LONDON: The 6-year-old boy who sang with a group of buskers and medicine men outside the Central Market in the late 1980s has come a long way.
He now finds himself performing for a different kind audience, not least the judges of The Voice UK tonight.
Now, a civil and structural engineer based in Newcastle, Jeffri Ramli looks back with a smile at his singing career, which has been nothing short of amazing.
“I remember straying away from my parents’ food stall near the Chinese temple to join people busking,” said Jeffri, remembering singing La Bamba to a crowd.
Jeffri, a UiTM graduate, found that singing complemented a serious discipline such as engineering.
“Even when I was in UiTM, I took part in Sinaran Passport Kegemilangan on TV3 and reached the semifinals,” said Jeffri, adding that he came to study in the United Kingdom after a stint in Germany with his foster parents.
He obtained a master’s degree in Civil and Structural Engineering from Newcastle University and is currently the Northeast Graduate and Student Network representative for the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Working as an engineer didn’t stop Jeffri from singing; in fact it was busking in the streets of Newcastle that got him noticed by talent scouts from The Voice UK.
“I was performing at an open mic event when I was told that a couple of talent scouts wanted to see me.
“I went to an audition last year,” said Jeffri, who is no stranger to singing in front of celebrity judges.
With his X Factor experience behind him, singing for Cheryl Cole and Simon Cowell, who disliked the colour of his jacket, Jeffri is one of the stars of the final Blind Audition show of The Voice’s current series, singing for coaches Will.I.Am, Ricky Wilson, Paloma Faith and Boy George on BBC One tonight.
Winning or losing is not important for this multi-talented engineer, who runs a weekly community radio show, the Jeffri Ramli Show in Newcastle.
He also sings at events hosted by Malaysian agencies in the UK, such as the Malaysian Night at Trafalgar Square and the Malaysian Spring Marketin Southbank.
“Although I didn’t get through to the finals in X Factor, I did sing in Wembley. I truly enjoyed it. It is good to have professional views, whatever the outcome.
“Also, as an engineer, I think singing gives my life balance.”
Jeffri grew up listening to Rhythm and Blues, Pop, Soul and Jazz songs.
Besides singing in English and Malay, he also sings in German, Korean
and Spanish.
Fans of Jeffri, the singing engineer, will be able to see him on BBC One tonight.