Mentor Otai’s finals will see four qualifying teams, including Siti Sarah Raisuddin and protege Alina who fumbled last week, writes Dennis Chua
AWARD-winning singer Siti Sarah Raisuddin was not her cheerful self in Mentor Otai last Sunday.
She left the stage in tears, disappointed that her protege Alina Hassan under-performed that night.
Fortunately for Siti Sarah, 33, and Alina, 50, judges Mark Adam and Edry Abdul Halim said “yes” to having them in the finals this Sunday, alongside three other mentor-protege teams.
“We’re lucky to have made it. I feared the worst because Alina was not her consistent self. She performed atrociously,” said Siti Sarah after Mentor Otai’s semi-final concert in Sri Pentas 2, Plaza Alam Sentral, Shah Alam.
Alina, who also shed tears, apologised to Siti Sarah for her “major slip up”.
“It was all my fault. I allowed my personal problems to affect my concentration and I failed to deliver,” she said.
Her lack of focus stemmed from being asked to move out of her rented house recently.
Alina is currently staying in a hotel in Shah Alam, and her accommodation is arranged by the production team of the reality talent show.
“My landlord initially allowed me to stay in the house but changed his mind last month.
“I’ve sought Persatuan Seniman Malaysia’s assistance to find a People’s Housing Project unit in Kuala Lumpur,” said Alina, who vowed to redeem herself in the final concert.
Siti Sarah, who accepted Alina’s apology, said that apart from the “major foul-up” in the semi-finals, her protege delivered honest and heartfelt performances every week.
“She is very teachable, accepts criticism and never raises her voice. I also salute her for being a resilient single mother who not only sang in nightspots but also worked as a security guard and cleaner.”
Siti Sarah also said it did not matter if Alina did not win. “What I’d like to see is the return of the old Alina I first met — competitive and full of fighting spirit.”
Alina and the other proteges will be performing two songs, a solo number and a duet with a guest artiste.
“I’ve got a female duet partner, and I’ll only know who she is this weekend. But I promise I’ll work extra hard and stay focused for the finals.”
FINAL BATTLE
Meanwhile, Misha Omar said her protege Elvira Arul, 39, never failed to deliver in each concert, even though she lost her voice a day before the semi-finals.
“I lost my voice too but it came back after we both sought medical treatment last Saturday,” said Misha.
“Elvira didn’t look under the weather at all when she sang Agnes Monica’s Matahari that night. It wasn’t her best effort but it was commendable. I’m confident she’ll do a lot better.”
Elvira is glad that Misha has helped her to muster singing Malay numbers.
She admitted that traditional Malay songs or lagu Asli remained a challenge but she was no longer afraid to sing them because Misha guided her well.
“I believe that with time and practice, I’ll be able to sing them well.”
For Zarul Husin of Umbrella, he’s glad that his protege Aznie Ariffin was given a standing ovation by Mark and Edry for “never disappointing” them.
“Aznie is as consistent as it gets but I’ve told her to connect with audiences more, based on Edry’s advice. It’s very important to have good eye contact with the crowd, just as storytellers do,” said Zarul.
Aznie, 40, who finished third in TV3 talent search Sinaran Paspot Kegemilangan in 1996, said she was working “twice as hard” to impress the judges on Sunday.
“I’m thankful to Mark and Edry for their kind words but I must not be complacent. It is the final battle and I must do something that captures the imagination of the judges and audiences.”
Rustam “Tam” Mustafa of rock group Spider said his protege Azril Azmi or AJ will be performing a rock song, his forte.
“His strength is his ability to control the stage and communicate with the audience. He may not have participated in contests previously but he’s been involved with buskers and entertained at birthdays and weddings,” said Tam.
AJ, 42, who will have his first duet with a female artiste in the finals, admitted that being the sole male finalist was “neither a blessing nor a curse”.
“Mentor Otai is not a popularity contest and voting does not contribute much to my marks. I prefer to be judged on merit,” he said, adding that Tam taught him to “go all out” as a performer.
Edry said he and Mark were unanimous in admitting Alina to the finals, as she had impressed them most of the time.
“Together with Aznie and Elvira, they have been the vocal powerhouses of the show,” he said, adding that he was confident the finalists would make the finals a memorable one.
YOUNG AT HEART
The show’s executive producer Muhamad Sufian Che Isa said Mentor Otai was his tribute to middle-aged talents who were underrated in the industry.
“All of the eight proteges have proven themselves young at heart, energetic on stage and honest in delivering their songs. Mentor Otai aims to open music lovers’ eyes to talented ‘mums and dads’ from around the country,” he said.
Mentor Otai is a spin-off of Mentor (which ran for six seasons between 2005 and 2012), and features four mentors with two proteges each.
The judges award 50 per cent of the marks, with another 20 per cent coming from the public jury (comprising musicians and educationists) and the final 30 per cent from viewers’ online votes.
The winner will receive RM100,000, while the second-placed and third-placed will take home RM50,000 and 20,000 respectively.
Co-hosted by singer-actress Elly Mazlein and Haziq Hussni of Hot FM, the final concert will be broadcast live on TV3 from Sri Pentas 2 at 9pm on Sunday.