There are several things to deal with before we move on to some news and gossips that made head­lines over the past week.

Firstly, our condolences to the family of the late Mohd Shukor Tahir. Fondly known as Koi in local entertainment circles, he was attached to 8TV, under 8 Unit and a familiar face who accompanied several known artistes including Faizal Tahir.

More recently, he was with the Persatuan Akademi Industri Muzik Malaysia (PAIMM).

THE announcement by Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim on 'wajib siar' or compulsory airing of new local releases appears to have gotten favourable response from the entertainment fraternity.

Beneath the early celebrations, however, reigns much confusion and concern over just how much effect will the ruling have when it is implemented on March 1.

Eight is a very lucky number for many. The Chinese especially love it as the pronunciation of the word sounds similar to 'prosperity'.

What does it take to be an Idol? If reigning American Idol Kris Allen's advice is anything to go by, the secret is pretty simple. "I think playing an instrument helps."

Sound advice as he handled quite a few instruments during his performances on the show including the acoustic and electric guitar, keyboard and the piano.

An eerie sense of déjà vu shrouded the cheque presentation and briefing for artistes and musicians at the Putra World Trade Centre last week.

HER name has been mentioned for all the wrong reasons over the past year, and Daphne Eleanor Iking is not up for another round of embarrassment.

The actress and TV personality is now putting her foot down — arming herself with legal ammo and ready to hit back.

The warning has come out too many times.

And still, our artistes continue to parade their private lives for the world to see.

In a judgmental society that somehow expects the highest standards of moral conduct from our celebrities — you’d think it was time our entertainment industry practitioners realise that they are open targets, 24-7.

Despite that, they keep making the mistake of always revealing too much in their own blogs, social networking accounts and such, or allow their friends and acquaintances to upload images or text to compromise their position.

 

Dayang gives her all to produce a mini

The world goes through cycles and the tables have turned.

Yes, the day has arrived where acts dubbed 'indie' for having a track or two of jangly guitars in the mix, have been given priority access and pop divas who are not Datuk Siti Nurhaliza have to work harder to be heard.

Paranormal activity?

OVER the past week or so, after the 24th Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL24) ended, one story emerged from the event that blazed the web. In the blog of yours truly, photos were posted, then picked up by forums, websites, blogs and much more, apart from being distributed via email.

The photos depict a figure or an 'entity' perched precariously atop the rafters of the stadium.

WEDDING bells are indeed going to ring for Indonesian pop diva Krisdayanti in 2010. She was spotted recently at the reigning Malay pop queen Datuk Siti Nurhaliza's birthday bash, as well as the launch of their collaboration album CTKD.

While she was reluctant to reveal full details, KD — as she is more affectionately known, said plans were indeed under way.

AJL 24 — a job well done!

WERE you pleased with the 24th Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL24)? Is the show worth the RM2 million price tag it was said to have cost?

It did look impressive, but there will always be detractors who would snort otherwise. Whatever it is, kudos to TV3 for a job well done on the production side of things, despite some minor technical glitches. Still, there were the usual incidents that almost marred the event.

PETALING JAYA: It was a simple ceremony for the couple who believe they have found true love.

Three years after the end of her first marriage, actress and producer Nor Aliah Lee Abdullah, 38, tied the knot with businessman and polo player Mohammad Zekri Ibrahim, 41, today.

Nor Aliah was glowing, and the picture of a happy bride.

“Zekri is a good man, and he is a good father and even my kids love him.

IT'S 2010, and perhaps it's not too late to wish everyone a great year ahead. There is much to hope for in the world of local entertainment, and most would involve a better scenario for all disciplines of local movies, TV and music.

There are signs that our homegrown scene is forging ahead, but in most cases, it's limited by nostalgic sentiments of achievements of yesteryear.

Whether it be the old names who dominate associations, or the same characters who have a grip on a certain industry — everyone has to realise that it's all about relevance.

FORMED in 1996, and rolling out its first movie in 2001, Tayangan Unggul Sdn Bhd (TU) has established itself as one of the major players in the Malaysian movie-making industry.

After more than two dozen releases, there have been hits and misses along the way. One thing for sure however, is that they never play it safe. Name the genre. Be it romance, horror comedies, drama, musicals, suspense thrillers or a mash-up of two or more of these elements, TU has done it.

IT’S definitely not too late to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and happy holidays. With just a few days left to the new year, comes new hope for the local entertainment industry.

Perhaps our local celebrities and personalities of music and the big and small screens, will learn to be more watchful... or at least not get caught lying. Well, actually scratch that. If that happens, which it never will, gossip columns wouldn't exist.

KUALA LUMPUR: The hosts for popular dance reality program Sehati Berdansa, actor and actress Awal Ashaari and Scha Alyahya, came clean tonight in a tell-all that was aimed at clearing the air.

Both were among several artistes said to have been involved when the police raided an unlicensed entertainment outlet on Christmas eve.

Awal was also supposedly detained after refusing to undergo a urine test in the raid at 3.15am on Friday morning which also witnessed several other recognisable faces of the entertainment community involved.

FROM hosting reality TV to actually being a contestant of one — it is a bittersweet moment for Sazzy Falak as  Sehati Berdansa draws to a close this Saturday night with its grand finale.

After darling couple Isma and Zul became the last  casualties of the third season of the show, Sazzy and her husband Nazril Idrus will now have only Syed Hussien Syed Mustafa (Sein) and Noor Diyana Muhammad (Nan

FOR the last time, perhaps our music industry people should learn that the term 'indie' doesn't reflect a genre.

The term, which refers to independent  production and distribution  an artistic body of work, can reflect the style of work, though this is generally used loosely on such products which are generally of indie rock origin.

 

WE’VE had so many negative stories about the local music industry, so finally here's the chance to highlight  something that will definitely bring a smile and some hope to all of us.