“I MAY be a bad example for others. In any case, just ignore who the singer is but listen to what he has to say in the songs...”

That came straight from the heart of Jamal Abdillah during a session with the Press recently after he received a double platinum disc award for his latest album Aku Penghibur that has chalked up sales of over 55,000 units, just two months after its release.

In fact, it was more like a plea, and it seemed one that really touched those who were there.
Despite the ‘awkwardness’, it must be said that it’s much easier to get up close and personal with Jamal these days. He seemed more friendly, talkative and quite generous with his smile that day.

Such a welcome change from the earlier days when he was more of an elusive guy. At one time, he seemed to have preferred to keep things to himself. He hardly warmed up to journalists during Press conferences.

Of course, the continuous adulation showered by his loyal and forgiving fans who simply accept him as he is, serves as the real reason why Jamal is still very much around today.

Jamal’s openness about his struggle to come out clean – which is often hard and challenging – is all the more reason why the Press has been treating him with more respect.

So, Jamal is always spared as the Press is more focused on his singing rather than being judgemental on his shortcomings.

“This is my 26th year with Warner Music. I take this opportunity to apologise to all in the company for any trouble I may have caused them, like making them wait for me and also putting up with my erratic mood swings,” he said with a wry smile.

Jamal is still selling albums and shows until today, unlike many of his peers who had vanished.
He attributed putting full focus on what he does as the secret of his longevity.

Jamal, who got his big break after winning the Bintang RTM singing contest back in the early ’70s, is still making waves in the industry.

Last year, in his Raja Pop album, he did a duet with newcomer Sarah Raisuddin in a reworked version of Sandarkan Pada Kenangan.

It was a master stroke, re-establishing the song as a karaoke favourite and helping the album sell over 130,000 copies.

While Raja Pop was a compilation album of sorts, Aku Penghibur is filled with handpicked classic Malay covers, including a few made popular by Indonesian crooners.
“I truly enjoy singing. Hopefully, the bad habit which has become a stigma in my life will serve as a good lesson for all the listeners to avoid,” he said.

Indeed, at the ceremony held at the Putra World Trade Centre, Jamal took the opportunity to thank among others one Haji Yunus Pathi and PENGASIH (a drug rehabilitation centre) before enthralling the guests with his trademark macho voice singing songs from Aku Penghibur album.

Besides performing the upbeat Oh Di Mana Mustika Hati composed by Ahmad Nawab (the music guru responsible for grooming Jamal during his early days) and recorded by Datuk Sharifah Aini, Jamal also belted out the infectious Gadis Melayu (originally sung by Singaporean Othman Hamzah) accompanied by four kebaya clad models.

The showcase continued with seasoned musician S. Atan on keyboards where Jamal gave the crowd goosebumps with his deep and manly vocals through songs like Bunga Pujaan, Kasih Ibu, Hurt and Seroja, one of the more popular cuts in Aku Penghibur.

Interestingly, Jamal proved time and again not only his versatility but how adventurous he can be by taking on difficult love ballads like Indonesian Kris Dayanti’s Mencintainmu, Zaiton Sameon’s Menaruh Harapan and Siti Nurhaliza’s Aku Cinta Padamu.

Other songs included in his new album are the late Broery Marantika’s disco number Malam Minggu Yang Mesra, the title track popularised by the late Sudirman Arshad, Alleycats’ Berita Dari Rantau and Lagu Gembira (recorded by the late Eddie Ahmad and Hamidah Atan) which is given a new breath by Jamal’s duet with Ning Baizura.

Jamal said he needed much convincing by the album’s producer Fauzi Marzuki to deliver ‘female songs’ and make them his own.

“It’s a big risk when you’re asked to re-record hit songs like Aku Cinta Pada Mu and Mencintaimu by top-notch singers. The least you could do is give your best and try to be as good as the original if not better,” he said.

Besides his tight schedule performing dinner shows, Jamal is all set to record his next studio album filled with new songs and scheduled for release next year.

On a more personal note, life’s been good to Jamal. He’s looking forward to rebuilding his life after some failed relationships in the past. The 46-year-old singer did not dismiss the idea of him re-marrying if he found the right woman, attributing the pressure of life to his second divorce four years ago.

As a result of his second union, Jamal has a three-and-a-half-year-old son, Osama Yamani, who is being taken care of by his dad in Perak.

The boy is currently the apple of his eye and Jamal would do anything for him.
“I try to visit Osama as often as I can whenever I’m free from my singing engagements. He’s the only child I have for now and that’s the reason I’m working extra hard,” he said.
Jamal has also taken the trouble to adapt to all the changing moods and nuances of the entertainment industry.

Faced with the Akademi Fantasia (AF) craze as well as the ‘Tsu
-Mawi wave’, Jamal chose to ride the current rather than go against it. Jamal observed that Mawi, the AF3 champion, helped introduce and promote songs in Aku Penghibur when he sang Gadis Melayu (at one of the AF3 weekly shows) and Seroja during the finals.

“In a way, I’m reaping the profits from the brisk sales of my album after Mawi sang them. I must say that Mawi is a blessed singer who is lucky to be so well-loved by almost everybody,” he said.

Mawi has also sung with Jamal at a few dinner shows and loves to perform the latter’s evergreen hit songs.

So much so that the newcomer has been touted as a potential successor to Jamal.
“No, I don’t feel threatened at all,” laughed Jamal. “Not if he really deserves it. For me, when there’s a friendly rival like Mawi, I’ll strive even harder to maintain my popularity and perform better than before.”