IT is always a joy to watch Malaysia's rock queen, Ella, in action.
Ella, or Norzila Aminuddin, has been rocking since she was 18, and 35 years on, she has hardly "aged" physically, mentally and, most of all, vocally.
Her voice remains as crisp as ever, and her onstage energy is as good as it gets.
AGELESS BEAUTY
Ella performed two three-hour 35th anniversary concerts at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil on June 10 and 11, proving that there was no stopping this ageless beauty.
She gave the 10,000 fans who packed the arena on both nights for the Jilid Akhir Ella Puteri Kota a rocking good time.
UPBEAT MEDLEY
Backed by a band of seasoned musicians, Ella emerged on stage at 8.30pm, dressed in a star-studded pink outfit.
She kept fans under her spell with 35 songs, each marking her 35 years in music.
She started with a medley of Bayangan, Belenggu and Permata Biru, which got fans cheering, and after she waved at the crowd, Ella delivered the romantic Penawar and Hati Di Padu, plus a more upbeat medley of Kasih, Hanya Pada Kamu, Ikut Suka Aku, Kabus Dan Sirna and Risau.
SING ALONG
"Love you guys!" she said. "Now sing along with me in the next one!"
The fans sportingly did so, for the less known Istimewah, Justeru, Retak and Pedih, and the major hits of Cinta Selembut Sutera and Pengemis Cinta.
ICONIC ANTHEMS
Ella next delivered her iconic anthems Sembilu, Sepi Sekuntum Mawar Merah and Layar Impian, pointing her microphone at the crowd.
They readily sang whole choruses and waved their luminous wrist bands while doing so.
The wrist bands supplied by organiser Hitman Solutions contained light-emitting diodes and radio frequency receivers that could be programmed by the show director to coordinate the lights based on the songs.
KARAOKE SESSION
During the interlude, concertgoers were treated to a special karaoke session of her cryptic song Rama-Rama. The video comprised computer-animated images of butterflies and multi-coloured words on the stage's big screen.
Ella returned in a purple outfit, and offered her fans more sing-alongs in Rindu, Simbiosis and Tiada Tangis Lagi, which was dedicated to her late mother.
PAPA ROCK
Ella then invited her pilot husband Azhar Ghazali on stage, and they sang the romantic duet Peace Love Rindu, to a standing ovation.
After singing Mungkin, Kesal, Demi, Sujud, Bolero and the popular Kitalah Bintang, the rock queen brought her old friend, Papa Rock Datuk Ramli Sarip, on stage to the cheering crowd.
Paying tribute to Ramli as her "great sifu", Ella sang Kembara Kita with him, before retreating backstage and having him sing his power-packed song Istilah Bercinta.
LORD RETURNS
Ella's next guest was her "big brother in rock" Lord Lokman who roped her into the band Ella And The Boys back in the 1980s and provided her big break in music.
Backed by the seasoned guitarist plus music director and keyboardist Datuk Acis, Ella belted out Menanti, Nuri and her monster hits Dua Insan Bercinta and Permata Pemotong Permata, with the guests singing along again.
BEST FOR LAST
Before Ella called it a night, she returned, with Ramli and Azhar, and belted out her best known patriotic anthems, Standing In The Eyes Of The World and Gemilang.
"Bukit Jalil is a special place for me. This is the place where Standing In The Eyes Of The World debuted at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and returned at the 2017 Commonwealth Games. I have always looked forward to my big return to this venue after first setting foot 25 years ago," said Ella.
Ella also said she fondly remembered singing Gemilang, which was the evening's rousing finale, to usher in National Day at Dataran Merdeka in 1997.
SWEETEST MEMORIES
"Tonight will remain as one of my sweetest memories. I am beyond thankful by the overwhelming response from the audience and fans.
"My appreciation goes to all the fans who attended the concert tonight. I wouldn't be here without the support from all of you who have stood by me from the beginning until today."
Malaysia's beloved rock queen always shows fans what you see is what you get, and proved it beautifully in three dazzling hours.
