME NEOTRAD: THE CIRCLE SHOWCASE” at RCDBIG STUDIO, Plaza Alam Sentral Shah Alam. Will it be similar to your previous showcase?
The last showcase was very intimate cause we had like 50 to 70 people who attended. This time, it would still be somewhat intimate but on a slightly grander scale. MyCreative helped support me to make this show a reality so we have the chance to do more this time around. As for guest artists, you’ll have to come to the showcase and see for yourself!
6. Last year, you’ve done a folk concert with MIKAGE PROJECT. Is that something you’d like to do again in the future?
Definitely! It was a great cultural exchange experience cause we got to learn a lot from each other. Since the concert, there have been talks about doing something like this again in the future with other countries but nothing is set in stone yet so we’ll have to wait and see.
7. What advice would you two give to our readers who may want to pursue a career in singing?
Datuk Syafinaz: “To pursue any career actually, you’d have to make investments. You’d have to invest your time, energy and money in order for you to achieve your goals. Nothing is easy in this world. I understand that everyone wants a shortcut but I believe that hard work is the key to success cause you’ll feel like you’ve earned it once you make it. There’s more satisfaction to it.”
Asmidar: “If you want to pursue a career in something, let it be the thing that you are passionate about. Be yourself, and be sincere in everything you do. If you haven’t quite figured out who you are as a person and as an artist, don’t be scared to explore until you discover your own identity.”
Check out the official audio of Datuk Syafinaz Selamat’s song “Ketagih” with Cherry On Top:
The official announcement of Asmidar’s upcoming showcase happening on 13th July:
