Latest news with #SashaSaidin
The Star
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Iconic 1990s girl group Elite to reunite in special concert
Elite was once dubbed Malaysia's Spice Girls. Photo: Handout After nearly three decades away from large-scale performances, the popular all-female group of the 1990s, Elite, is set to make a comeback through a special concert Elite'25 on Sept 20. Organised by Icon Entertainment, the show will take place at the Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). All five original members - Linda Rafar, Sasha Saidin, Watie Sadali, Abby Abad and Azza - are set to reunite in a nostalgic performance marking the 30th anniversary of the group's formation. Icon Entertainment founder Iman Tang said the concert is being organised in response to overwhelming demand from fans who want Elite to return after its brief appearance at the GenKRU concert. "After the GenKRU concert, we received many requests to see Elite perform live again because many fans felt its appearance was too short. After discussions, we decided to make it happen and believe this concert will rekindle fond memories among the fans,' he said at a recent press conference. He added the concert is not only to celebrate three decades of Elite in the local music scene but also aims to revive the atmosphere of 1990s music with a modern and professional approach. The upcoming concert will see fans getting the chance to experience live performances of Elite's popular hits such as Trauma, Tamparan Wanita , Manisnya Senyumanmu, Sesuatu Di Dalam Dirimu and G.I.G by the original members of the group, once dubbed Malaysia's Spice Girls. Elite member Abby admitted she initially felt nervous about returning to the stage after being inactive for so long. "To be honest, we were worried about many things because, as everyone knows, Elite has not been active for a long time, let alone performing on stage. "However, after reviewing the plans presented by Iman and seeing the continued strong support from fans, Elite finally agreed to go ahead with the concert,' she said. For Linda, the chance to perform again on a grand stage was incredibly exciting after such a long time apart as a group. "What we miss most is being on stage and entertaining our fans with our own songs. This is a big responsibility and we will try our best to give it our all,' she said. Fans can purchase tickets starting June 26 at with prices ranging from RM268 to RM1,088. – Bernama
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
From seeking husband's permission to picking the perfect organiser: Girl group Elite shares tidbits ahead of September concert
KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 — Popular Malaysian girl group Elite has just announced their first solo concert in over 20 years. The Elite Live '25 concert will see all five original members of the group — once dubbed the 'Malaysian Spice Girls' — take the stage on September 20 at Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). Members confirmed to perform include Abby Abadi, Azza Zawari, Linda Rafar, Watie Sadali and Sasha Saidin. The concert also marks the group's 30th anniversary. Hubby's green light The founder of Icon Entertainment, Iman Tang (middle). — Picture by Firdaus Latiff During the concert's press conference in KL — attended by all the members except Watie — Elite shared that they had a lot to discuss among themselves before agreeing to the comeback concert. This included seeking permission from their respective husbands, as all the members are now married. Abby and Sasha had no issues gaining approval from their husbands. Sasha, who recently tied the knot with Dubai-based entrepreneur Sirhan Wahab in January 2024, said it was easy on her part as her husband has been supportive of her career. However, Linda and Azza admitted it took them some time to convince their spouses. According to Linda, who's married to local actor and director Syed Aiman, her husband didn't give his blessing at first. However, after she convinced him that this was her chance to reunite with her groupmates, he eventually agreed. Meanwhile, Azza, who is married to local businessman Azlan Zulaily, said her situation was similar to Linda's. She promised her husband she would manage her time well, especially since they run a business together. 'I actually told him when we got married that he's marrying a member of Elite, and at that time, Elite had already slowed down compared to how packed our schedule was back in the day. 'So he needs to understand that he's married to a member of Elite — and Elite consists of all five of us. If I'm not there, then they're incomplete. 'When I told him all the girls were coming back, he gave me his blessing,' Azza said. Dress accordingly Members of local girl group Elite (with the exception of Watie Sadali) from left to right; Abby Abadi, Azza Zawari, Linda Rafar and Sasha Saidin. — Picture by Firdaus Latiff The Elite Live '25 concert is organised by Icon Entertainment, which was founded by Iman Tang, a veteran in the local entertainment industry with over 30 years of experience. According to Tang, the main theme for Elite's upcoming concert is Catwalk, and concertgoers are encouraged to dress their best, as there will be a red carpet session. However, Tang reminded attendees to dress appropriately and to be themselves. This was also a nod to the Anugerah Juara Lagu 39 (AJL39) incident earlier this year, where several social media influencers faced backlash for cross-dressing, drawing criticism from the public. This included remarks from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), which stated that it is against Islamic teachings for Muslim men to dress as women. 'To be honest, I don't watch AJL, and I'm not sure what happened at the last one — but I think, if possible, just be who we are. 'Check our ICs (identification cards) and be who you are,' Tang said. Only the best Elite admitted that the overwhelming support they received from their surprise appearance during KRU's four-day concert in May played a major role in their decision to hold their own solo show. Prior to being approached by Icon Entertainment, Linda revealed that several local event organisers had offered to host their concert. However, the Trauma singer said they ultimately decided to go with Tang because they had more confidence in him. 'When we received the offer from Tang, we had several discussions among ourselves, because this is not a small thing. 'The responsibility we carry is huge, and we didn't want to do something that could embarrass us. 'That's why preparations are important, and we're confident that Tang and his team will take care of us. That's why we didn't accept other offers — we chose Tang because he can also guide us on our appearance and vocals,' Linda said. Azza added that aside from offers by event organisers, they've also received interest from big brands seeking collaborations since their KRU performance. Formed in 1995, Elite was the first act signed under KRU Records. Over five years with the label, they released several albums including Catwalk, Tamparan, Idola, Selamat Tinggal Teman, G.I.G, and Merbahaya. Tickets for Elite Live '25 will go on sale starting June 26 at 2pm, with prices ranging from RM268 to RM1,088. For more ticketing information, please visit
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
From seeking husband's permission to choosing the perfect organiser: Malaysian girl group Elite shares tidbits behind Elite Live ‘25
KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 — Popular Malaysian girl group Elite has just announced their first solo concert in over 20 years. The Elite Live '25 concert will see all five original members of the group — once dubbed the 'Malaysian Spice Girls' — take the stage on September 20 at Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). Members confirmed to perform include Abby Abadi, Azza Zawari, Linda Rafar, Watie Sadali and Sasha Saidin. The concert also marks the group's 30th anniversary. Hubby's green light The founder of Icon Entertainment, Iman Tang (middle). — Picture by Firdaus Latiff During the concert's press conference in KL — attended by all the members except Watie — Elite shared that they had a lot to discuss among themselves before agreeing to the comeback concert. This included seeking permission from their respective husbands, as all the members are now married. Abby and Sasha had no issues gaining approval from their husbands. Sasha, who recently tied the knot with Dubai-based entrepreneur Sirhan Wahab in January 2024, said it was easy on her part as her husband has been supportive of her career. However, Linda and Azza admitted it took them some time to convince their spouses. According to Linda, who's married to local actor and director Syed Aiman, her husband didn't give his blessing at first. However, after she convinced him that this was her chance to reunite with her groupmates, he eventually agreed. Meanwhile, Azza, who is married to local businessman Azlan Zulaily, said her situation was similar to Linda's. She promised her husband she would manage her time well, especially since they run a business together. 'I actually told him when we got married that he's marrying a member of Elite, and at that time, Elite had already slowed down compared to how packed our schedule was back in the day. 'So he needs to understand that he's married to a member of Elite — and Elite consists of all five of us. If I'm not there, then they're incomplete. 'When I told him all the girls were coming back, he gave me his blessing,' Azza said. Dress accordingly Members of local girl group Elite (with the exception of Watie Sadali) from left to right; Abby Abadi, Azza Zawari, Linda Rafar and Sasha Saidin. — Picture by Firdaus Latiff The Elite Live '25 concert is organised by Icon Entertainment, which was founded by Iman Tang, a veteran in the local entertainment industry with over 30 years of experience. According to Tang, the main theme for Elite's upcoming concert is Catwalk, and concertgoers are encouraged to dress their best, as there will be a red carpet session. However, Tang reminded attendees to dress appropriately and to be themselves. This was also a nod to the Anugerah Juara Lagu 39 (AJL39) incident earlier this year, where several social media influencers faced backlash for cross-dressing, drawing criticism from the public. This included remarks from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), which stated that it is against Islamic teachings for Muslim men to dress as women. 'To be honest, I don't watch AJL, and I'm not sure what happened at the last one — but I think, if possible, just be who we are. 'Check our ICs (identification cards) and be who you are,' Tang said. Only the best Elite admitted that the overwhelming support they received from their surprise appearance during KRU's four-day concert in May played a major role in their decision to hold their own solo show. Prior to being approached by Icon Entertainment, Linda revealed that several local event organisers had offered to host their concert. However, the Trauma singer said they ultimately decided to go with Tang because they had more confidence in him. 'When we received the offer from Tang, we had several discussions among ourselves, because this is not a small thing. 'The responsibility we carry is huge, and we didn't want to do something that could embarrass us. 'That's why preparations are important, and we're confident that Tang and his team will take care of us. That's why we didn't accept other offers — we chose Tang because he can also guide us on our appearance and vocals,' Linda said. Azza added that aside from offers by event organisers, they've also received interest from big brands seeking collaborations since their KRU performance. Formed in 1995, Elite was the first act signed under KRU Records. Over five years with the label, they released several albums including Catwalk, Tamparan, Idola, Selamat Tinggal Teman, G.I.G, and Merbahaya. Tickets for Elite Live '25 will go on sale starting June 26 at 2pm, with prices ranging from RM268 to RM1,088. For more ticketing information, please visit
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Elite opens official Instagram account amid rise in popularity
19 Jun - After receiving much love from fans following their reunion at KRU's GenKRU concert, '90's female pop group Elite recently announced that they have officially opened a new Instagram account. Member Linda Rafar, who shared the good news, said that the account @eliteofficialmy is open so that they can share their activities with the fans, especially since they have received lots of invitations following their performance at the concert. "We used to have an Instagram account in the past. But since then, everybody became busy with their own careers that the account became no longer active," she said. "But after we got involved in the GenKRU concert, suddenly we received a lot of attention. We didn't expect so many people want to know about Elite's activities." When asked if this means that Elite will one day hold their own concert, the singer stated that they will take whatever opportunity that comes their way. "We do receive lots of offers to hold a concert. But even before accepting them, we have to do a lot of preparations and not just in terms of singing. We are all in our 40s now. We have to start exercising and taking vocal lessons. Even KRU started doing fitness six months prior to their concert," she said. It was back in May that Linda was reunited with the rest of the Elite members; Abby Abadi, Sasha Saidin, Watie Sadali, and Azza Zawari to perform the song, "Di Pintu Syurga" with KRU. The group made their debut in 1995 and is known for hits like "Tamparan Wanita", "Manisnya Senyumanmu" and "Trauma". (Photo Source: Elite IG, Sasha Saidin IG)
