AIZAT AMDAN’S NEW CHALLENGE
The singer-songwriter is finally ready to take his music to the next level, writes
POPULAR singer-songwriter Aizat Amdan has finally followed in his contemporaries’ (Akim Ahmad, Hazama, Tomok and Black) footsteps. But instead of joining them on TV3’s Mentor Milenia, the award-winning musician will be participating in the returning season of Mentor in October.
“I’m finally confident of passing down my musical skills. If a reality talent show graduate like Akim, who is my junior, can do it, why can’t I?” he said at the recent launch of Harapan Jadi Nyata at Warner Music Malaysia in Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya.
Aizat, 29, admits that his father Datuk Amdan Mat Din and elder brother Anas encouraged him to “take his music to the next level” by mentoring newcomers. They both told me that a good musician should not only create masterpieces but also coach the next generation of recording artistes.”
He added: “My first studio album Percubaan Pertama celebrated its 10th anniversary last June 24, so I guess the next chapter of my musical journey is grooming new talents!”
Aizat will join music educationist, singer and reality show judge Datuk Syafinaz Selamat, Khairil Ridzwan Annuar or Loque of Monoloque, and Akademi Fantasia Season 7 champion Hafiz Suip as mentors in Mentor Season 7. Auditions will be conducted for a month, and each mentor is likely to have two proteges.
“I would have loved to be in Mentor Milenia, since the mentors are from my age group. However, Mentor is more challenging since I get to compete with big names, and that’s a good learning experience.
“To be a good mentor, one should compete against some of the best in the industry such as Syafinaz, who gave me lots of constructive criticism as a guest judge in Akademi Fantasia 5,” said Aizat.
Aizat’s criteria for his proteges is simple — they must have talent in music, a willingness to learn and good interpersonal skills.
He said: “They need not play musical instruments, but it’s a bonus if they can. As for their musical genres, they need not share my passion for pop and rock. R&B, soul and hip-hop are cool too!”
Aizat explained that he would be serious but remain friendly, certainly not a garang (fierce) mentor. “My proteges must always be focused and willing to work hard to win the competition,” he said.
He would also like to keep in touch with his proteges post-competition.
He said: “A mentor’s responsibility is to guide his or her proteges as long as it takes. Even if they join a different record label, their friendship should never end.”
On another note, Aizat is delighted to have recorded for the first time in the Emil Berliner Studio in Berlin, Germany three months ago. “A friend who works in Germany arranged for my first visit to the German capital, and it was there that I recorded Harapan Jadi Nyata,” he said.
“It’s truly an honour to work in a studio where legends like David Bowie, U2 and REM once recorded their albums and singles. I grew up listening to their music, and my father also has a vinyl collection of Bowie’s greatest hits,” he said.
It took Aizat five hours to record the song, a tribute to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and also to his father, who has been bedridden since suffering a stroke late last year.
Officially released digitally on June 29, check out its music video on YouTube or at www.theaizatamdan.com.