ELLA TO MIX ROCK WITH CLASSICAL IN SHOW
Rock queen Ella celebrates 30 years in showbiz all while tackling a new music challenge at her upcoming concert at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas. BIBI NURSHUHADA RAMLI has the story
THE musical genres of rock and orchestral symphony are so different that transforming one into the other can be a risky move.
Nevertheless, rock star Ella cannot wait to have her fans listen to the orchestral versions of her songs at her upcoming “Ella — Live With The MPO: A Rock Queen’s Journey” concert.
“The song arrangements are new and different from the original,” she said in Kuala Lumpur recently.
“However, we made sure to retain their iconic ‘hooks’ so that their identities aren’t lost.”
The two-hour show, taking place at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas on Saturday and Sunday at 8.30pm, is the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra’s (MPO) first solo concert featuring a rock artiste.
Ella, 51, had performed with MPO in 2013 as part of the “MPO Rocks” concert, but she said “A Rock Queen’s Journey” was “grander”.
“The ambience is more beautiful and there are more musicians involved, so I think the whole experience will be elevated.
“Even though it’s challenging to get used to the new symphonic musicality, it’s a new endeavour for me to explore. I hope my fans will come and join me on this new journey.”
Ella’s repertoire, which had taken about six months to be finalised, comprises 15 singles and a medley of five songs.
They were curated to reflect Ella’s 30-year journey in music, so expect nostalgic moments as Ella goes down memory lane.
The setlist includes Pengemis Cinta, Pedih, Nuri, Rindu, Layar Impian, Bayangan, Kesal, Dua Insan Bercinta, Sembilu, Gemilang, Demi and Ku Sedia.
“Ella has many hits to choose from, and most of them can be turned into symphonies. We wanted to make sure that we have the best ‘concoction’ for the night,” said the show’s conductor, Ahmad Muriz Che Rose.
“We chose hits and tracks that are rarely performed. I hope we made a good decision,” said Ella.
The concert will feature the 90piece MPO orchestra, and musicians Jenny Chin on keyboards, Edrie Hashim (electric guitar), Rizal Abdul Halim (electric guitar), Derrick Siow (drums) and Syed Sharir Faisal Syed Hussain (bass guitar).
Tickets are priced at RM380, RM270, RM210 and RM150. For more details, call 03-2331 7007 or visit www.mpo.com.my.