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"After my diploma I started working part-time in a studio as an assistant to the producer, studio hand and sometimes teh-tarik boy. I knew that to learn I had to mix a lot with the pros. I picked up bits and pieces by asking, listening to tapes. Things like that.

"Eventually there came the time when you could create music on the computer. I learnt from the best. From the likes of Roslan Aziz and Adnan Abu Hassan. I can't really read music. Just the basic stuff. But today the computer prints out what you play. They translate for you."

He recalls: "At Adnan's studio I worked on Malaysia's first CD, Fairuz Hussein's album, Kali Pertama. I produced my first song, Ku menyintai mu. It was my first arrangement and I did the whole works. Almost everything except sing. Being quite inexperienced I had to ask a lot. I don't mind being called stupid as long as I get what I want." He got what he wanted if Sandiwara and Sinaran are any indications.

"In a way I have my own crowd," Johan rejoins, "My music is not typical nor commercially oriented. It is not easy to maintain artistic quality and sell. Especially today when the market is dominated by rock ballads. I try to do something I believe in. Something with a local identity yet hip. Like it's in but it's different. Something not normal." His tone seemed to emphasise the not normal bit.

And did not normal mean adapting one of Malaysia's classic poems into a song?

"Jentayu is a bird. To have a hit song about a bird is different," he says. Indeed especially since love ballads are the order of the day.

"The song is a fusion of old and new, a paradox," he continues, "I was lucky enough and honoured to be given a copy of Osman Awang's collection of poems by Dr Awang himself. He even autographed the book for me. I was so inspired by it and liked the poem Jentayu so much that I decided to compose a song based on it. I couldn't quite fit the poem perfectly to my music so I took it back to Dr Awang and asked if he would like to adapt his poem to my music. He rewrote Jentayu overnight."

That was four years ago.

To produce and arrange the song, Johan worked with Roslan Aziz, Sheila Majid's husband. Jentayu was originally recorded by Nora as a solo effort. She had felt uncomfortable with it.

"The song was difficult to sing as a pop singer," declares Nora, "Roslan encouraged me to try it and eventually suggested that a duet with Sheila would work."

The song was rerecorded and released early in 1995 as part of Johan's compilation album aptly titled - Jentayu.

"Considering that Jentayu was the only original song on the compilation album it did very well," Johan declares with pride.

How did they feel about working with Roslan Aziz and Sheila Majid?

"As a new artiste it has been very good promotion. And Sheila had never done a duet before. It is an honour for me," Nora says. "Working along with Roslan and Sheila has been like a dream," adds Johan.

How would Nora classify her music? "I am a pop singer," she answers, "with a little R&B influence but overall pop. Before I signed with Warner I told them that I wanted to do something I am comfortable with. The beat has to be international...not too kampung."

She has no plans to record in English, maintaining that singers like Amir Yusoff could never totally feel at home with Malay songs in the first place. "That's why he had to record in English."

Both Nora and Johan admire Zainal Abidin for his efforts in Malaysian originality. "But," laments Johan, "unfortunately, his music is deemed to be too uncommercial here. Zainal is doing better overseas."

Nora's songs have been tailored to cater for all kinds of taste and counts her fans to be between six to forty.

"I am a Malaysian and a Malay singer," she reiterates, "I am not going to change my image."

With fame comes the inevitable problems. Media sensationalism for one. Lost of privacy the other. "I'd advice others not to become singers," she says, "You have to face a lot of things. I can take it but some people give up. You cannot tell the truth. You have to be a hypocrite. I have to pretend a lot.

"I'm lucky because Johan really understands the music industry. I don't have to explain things, my routine to him. At the same time he has his own career."

She has not escaped the sensationalism.

"It happened to me but I take it. If reporters don't have something to talk about, they create to be sensational. It was reported a while ago that some millionaire wanted to marry me. But it is cheap publicity," she says.

How did her husband take it?

"Johan just laughed" she beams.

"Being a singer you cannot be too rebellious. Not too simple either. But being human I am not perfect."

Warner Music has plans to launch Debaran in Hong Kong, Japan and perhaps even Taiwan, says Zaini Nordin, Head of Promotions. And according to Johan, depending on the reception of this second album, live concert tours may follow. Up to now Nora has not done a full concert of her own, just guess appearances and television specials. "With live concerts there is also the question of getting sponsors," adds Zaini.

Johan and Nora have already recorded four songs of her third, yet unnamed, album. They plan to record twenty songs in all and some originals, Johan says, will be written by composers from Indonesia.

One of Johan's short term goals is "to get more organised in my career."

"Maybe we'll open our own cafe," he muses and adds, "Ultimately I want to get more involved in other businesses but music is my platform. As long as people appreciate my songs I'll keep writing."

Two short years and with two albums released thus far, we have just caught a glimpse of Nora. Both she and Johan have been very approachable and friendly. In an industry sometimes notorious for its glitz and histrionics, they have their feet firmly planted on the ground.

As she puts it, "I don't want to be a glamorous singer. I want to be a good singer. A clean singer. I'll let my voice sell the albums."

Her voice will sell her albums. It is now ten years since she first walked onto her school stage, taking her first tentative steps towards realising her dream. Nora is now only twenty two. She has made it as a singer. Welcome the star!

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