I find it absurd that anugerah judge, Jatt Ali, had the opinion that this week's contestants were weaker than last week's. In my honest opinion, the former had so much more originality and better song choices than the latter. Nevertheless, there was no one who could outdo Rashidah Jalil's goosebumpy rendition of Aku Tetap Aku... The lucky six to go on to the next round of eliminations are:
Hermi Ali - I didnt think that Siti Nurhaliza's Usah Di Ragui was a good song choice for him but at least he didnt perform any out-of-this-world vocal gymnastics... Still, I thought the song was too safe & his performance lacked a certain spark (although the glitters in his hair almost blinded me at first.. LOL).
Eidzyan - When I first heard her sing Aku Hanya Pendatang during her first performance on Anugerah a few weeks ago, I thought she sounded so much like Francesca Peters. Tonight however, she sounded like a Khatijah Ibrahim rip-off, whose song (i.e. Ku Pendam Sebuah Duka) was Eidzyan's pick. It might be that the latter is a versatile performer but I think, it would have been much better if she had stuck to her own individual style rather than try to imitate the original singers. Anyway, her red & white dress combo was too singapore flag for my taste... Isnt National Day in August??? ;p
Farah Wahidah - The performance I was waiting for... did not disappoint! Nora's Hanyalah Satu is a very difficult song to execute but Farah managed to pull it off with such finesse and flair that I was totally in awe~! She has a very nice and "pop-ish" vocal tone & color and although her belting isnt as impressive as last week's Rashidah, I believe that Farah is this week's best performer...
Aqmal N - I couldn't remember a single thing about his rendition of Terima Kasih but I DO remember his black leather pants which looked suspiciously like the one worn by contestant Ahmad Syafii from last week...
Yeasi Septimetri - Last week's Indon native, Dina Ardiana, also chose Ning Baizura's Selagi Ada Cinta but Yeasi's version was definitely the more aggravating one to watch (and hear). Her high range is good but her vibrato seems abit... erm... scary~ LOL If I had smses to spare, I'd definitely vote her out~!
Osman Kadir - If I were to shut my eyes, perhaps I'd be able to appreciate his performance of Jamal Abdillah's Kekasih Awal Dan Akhir alot better. As it is however, I just had to tolerate his (painful) facial expressions & theatric stage movements. It doesnt help that he looks more like a stumpy dwarf rather than a cute hobbit. Probably, his overly dramatic gesticulations are to make up for his above-average vocals. so Watever...
Of the four eliminated today, I thought Rin Wahab deserved a shot at next week's semi-finals because her husky vocals on Fauziah Latiff's Aku Sebutir Pasir seemed to me like a breath of fresh air. Tragically, the judges did not share my view... INjustice!!!
