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New Straits Times

#SHOWBIZ: Aisha Retno's first solo concert marks a fresh start for her

POPULAR singer and songwriter Aisha Retno finally has her own showcase, and she has worked hard for it over the last year. "Having been on a seven-month hiatus, I now feel a lot more energised than before," said Aisha at a recent press conference in Kuala Lumpur to announce her concert and the launch of her new album. "While I am still learning to compose music and have a long way to go, I am extremely happy to have my very own showcase at last." NEWCOMERS Aisha revealed that her first solo concert will have special guests, both veterans and newcomers to the music scene. A notable name is Aziz Harun, her good friend from Brunei, whom Aisha's fans often describe as her best duet partner, along the lines of 1970s legends the late Datuk Hail Amir and Uji Rashid. Aisha said: "I love electronic dance music (EDM), rhythm and blues (R&B) and even traditional pop (lagu Asli). "All these are part of the mixed bag of goodies that is my new album." JOY She added that while the album might not satisfy everyone, she would always jump for joy whenever fan feedback is good. "It doesn't matter how popular it is, what makes me feel most satisfied is knowing that my fans love my music." REST Of the 12 songs in her new album, Aisha's favourite is titled 'Jeda' which means "rest". "The rest time that this song refers to is my seven-month hiatus, and this resulted from some unfortunate events in the previous year," she said, adding that it was the second single after 'Tak Adil' in the album. "In one of the songs, too, I depict myself as a character named Srikandi in the colourful music video. "And this warrior queen is a woman who does not need her man, Arjuna the warrior prince." ROJAK Aisha's new album titled Rehab is a "rojak" album which was released on July 25. "It is like a fresh start for me, though my passion for creating good music remains the same," she said, adding that she will be performing 12 songs during the concert. Aisha revealed that besides Biduanita Negara Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza, she was largely inspired by award-winning female singers Jaclyn Victor, Aina Abdul and Ernie Zakri, whom she describes as super singers. "They write their own songs, and they are strong and independent women." In fact, Aina and Ernie have what it takes to be the next Biduanita Negara after Siti Nurhaliza, she said. MOTHER In the concert, Aisha plans to bring her mother up stage to sing a few evergreen songs with her. Her mother Jean Retno Aryani was a famous singer from Indonesia, who taught her music and inspired her to be a star. She is her best friend and biggest fan. "My mum is my everything, I'm a real mummy's girl all the way." CLOSE Aisha's brother Radi Saipulijan is the producer of the concert, and both siblings have always been close. "My brother and I grew up together, listening to the same type of music. We are soul mates and very much so till today." Personal experience inspires Aisha's songwriting, as well as stories she learnt from her friends and relatives. "If I could create a beauty product specially for my beloved fans, it would be a colourful dress titled Rehab by Aisha Retno," she said. "I love fashion, especially colourful, flowery and out-of-this-world dresses." EDM Aisha vows to perform more EDM songs as she likes them most. "I'll be very energetic, doing lots and lots of dances on the night of the concert itself. Right now, I'm going to take good care of my health and get enough rest, besides eating right." Aisha, who will sing most of the songs in Rehab during her concert, describes the album as a tribute to her fans for supporting her journey thus far. "I would never have made it without all of you, so this is my labour of love specially for you." WORLD CLASS All of the songs were written by Aisha and produced by her brother, and she credits her "world class" production team for making the production process hiccup-free. The Sept 20 concert will take place at Jio Space in Section 19, Petaling Jaya, Selangor and is presented by LOL Asia. Aisha said: "I worked on the album in December, and I have five more songs to finish. "What I'm doing now is trying my best to release a song a month." INDONESIA Aisha admitted that her recent fainting spell in Jakarta, Indonesia was the result of not eating meals on time, and pushing herself too hard. "I feel a lot better now after that episode. I admit that I'm a perfectionist, who is very hard on myself. "My doctors told me to do things at my own pace and to eat right."