Ella Solidifies Status As Rock Queen At Age 59
By Bernama Lifestyle Reporter
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- At the age of 59, Ella did more than just stand on the nation’s largest stage; she ran and jumped tirelessly before nearly 60,000 fans, further cementing her status as the country’s Queen of Rock.
The “Majlis Tertinggi Rockqueen” concert, held at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium last night, saw Ella (born Nor Zila Aminuddin) despite appearing in a simple white outfit, commanded the stage from corner to corner without excessive gimmicks, maintaining a vocal prowess that suggested two decades hadn't aged a day.
Performing 30 songs in a single night, the 90s icon took the audience on a journey through her musical legacy with iconic tracks such as Rama-Rama, Kesal, Raguku, Bolero, Sembilu, Pedih, Rindu, Permata Pemotong Permata, Nuri, and Sepi Sekuntum Mawar Merah.
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A standout highlight was the collaboration segment, bridging legends and the new generation. This included an appearance by Datuk Amy Search for Dua Insan Bercinta, and a reunion with Tam Spider to perform Dunia Batinku for the first time in nearly 20 years.
Hip-hop artist Joe Flizzow added a contemporary flair to Bayangan, while the talented Amir Masdi injected the colours of a new generation into Baldu Biru, alongside Sam Bunkface for Istimewa, turning the performance into a cross-era bridge.
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The concert reached its peak when Ella boarded a replica double-decker bus, circling the stadium while singing Standing In The Eyes Of The World—the 1998 Commonwealth Games theme song, a rendition that strengthened the emotional bond between music and sporting spirit at the very venue where history was made.
The bus also carried national sporting heroes, including world squash legend Datuk Nicol David, former gymnast Farah Ann Abdul Hadi, paralympian Mohamad Ridzuan Mohamad Fuzi and shot-putter Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli, symbolising the union of art and sports on a national stage.
As the song echoed, tens of thousands of fans rose to their feet, singing along in an atmosphere thick with pride. Toward the end, the tempo surged with Pengemis Cinta and Nuri, before closing with Gemilang, which united the entire stadium in a massive collective choir.
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Even after the final note, cheers and applause lasted for several minutes. In a post-concert press conference, Ella expressed her gratitude for meeting her goals for the night.
"Our targets were hit on point. I am so happy tonight and I love you all so much," she said, referring to the unwavering support of the fans.
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Regarding her incredible energy, Ella credited her husband, Azhar Husaini Ghazali for being her constant source of motivation.
Significantly, the concert was not just about entertainment; RM2 from every ticket sold contributed to a total of RM60,000 for Persatuan Cinta Gaza Malaysia, and RM20,000 each for Yayasan Kebajikan Negara and Yayasan Kebajikan Artis Tanah Air.
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From a production standpoint, the stage design and lighting were stunning, despite minor sound issues in some sections of the 80,000-capacity stadium. However, these technicalities did not dampen the impact. Nearly 60,000 fans left with the same conviction: at 59, Ella remains the undisputed Queen of Rock.
--BERNAMA
