Long one of the most prominent names on local Malay-language television, Singaporean entertainment veteran Najip Ali's latest brainchild is the new reality singing show Kaki Nyanyi, which is airing on Suria. He is the show's executive producer and judge.
He is pulling double duty and taking on English-language television too. The 57-year-old will appear in another music-based reality show, I Can See Your Voice Singapore, the local version of the popular mystery singer show originally from South Korea. It premieres on Channel 5 on Jan 13.
Najip is part of a panel of celebrity "detectives", alongside others such as actor-host Gurmit Singh, singer Benjamin Kheng and actress-host Xixi Lim.
Each episode sees celebrity contestants such as actress Tasha Low and actor-host Suhaimi Yusof try to suss out - through lip-sync performances, clues and advice from the detectives - which of the six mystery singers are bad or good crooners.
Najip says his role on I Can See Your Voice is different from that in other music-based shows, as it requires him to "unlearn" his critical nature of being a judge.
"I thought the producers wanted me for my skill set, but no, they actually just wanted me to observe and have fun. It was very annoying when my guesses were wrong, some of the singers could really mime very well."
Channel 5 audiences would also recognise him as family patriarch Mr Ibrahim from long-form drama Sunny Side Up (2022 to 2024), his first major acting role. And he is stoked about reuniting with the series' leading man Singh, 59, on I Can See Your Voice.
"We have very good chemistry and we always finish each other's lines. Our vibes are the same, we're from the same generation."
Najip is also enthusiastic about working with younger artistes like Kheng and Lim. "This show requires diversity. The millennials have a different point of view and that makes the show exciting."
Bu hikaye The Straits Times dergisinin January 09, 2025 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Straits Times dergisinin January 09, 2025 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Victoria!
Ein Hofwagen und seine bewegte Geschichte A Court Carriage and its Colourful History
Disney's LinaBell Wins Hearts in China
Each week, whenever she has time off from her marketing job, Ms Ida Jia can be found at Shanghai Disneyland, queueing for hours to spend a few minutes with LinaBell, a fluffy pink fox character with big blue eyes.
Missing actor found near Myanmar border
A Chinese actor who went missing near Thailand's border with Myanmar has been found, the Thai authorities said, as they sought to contain the fallout of the incident on the nation's vital tourism industry.
TV Networks Drop Smap's Masahiro Nakai Over Sex-Crime Allegations
Major TV networks have distanced themselves from one of Japan's biggest 1990s boy band stars, after media reports said he paid a woman a large settlement related to alleged sexual misconduct.
Girls' Generation's Taeyeon to perform in Singapore
South Korean singer Taeyeon, a member of K-pop girl group Girls' Generation, has a new concert tour for 2025, which will make a stop in Singapore.
American Millionaire's Blueprint for Longevity
Bryan Johnson, subject of the documentary Don't Die: The Man Who Wants To Live Forever, says Singaporean Chuando Tan's agelessness shows what biology is capable of
The Substance director not surprised by Demi Moore's late-career comeback
Demi Moore's Golden Globe Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy win for The Substance has, almost overnight, transformed the 1990s megastar into a seemingly unlikely favourite for the Oscars.
Better Man and Count Of Monte Cristo are electrifying tales
Britpop superstar Robbie Williams is a walking, talking, singing chimpanzee in an autobiography of his childhood through his three decades in the music industry, breaking away from the 1990s boy band Take That for solo success.
TV adaptation honours Gabriel Garcia Marquez's magic
This first eight-episode season landed on Netflix in mid-December, with a puzzling lack of marketing.
In Stranger Eyes, the voyeur becomes the viewed
Film-maker Yeo Siew Hua asks heavy questions with a light touch in the crime story
