A new reality singing competition with hosts Sherry Alhadad and Alif Satar aims to unearth the next big rock artiste, writes Loong Wai Ting
SHE loves making people laugh. So who would have thought that the warm and easygoing comedienne Sherry Alhadad was once an unhappy child.
During her school days at SMK Taman Melati in Kuala Lumpur, Sherry said she was the target of jokes due to her size.
The host and occasional actress said a school bully even kicked her into a drain. “It happened very fast and the next thing I knew I was in the drain, covered in scratches,” said the 27-year-old recently.
The Perang Bibir host revealed that the bullying made her feel insignificant and she became very self-conscious and reserved. “Most of the time, I just wanted to be left alone,” said Sherry who comes from Bario, Sarawak.
THEATRICAL TURNAROUND
Thankfully, things changed for the better when she discovered theatre while at school.
Sherry said it allowed her to express herself through the various characters she played. “It helped to build my confidence, break me out of my shell and overcome my shyness.”
The experience turned her into a stronger person. “You can survive bad moments and walk away a better person. Being confident is all you need and anyone can do it.”
Sherry plans to come up with a theatre programme targeting schools to help kids build their confidence.
The actress who has appeared in a string of theatre works like Mak Dara Nyonya (2011), Projeck Disko Baldi (2012) and Asmara-ra All Stars (2014) said it will be a great opportunity for children to learn more about themselves.
“Theatre has helped me before and I want to do the same for the kids,” she said.
While Sherry welcomes constructive criticism about her work, talking about her size is a big no-no.
“I welcome feedback about my work and how I can be better but it’s inappropriate to make hurtful comments.”
POTENT CHEMISTRY
Speaking at a Press conference for Rockanova, Sherry said that she was looking forward to hosting the new show with Alif Satar. The reality-based singing competition is aimed at unearthing a talented rock singer.
“This will be our first time working together. We’ve done a few rehearsals together and I love the chemistry. We complement each other,” she said of the 26-year-old singer-actor.
“Whenever I go blank onscreen or am not sure about what to say next, Alif always steps in and takes over. This is the beautiful thing about having a co-host. We can always rely on each other and Alif is a total joy to work with.”
One of the show’s contestants, Malisa Janudin (Mel), said that her decision to join Rockanova was due to her love of rock music as well as to gain exposure. “There’s so much more to rock than just flinging your hair about. The heavy guitar rhythms excite me. When I sing a pop song, I always try to inject some element of rock into it. I just love it,” said the 33-year-old from Johor.
She added: “There aren’t many singing competitions that focus on the rock genre. I think Rockanova will be a great opportunity to showcase my abilities.”
Before joining Rockanova, Mel was performing with her band, NRG Band, every Friday and Saturday night at Live House in Trec on Jalan Tun Razak. The Bintang Gempaq URTV winner (2000) also has a self-titled album released in 2002.
“I still get the jitters every time I go up on stage,” she said, naming ACDC and Guns N’ Roses as her biggest music influences.
Mel has an extensive wig collection. Wearing them for performances saves her a lot of time, she said, especially when she is between shows.
“It’s easy, just put it on and go,” said Mel, adding that she has never had instances where her wig has come off mid-performance.“Thank goodness. Otherwise it would be quite a show.”
SPOTLIGHT ON WOMEN
Another contestant, Nurhidayah Yahya, first discovered her singing ability during a karaoke outing with her family.
“My family gives me a lot of support and they encouraged me to try out Rockanova. I’m extremely thankful to have made it into the top 10,” said Nurhidayah, better known as Dayah among friends.
The KLite, who works as a barista in Starbucks, loves singing and performing in the rock genre because the upbeat melodies and driving rhythms resonate well with her active and bubbly personality.
In a world where rock music is often dominated by male singers, Dayah hopes that the competition will give women a chance in the limelight as well. She had previously joined a local singing competition but failed to make the grade.
“Perhaps the timing wasn’t right then due to my lack of experience. But now I feel that I am ready to take on the stage!” says Dayah excitedly.
Rockanova’s jury consists of Datuk Awie and Edry Abdul Halim. Datuk Hattan is the contestants’ mentor and Sarah Ismail is vocal coach.
The winner will be chosen based on jury opinion (70 per cent), as well as on viewer votes (30 per cent).
Rockanova airs every Wednesday at 9.30pm on Astro Prima and Astro Maya HD (Channel 105 & 135). The premiere episode was aired last Wednesday. Also, catch the highlights of the show on Rock On, hosted by Adriana Adnan, every Monday and Tuesday at 9pm. An acoustic feature with the contestants called Rock Jamm airs every Thursday and Friday at 8.55pm. Meanwhile, Rocktrek Rockanova showcases exclusive behind-the-scenes action on Wednesdays at 9pm.