Zul F

Winner of the Brunei Idol show in 2005, Zul F has continued to grow and develop as an artist in his own right.  He has appeared in the country's first international film 'Lihat Nada', won numerous awards and even performed for His Majesty The King during his 60th Birthday celebrations.  With the regional release of his debut album planned, he tells us how his parent's divorce helped give him the desire to succeed, his love for his fans, and his penchant for singing in the shower.

Hello there, please introduce yourself:
I’m Zul F, its actually short for Zul Fakhari, and I’m a singer from Brunei.  I won the first reality talent show here.

Good work!  Give us an overview then of your musical career so far:
I’ve been singing since I was 7 and my biggest break was when I won the Reality Show, Passport 2 Fame.  I’m with an independent label - Origin Artistic.  At the moment, I’m recording my first album due out later this year.

What’s the battle plan?
The ‘battle’ plan is to release my album regionally – Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. I’ve already got a music video for ‘Dari Mata’, and have just finished filming a new music video for ‘Bersama Bintang’.

What/whom are your influences (musical or otherwise)?
My parents divorced when I was young, and music is the ultimate way for me to escape from ‘reality’.  Negativity actually gave me the drive to improve myself and express myself creatively.

How would you describe your sound?
I’m mostly influenced by R’n’B and I grew up listening to artists like Babyface, Boyz II men, etc. but at the moment, we have produced organic sounds which have a live quality about them.  An example is ‘Dari Mata’.  The other songs are not released yet though will be part of the album.

Is there a message you want to get across through your music?
Well, I love singing and singing is, as I said, my way of expressing my feelings.  There are messages in my songs, but I guess they depend on the listeners’s interpretation.

Tell us about your experience on Brunei Idol?  Did you go into it expecting to win?
It was surreal, and there was a great deal of hard work involved.  One thing I definitely treasure up to this day is my friendship with the other contestants.  I didn’t expect to win, but to a certain extent I psyched myself that if I did win, there’d be bigger things for me out there - so I put in a lot of effort into every single performance.

Any behind the scenes gossip you could fill us in on?
Ha ha ha… I don’t know. You tell me...

What are your vices?
Definitely my energy drinks!!

What gets you excited?
My fans and meeting new people.

What, in your view, is success?  Is there anything specific you would like to achieve with your music?
Success is what you always crave for and you just wont stop until you have satisfied what your heart desires.  I’m going to keep on making music and will continue giving what I can offer, especially for my fans.  They are the reason I am here and to a certain degree they have given me a fair amount of ‘responsibility’ and ‘trust’.  So I have to honour them.

Tell us about your upcoming album Cantik:
It’s the best album in the world!!  Haha…No, seriously…there are 11 songs and each song is unique.  It tells stories about life in general and L.O.V.E., etc.  It will be released later this year, so keep an eye out!

Favourite gig so far, and why?
I don’t have a favorite one so far, but I do enjoy it when I’m given the freedom to work the crowd.  That way I can express myself more.

Worst ever gig and why?
When there are “technical errors”.  I’d hate being in a position where I or other people can’t hear me.  There are times when these things happen and they just spoil my mood. However, these are expected and I'm normally prepared for it.

The perfect crowd is…
Interactive, attentive, responsive, always cheering and supportive.

What’s your policy on groupies?
I’m not bothered at all.  Let’s cut them some slack and give them the freedom to express themselves and collectively.

Weirdest thing a fan has ever given you?
I treasure everything given to me and so far, I have yet to receive something weird haha!

Do you have any special preparations or rituals you go through before playing a show?
I always come prepared.  What I mean by that is I have to undergo sufficient rehearsals (at the studios or at home), plenty of H2O and…lozenges!  Other than that, I pray for a good show right before I walk out on stage.

Do you have any other traditions you stick to?
Not really, but my formula for success would be: HARDWORK + OPPORTUNITY + ENDLESS PRAYERS = SUCCESS!

Describe your perfect day:
In my room or a cosy place and listening to my favorite songs. I don’t get much privacy and spending quality time alone is rare.

Tell us something not many people know about you:
I sing in my bathroom or hum in public toilets haha!  And I usually get ideas when I take a shower.

What does your family think about your music?
My family has been very supportive and I can’t thank them enough.

Tell us about the music scene in Brunei at the moment:
It’s progressively blooming and there are a lot of talented young artists worth checking out.

Best thing about your home town?
The people, the food, the history…it’s a kingdom of treasures

Your favourite local band is:
I.M.T.S - They're a progressive rock band.

What are you going to do right now?
Err…going out to meet up my friends for some coffee and find out whether there is actually any behind-the-scene gossips! HAHA!

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Hear this ture Brunei Idol for yourself on his AMP page.

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Posted by AMP Ed on May 10, 2007 2:58:15 PM HKT #