DiGi CelebriTeens benefit from Sheila On 7 experience

DiGi CelebriTeens benefit from Sheila On 7 experience
Malaysia's talented teens meet award-winning band to learn new tricks

KUALA LUMPUR, 17 July 2006 - The DiGi CelebriTeen finalists today benefited from a mentoring session with award-winning international band Sheila On 7, who made time from their busy schedule to meet with the young Malaysian talents and teach them a trick or two.

Lily Wong from Pahang, Joseph Ng Kok Wai from Perak, Nurul Juliana Rosli from the Klang Valley, Dave Chai Pei Chea from Sarawak and Nur Ulfa Ghazali from Johor participated in the special session as they gear themselves towards the ultimate stage at the DiGi CelebriTeen grand finals.

DiGi's Head of Product Management, Albern Murty, said the mentoring session was organised by DiGi as part of the finalists' preparation in the build-up towards the grand finals.

"Every DiGi CelebriTeen finalist was invited for this session as we believe it is an excellent opportunity to meet established stars and benefit from their wisdom and experience. Opportunities like this don't come along everyday; and we're delighted that Sheila On 7 has set aside the time to meet with our young and talented DiGi CelebriTeens," he said.

"DiGi CelebriTeen is more than just a competition or talent search. It is a platform for truly gifted teenagers to showcase their vocal prowess and benefit from unique learning experiences and training. Today's session is just one of them," he added.

At the specially organised mentoring session, Sheila On 7 shared tips and tricks on vocal performance and stage presence with the attending DiGi CelebriTeen finalists before inviting each finalist to perform his or her 'final' performance for a round of critique.

"Nowadays, teenagers are very fortunate to have platforms like this competition to demonstrate their talent. In the past, there were no such platforms. Teenagers should take advantage of programmes like CelebritTeen to hone their talent, become better singers and achieve much more," said Akhdiat Duta, vocalist from Sheila on 7.

The DiGi CelebriTeens found the experience useful as they prepare themselves for the grand final of the competition. Here is what the finalists had to say:

Lily Wong: "I got some useful tips from the band and will definitely work on improving, especially on my body moves while singing. My parents have been very supportive and they will continue to be a "judges" while I practice at home."

Joseph Ng: "The band taught me to fully express myself in a song, to have the "feel" when I sing because it helps to create more impact. In preparation for the final, I'll be practising everyday at home and in the studio."

Dave Chai: "This session has been very useful. I learn that I need to move with the song. My body should reflect the highs and lows of the song and express the emotions through my body language. I will also work on my pronounciation."

Nurul Juliana Rosli: "Pitch is very important. That's what I learnt today. I need to be careful of my pitching and also my body language when I sing. My parents will have to be my judges from now till the final as I train everyday at home."

Nur Ulfa Ghazali: "The session was very beneficial. I got some useful insight from Sheila On 7. The one thing that struck me the most was their advice on having my own style. The band encouraged us to create our own style in singing and appearance, and not to simply imitate popular artistes. The most important thing is to enjoy singing and just let it all out."

Sheila On 7 is a popular, multi-platinum international group with prestigious award wins including awards from Anugerah Industri Muzik Malaysia (AIM) and Anugerah ERA. The group has released seven albums to date, with their latest album 507 to be launched in Malaysia soon.

Sheila On 7 is in Malaysia to promote its upcoming Sheila On 7 Malaysia Tour 2006, sponsored by DiGi, scheduled to be held from 13th to 20th August at four locations nationwide - Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Penang and Kota Kinabalu.

DiGi CelebriTeen is a nationwide search for Malaysia's first teen idol. It is open to all Malaysians aged 13 to 19 years and is aimed at providing teenagers with a platform to showcase their vocal skills, spunk and personality. It is purposed to discover and nurture young singers into maximising their ability, giving them a head-start in their singing career.

The competition takes place at three levels: preliminary auditions, where ten out of thousands are short-listed; state finals, where only one state representative is selected; and the national Grand Final, where the seven finalists vie for the DiGi CelebriTeen title on 6 August.

The well-deserving winner will be rewarded the chance to record the DiGi CelebriTeen single with KRU Productions and prizes worth RM5,000 in cash and kind.

DiGi CelebriTeen will be featured on TV3's teen programme, Remaja, every Saturday at 1pm from 12 August to 7 October 2006.

Log on to www.digi.com.my/mtv for information on upcoming events, videos and pictures of past auditions and special downloads.

Issued by:
Corporate Communications Department
DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd
Lot 10, Jalan Delima 1/1
Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park
40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan