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CNA
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
From award-winning singer to rising concert organiser: Singaporean Sufie Rashid on staging concerts for Ne-Yo and more
Just 10 years ago, a fresh-faced youth named Sufie Rashid made history by being the first-ever Singaporean contestant to win the 2015 iteration of Akademi Fantasia, the highly popular Malaysian reality television show that produced artistes like Vince and Mawi. The win put Sufie on the path to being a successful singer in the Malay music scene, with him releasing the acclaimed hit Aku Sanggup (I'm Willing) in 2016 and scoring numerous wins at award shows such as Anugerah Planet Muzik. Now, a decade later, the 34-year-old is still making waves in the entertainment scene – just in a different way. Trading songs for spreadsheets, Sufie has been busy managing SAH Entertainment – the Singapore-based live events company he founded in 2022. Despite its young age, SAH Entertainment has taken on monumental events, staging concerts for top regional and global acts such as Grammy Award-winning singer Ne-Yo, Malaysian music icon Siti Nurhaliza and BigBang member Daesung. This August, the company is organising hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas' concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. 'It's always been my dream since young to organise festivals,' said Sufie when CNA Lifestyle spoke to him last month. After the pandemic, Sufie 'took a leap of faith' and organised his first concert, a show by the popular Indonesian band Ungu. It ended up selling out within two hours, which led to Sufie adding more seats. Following the concert, SAH Entertainment built on its success with shows by Indonesian acts Wali Band and ST 12. The breakthrough, however, came in 2023 when the company brought in R&B legend Ne-Yo to stage his first-ever Singapore concert. Within three hours of general sales, all 5,000 seats for the show, aka the entirety of The Star Theatre, were sold out. The success of that concert prompted Ne-Yo's return the following year for the Singapore leg of his Champagne & Roses tour, which was also organised by SAH Entertainment. This time around, tickets sold out so fast that SAH Entertainment had to add a second show. Sufie did not go into specifics when asked how he managed to snag Ne-Yo the first time around, but he did say that it was 'not easy'. However, he explained that positive word of mouth has helped with his following successes. 'It has always been about the connections we have with other artistes and recommendations [that come from them],' said Sufie. In fact, it was the success of Ne-Yo's shows that prompted the American singer's side to recommend SAH Entertainment to the Black Eyed Peas' team. Nonetheless, Sufie admitted that hosting a concert requires 'a lot of challenges, considerations and decision-making'. 'It's just not about who I want to bring or the repertoire of the artiste or their popularity,' said Sufie. 'We have to consider a lot of things like production, production cost and the requirements of the artiste.' Before deciding to host a concert, Sufie's team will tabulate the cost of its production, the expected profit-loss and the probability of tickets selling well. 'The easiest way of saying it is 'Can the artiste sell?' This industry is a high-risk business. It requires a huge amount of capital to start and if it goes south, it can take a toll on you,' shared Sufie. He divulged that some of the acts they hosted 'have a very huge following in other countries but unfortunately not in Singapore'. Furthermore, Sufie revealed that there were different considerations when it comes to organising concerts in Singapore and Malaysia. '[There are] restrictions [on] certain things that you can and cannot do as a promoter,' said Sufie. For example, he said that in Singapore, venues will ensure that there is a certain amount of space between audiences and the stages, which can sometimes cause artistes to think that their crowd is smaller than it actually is. With many well-performing shows under his belt, which concert was the most memorable for him? '[Indonesian pop band] Wali Band,' replied Sufie. View this post on Instagram A post shared by SAH ENTERTAINMENT (@sahentertainment) Praising the working relationship they shared, Sufie elaborated: 'They were very easy [to work with], very flexible and they [went] all out [for] the fans.' In fact, Sufie said that he is now close with the group members and their management team, with them hanging out whenever they're in the same country. 'We have that family-like bond together.' So whose concert does Sufie hope to host one day? 'Adele,' said Sufie, beaming. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Adele (@adele) 'I don't see her as just a singer. I see her as an entertainer. She has a personality and character that makes fans feel warm, that makes us feel like we are close to her,' continued Sufie as he proceeded to regale us with a story of how he and his wife attended Adele's show in Munich. 'Even if I'm not the one to host it, I will still definitely buy tickets for it. Everyone should really witness Adele's concert.' For now, Sufie says SAH Entertainment is focusing on putting its customers first. 'What I can say to everybody is that whenever we get the opportunity to bring an artiste to you, we will do our best to do it,' said Sufie. 'Our team has always been accommodating to what the fans want because at the end of the day, they are the ones who are gonna save up to pay for the ticket.' After years of staging concerts for overseas acts, this October will see SAH Entertainment organising its first-ever concert for a Singaporean artiste: The Singapore Idol himself, Taufik Batisah. Now possessing an intimate insight into the industry on and off stage, Sufie shared his thoughts on Singapore's entertainment scene. 'I think Singapore has a lot of talented people and new artistes. It's just that they are not given sufficient platforms to showcase their talent,' he shared. 'When you see a new artiste in other countries, if they were to announce a new song today, they will then be occupied with a lot of media promos. 'But in Singapore, I don't think we have that…I think we have quite a good number of media [outlets] in Singapore. It's just a matter of whether or how they can provide these platforms to the local artistes.'
New Straits Times
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Taufik Batisah announces farewell concert after two decades
SINGAPORE: Twenty-one years after being crowned Singapore's inaugural Singapore Idol champion, singer Taufik Batisah is finally set to perform his first solo concert. However, the show, titled "Taufik Batisah: One Last Dance" and scheduled for Oct 25 at The Star Theatre, will also mark his final solo performance, as he intends it to be a one-off event. "I strive to achieve clarity in my work and life," Taufik, 43, explained in a recent interview with The Straits Times. "You have to be clear with your intentions, and you have to just work towards that intention." Beyond his music career, Taufik is also a property agent, actor, and co-owner of the interior design company Ivory Cove. He also creates social media content with his wife and manager, Sheena Akbal, 40. "If there are invites to shows here and there, if they still want me, I'll probably consider them," he added, alluding to potential future appearances. The idea for a solo concert first emerged in 2018, but Taufik's busy schedule put it on hold. It was Sheena, whom he married in 2015, who consistently encouraged him to commit to the project. "She told me, 'You have to commit to it. Do it for the fans because they've been asking for the longest time.'" Taufik admits that headlining The Star Theatre, which boasts a capacity of 5,000, is "scary," particularly as he will be the first Singaporean Malay solo act to take the stage there on his own. "We have to be very realistic (about filling up the venue), but we're hoping for the best. We plan to give the fans the best experience." Plans for the upcoming show, which is expected to run for at least 90 minutes, began to materialise earlier in 2025 following discussions with fellow home-grown singer Sufi Rashid, who runs SAH Entertainment. Backed by a full orchestra, Taufik's set list will span his extensive music career. This will include his Singapore Idol finale number, 'I Dream' (2005), the cover songs he performed as a contestant in the 2004 reality singing competition, and popular Malay radio hits such as 'Usah Lepaskan' (Don't Let It Go), a ballad from his 2006 sophomore album, All Because Of You. "There will be moments where I hope [the fans] will feel as emotional as I will be when I'm on stage," he shared. "I want to take them on a journey of what they have given me in the past 20 years because, ultimately, this is a concert for the supporters." Taufik also expressed an interest in a joint concert with the two Singapore Idol winners who succeeded him: Hady Mirza, who won the second season in 2006, and Sezairi, the winner of the third and final season in 2009.
CNA
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Taufik Batisah shares why he's staging his first, and possibly final, solo concert
It's official: After weeks of teasing, Singaporean singer Taufik Batisah has confirmed that he will indeed stage his first-ever solo concert, One Last Dance, on Oct 25, 2025 at The Star Theatre. Speaking in a mix of English and Malay to members of the media on Monday afternoon (Jul 7) at his fried chicken joint, Chix Hot Chicken, Taufik candidly divulged his reasons for finally pulling the trigger on the much-requested concert. Joining Taufik Batisah at the light-hearted session was singer Sufi Rashid – who is also the founder of the concert's organiser, SAH Entertainment. Taufik Batisah admitted that in recent years, he has been "more focused" on his other ventures, such as real estate and his interior design company. That is not to say that the Singapore Idol winner has discarded his singing roots; he still enjoys performing and has been a constant presence on television till today. Taufik shared that during property viewings and at his restaurant, there would always be clients and customers who say that they had voted for him during Singapore Idol and ask him if he ever plans to release new music or hold a concert. After all, the last time he released new music was in 2014. "So [staging a concert] was always at the back of my head," Taufik said. He revealed that a few years ago, he and Sufi had talked about staging one. However, things did not work out. "As a promoter, we have considerations like dates and the concept," chimed Sufi. "Especially when you're gonna work with a conceptual person like [Taufik], you have to make sure that there's has to be such that when people buy tickets, it's worth it." He added: "We don't want people to come to us, saying 'Why must we buy tickets when we can just watch Taufik in Mediacorp?'" Fast forward a few years, Taufik has decided that now is the time to finally stage the concert, after seeing SAH Entertainment's track record – and after much prodding from his fans and wife. One Last Dance will be the first time that SAH Entertainment stages a concert for a Singaporean artiste. It previously held concerts for global and regional acts such as Ne-Yo and Siti Nurhaliza. Sufi revealed that he plans to hold concerts for other Singaporean artistes, saying: "This is part of my contribution to support industry artistes in Singapore, not just for who they are but also their talent." The team shared that, for now, One Last Dance has 31 songs on its set list, though that number might get reduced to fit the concert runtime. Taufik himself is aware that certain songs from his repertoire appeal to certain age demographics. For instance, he notes that his 2006 song Sesuatu Janji (A Promise) is now viral in TikTok among Malay-speaking users in the region. "I want to take [the audience] on a journey on what they have given me for the past 20 years," said Taufik. "Ultimately, this is a concert for the supporters, [to thank them] for the privilege of performing on stage and listening to my songs which they made popular." As the session became more introspective, Taufik finally addressed the elephant in the room: Why does the name of his inaugural concert allude to a finality? In a pensive tone, he shared: "When I joined real estate in 2019, I was consciously making an effort to be out of the [entertainment] industry. "It took me so long to wanna do a concert [and] to find the right person to do it with." According to Taufik, One Last Dance could very well be his first and final concert. "I feel that as someone from Singapore, as someone from a small country, as someone who's a minority, it's hard to last in the entertainment industry," said Taufik. "I've seen cases where artistes, both in the acting and music fields, don't make financial preparations to retire and end up defeated. This makes me very sad." In Taufik's view, because the industry is small, there is only a certain period of time when an artiste will be relevant. "You need to prepare for the moment when you're no longer need to be aware that this will happen," he admitted. "In my mind, this concert is my last concert, unless God blesses me with a longer career in music." Citing a desire to focus on his other endeavours, Taufik added: "I want to be able to take care of my family. I'm being very, very practical. In all honesty, I'm doing this concert for my fans." View this post on Instagram A post shared by SAH ENTERTAINMENT (@sahentertainment) Tickets for One Last Dance will go on sale on Wednesday (Jul 9) via Sistic, with prices ranging between S$78 and S$228.
CNA
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Taufik Batisah hints at possible 20th anniversary concert in October in social media teasers
Is Singapore Idol winner Taufik Batisah finally staging a concert this year? Signs appear to be pointing "Yes" following a series of teasers on the 43-year-old multi-hyphenate's social media pages in recent days. Murmurings of a concert first started on Jun 9 when Taufik uploaded a video of him doing his day-to-day activities while singing his signature songs, including I Dream and Sesuatu Janji (One Promise). View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taufik Batisah :: 1st Singapore Idol 🇸🇬 (@taufikbatisah) At the end of the video, his wife can be heard telling him that he should just stage a concert to which he responds: "If I were to hold a concert, will you guys come?" In recent days, hints about a potential upcoming concert have only intensified after Taufik posted teasers highlighting the date Oct 25 and captioning them with "20 years". This year marks the 20th anniversary of Taufik Batisah's career in the entertainment industry, following the release of his first album in 2005. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taufik Batisah :: 1st Singapore Idol 🇸🇬 (@taufikbatisah) Interestingly, Taufik has also tagged Singapore-based live event organiser SAH Entertainment in his posts – strengthening claims that he is indeed staging a concert. Headed by singer Sufi Rashid, SAH Entertainment has been handling a growing number of concerts by international acts in Singapore, including the upcoming shows by Black Eyed Peas and Daesung. CNA Lifestyle has reached out to SAH Entertainment for details. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taufik Batisah :: 1st Singapore Idol 🇸🇬 (@taufikbatisah) In 2004, Taufik Batisah made history after being crowned the first-ever Singapore Idol. The inaugural singing competition saw the then 22-year-old triumphing over finalist Sylvester Sim, garnering over 60 per cent of the votes cast. Following his win, Taufik went on to release a series of successful tracks, mainly for Malay-speaking audiences, including Usah Lepaskan (Don't Let Go) and Awak Kat Mane (Where Are You). In recent years, Taufik has also pursued other ventures, including creating the popular restaurant Chix Hot Chicken and being a real estate agent. In May this year, his performance at the latest Pesta Perdana award ceremony went viral, following a sudden technical difficulty that forced him to sing a cappella, which resulted in him wowing audiences and garnering praise for his professionalism.
