Singer Dafi tells Syahirah Mokhtazar why he’s ready to step out of his comfort zone
“I’VE been known as the singer who can’t sing and the guy who’s always nervous on stage,” says Gadaffi Ismail Sabri (better known as Dafi AF). Though not everyone sees him this way, he is hoping to change that perception.
“For some, watching me perform in Akademi Fantasia Season 5 (in 2007) was the last memory they had of me. I’d like to step out of that.
The 28-year-old singer-cum-actor, known for his 2007 pop tune Bila Terasa Rindu, is taking on new challenges. He is the son of Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
“I have evolved as an artiste in the last nine years and I want people to know I’m no longer the newbie whose nerves are always acting up. I have grown to be more confident on stage,” says Dafi, who graduated from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology with a professional diploma in sound and music design.
He also ventured into the Indonesian entertainment scene as host of a popular TV show, Selamat Siang, in Jakarta.
He returned home when that ended but it didn’t stop him from building ties with musicians from the Indonesian music industry such as Dhani Ahmad Prasetyo, popularly known as Ahmad Dhani.
Last year, the Indonesian musician, producer and former frontman of rock band Dewa 19 signed a contract with Dafi to collaborate and produce an album for the Malaysian singer.
Though this is not the first time Dhani has collaborated with a Malaysian artiste but this is his first in composing an entire album for a Malaysian singer. The last album Dafi released was in 2014, called D4F1.
When asked about the title of the record, he says it is still under wraps. “My main focus now is to complete the album but the challenge lies with the timing and location. The recording takes place entirely in Jakarta and that too, is an entirely new experience,“ says Dafi, in an interview at Indigital and Laugh Out Loud (LOL) Entertainment’s Hari Raya open house.
Dafi is the owner of LOL Entertainment, a company that manages artistes such as family trio Rozita Che Wan, Zain Saidin and their daughter Aaisyah Rhia Dhana, Jihan Muse, Sabhi Saddi, and most recently Elfira Loy.
“This is a dream come true as I’ve wanted to work with Dhani since 2008. Now I finally get the chance to do so. I like his music. I think he’s a musical genius. I am glad to know the fun side of him as he often portrays a serious, no-nonsense personality in public,” says Dafi.
“In reality, he’s a really nice person and I admire how he thinks differently from other composers. I’ve never worked with someone like him. He allows me to be creative and give my two cents’ worth on how I want the direction of the songs to be.”
The album will have 10 tracks that Dhani created. “We’re planning to launch the album at the end of the year in Jakarta, followed by Malaysia next year. This is because we want to test the market there first,” he says.
Dafi’s songs are pop in style. “I am a pop singer after all. I hope this album will take my career to greater heights,” he says.
Working with an Indonesian counterpart is part of Dafi’s effort to bring the Malaysian music industry to international standards.
He hopes to work with the likes of Will.I.Am and Timbaland.
“But the ultimate person I’d like to collaborate with is South Korean rapper and singer songwriter G Dragon (Kwon Ji-Yong). I think his music is more my style,” says Dafi.
NEW ROLES
While his first love will always be music, acting is another area Dafi is looking to develop. He has starred in television shows such as Hotel Mania, Opah Popular and recently, Mak Cun as well as Dia Semanis Honey. He has also appeared in plays such as Di Bawah Lindungan Kaabah, Kenangan Mengusik Jiwa and Dreamgirls.
“I want to take on roles that will challenge me as an actor. I have played funny, happy, romantic or serious characters and I now want to try my hands at playing a psychotic or depressed character,” he says.
“Although I am 28, most people still treat me like I’m 18. I’m not complaining though — I like that people care for me. I just hope I will be given the chance to try new things.”
If given the choice between theatre and TV shows, he prefers the theatre. “If I get to do one or two theatre shows in a year, I’m more than happy.”