With paintings of Cleopatra and Egyptian hieroglyphics as the stage backdrop Panggung Sari in Istana Budaya had an unmistakably Middle-Eastern feel.  It certainly created the right mood for the hundreds of guests, some of whom had gamely donned Middle Eastern attire.  Then the diva – dripping in diamonds and looking gorgeous in a silk and lace ensemble – took to the stage and began the show.  As the first strains of her favourite song by Lebanese singer Fayrouz was played, you knew without a doubt that Datuk Sharifah Aini felt right at home.  And why shouldn't she?

Konsert Muzika Arabia – which saw the Queen of Song performing a string of Arab tunes, mostly by her idol Fayrouz – has been long overdue, as far as Sharifah Aini was concerned.  She has on several occasions said it's always been her dream to perform Fayrouz songs in a concert.  Singing such numbers as El Bent Chalabia (The Pretty Girl), Habbaitak Bil Stim (I Love You In The Summer), Sa'Lu Lin Nas (People Asked Me) and Akhiriya Mil Saifiyih (The Last Day In Summer), the songstress gracefully moved her body to every beat played by the National Symphony Orchestra, led by Mirza Abdullah.

That Sharifah Aini has long admired Fayrouz, dubbed as the "The Poet of the Voice" by Arabs, was quite obvious, particularly in the way she spoke of the Arab singing legend.  "I have always dreamed of meeting Fayrouz.  But I know it is impossible to do so," she said of the singer who has been known to break borders between the West and the Middle East through her music.  So Konsert Muzika Arabia was Sharifah Aini's tribute, if you like, to her source of inspiration.

Indeed, every word of the beautiful Arabic language was well executed by Sharifah Aini.  Being of Arab descent herself, the singer has been familiar with the language and culture since she was young and this ensured the consistency of her diction when presenting the Arabic songs.  Later, in the second set, she went back to the songs that brought her to fame in the 1970's, kicking off with Di Malam Persandingan, a cover version of one of Fayrouz' famous tunes.

Dressed in a flowing blue gown, Sharifah Aini brought the audience back to the good old nostalgic days of the 70s. She had the crowd in rapt attention with a faultless rendition of Bunga Tanjung – one of her much-loved classics.  But the highlight of the show was probably when she did another classic, Teratai with beautiful music arrangement and her impeccable performance I was indeed blown away!

Besides singing in Malay and Arabic, the versatile songstress also did two unforgettable English numbers –  Josh Groban's You're Still You and Smile, the timeless number by Ol' Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra, which promptly drew contented smiles from her adoring fans.  The final set saw our singing legend, clad in another beautiful Jovian Mandagie creation of brown and yellow silk, embellished with beads and stones, delivering a string of contemporary Arab songs including Ma'ool (Impossible) by Fadhl Shanker, Khalby Ekhtarak (My Heart Has Chosen You) by Amr Diab and Ah Law Gani Tani (I Will Sing Again) by Shereen Wagdy.

It was indeed impressive seeing her juggling contemporary and classic tunes in a two-hour performance.  Equally impressive were her guest artistes – Yassin (who doubled up as one of the back-up vocalists), Mastura Hassan and veteran singer Habibah Yaakob, who delighted the audience with her still-soulful vocals.   Sharifah Aini closed the night with yet another Fayrouz number, Nassam Alayna (Confess Your Love To Me).  Most of us in the audience had hoped for an encore.  Alas, it did not happen.  Still, everyone left the hall satisfied.

PASSION AND SYNERGY

Passionate and dedicated artiste that she is, Sharifah Aini insisted that the show must go on despite having problems with her throat on the first night of her three-day concert at Istana Budaya.

"I sincerely apologise for any flaw in my performance.  The biggest fear for a singer anywhere in the world is to have a sore throat just before a concert.  But we've been rehearsing so hard for this day and being sick will not stop me from giving my best," said Sharifah Aini, to loud applause and approving cheers from the audience.

At the end of the show, I suddenly thought back to the time when I first got acquainted with Arab music and culture.  I remember going through old VCD collections of Arabic songs and stumbling upon Umm Kulthum, an egyptian singer famous of one in the 1950s.  My admiration for the legendary singer grew when I saw how she could sing for long hours and yet deliver every note perfectly.

As I sat through the much-anticipated Konsert Muzika Arabia watching our very own legend on stage, I couldn't help seeing a little of Umm Kulthum in Sharifah Aini.  The delivery of songs and synergy she provided with the orchestra and backing vocals united beautifully.

Throughout her four decades in the music industry, Sharifah Aini has overcome numerous obstacles to reach the top.  Her energetic performance reminds me of Umm Kulthum. Hail to Umm Kulthum of Malaysia! Kudos Kak Pah!

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