JAZZ singer Fadzillah Yusof is best known for her elegant and sultry, Saloma-like retro style, complete with high-hair, floral kebaya and vintage microphone.
The 37-year-old singer, better known as Ushera, is no stranger to reintroducing nightspot guests to the Malayan classics that spanned the 1940s and 1950s.
She also marks most National Day weekends by crooning tunes of yesteryear.
Two years after releasing her debut National Day single Bunga Raya, Ushera has come up with another similarly celebratory track, titled Malaysia Merdeka, which she describes as a “heartfelt message”.
“It's actually a cover version but I've rewritten the lyrics and my producer Ganesh Bala added a new musical arrangement to it,” she said excitedly in a recent interview.
CELEBRATING SPIRIT OF UNITY
Ushera added that Malaysia Merdeka was originally recorded by singer-actress Zahara Agus of Madu Tiga fame in 1956, and it was a ditty to remind Malaysians of the importance of national unity.
“Malaysia Merdeka is part of the musical nationalism movement of 1950s Malaya, which emerged during the struggle for independence.
“Besides celebrating the spirit of nationalism and unity, it also reminds us of our forefathers' hard work and sacrifice to sustain the nation's prosperity and peace, as well as to give us a better and brighter future.”
Ushera felt that Malaysia Merdeka was the right song to mark the country's 61st National Day celebrations because of its majestic and soaring sound, originally provided by the Radio Televisyen Malaysia Orchestra back in the day.
“This stirring and upbeat song is a perfect fit to commemorate our success as a nation which has had a long and storied journey. Most importantly, its sound and message are evergreen and relevant for all times.”
Ushera released Malaysia Merdeka on Monday, on all major online platforms including YouTube, and its music video, which was recorded last month, was sponsored by My Creative Ventures.
EVERGREEN SHOWCASE
She will be performing the song live for the first time at a special National Day showcase at No Black Tie, Jalan Mesui, off Jalan Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur at 9pm today.
Titled Semalam Di Malaya, it “transports” guests to the 1940s and 1950s Malaya filled with mesmerising nostalgia through a dozen jazzy tunes composed and written by Ahmad Jaafar and Osman Ahmad.
“The songs are from my album of the same name, which was recorded over a six-month period in 2016. Jaafar's songs include Ibu which was made popular by the late, great Tan Sri P. Ramlee.
“These songs have a potent and exciting combination of orchestral, Latin and jazz sounds, and I will sing all of them in their original renditions,” Ushera said, adding that most of them were performed by Nona Asiah, Puan Sri Saloma and P. Ramlee.
Ushera's two-hour showcase down memory lane will be accompanied by a groovy six-member ensemble led by producer Ganesh on the piano.
The other musicians are Omar Ibrahim (drums), Norman Rahman (bass), Farid Izwan (saxophone), Aidili (trombone) and Ridzwan Shafie (trumpet).
MUSIC AND PERFORMANCE AT HEART
Ushera, who is from Ipoh, released her debut single Give Me in 2015 and began her singing career at 19.
Besides performing in nightspots with various bands, she has also performed in Koh Samui and Bangkok, both in Thailand as well as Shanghai and Beijing in China.
Ushera grew up listening to the songs of P. Ramlee and Elvis Presley, as well as show tunes from various Broadway musicals. Other inspirations that shaped her musicality include the likes of Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey and TLC.
Ushera, who has been running the Ouch Music School in Bukit Ceylon for the last two years, also starred in several plays at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPaC).
Admission to Semalam Di Malaya is RM70. For details, call 03-2142 3737.
