"I Dream" MTV Premiere Update (Edited)

Latest Update

Alright people, rejoice and count your blessing.

Taufik's "I Dream" MTV will be premiered at 12 a.m., 1st Jan 2005

Talk about it here! =)

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Previous Update

First of all, as most of us know, the live telecast for the Sentosa Countdown has been cancelled by MediaCorp. Read more at our news blog.

The decision to air, or not to air, of any program on TV station is entirely up to MediaCorp. Therefore, it is as good as anyone's guess if MediaCorp is going to air Taufik's MTV or not.

Perhaps, a decision has yet to be made. After all, the move to cancel the telecast was a last minute as well.

In any case, let us all not to be too agitated with this turn of event. Turn on the TV at the stroke of midnight and see if MediaCorp did as planned. If not, we can always look forward to the next day.

I am just trying to be put things in perspective - I think we should be more reflective on what happened (read: tsunami) instead of getting worked up over a MTV airing issue. I'm sure Taufik would want his fans to be more compassionate and sensible.

Afterall, MediaCorp is but an entertainment entity, and only that. =)

I'll update again if I heard of any news, ok?

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Sorry been very tied up at work.

I don't want you all to keep guessing. As of now, even I myself am unsure if the MTV launch is still on as planned tonight.

Once I got to know, I'll post it up. I promise.

Asian Tsunami Relief

Dear all Taufik-ed Fans,

The recent tidal wave disaster that hits several of our neighboring countries has inflicted untold amount of damages and the loss of thousands of innocent lives. The needs of the victims are dire - and Taufik would like to encourage all his fans to contribute and help in one way or another towards the relief aid campaign held worldwide. More information is available on the right column.

All well-wishers who intended to chip in to the "Taufik iPod Fund" are encouraged to channel their contributions to the various relief fund organizations. For those of you who have already made contributions, I will be contacting you by email separately. In addition, Taufik would like you to know he appreciates your support and love for him.

All in the spirit of blogs, and to leverage on the power of blogging, TaufikBatisah.net has initiated a special "Asian Tsunami Blog" to keep all fans updated on this incident. All help in keeping this blog as updated as possible is very much welcomed - please contact me via email for details.

On a personal note: I would very much love to share with you all about my time spent with Taufik last night, but I feel that the disaster is more important than anything else at the moment. So, please, contribute generously. As I said, I am not making any profits in the autograhed album sales, but if in the event I do have some remaining cash from the project, I will pledge it to the disaster fund.

The Night I Got Taufik-ed

Me and my slightly suprised look. I just pulled a tooth, so can't smile too widely!


Finally, a nice Kodak moment. Can't believe how fair I am in this pic!

I know if I had write something first before displaying the pic, most likely you won't be reading what I wrote. So I put the pic first before the "story". Anyway, this is just going to be a short post. I am still a bit too Taufik-ed to write properly, but here goes...

Tonight I had a meet up session for fans to buy the album, pass him birthday present etc. Supposed to meet up with Aleza, but she was tied up at home. Thanks to all who turned up, and a big Taufik-ed thank you to those who kept me company during the long hours from 6.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.

I was actually on my way home when I got a message from Aleza: "Meet us at Swensen Paragon".

Little did I know I am to meet the man himself that very night!

As you would have known it, Taufik is a very down to earth guy in real person. Really easy to talk to, and he made me feel so welcomed to the group the moment I was there (it was a birthday celebration of some sort). At times I almost forgotten that I am sharing the same table, the same bowl of Earthquake ice-cream, the same laptop (we were looking at some pics and video clips) with The Singapore Idol!

Adorned in his usual cap, t-shirt and bling-bling, we chatted normally, and I get to know his friends, and Kak Aleza and her two cute daughters! (Okay, one was actually fast asleep). Some of you will take heart to know that your gifts have been passed to him. Taufik want me to tell you people that he is very thankful for all the love and support you fans had showered him.

Looking at man himself, you will immediately realize he is one tired man. But you also can't help to feel a certain affinity to him although the time I spent him was slightly over an hour. Taufik drew his strength from his friends and YOU, my fellow Taufik-ed fans, to push on and perform his best.

Showing his Creative player, he shared with me some recordings from his upcoming album. (For the record, no, he doesn't have an iPod, but more on that later). I can't tell you what songs is in the list, save for the fact "I Dream" and "That's What Friends Are For" will be in the book. But, man, you have to get his album. In his recordings that he shared with me, Taufik surpassed himself. The songs was superbly sung, with so much in them. I know, some of you may say I am bias and not objective, because I am faced with the man himself.

But I tell you - if you were in my shoes, you will just think you are hanging out with an old friend. Only when I listen to his songs did I realized the Taufik in front of me is the one who won 68% of the 1.1 million votes on 1st December. And his singing, if this possible, actually improved further. Much further. For whatever price you are getting the album, it is worth it.

Ok, I shall not rumble on, as I intend to do a proper story telling on this tomorrow. But I have a few facts that I want to put straight.

For those of you who doubted me from the moment I am helping out in the autographed album sales, coordinating the work for the iPod fund, and thinking that I am disillusioned and nothing more than just another crazy fans, I have this to say...

You got your proof, and I don't owe you any explaination to prove myself.

Enough said. Good night people! =)

Meet Up Session Today!

Get Taufik-ed! Today we will be organizing a meet up session - details in the previous post.

Now, I have received several enquiries on the meet up session. My apologies for the confusion, but Taufik will NOT be there. If my previous announcements gave the impression of that, I'm truly sorry. Like I mentioned before, the session is for people to:

1) Make cash payment and new orders for autographed Taufik Album
2) Pass me their belated Christmas/Birthday gifts to Taufik
3) Make cash contribution to Taufik iPod fund

I will be in a grey shirt and black pants today. Will be putting the LIME flash card (the A3 giant poster of Taufik in boxing attire) on my table, but I will be discreet and won't be displaying it to everyone passing my table. For those who doesn't know how I look like, here's a flattering picture of a slimmer looking me *hehe*

Ok, ok. So I know this is a flattering picture. Here's a more recent one =)

I won't be expecting a crowd tonight, so if you have the time, do drop by and say hi. And I got a camera :P

Now, it's time for some updates:

Taufik's first MTV for "I Dream" will premiere this coming Friday midnight, or more accurately, at Saturday 1st January 2005, 1200 on Channel 5. The trailer was splashed all over national television. I don't know what you people think but I think this MTV is gorgeous. Though, I feel sorry for those fans who spent much effort in shooting the initial MTV of Taufik as a cleaner. For those of us who have yet to see this, here's the lyrics for I Dream.

Together with the rest of the 10 Idol finalists, Taufik will be at Sentosa to party with the Nation in welcoming 2005. Tickets are available at SISTIC. Now, talking about New Year, I'm sure there are a lot of things, good and bad, to reflect on 2004. Good things like Singapore Idol and the rebounding economy, bad things like the recent devastating tsunami and Huang Na's case. What is your best/worst memory of 2004? Share it in the forum's Kopitiam with the rest of us Taufik-ed fans.

And, have you considered joining my Blogger Network yet?

Get Taufik-ed! Meet Up Session Tomorrow! (29 Dec)

Venue
Coffee Bean @ Wheelock's Place
click here for map

Date & Time
29th December 2004 (Wed), from 6.30 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.
Updated! Sorry for the mistake!

Who To Look For
Razlan (owner of TaufikBatisah.net)

If you still don't know who I am, you gotta knock your head! *LOL* Just look out for me - most likely I will be in a black shirt and grey jeans. Also look out for someone with some Taufik-ish with him. I might be bringing the giant LIME Taufik flash card, so that you can look out for me. Don't expect to meet a Malay-looking guy. I am not exactly a Malay, and I am very, very Chinese looking. And yes, I understand Chinese (Mandarin to be exact), speak little of it and very fluent in Cantonese. But just hit me with English, alright?

Now, who should go for this meet up?
1) Those who want to purchase an autographed Taufik album and want to pay in cash
2) Those who want my autograph. Okay I am just joking =)
3) Those who want to make cash/cheque contribution to the Taufik iPod fund
4) Those who want to pass belated birthday/X'mas gifts to Taufik
5) Those who want to see who Raz is, and if he is genuine and trustworthy
6) Those who want to beat the hell out of me. Ok, I am just joking here, too.

They will be some forms to fill up to facilitate the whole thing, so be prepared with pens/pencils, alright? I don't have that many spares to go around. Also, if you are coming for reasons (1), (2), and (3), drop me an email with your name (no alias please!) and mobile number so that I know you are coming. Easy for me to catch up with you if you didn't turn up on time.

Alright, updates for international buyers (i.e. non-Singapore residents) who wish to purchase the Taufik Album (autographed) - GOOD NEWS! You can now purchase via eBay.com, therefore you are more protected by eBay policies somewhat. I am going through this process to give our buyers more assurances they are not dealing with some kind of frauds here =)

Well, as most of us here know Taufik and Sly gave superb performances during the Affairs of the Hearts 2004 show on Boxing Day. You can now download the video clip of Taufik singing "An Jing" and Sly singing "Belaian Jiwa" from Download Central. I tell you - these are some of the best songs by the Idols, and Sly rocks with his rendition of Belaian Jiwa. He was good, and yes I still remember I am writing on a Taufik site *LOL*

You can discuss about the show on the Taufik-ed Forum, or just read about the news.

Image and video clip courtesy of

Finally, do you guys and gals have it takes to:

Join The Taufik-ed Bloggers Network!

More on Taufik iPod Fund!

Hi all,

There had been numerous concerns about Taufik iPod fund. To be more specific, many of us are under the impression that Taufik has already got an iPod. Present from fan for his birthday.

You will be amused by this - judging from the number of emails I got on this matter, you will think Taufik has at least 10 iPods!

Okay, please do not ask me how I did this, but these latest confirmed info come from no other than man himself. According to Taufik and Aleze (his god-sis):

1) A number of fans contributed a sum of money for the iPod. These include a group of RGS girls and other well-wishers/fans
2) The accumulated sum is not enough to get an iPod mini as planned
3) Apple Singapore has ran out of stock for iPod mini
4) Taufik does NOT have any iPod to date
5) Taufik prefer iPod over Creative Zen

The plan, now, is to purchase him a 40GB iPod Photo priced at $888. Your contributions (see right) will be added on to existing fund to purchase the new gift.

In addition, Aleza's family will get getting him an iBook/iMac.

I know all of us mean well, but as the "blogmaster" here, I am getting very tired of telling everyone the right situation is. Please do take this post as the most up-to-date information. Also, I will no longer be replying to any emails/comments telling me that Taufik already has an iPod/Creative Zen is better etc. No offences - I know you meant well but I will continue with this fund.

So to would-be-contributors, thank you for your interest in the fund. Take note of this post as the final confirmation. If you trust me, my blog, Aleze and Taufik himself, do contribute as you deemed worth. If you still think some fans have given him an iPod, it is alright to give this fun a miss.

In any case, if in the end I am proven wrong, I can either purchase another gift for Taufik (with agreement from all contributors, of course), or I can refund everyone on the contributed sum.

Thank you everyone! And here to more updates in The Taufik-ed Blog Network!

1) A temporary forum has been set up while problems are sorted out with the original "Taufik-ed League Forum".
2) Taufik did a superb rendition of An Jing, and Sly did very well on Belaian Jiwa as well. Check out the news here, or head down to the forum thread to discuss more!
3) Our feature on LIME, January 2005 issue is up! Complete with superb scans and "analysis" on the feature.
4) Remember to check out the translated version of the Manja's feature of Taufik.

That's all folks! And more news on the "Taufik-ed Blogger Network" will be made available later.

Taufik to sing in Chinese!

A bit late for this, I know, but better than never - Taufik will be singing "An Jing", the Jay Chou song sung by Sly during the Asian Pop round! Catch him in action tonight on Channel 8, 7 p.m. And what's more, Sly will sing "Belaian Jiwa" too! Can you imagine that R&B song being sung in a rock way? I think only Sly can pull off something like that. I can't wait! Read more about it.

Post what you think of their performance here!

Just to jog your memory a bit (and set your expectations right):

Taufik Batisah, singing "Belaian Jiwa"


Sylvester Sim, singing "An Jing"

Most of us also knew that Taufik was featured in Manja, January 2005 issue, reputedly the best shots done on Taufik ever. The magazine, however, is in Malay, and considering that many readers here are less "conversant" in the language, I took the liberty to translate the entire article into English! And here are some of its snap shots.

Click here to read the translated article

Have yet to receive any positive response on the iPod fund. Don't worry people - it is genuine! The person I am talking with is Aleza herself, who is close to Taufik. A bit of trivia - that poor guy finally finishes the album recording this morning, at 1 a.m.! So, if you have not made any pre-sales order, and want to get an autographed CD by Taufik, make your order now.

Thank you all for the support! More updates coming soon.

Belated Gifts for Taufik

(This post has been edited!)

His birthday has passed. Christmas was just over. Is it too late to give him a present?

The answer is - NO!

A few of us who had been around The Taufik-ed League had been thinking to get him a birthday present for the longest time. If you read LIME (Jan Issue), it was said a fan-turned-friend Aleza is buying him an iMac laptop.

While Taufik will be getting a brand new laptop (good for him!), we also planned to get him an iPod instead! Taufik loves the white one, be it mini or otherwise (and he doesn't really fancy the iPod U2 - the black one). We have some money in hand, and now you can contribute to the iPod fund! Actually an iPod Mini will be good, but currently it is out of stock, so we will be getting an iPod Photo for him instead!

This is how it works:

1) You can either pay online (through PayPal) or by meet up (details below)
2) We will collect your name, contact info, photo and message to Taufik
3) Once we have collected enough fund, we will purchase the iPod and get a huge card with all the contributors details inside
4) We will encourage Taufik to personally pen a Thank You message to each contributor

We worked out the sum and guessed each contributor will need to contribute a sum of S$30.00. Online contributor will contribute US$20.00, which will include PayPal commission fees, bank withdrawal fees and protection against USD rate fluctuation. We need about 30 contributors to make it work! And best part of all - this is open to Taufik-ed fans from all over!

Click on the button below to make payment via PayPal (the most preferred way):

OR, for meet up, please let us know by filling up this form

The price of the iPod is approximately S$888.00, and whatever extra fund we have will be used to but accessories, card - you know, all the works.

But, what if you already have a gift for Taufik but no chance to give to him?

Fret not - we are organizing a meet up! For those of you who wants to pass your gifts to Taufik, you can do so through us. You can meet up with us during the session where we collect payment from those intending to contribute to iPod fund by meet up. Here are the details, so note it down in your calendar! Drop me an email if you are coming, so that we know who to expect :)

Venue: Coffee Bean @ Wheelock's Place (Orchard)
Date: 29th December 2004 (Wednesday)
Time: Between 6.30 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.
Who to look for: Will be announced later

Alright, hope this will be fun, and do show your support! I'm going to take lunch now, and - oh yeah - please spread the word!

In Construction

Hey all...

In response to the "heavy taufik", I mean, "heavy traffic" (honest, that wasn't deliberate!) to this site, I am restructuring some parts of this blog. So if you happen to click around found some odd stuff here and there, don't panic! It is just ME at work :)

One of such additions is the top navigation links. These links will lead you to the entire blog network dedicated to Taufik - besides this main blog, there are blogs for news, media, audio and video. Links to forum and gallery will lead to non-blogging external sites. There is also another admin blog, but this one is, err, not suitable for public viewing at the moment.

Which leads me to the question - anyone interested to join the "Taufik-ed Bloggers Network"? Members of this network will be in-charge of each separate, dedicated network of blogs. The nature of blog, essentially, is to pass the power of journalism and speech to the mass public (i.e. you). And since I have a collection of blogs on all things Taufik, I thought, why not pass the power back to you, too?

Of course, not all will be eligible, yeah? To maintain certain level of quality of this site, I will need to set certain, err, expectations :)

So, if you are interested, drop me a line. I'll do up a proper "blogger-wanted" ad to define what exactly is in store for selected bloggers and how you can contribute soon. Keep your eyes peeled here! :)

The Taufik-ed League forum is current down *sigh* The bandwidth of my host has been exceeded, and this is due to the many downloads of Taufik videos that I have provided in Download Central. So, folks, for the time being the video links will not be working. I am negotiating with my host for more bandwidth, so keep tuned, alright?

I have many materials on my hand, and I want to get them posted as soon as possible! :)

I am back online!

Yup, I am at my PC again. Been receiving loads of emails - from people who hated my guts, who wonder if I will cheat their money, who encouraged me with suggestions and info, and who actually thought I am Taufik (!!!) - yes, I got it all. Sorry if I am in anyway delayed in replying, but hey, it's Christmas! :)

I noted all the "glitches" on this blog so far, and will try to sort them out tonight. And hope you all had a great Christmas so far!

Taufik Album Teaser

Hey people,

I have something to show you that will surely tease your heart. Here's the sample of what to expect from his debut album! These are the 6 postcards for the calendar. Pretty cool I think. One shot for every two months. I think the first card is the nicest!

These are the front and back cover designs for the pack of calendar. I am not sure but I think this might just be the actual designs for the album. If you see the back design, there is a "mass-printed" autograph from Taufik. Note: Those of you buying the CD from be can be guaranteed that the autograph will be different from this one! Written by Taufik himself and not printed!

When you pre-order the album at record stores, you will get these additional two items (1) a coupon, which allows you to collect the actual CD during the launch date at where you ordered the CD from, and (2) a form for you to fill in and send to enter a lucky draw to win passes (for Taufik "Thank You/Signing" party). However, if you get it through this blog, you won't get these two - one, we will collect the album on your behalf and post it to you, and two, we will automatically enter your name into the lucky draw. How cool is that!

Here's how you can help out in promoting his album sales! Just use this code and put a link on your website/blog. =)

<a href="http://www.taufikbatisah.net/" target="_blank"><img src="http://idol.raz79.com/taufik/admin/albums/blog/promo_banner.gif" border=0 alt="Get an AUTOGRAPHED Taufik Album!"></a>

More to update tomorrow. But since tonight is X'mas Eve, I will be spending it eating fruit cake, watching FRIENDS DVD and chit chatting with friends. Ahhh... the simple pleasure of life! To those of you who have yet to get a response from me for your orders - don't worry. I will get around to do it tomorrow.

And, people, I am deeply moved by the show of support and the many kind words of encouragements. You guys and gals rock, too!

Merry Christmas! =)

Morning Madness Musing

It is 5.13 a.m., and I am wide awake. Managed to sleep a bit just now... but then I woken up for no apparent reason. My brain is on a hyperdrive. I kept thinking "Will the CD sell?" "Will people trust me enough to buy for me?" "Why am I doing all this?" "What if I 'kena' fraud?" "What if I lose money in this?" "What if people think I am nothing but just another Idol fanatics?" "Why am I losing sleep over things like this?"

Many times I am tempted to give up on blogging this way. The relentless web scouring and newspaper flipping can be very monotonous at times. The hours spent in front of my PC gave me stiff neck, heavy eye bags and scoffing online pals who thought I have deserted them for good. The money spent on domain names, softwares, magazines, tickets ought (and better to) be spent on something else. Like getting a better coach ticket home during the coming CNY holiday.

I guess, for someone who have spent so much effort on this phenomenon, the question will ultimately be - can you honestly answer to yourself that you truly love what you havebuilt, so painstakingly put together and have no regrets at all when, one fine day, all these hype will blow over? If you can give yourself a selfless, resounding yes, then this is for you.

I am never a person who dwell on deep thinking like this. But this loss of sleep serve like a wake up call. While I am unable to say "aye" enthusiastically to my own probing above, I must say this had been one fun journey. So, while the fun lasted, expect nothing less than perfection from TaufikBatisah.net.

Because yours truly has truly been Taufik-ed.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Latest Update on Taufik's Album

Today has been one hell of a whirlwind of orders for Taufik's album. Conflicting information, tonnes of emails, system errors etc. - this is the worst bunch of errors I have ever encountered since the launch of this site. However, all is well now. Managed to sort out quite a number of details :)

For those of you interested to get Taufik Album (yes, that's the title of the album - I have checked), loads of updated info available. Click on the link on the right for more information.

For those too lazy to read (or read it before but undecided), here's a summary version.

1) On my website, they are three options available for purchase. ONE: Purchase by PayPal. All processes is automated and secure. You will need a credit/debit card for this. TWO: Use bank transfer. There is a form for you to fill up in order to obtain my banking information. THREE: For international buyers (i.e. non-Singapore residents), you can also purchase the album, but the pricing will be different. The rate is unavailable at the moment, but you can leave me your details in a special web form so that I can get in touch with you the moment it is available

2) Actually, the main difference between buying on this site, and buying from record store is this - CD purchased through this site is guaranteed to be personally autographed by Taufik. Personalisation may not be possible (as in, you ask him to write your name on your CD), but rest assured it is not mass produced. The album and calendar that you receive in the end are the same

3) Will you get the CD before everyone else? The answer is - I'm not sure. There is a chance that you might receive it later than everyone else, but the delay is to enable Taufik to have ample time to autograph all you CDs! Good things are worth the wait =)

4) Pre-sales in store does not give you the CD. Don't believe any rumours you have heard. Taufik is still in the process of recording the album - how on earth anyone can get hold of the CD? Just something about our Idol - the poor dude is having a hard time juggling between contractual oblogation (media appearances, CD recording etc.) and NS duties. Nowadays, he is recording his album in the morning and afternoon, then head off for his NS duties at night. Now you understand why he wore his shades? It is, of course, not because he has become cocky!

5) Currently Taufik is indeed very, very busy, and also, he does not have a computer yet, so he may be completely unaware of any ongoings online (like this website, for example). And, for the benefits of those who asked me this - no, I do not know Taufik. We never talk to each other before, not even SMS or email. He doesn't even know my name or anything that I am doing. The best, err, relationship you can say exist between me and him will be a fan-idol thing. I watched him on TV and concerts *LOL*

So, how can I get hold of all these information? Simply put - we all got to thank some very kind souls who are close to Taufik to let us know what is happening.

If you happen to feel any negativity on the media or any other ongoings with Taufik, please don't. Things might not be as smooth as it should be for Taufik either. Instead of seething over disatsfaction on all things Taufik, we should instead be compassionate and continue to support him in whatever capacities that we have.

Having said that, I have this message for those of you who are so obsessed with him to extent of wanting to find out where he lives, his email, his friendster account, his phone number etc. - please stop. Give Taufik some privacy. There are better ways to show your support and love for him (and any other Idol as well), but behaving like a paparazi (wrong spelling?) is not the way to go.

Actually I have some more news to update, but I guess this is enough for tonight. On a personal note, I am sad to let you know that all live video streaming on this site may not be available anymore. As mentioned in my FAQ, I am unable to share the video code with anyone as I am streaming the video directly from its source. Apparently, the server may have blocked access from this site. For now, only live MP3 streaming (which is onmy own server at raz79.com) will be available. I am so sorry about this, but it is beyond me to provide live streaming of videos. Will try to work out something though.

Okay now, good night people. And Merry Christmas Eve! =)

Lots of Taufik-ness Tonight!

Lots of things to update tonight! I have been sitting in front of my PC for the past two hours. Man....

"I Dream" Premiere on TV - NOT

Alright, some "official" source has conveyed this news to me earlier today - Taufik's debut MTV for "I Dream" will NOT be premiered on Channel 5 tonight.

The reason cited was because of the theme of the MTV. In an earlier feature, 8-Days covered that, in the MTV, Taufik is a cleaner aspiring to be a singer. After much editing and polishing of the resulting video, questions of disatisfaction were raised on the choosen theme, and therefore the launch will be postponed to a later date.


Taufik's Debut Album

There has been lots of talk about Taufik first album - some says you can advanced order at record shops, others claimed the shops know nothing about the arrangement. Some also managed to get some of the first 700 or so albums from HMV! Lucky you! And I still in the blur, considering I am supposed to update here everyday. Argh~

Anyway, here's the real deal. The official launch date for the album is in mid-January 2005. I have been talking to "some people" and will be helping out to collect orders for Taufik's album. Yup, you can buy them through me :) Just check out the link on the right. The package will be the CD + calendar + autograph.


New Videos from the Final Showdown

If you scroll further down, you'll notice I have included new videos (nice, clear ones) from the Final Showdown. You won't miss them - just look out out for the green "New!" sign


Tell Taufik What You Want

So, you as fans of Taufik - what do you want to tell Taufik? What you want him (and his team at HypRecords) to do? If you have any suggestions, please tell us here. Your suggestions (valid ones of course) will be passed on to Taufik himself. Yes, I promise you that. As the man himself said once - he will be nothing without his fans. This is your chance to pass messages to him. Be heard!



Did you buy Cleo for Jan 2005? That's lots of Taufik in it! I'll update it the next time. And thanks for all the word of encouragement, people. I really appreciate that! :)

Your Questions - Answered

Hey people,

Here are some of your questions posted to me via email. I will try to answer them to the best I can. However, please note these guidelines, ok?

1) If you are posing a question to general blog readers and not really expecting an answer, use the ShoutBox. The ShoutBox can contain only 10 messages at any one time, so question posted might be flushed out before anyone who knows can answer them.
2) If you are posing a question to general blog readers and expecting an answer, please use The Taufik-ed League Forum instead. The forum requires registration - I'm sure all of us don't wish to have any anonymous poster making havoc in our forum!
3) If you are posing a question directly at me, please use the "Contact Me" form. However, before you do so, do check out my FAQ and at least 5 recent postings to see if you can find what you are looking for before emailing me. (I have 500MB worth of emails in my gmail account. No joke!)

Having said that, Raz is always here to help out :) So here are my responses to some selected questions:

"i've manage to download taufik's songs, tanx for replying.. and hey, if ******* really selling the album.. can u count me in?? im buying it for sure..."

The thing is, I am not too sure about this album-ordering anymore. I lost the contact person that I dealt with, and I have trouble trying to get in touch with her again. Anyway, somehow I got to know Taufik's manager and I'll drop her an email and see how things go. You should try your luck in record store. If they don't know, move on! Those of you who managed to place orders - pray share with us, please? :)

"My family and I are a big fan of Taufik and we really appreciate yr effort in keeping us posted on his activities. Question : How can we get hold of his album in JB?"

Will you look at that! Even people across the causeway heard of Taufik! Well, to our Malaysian friends, I am not sure how the distribution will go in Malaysia - I will ask the recording company. However, if I can collect orders from you and ship it over, I'll do so. Let me get hold of the information first, yeah?

"Can u post the vid on him singin "Me and Mrs Jones?"

My, my... all you Mrs. Jones/Batisah wannabes (and those guys who want to take a lesson or two from Taufik to swoon girls), check out my newly update "Download Central". You are in for a treat!

Taufik as HUNK of the Year

Hello people! Here are some updates :)

It is true - Taufik was nominated as one of the "Hunk of The Year" by The New Paper (huh!), along with Sly (huh! x2), Qi Yuwu (more like it), Julian Hee (got some taste there) and Ken Lim (huh! x10). Okay, I am sure TNP editor have a good reason for the nominations. Also note that the contest (which requires you to vote - at 20 cents each) is named "TNP FLAME Awards" not "TNP FAME Awards". It was meant to be entertaining I guess. Trust TNP will do as a tabloid does.

Do scroll down to view updated photos for the Nokia Idol X'mas Party @ Attica (or click here if you are lazy!). Should be updated soon - I have asked my housemate to send to me as I am typing this :)

Added! Click here to view the online album (include both Taufik and Sly!!)

Some changes to the blog - I am so sorry that I didn't realize you can right click and copy the codes to link to me. I have now remodify that - just click on the link, and a pop up window will appear to allow you to copy the code. Also, I have included a disclaimer with regards to the shoutbox. I will try to moderate it as much as possible - but I strongly suggest fans of Taufik to join the Taufik-ed League Forum to continue long term discussions on all things Taufik. The shoutbox is only a temporary thing :)

This month's issue of LIME has Taufik inside - I just bought my copy, but too tired to look inside. *Yawnz*

Time to sleep! :P

Adhoc Update

Was thinking to update my blog only at a later date, but there has been a flood of questions to my inbox and shoutbox. Hey, that shows you guys actually reading what I shared. :)

Anyway, just to clarify two things:

1) Taufik's Album
I have yet to receive any further information on the launch. Will catch up with the person I am contacting. Meanwhile, you can also order the CD at record stores. I mean, advanced order

2) Taufik's "I Dream" MTV Premiere
The first broadcast is scheduled on Channel 5, 9.25 p.m. on Wednesday. However, one anonymous poster commented that this might not happen. So I am not sure as well. Perhaps we just tune in and hope for the best?

And did you know The New Paper nominated Taufik as one of the hunk of the year? Haha.. more of this later, but meanwhile you can head down to the forum and chat about this... stunt. *snigger*

The Taufik-ed Leagued Fans Forum

X'mas Party @ Attica - Post Party Post!

I am back from the party! What a blast! Both Taufik-ed fans and Sly Camp came to support their favorite idols

Okay, my friend and I were pretty on time after having a superb dinner at Brewerkz across the river. We headed to Attica. And boy we had a shock - the place is practically empty! How can it be? Are we late? Is Singapore out of the Idol-fever already?

Turned out that the correct venue is Attica TOO. What a relief! So we headed round the corner, and there! The banner proudly claim "Nokia Private Party - Invitation Only". I get all smugged up and joined the queue.

A funny thing happened - the bouncer actually asked for my IC to check for my age. Like, hello!, which part of me doesn't look like I am above 18? Haha... ok, I shall take it in my stride and treat it as a compliment.

The place is pretty crowded, but not too packed. In fact, it was just nice. Looking around I saw groups of fans and some executives from Nokia. And the party were dotted with other Idols too! These idols were spotted during the party:

1) Leandra. She is all gorgeous with streaks of blonds in her fuzzy hair. Cool!
2) Daphne. Petite as ever. Cute and cuddly. Is it true I heard that she quitted school?
3) Maia. Came later during the party. And she is... well, petite. I can hardly look over the throngs of heads towering over her. Cili padi on stage. Yes, she's hot!
4) Jessea. Yes Jessea was there too! And she was GORGEOUS. And I took a photo with her *swooning*

Jessea and I *swoon*

Wonderful, eh? Don't get all jealous. :P

Of course, here come Taufik and Sly!

Sly opened the show with "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", the song he sang during Spectacular 1 - Parent's Choice. I must admit - he really has the X-factor. He can really connect with the crowd. And, yes, when he is in shape, he can sing. I have little to wonder why the fans (which, by the way, don't look anything to be above legal age to be in Attica) are so smitten by him.

After that, he croned another piece - no surprise here - Jay Chou's famous piece "An Jing". For our Malay speaking friends - nope, he is not singing about any dogs. "An Jing" means "silence" or "quietness" in Chinese. He did pretty well too - and he let his fans opened the song singing at their top of their lungs.

Next come the first round of lucky draw - at which Sly drew 5 rounds of ticket stubs and NONE was present. I mean, how unluncky can he get? More of this later.

Next - Come our first Singapore Idol, TAUFIK!

To my delight, he started with a great number - Supersitious. And man, this is the first time I am seeing Taufik at this close, and he is really good. I mean, yes there were a few odd notes here and there. But overall he is the guy with the voice, the moves, the charm. As he belted his song, the more "matured" fans of Taufik (including yours truly) cheered him on and clapped along.

Next he did "Me and Mrs Jones" - no surprises here, and why is it not "Mrs Jones and I?". And he really won me over. It is little wonder why people say he won in the finals because of this. To all Mrs. Jones/Batisah wannabe, take this from a guy - I UNDERSTAND. :D

Then it is his turn to pick a number for the lucky draw - and he hit one winner straight away. Hah.

Next Sly came out to complete his draw - and it was right then we all know the draw is "kelong-ed" (Singapore slang for "the result is fixed"). First he said "Please, give me a winner please" (to which I laughed heartily *sniggers* you should know why!) and then he proceeded to announce the winning number...

... without drawing a ticket. The flustered host of the night hurried stopped Sly to remind him to draw the lot first, but the damage is done. "Kelong, kelong!" And yes, the winner is someone in the "VIP Corner" - where Leandra and Daphne are sitting.

The party ended with Taufik doing a duet with Sly on - no surprises again - "I Dream". And to the three lady contestants who got to meet Sly and Taufik up close during the X'mas Carole Singing Competition - lucky you! They took their chance to shake hand and hug their idols.

And for those who were there - remember when Taufik judged one of the lady's singing? "There are two type of Santa Claus" And Sly saying, "Ok, I'm going to be Ken Lim". Haha... that was funny!

Click here to view the online album (include both Taufik and Sly!!)

So, the whole thing ended at 9+ or so. I left Attica feeling all good, and I definitely looking forward to taufik's album.

Oh yeah, a message from Taufik - "Remember to buy my album!"

Fique, you need not worry!

Discuss about the X'mas Party @ Attica in "The Taufik-ed League" Forum!

X'mas Party at Attica

Few days ago, I got an SMS-invite to this party of the Idols this Sunday at Attica. Of course, I responded, and they asked me to collect the tickets. Later on found out online that the event is somewhat open to public, and since the collection deadline was during my office hour, I decided to by-pass the event.

Until the phone call this afternoon
Girl: Good morning. Is this 9171XXXX?
Me: Yes this is. Good morning
Girl: I'm calling regarding your Idol party ticket... (snipped)
Me: I thought the tickets would be gone?
Girl: Nope, we reserved to those who responded
Me: I am coming down right now

So imagine how happy I am after collecting the tickets to the party tomorrow. Supposedly, not many people will be there at the event (which is a bit weird considering how fanatical is Sly camp). But here it is! I'm going!

As of the album, yes, it will be officially launched only in mid-January. This is reported in Life! in the newspaper. For those who don't read newspapers (actually, you really should!), here's a summary:

1) Pre-sales order begins next Wednesday at record stors
2) Price is about $20, though it may varies
3) The CD will come with a calendar 0f 2005 (see below)
4) Buyers may stand a chance to attend an autograph session
5) Included: I Dream (No. 1 on Power 98) and That's What Friends Are For
6) MTV for I Dream will premiere on Channel 5 at 9.25 p.m. on Ch5

Now, who can record the MTV and send it to me?! :)

I am liaising with one of the official BMG distributors to get hold of the album. Think I will order in bulk if any of you are interested. Let me get hold of more info and I will post it up.

Got more news, but that's for another post!

Is Taufik First Album Out?

Is Taufik's CD out?

A quick check around some of the fans' blogs revealed that - yes, his CD is on sale, somehow. The launch date was reportedly delayed because the producer "was not confident his albums will sell well" (which I thought is ardent rubbish), so they opted for a pre-launch instead during Dick Lee's concert.

One of my most trusted source poster this:

"...Hi there, I trying to help my cousin Farhana to sell Taufik Batisah CD. They were given 1000 CDs to sell. What I've been told by her, the company responsible to launch Taufik Batisah CDs doesn't have confident that Taufik CDs is sellable. So that's why the date for the launching has been changed and no fixed date has been given yet. So they have to get 1000 people to buy his CDs before his album will be officially launched. The Album cost = $20 [which include Taufik Autograph, A Lucky Draw to a Thank You Party, and a form to sign.]..."

Of course, I am devastated knowing that his album is on sales BUT I didn't even have the slightest idea. How sad! Does anyone have any news? :(

Anyway... back to more updates of Taufik *sniff*

As mentioned, yup, it's true that Taufik (and Sly) will be guest performing (or appearing, I am not sure) at Dick Lee's concert tonight and tomorrow night. You can find out more about the concert here, and there was a brief mention on taufik.

Remember only a day or two ago I posted that Cleo highlighted Taufik on their December issue? There was this brief snippets that I totally forgotten about! Hehe, silly me, but here it goes. I rephrase it as best I can:

"... There was this couple sitting near the front of the bus watching TV Mobile, and Taufik himself was sitting alone at the end of the bus.

Girl: Hey that's Taufik!
Guy: Oh? Doesn't matter. He sucks anyway.

Before getting off at his stop, Taufik paused at exit where couple is: "Thanks for what you said, I'll work on it..."

How touching. Nostalgic are the days for Taufik to travel unnoticed on public transport (without his 4 or more bodyguards).

And here's some good news - some of the videos from the finals are out! I will put up the links at the side bar soon, but here I put for your enjoyment :)

Idol Finalists Medley 1



Idol Finalists Medley 2


I Dream - Taufik Batisah, the Singapore Idol!

And here are more pics from the showdown. Click on the images to view the online album :)

I was trying to clear up some clutter in my raz79.com web server (it was a mess!), and I found, to my surprise, scans from 8-Days on the day of Final Showdown (Dec 1st). Thought I might as well share it here. I can't remember where I get it from (or even if some kind soul uploaded it), but here's a shout out to whoever the samaritan is - "Thanks!"

All right people, gotta go. Do link back to me yeah! :)