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#Showbiz: Night of 14 stars and Lee Min-Ho

South Korean singer-actor Lee Min-Ho wowed Malaysians at the Cuckoo 8th Anniversary Concert, while Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza led 14 local acts

SOUTH Korean superstar Lee Min-Ho described his "return" to Malaysia after six years as a "joyous reunion" with his favourite East Asian city of "super friendly people".

"I've travelled around East Asia over the last decade, each major city has its specialty, but Kuala Lumpur is the city of warm, friendly, smiling people," said the 35-year-old singer-actor when met at the Cuckoo Apprecia8th Anniversary Concert in the Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur on Oct 1.

FIRST TOUCHDOWN

Lee added: "The year 2016 was my first touchdown in Kuala Lumpur, and when I got out of the plane, I was greeted by delighted fans who warmly welcomed me. I loved my brief stay in this beautiful city and I vowed to come back someday!"

Lee regretted not learning Bahasa Malaysia during his initial visit to KL, but he made that up by mastering a few simple terms this time.

"Saya sayang kamu semua! You ladies and gentlemen are 'mantap'," said Lee.

He however regretted being unable to sing during the concert as his schedule was "very tight".

Nevertheless, he was honoured to share the stage and cut an anniversary cake for home appliances company Cuckoo with his fellow brand ambassador Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza.

ADMIRED FROM AFAR

"I'm honoured to celebrate this special occasion with a beautiful singer whom I have admired from afar. We had some selfies together, and we promised to meet again," said Lee.

Though a fan of BTS and BlackPink, Lee has long been impressed with Malaysian singers too.

"Malaysia has many great singers. I don't know most of them but I've seen them in videos and they are amazing," said Lee.

Lee said that he was in the midst of filming two new drama series, Past The Stars and Pachinko 2, which are science-fiction fantasies.

"Working with Malaysia's stars would be a dream come true."

STARSTRUCK SITI

In welcoming Lee to Malaysia, Siti said that meeting him in person made her "starstruck".

"I'll always remember Min-Ho as the first Korean star I've shared the stage with," said Siti, adding that she would "always welcome" Lee to perform a duet with her.

Dressed in a splendid purple outfit, Siti performed four of her hit songs Sama-Sama, Ku Mahu, Ku Milikmu and 7 Nasihat, a duet with hip-hop stars Kmy Kmo and Luca Sickta at the three-hour concert which began at 8.30pm.

Siti dedicated Sama-Sama to frontliners involved in the fight against Covid-19 and recorded the anthem last year for the pandemic drama Juang.

PACKED HALL

The other artistes who entertained 9,000 fans at the packed indoor stadium were Datuk Jamal Abdillah, Jaclyn Victor, Misha Omar, Aina Abdul, Hael Husaini, Dolla, Floor 88, Naqiu, Amelina, Khai Bahar, Tomok and Dina Nadzir.

Looking stunning in a royal blue dress, dangdut icon Amelina belted out her top-selling numbers Asyik and Rindu.

Almost everybody sang and swayed with the Gegar Vaganza 5 (GV5) finalist, and she allowed them to shout out the "ah ah" phrase of Rindu.

A LITTLE SUBDUED

Malaysia's K-Pop quartet Dolla appeared a little subdued, but Sabrina Rusli, Tabitha Lam, Angel Chai and Syasya Shahrizal still got fans singing and dancing as they performed BAD and Watch Me Glow.

After them, sole hip-hop representatives Kmy Kmo and Luca Sickta performed Gong Nekara and Zuhud. They too appeared less aggressive than usual, but still did a commendable job.

POWER-PACKED

Perlis' crooner Khai Bahar sang Hanya Segenggam Setia and Bayang. His arrival marked a gradual rise in power-packed performances, as he belted out his hits with gusto.

Mentor Legend graduate Aina Abdul then sang her heartfelt Terus Hidup and Semalam. Dressed in a stylish, turquoise outfit, she got the crowd singing and received the evening's first standing ovation.

Gegar Vaganza 6 winner Naqiuddin Najib or Naqiu sang the stirring Rindu Separuh Nyawa and Srikandi Cintaku dressed elegantly in red and gold.

He proved the "leading man" of the show with his powerful delivery of both songs.

Bearing an uncanny resemblance to director Syamsul Yusof, he "rocked" with Srikandi, the theme song of the late Mamat Khalid's Hantu Kak Limah.

NEW HORROR FILM

The only rock act, Floor 88 sang Hutang and Chikadun.

Before performing the first song, lead singer Ayie cautioned fans to stay clear of debts.

He also encouraged them to watch his new horror film Rasuk.

Hael Husaini came next with Jampi and Klentang Klentong. Dressed in dark glasses, black gloves and a red suit, he got fans singing along the second song's catchy chorus which spelt out the days of the week.

Cheers could be heard around the arena as the most senior entertainer Jamal got on stage to sing Penghujung Rindu, and Kau Lupa Janji.

He proved that "old is gold" as he still could dance on stage.

The East Coast's representative Misha Omar also got the crowd screaming, as she wished Cuckoo a "happy birthday".

Looking pretty in pink, Misha sang Debunga Cinta and Bunga-Bunga Cinta, and allowed the crowd to sing entire choruses.

One In A Million 3 champion Shah Indrawan Ismail or Tomok sang Sejarah Mungkin Berulang, greeting the crowd with high fives.

He was joined by Sinar radio announcer Dina Nadzir who sang Sedang Bercinta Lagi dressed in a dark green tracksuit.

PERFECT SHOUT-OUT

Malaysian Idol Jaclyn Victor ended the evening with a bang singing her hit song Ikut Rentakku and Andy Williams' Can't Take My Eyes Of You.

Jaclyn also wished Cuckoo a happy birthday, and delivered a flawless cuckoo sound as a shout-out to the company.

A NIGHT TO CHERISH

The concert was co-hosted by actor Azad Jazmin and radio announcers Angah, Raden and Nabilah Mohamad.

Lee's fans might not have caught him singing but they still had a "night to cherish forever" seeing their idol on stage.

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