It was a star-studded affair at the Star Theatre on 17 and 18 August 2023, thanks to Ella’s JILID AKHIR: ELLA PUTERI KOTA (Ella’s Final Chapter) concert!
Tickets for the original 1-day concert Ella were sold out in 40 minutes. An additional show got added, and Ella earned a spot in the Singapore Book of Records as the first solo Malaysian artist with the most ticket sales in two hours.
The concert was held to celebrate Ella’s 35th anniversary in the music industry. Ample preparations were made for this three-hour concert, as she checked out the concert venue a month prior.
Widely known as Ratu Rock (Rock Queen), concert Ella in Singapore definitely rocked as she appeared at the top of the platform stage in black leather pants, grey headscarf and a gorgeous sparkling white loose dress – as she started singing to Risau (Worry), Ala Amerika (American Style), and Kesal (Regret).
Without much talking or introduction, Ella continued to groove and sang her slower-paced rock songs one after another, including Penawar (Cure), Penjara Misteri (Mysterious Prison) and Tinggal Tanda Tanya (Only Questions Remain).
But what really needed to be introduced was Ella’s band. It was my first time seeing a solo percussionist jamming alongside a drummer! They were accompanied by three adorable vocal singers, two guitarists, a bassist and a keyboardist.
They were seasoned performers, and were absolute stars with guitar riffs and solos in every song.
The fans were great fun too, as Ella listened to the fans sing their hearts out (loud!) at the concert. They belted out to her iconic songs, like Retak (Crack), Pengemis Cinta (Love Beggar), Sembilu (Sharp), Sepi Sekuntum Mawar Merah (The Loneliness of a Red Rose), and Layar Impian (Sailing Dream).
There were cute moments in between, like when Ella sang a verse too early for Kabus Dan Sirna, or when fans sang Ella’s songs during the pre-show segment, or when her fans sang a chorus too early for another song.
The fans also came through with full support in red and black, a dress code requested by Ella herself. Many were spotted with bandanas, high boots, leather jackets and skirts.
For the second half of the show, Ella changed into a beautiful white gown and sparkling headscarf, befitting of her ‘Puteri Kota’ (City Princess) status.
Ella’s concert had multiple surprise guests, as she sang a duet with her husband, Azhar Husaini Ghazali. On the first night, Ella also sang with Kaka Azraff.
She brought the heat with a hot feature by rock legend Amy Search, as they sang Dua Insan Bercinta (Two People in Love)! He was welcomed with a standing ovation, especially the men in the crowd.
Ella was not kidding when she said she would perform 30 songs from her extensive discography. She jumped, kicked, rocked with the band till the end, decked in full black leather dress.
She sang to Bayangan (Shadow), Permata Biru (Blue Gem), and Nuri (Light). The grand finale, accompanied by Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei’s flags on screen, was Standing In The Eyes Of The World.
Her voice was steady, smooth and silky till the end. Her ‘manja’ personality too was still apparent, where she recited a flirty poem for the audience.
Fans demanded an encore, and Ella responded aptly with Gemilang (Glorious).
It was a glorious night of rock indeed!
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