The one where everyone is excited on the debut album

Hi all,

Yesterday, the first newsletter for The Taufik-ed League Mailing List has been sent out! If you have subscribed, but did not receive it, please log on to your Google account. You can still subscribe to the mailing list by completing a few simple steps.

Now, a few announcements for today:

Autographed Taufik's Album

Buyers for the autographed debut album who had made payment (cash, ATM transfer, Internet Banking or PayPal) have been contacted through email. Please check your inbox for more information. If you have placed order, made payment but did not receive the email, please email me as soon as possible.

For those of you intending to buy the autographed albums - I am sorry but the sales has been closed. The details have been passed on, and I am no longer taking new orders. But, fret not, because...


Extended Pre-Sales at Major Music Stores!

The pre-sales order deadline has been extended to 13th January (Thursday), one day before the actual album release! So if you have not place any advanced order, drop by at your nearest music store today!

On the actual launch date (14th January), Taufik will be making the rounds in town areas. Note down the date and the following schedule - you're gonna need it if you want to do some Idol-chasing!

5.00 p.m.: CD Rama (Orchard MRT)
5.30 p.m.: Gramophone (Paragon)
6.00 p.m.: HMV (Hereen)
6.30 p.m.: Sembawang Music Centre (Orchard Cineleisure)
7.00 p.m.: Music Junction (Plaza Singapura)
7.30 p.m.: Carrefour (Suntec City)

Now, remember to cheer and support your Idol, but must be civilised, hor!


Flashback: Is this how you promote your idol?

Some of us may still remember the incident where HMV pasted their price sticker over Taufik's face on the pre-sales package. The Taufik-ed League has decided to take action. With the help of Nur Farhana, the following "complaint" will be sent to Straits Times, The New Paper and TODAY.

"I am dismayed at the disconcerting way HMV record store is handling Singapore Idol Taufik Batisah’s pre-sale package. I noticed the store has placed its price tag sticker on the top right hand corner of the package, completely blocked the artiste’s entire face.

First appearances counts, and in this issue the depiction of Taufik’s face matters most. If I were a customer browsing through a CD shop, I would naturally be inclined to look at a CD with an attractive packaging and the artiste’s face clearly shown. However, with Taufik’s face completely obliterated, it would hardly do justice to his promotion and sales of album.

Granted, most of the buyers will be fans convinced by his talent. But we are talking about marketability here. HMV is patronized by tourists and foreigners and we need to ‘sell’ and showcase our very own Singapore Idol to them. With such careless packaging, our outreach to non-fans and foreigners will be compromised with such disgraceful packaging.

While I concede that price stickers are pasted on the same spot for other CDs in the store, I still believe some basic discretion and initiative should be exercised. HMV should make the extra effort in packaging their good appropriately and not by default. Surely the Singapore Idol CD can be made an exception?

It is not only demeaning to Taufik, who represents a Singapore ambassador, but it also reflects on the cavalier attitude of the concerned promotion party. I would like to offer a simple analogy. How would the nation react if our Prime Minister appeared on the cover of a magazine and the magazine’s price tag on the plastic cover ‘coincidentally’ covered his entire face?

I hope HMV’s management will look into this matter and rectify the problem immediately.

Yours Sincerely,
Nur Farhana Abd Kader
On behalf of http://www.TaufikBatisah.net"

Thanks to Ana for penning such a wonderful letter!


What's Next?

In view of the upcoming launch of album, I would very much want to cover the event. However I will not be able to due to working commitments. Therefore, I would need YOU to help out by joining the Taufik-ed League Coverage Team! You can visit this forum thread to begin discussion!



Some other parts of this blog network has been updated as well. Just surf around, ok? Have fun people, and stay Taufik-ed! =)