STRIVING TO BE ONE IN A MILLION

THE quest for RM1mil got underway in George Town with some 500 hopefuls from the northern region auditioning for the One In A Million (OIAM) reality singing competition at a hotel in Penang on Saturday.

Hopefuls started queuing up from as early as 8.30am to secure themselves a place for the audition.This year, the producers have opened more doors for the musically-inclined by expanding the age limit from between 18 and 30 to between 16 and 32.

Aric Lau said he was hoping that the producers would allow him to participate despite him not meeting the age limit.The 15-year-old boy triumphed with joy after managing to convince the producers that he would be turning 16 by January next year.“I might be too young but I have the talent in me. “My parents were not too happy with me participating but this is my dream and I shall strive for it,” he said.

Raja Farah Afzal Raja Ikram believed she had a 100% chance to pass the audition with her years of experience as a night club singer.The 23-year-old caught the public’s attention with her metre-long dreadlocks.“I can only wash it three times weekly and I will have to shave my head bald if I were to change to any other hairstyle,” she said, adding that her husband, who is a reggae musician, styled the dreadlocks for her.“I like it very much and it shall be my signature hair which I believe would leave a deep impression on the judges,” she said.

Student Muhammad Adul Latif Muhammad brought along his guitar to help him ‘fight the battle’.“I wanted to prove that I’m talented in singing and in playing musical instruments as well. “This would be a plus point for me to win the judges’ hearts,” the 20-year-old polytechnic student said.

Primeworks Studio Sdn Bhd senior producer Zebedee Ernest de Costa, who oversees the project, said they were not only looking for good singers but also real stars from the auditions.“There’re a lot of people who can sing well but we want someone who can entertain the people. He or she should have their own style rather than imitating a particular artiste,” said Zebedee, who was also an audition judge.Auditions for OIAM started on Nov 15 in Kota Kinabalu and Kuching, before moving to Johor Baru and George Town.

Those who missed the auditions can still head for the last one in Berjaya Times Square in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 29.Qualified contestants would vie for the main judging from Nov 30 to Dec 1 where the top 80 contestants would undergo a central elimination from Dec 11 to Dec 19.