Dream team
Expect some hilarious moments when funny man Harith Iskander and cheeky singer Adibah Noor cohost AIM22, writes Bibi Nurshuhada Ramli
HARITH ISKANDER is a well-established comedian and sultry-voiced singer and actress Adibah Noor is pretty funny herself. Together, they will make an entertaining pair when hosting Anugerah Industri
Muzik 22 (AIM22) on Dec 18 at Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
“At first, AIM only wanted Harith to be host,” says Adibah at a recent Press conference.
Waving her off, Harith says: “The organisers asked me whom I’d like to be paired with. I answered ‘Selena Gomez. Too bad she’s not free’.”
Harith and Adibah have collaborated mostly for corporate events. They also co-starred in the late Yasmin Ahmad movie, Sepet.
In 2014, Adibah was emcee for Harith’s comedy show To Know Malaysia Is To Laugh Malaysia.
“Hosting a prestigious event like AIM is obviously more challenging!” she says.
However, they have been good friends for a long time so that should help ease the tension.
“We’ve gone pass the introductory stage so things are definitely not awkward between us,” explains Harith, 50.
“We almost dated,” Adibah says jokingly, but with a straight face. “Almost!” Harith adds.
Adibah sighs dramatically. “But he chose to get married first.”
Laughing, Harith adds: “We’re also around the same age so we think alike. Hopefully our chemistry will work wonders on AIM22 evening.”
“I actually idolise Harith,” Adibah, 46, reveals.
“Oh, please,” Harith says, chuckling in mock embarrassment. “Please don’t stop.”
Laughing, Adibah says: “He’s like my big brother. It’s a dream come true to work with him.”
This is Harith’s third time hosting the awards, having done so in 1996 and 2003. Adibah hosted AIM in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2012.
MORE SPONTANEOUS
Harith likens hosting to the job of a traffic policeman. “There are many events going on so we must make sure they run smoothly.
“Our job is not to draw attention to ourselves, but pay attention to what is happening that day,” he says
Adibah agrees. “The most vital thing to know and understand is the programme schedule. We must know who is who, and who is performing next.
“Nevertheless, in terms of what we’ll say, I think Harith and I will be more spontaneous. Whatever that comes to mind at the time, that’s what we’ll present.”
“We won’t discuss specifically what to say. We will just brief each other on the agenda to make sure we don’t overlap or clash,” says Harith.
Both say they will ensure AIM22 will not be a dead serious and boring affair.
“We will also be joking around with the Voice Of God (event narrator). That should make things more interesting,” Adibah says.
Harith says there won’t be any cliche questions such as “So who sponsored your outfit for tonight?”
Adibah thinks Malaysian awards hosts are the most skilled in the world. “Awards hosts in the US, for example, refer to a teleprompter or cue cards. The job is more challenging here because the hosts have to memorise the show’s running order.
“That’s what we plan to do. Maybe we’ll refer to the agenda backstage, but we hope to stand on stage without any cue card in hand,” she says. On challenges?
“I think we’ll panic if the show is underrun! I wonder what we’ll do to fill up the time. If that happens, we’ll have resort to asking questions like ‘Where did you buy your shoes?’,” adds Adibah.
HIGHLIGHT ISSUES
When asked when they’ll go back to acting since many perceive them as intellectuals who dish out clever jokes, Harith asks: “What does that even mean? Nevertheless, it puts us under pressure because we never thought of ourselves as intellectuals. If we did, we’d be working in banks or offices instead.”
Harith adds that some think stand-up comedy is all about teasing or degrading people.
“I beg to differ. I use the platform to highlight something, or encourage people to see it in a different way. I want them to laugh and think at the same time.”
“We won’t be doing any physical comedy. That’s for sure,” Adibah declares.
“Oh, but I might do a handstand for a bit,” Harith jokes.
On their preparation for the evening, Harith admits: “Instead of worrying too much about content, I’ve been stressing over which shoes to wear.”
On the selection of the hosts, AIM22 organising committee head Rosmin Hashim says they wanted a fresh pair. “But Adibah and Harith both have experience hosting AIM. We are aware of their humour and skills in interacting with the audience. We feel they have great chemistry, and we think they will be able to entertain the audience.”
The artistes who will be performing during the awards event include Akim & The Majistret, Ameng, Datuk AC Mizal, Hazama, Datuk Siti Nurhaliza, Faizal Tahir, Projector Band, SonaOne and Yuna.
The award presenters are Aaron Aziz, Amyra Rosli, Forteen, Datuk M. Nasir, Hafiz Suip and ERA announcers.
The red carpet event, which will take place at 8.30pm before the main awards event, will be hosted by singer Aril Pilus and TV personality Shamim Farid.