SINGING with seeming ease, Datuk Aishah hit all of the high notes and enraptured the audience with her heart-felt delivery of songs that spanned her close-to-40 year-career during her recent debut solo concert with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO).
Titled Aishah & MPO: A Symphonic Rendezvous, the concert was postponed for a couple of years due to the pandemic.
The wait was worth it, though, as it was a sweeter experience to finally catch her performance on the stage of the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP).
With 16 albums and over 160 songs to her credit, it would have been a monumental task to formulate the setlist but the 920-strong audience was certainly not disappointed by the two-hour concert, which hit all the right notes.
The multiple Anugerah Industri Muzik and Anugerah Juara Lagu winner belted out over 25 songs, with several presented in a medley format.
Elegantly decked out in two sets of clothing designed by Razman Razmi during the performance, the audience was treated to a veritable serving of classic tunes from various eras of her distinguished musical journey.
It was surely a trip down memory lane to a very different time in the life of the 57-year-old artiste circa 1987, when she performed several English songs from her Aishah And The Fan Club days.
Never Gave Up On You, Sensation, Call Me, I Feel Love, as well as the group's only single to make the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, Don't Let Me Fall Alone, were mostly upbeat tunes that got the crowd grooving to the rhythms and catchy melodies.
But it was the later material in her long-lasting career that provided the most challenging aspects in terms of singing which Aishah pulled off perfectly.
Some of the songs she performed included Kasih Kita, Kau Yang Teristimewa, Fatwa Pujangga, Bayangan, Menanti, Malam, Tiada Duka, Jari-jariku Sakit Semua.
Aishah, whose full name is Wan Aishah Wan Ariffin, told the audience that she had contracted Covid-19 twice during the pandemic and her doctor told her that she had lost 20 per cent of her lung capacity.
"So, I had to work really hard make sure I could sing properly since my voice was initially very shaky," she said.
Aishah added that she had to take intensive vocal classes, eat healthily and exercise regularly to prepare.
But she had a few other challenges along the way which included an unfortunate tumble.
"After finishing a recent rehearsal here, I accidently fell flat on the floor when I was walking back to the hotel.
"Luckily, I'm all right and able to stand here in front of all of you," she said.
The Jempol, Negri Sembilan-born songbird also thanked her family, relatives, friends, fans and followers for attending the milestone moment in her career where her songs were given the symphonic touch by the MPO.
All of the tunes were specially arranged by MPO conductor Ahmad Muriz Che Rose, as well as Gerard Salonga, Luqman Aziz, Jenny Chin, Ilham Subri, Vivian Chua and Azhad Sulaiman.
The enchanting material performed by the orchestra which was accompanied by Aishah's powerhouse vocals certainly made the concert an epic and memorable affair.
"After 36 years of singing, my dream of having a concert with a full orchestra has been realised," said Aishah, who thanked all involved for their hard work, passion and professionalism.
Other songs performed that night were Kau Pergi Tanpa Pesan, Kemaafan Dendam Yang Terindah, Hening, Hanakage, Kisah Pelbagai Cinta – Kasihnya Balqis, Malar, Antara Cinta Dan Kasih, Cinta Beralih Arah, Seloka Rindu and Kau Sahabat, Kekasih Dan Teman.
Aishah also belted out a stirring cover of All By Myself, the final winning tune that saw her crowned the champion of the Gegar Vaganza: Season 4 singing competition in 2017.
To the delight of the audience, the mellifluous songstress obliged their request and performed her Hari Raya tune, Pulanglah during the encore segment.
Aishah brought it home by ending the magical concert with sublime renditions of songs from her debut self-titled Malay-language studio album from 1990, namely Bahtera Merdeka, Camar Yang Pulang and Janji Manismu, which drew rousing applause from the eager crowd in the packed hall.