8 Things You Missed By NOT Attending MOJO’s MILFF 2018

Last week, this time, I was still mesmerized on how amazing MOJO Project’s MILFF 2018 was. It wouldn’t have been easy, coordinating so many big names and giving each a length of slot they deserve and to do all of this whilst the other 3 shows they had previously this year. Was MILFF the best of them all? No, because each was individually fantastic. But was this lit? DEFINITELY YES! Join us as we countdown the top 8 things you’ve missed by not being there, experiencing one of the greatest show put together in Malaysia!

1. The Opening Act: PU4LYF Adding The Malaysian Flavor

PU4LYF did justice to the stage that was shared with other international artistes and gave the crowd what they wanted to listen, whilst adding the Malaysian colours to their performance.  I loved the concept PU4LYF used for this show. They would start off by singing a Kollywood song and then mash it up and blend it with an Original PU4LYF song or A Malaysian Classic Tamil song. That’s right  PU4LYF performed Malaysian classics like Kokorogiri, Akkamaage and Jagat songs with ease! The end of their slot literally set the stage on fire when Santhesh sang Amalina and the entire team sang Vai-Lapalam. Huge shoutout of DJ Ruckes on the deck, the guy was amazing by hyping the crowd up with some amazing mixing.

2.  Aalaporan Thamizhan

You know Aalaporan Tamizhan is set to be sang when you see the names of Sathyaprakash & Pooja on the performers list for MILFF 2018 and although I have heard them performing this exact piece on the television over a bunch of times, the goosebumps when they performed live was real! Being a huge Vijay fan myself, this was a very special moment for me as there was an emotional bond with this song, and it was evident among the crowd with it being one of the most cheered songs that night.

3   3. Rajhesh Vaidhya

Rajhesh Vaidhya- the maestro of Veenai walked on the stage and pushed up the energy level, which went skyrocketing when Sathyaprakash sang along his veenai tunes for Enggeyum Eppothum. Some music will leave you speechless and the experience, you will carry it forever. The one moment I’ll never forget was when the great man was dazzling us with some Veenai magic, he suddenly blended in Metallica’s Enter Sandman’s tune. That led to roaring cheers from the crowd and myself. 

This was one of a kind of music and performance. Another favourite was Thendral Vanthe Theendum. Raja sir’s magic was captured to perfection and I didn’t know veenai, such a traditional instrument could lead such a musical act. His gig end on a high, not just figuratively but literally as well by him lifting his Veenai high up in the hair with one hand as a sign his gig is done. Pure music madness

4      4. Anuradha Sriram’s Duet With Sasi The Don

Although a big portion of Sasi The Don’s performance couldn’t keep up with the energy and atmosphere created by Rajesh Vidhya, when Anurdha Sriram started their duet, ABCD from Sasi The Don’s new album, the crowd got back up! Although, one thing I would’ve done differently is that I would’ve swapped this slot with PU4LYF’s opening slot because when PU4LYF was performing, many was still arriving and they did not get the recognition they deserve.

5    5. Sean Roldan’s Medley

It was definitely a privilege to watch this man create music live, on stage at MILFF 2018. Sean has always been unique and his medley from Power Paandi was highly appreciated by the crowd. He is the very few that can make fantastic music and can sing well and I really enjoyed Kannaana Kanne from Naanum Rowdy Dhaan. Sean Roldan also had a very different concept because most of the words uttered while he was on stage were using a recorded video.

6      6. Leon James Unplugged Verratama Veraturiye

I have been a huge fan on Leon James since I watched KO 2 & his Kanne Kanne for Madras 7UP Gig and it literally connected to me so much when he performed Verratama Veraturiye. I would consider this as an impromptu performance as it was a filler for the technical fault that was happening on stage. But, Leon being him, the filler was gold and definitely touched the hearts of many with the melodious tune.

7     7. Andrea’s Shape Of You & Urvasi

Who knew? Who knew that they are going to walk in MILFF 2018 and hear Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You? Nobody! It was a fantastic surprise as no one saw it coming. The Mashup between Shape Of You & Urvasi Urvasi was a thing of pure genius  and Andrea’s stage performance surely needs credits because she constantly knew how to manage the pulse of the audience. 

Andrea also proved her versatility with a classic, Vaa Vaa Pakkam Vaa, a 90’s hit, Shakalaka Baby, an upbeat latest song, Hey Mama Trouser Kalendechi and her most successful song in her singing career, Who’s the Hero? Another goosebump moment is when Andrea achieved the high portion at the end of Who’s The Hero. It was simply WOW!

8      8. Benny Dayal

The final act of the night was highly energetic, Benny Dayal. It was high octane energy from the moment till the very end from Benny. He kept changing caps throughout his gig and they looked super cool!  Let me tell you another thing, THIS MAN CAN DANCE, WHILE SINGING! I have no idea how he manages his breathing. 

His performance started with Taxi Taxi and then it was Kanire from Dil Se. The fans where almost losing their voice screaming and cheering at this point. Songs like Usulampetti Pen Kutty, ChikkuBukku, Pettai Rap, Aathangara Marame, Anthe Arabic Kadaloram and Guleba definitely justified his presence to be the grand closing act. It was mesmerizing and another moment I would treasure forever!

Overall, MILFF 2018 was fantastic and definitely value for the money. And it’s a wrap for MOJO this year. The pressure is on MOJO now as I have no idea how are they going to outdo this amazing concert next year *hint hint ARR live,please!*

Decoding Sheezay

In a couple of days’ time, Mojo Project’s MILFF 2018 is set to happen. September 8^th is a date not to be missed by all music lovers in Malaysia, as one the biggest concerts is set to come to life. Happening from 5.00 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. at Starxpo Centre, KWC Fashion Mall in KL, MILFF (short for Malaysian Independent Live Fusion Festival) will see a great line up of top class musicians set to entertain Malaysians with a variety of music.

Talented musicians such as Andrea Jeremiah, Benny Dayal, Sean Roldan, veenai maestro Rajhesh Vaidhya and many more is set to entertain the crowd for more than six hours. Those who had attended the last two MILFFs in 2016 and 2017 knows well enough that MILFF 2018 is going to raise the bar of excellence up.

Despite being a real fanboy of Andrea, one of the biggest reason that I am very excited about MILFF 2018 is because one of my favourite Malaysian record label, PU4LYF is will share the main stage with the Indian stars.

I am a firm believer that our musicians are just as good as any other musicians in the world and as much as it is amazing to watch musicians from India perform live for us, I have always wanted to see a Malaysian base group get a full slot in a major gig like MILFF. Looks like 2018 is a lucky year indeed as that dream is set to happen with PU4LYF at MILFF 2018.

With less than a week to go to this grand show, I had a chance to catch up with a member of PU4LYF. He is none other than Sheezay. Sheezay is well known and established as a rapper and is well known among his fans for hit songs “Saage Poren”, “Vai Lapalam” and “Bayappadaathey” from Acham Thavir.

I had the opportunity to ask him a couple of questions and below is a transcript of our interview. Happy reading!

Sukesh: How did you get yourself into singing as a career? It is said that you started performing from an age of 8. Is that true?

Sheezay: My first stage performance was when I was eight, and back then I didn't know that I could actually sing. The claps and praises that I got from my teachers and friends at the end of my performance were something I didn’t expect, and I clearly remember one of my teacher’s saying that I should sing more in future.

I never anticipated that one day I would become a full time musician because I had no idea how things worked in this industry back then. The only thing that I had in my mind was that I wanted to succeed and make my parents proud.

Fast forward years later, and here I am today! A lot of people fail because they give importance to fame first, they don’t put in the work. For me fame is just an empty bubble, I’m more into winning.

Sukesh: I think it is great to see that you are passionate about winning. What was the song that first gave you a breakthrough and made you well known with the Malaysian audience?”

Sheezay: “I would say Gettho Disco from Rabbit and Friends 1 and Rockaboy from Kambathu Rapper.”

Sukesh: “You have sung for both Kollywood and Malaysian Film. What is the difference from both these experience?”

Sheezay: “The only challenge that we would face singing for a Kollywood movie is that sometimes you wouldn’t know which actor you will be laying your vocals for. That’s what happened on my experience for my collaboration with GV Prakash, I had limited information and all I knew was I would be doing dance song, only after the final changes on the lyrics I knew it was for Vijay’s Thalaiva.

Local movies are relatively easier to work on because the director or the composers knows what they actually want and if there’s any amendments needs to be done, it can be done immediately.”

Sukesh: “Vijay fans out there reading this is surely going to love the fact that you have landed your voice for him before. What genre of song do you feel best suits you and are you open to experiment with different genres?”

Sheezay: “I love rap music, and yes I have done few songs on different genres like Rock, POP and so on. I usually don’t limit myself to the genera of music  usually saturated with and plus music trend changes every 6 months, so as a musician I believe that you have to also adapt to the changes accordingly to enhance our learning in this field.”

Sukesh: “It’s been a long wait for us to see a Malaysian band get a full slot in MILFF, and this year PU4LYF are having a gig here. What can we anticipate from you guys?”

Sheezay: “I can assure you that this will be something really Unique. We are going all out. Come & witness that.”

Sukesh: “What is next for Sheezay after MILFF 2018?”

Sheezay: “Another single featuring Rabbit.Mac for my next album Kambathu Rapper 2 and I’ve also signed for a movie and the shoot is on progress. So that's new on my side.”

Sukesh: “What makes MILFF 2018 a special event not to be missed?”

Sheezay: “MILFF 2018 is one of the biggest and greatest event because they put together so many talented and well known musicians under one roof to give the best treat for the music lovers. There is nothing like this and there will be no other like it. It's a must experience for every music maniacs out there. No minus one, No miming and everything is live!!”

I came out of the interview feeling more thrilled than before and can’t wait to watch PU4LYF and all those other top musicians to perform live in front of us this Saturday, 8^th September 2018 from 5.00 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. at Starxpo Centre, KWC Fashion Mall in KL. Trust me this is one concert not to be miss!!!! See you there!