Syafinaz Selamat

Datuk Syafinaz Selamat;[2] (born 11 January 1973)[notes 1] , is a Malaysian singer who sings in Malay, English, Italian, Spanish, and German.[3] She is a reputed soprano soloist, well known as a voice teacher/vocal coach in universities and private classes, a leading voice master in adult and children choir groups, and often appeared as a professional jury or critic in local singing competitions and reality programmes.

In this Malay name, there is no family name. The name Selamat is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Syafinaz.
Datuk

Syafinaz Selamat

PMW
Syafinaz performing Deewani Mastani in Warna concert 2018
Born (1973-01-11) 11 January 1973
Pontian,[1] Johor Darul Ta'zim, Malaysia
NationalityMalaysian
Occupation
Years active1989–present
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocal
  • Piano
LabelsP&C (1989, 1999, 2001)
Antarctic Sound Production Sdn Bhd (1989)
EMI (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (1999)
Associated acts
Signature

Early life

Syafinaz Selamat is the youngest child out of 11 siblings, and was born in the Pontian District of Johor in Malaysia. Syafinaz began her singing journey as a child singer at the age of 7 in events around her hometown in the Batu Pahat District.[4]

At the age of 9, Syafinaz was recommended to join a talent search hosted by Radio Televisyen Malaysia by her sister who worked there. Syafinaz soon became a regular singer alongside her duet partner Eliza in RTM radio segments, and RTM national television's children's programme that was aired during festive seasons.[4]

Syafinaz landed her first record deal at the age of 15, and her first album titled after her own name, Syafinaz was launched in 1989.[4]

Artistry

Syafinaz graduated from the Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) with a Bachelor's degree in Music. She is also a classically trained singer under the tutelage of Siti Chairani Proehoeman (voice), Muzaffar Abdullah (piano), as well as veterans in the Malaysian music education and classical performance scene. Syafinaz also took initiative by completing a short course in Germany with Heidrun Maria Hahn, a German opera singer, before taking on a commitment as a soprano singer.[4]

Syafinaz's operatic soprano voice fach is dramatic coloratura soprano[notes 2], making her suited for repertoire and arias from composers such as Mozart, Puccini, Bellini, Delibes and Verdi. She was chosen to play the role of the soprano solo in Carl Orff's opera Carmina Burana with 100 choir members and the National Symphony Orchestra of Malaysia, conducted by Roland Peelman.[5]

Career

Teaching

She was the music advisor for the reality programme Audition II, and a vocal coach in Malaysia national singing competition Bintang RTM 2018. She was also chosen as one of the mentors in the reality show Mentor for the show's 7th season installation, Mentor 7 2018.[6] In Mentor 7, Syafinaz was the only mentor who managed to keep both of her protégés (Lazarul and Ranisha) up to the semi-final until Lazarul was eliminated in the semi-final. Syafinaz also managed to maintain the youngest and only female protégé (Ranisha, 18) from the beginning towards the final of Mentor 7.

Syafinaz is currently a lecturer at the Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), one of the board director at The National Arts Academy (ASWARA),[7] an advisor and vocal master for The National Choir of Malaysia,[8] as well as a conductor for PERMATA Seni Koir Group.[9] She also provides private voice tutoring and known to have tutored several well known local singers including Misha Omar, Khai Bahar, Ernie Zakri.

Singer

Syafinaz started off as a pop singer. Her career achievements as a pop singer include a Gold Medal in the R&B/Pop/Rock/Contemporary category during the 1999 World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Los Angeles. Additionally, she's been nominated twice in Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM) for Best Female Vocal for her albums Ingin Bersamamu (1999) and Syyh (2001), a nomination in Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian for Popular Female Singer in the year 1998/99, and Sri Angkasa Award and Anugerah ERA 2002.[1]

Jury/critic

Syafinaz has extensive experience as a jury in numerous local singing competitions and reality shows, including Akademi Fantasia Season 3 and 4, Who Will Win, Mentor, One in a Million (OiAM) Season 1, 2 and 3, Pop Krew, The Band, Bintang Kecil RTM, Bintang RTM and AF Megastar 2017. Her partnership with her co-jury, Paul Moss in OiAM landed them a nomination for Best On-Screen Chemistry Award in Shout! Awards in 2009.[10]

Special events and appearances
Syafinaz Selamat performing for KL Fashion Week 2013

Due to her reputation as the region's leading soprano, Syafinaz is often invited as a special celebrity guest to do classical performances in local and international prestigious events, including private functions, fashion shows and product launches. Some of her international shows include the closing ceremony of the 2007 meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, a special appearance in Expo 2008 in Zaragoza, the 2009 Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane, the 2010 Islamic Fashion Week in Monte Carlo performing before Prince Albert, and in the 2011 World Islamic Economic Forum in Kazakhstan. Syafinaz also made a performance alongside Rosnan Rahman, Zainal Abidin and Jaclyn Victor during Barack Obama's official visitation to Malaysia during his USA presidency in 2014.[1]

Personal life

Initially strongly disapproved by her late father who wanted her to continue studies in medical education after she obtained excellent SPM examination results, Syafinaz was very determined to pursue music as a career. This disagreement has caused a great dispute between them which made Syafinaz ran off to one of her sisters in Johor Bahru.[4]

After that, she decided to move to Kuala Lumpur to live with her other sister. She eventually continued her study in music in the Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). She performed consistently well throughout her studies which not only earned her Dean's List awards from the university but also the approval of her late father who later became her proud supporter.[4]

Syafinaz was trusted with the responsibility as a lecturer assistant by Siti Chairani Prohoeman during her final year in the UiTM. She was then immediately recruited as a lecturer in the UiTM right after she graduated with a Bachelor's degree in 1995.

Despite being in the entertainment industry for decades, there has been rarely any controversial tabloids relating to Syafinaz surfaced on the entertainment news or the internet. Though admitting to the importance of social media accounts as one of the means to keep entertainers relevant in the industry, she also firmly stated that she never had any social media accounts due to her daily hectic schedules and routines as a teacher-cum-singer. However, due to her commitment for Mentor 7, she announced her decision in creating an Instagram account as a purpose in promoting her protégés; Lazarul and Ranisha.[1] Since then, Syafinaz has been actively utilizing her social media accounts not only for brand building and interacting with fans, but also as a platform in sharing her knowledge on voice art in short video segments titled Kata Syasel.

Syafinaz is never married and have no children.

Awards and honours

To honour her contributions in education, entertainment, art and performances for three long decades, Syafinaz was awarded a Panglima Mahkota Wilayah (P.M.W.) medal of honour by Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) during the Federal Territory Day 2018. This honour gives Syafinaz an official Datukship title; Datuk Syafinaz Selamat.[2]

Discography

Studio album
  • Syafinaz (1989)
  • Ingin Bersamamu (1999)
  • Syyh (2002)

Single
  • "RahmatNya" feat. Ranisha and Lazarul (2019)[11]
  • "Persis Salju" (2021)[12]

Theatricals
  • Rubiah (2005)
  • The Adventures of Sinbad (2010)[15]
  • Opera Puteri Saadong (2015)[16]

Notes
  1. Syafinaz shares the same birthday as another Malaysian singer, Siti Nurhaliza.
  2. As opposed to lyrical coloratura soprano voice that is agile light with bright full timbre, dramatic coloratura soprano is powerful through the emotive voice with a darker timbre. However, both lyrical and dramatic coloratura soprano voices specialize in music that is distinguished by agile runs, leaps and trills.

References
  1. D'souza, Kathlyn (1 March 2019). "Follow Datuk Syafinaz Selamat's Melodic Journey From A Teen Sensation To Super Stardom". Malaysia Tatler. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  2. Mokhtazar, Syahirah (2 February 2018). "(Showbiz) Singer Syafinaz honoured to receive Datukship". New Straits Times. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  3. Chua, Dennis (23 June 2015). "Syafinaz Selamat is eagerly counting down to the release of her long-awaited second album". New Straits Times. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  4. "One direction". The Edge. 17 February 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  5. Datuk Ooi, Chean See (8 March 2011). "100 Memorable Women Part 8". The Star. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  6. "Syafinaz Selamat ready to impart knowledge to protégés". Newstakers. 14 November 2018. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  7. "Syafinaz Selamat appointed Aswara board director". Asia News Day. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  8. Chan, Li Leen (10 November 2016). "Nostalgic Journey Down Memory Lane National choir". The Star. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  9. "Permata Seni choir wows audience at Vienna fest". Bernama. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  10. Tan, Jessica (17 July 2010). "Shout! Awards Tonight". News. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  11. Chua, Dennis (7 June 2019). "#Showbiz: And now, Syafinaz's first Raya single". New Straits Times. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  12. Chua, Dennis (7 May 2021). "#Showbiz: Syafinaz sets the bar high for new singers". New Straits Times. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  13. "Violinist Dennis Lau launches debut album at Shook!". ytlcommunity. 10 January 2010. Archived from the original on 15 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  14. Low, Jasmine (10 January 2010). "PRESS RELEASE: FRANK SCOTT HEW INFUSES MUSIC AND FASHION IN "TERPESONA"". WordPress. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  15. Tunku Yusoff, Tunku Shahariah (10 March 2010). "The adventures of Sinbad Bangsawan Style". The Star. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  16. Lin, Rouwen (21 January 2015). "Opera and Mak Yong Remixed for The Staged Story of Kelantan's 'Puteri Saadong'". The Star. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
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