'Cosmo Man 2001', not just about macho looks

Tuesday, November 13, 2001
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Mr. Right, according to Kosmopolitan magazine, the franchise of the U.S. magazine with a "C", is not merely a good-looking guy with a flat stomach and bulging biceps.
Of course looks matter, but a man must have certain "qualities", including a successful career, a respect for a woman's career, maturity and the ability to be a reliable partner.
Oh, one more thing, he must have a soft side which makes a woman feel "understood". With these qualities in mind, the magazine chose 10 finalists for Cosmo Man.
The search for the Cosmo Man has been an annual event since 1998, a year after the magazine was first published here. The event always attracts hundreds of participants, and this year 758 men from across the country took part.
A jury which included TV anchor Zsa Zsa Yusharyahya and model Lulu Dewayanti cut this number down to 33 semifinalists and then 10 finalists.
This year's grand final was held on Oct. 31 at the Grand Melia hotel. Surprisingly, it was entertaining. And not just because it landed three top performers -- singers Shanty, Melly Goeslaw and Titi DJ -- as well as noted emcees Tika Panggabean and Farhan.
It was just fun to see how these men were willing to go through this beauty pageant-like competition. The magazine may have played down the physical thing, but the event was not much different from a model competition.
When the event started, those in attendance were shown a video of the finalists' four-day "quarantine", during which time they took part in various activities like outdoor sports. The activities were aimed at getting to know the men's leadership, their sense of teamwork and their sensitivity.
And then, there they were, the 10 finalists, walking around the catwalk and posing before answering a Miss Universe-like question.
For Johanes Alford Suwignyo, a radio DJ/TV presenter/magician, the question was "What is your ideal woman"?
"She has to be loyal and have the same religion as me. It's easier for us to bridge the differences if our religion is the same," he said.
"You see, a woman is like a puzzle. It can be in order or put together incorrectly. Even if the color is wonderful and the picture is great, if the pieces are not in the right places, it won't be good," he added.
Want to know what success means for H. Akhiz Royhan Nasution, an assistant manager for training and development at a big insurance company?
"It's not about position, titles or money. It's about understanding yourself, keeping life in balance and being independent," he said.
Then the winners were announced. Favorite Cosmo Man went to Palar Sakti Sutojo, an architect. And the Outstanding Achievement Award went to Sonny Harry Budiutomo, who is only 26 but already a doctoral candidate at University of Indonesia's School of Economics, a lecturer and researcher.
Second runner-up and runner-up went to Darry Sjahrinaldy Darwis and Rudy Djohor, both pilots. And the Cosmo Man 2001 is ... Akhiz.
How did the judges come to their conclusion?
"We (judged) teamwork, leadership, physical appearance and also ... how macho (the men were)," said Zsa Zsa, adding that the event was not just a model competition.
One of the finalists, Zaki Ahmad Ibrahim, asked people not to be cynical about the event.
"The winners actually deserve it," he said.
But the real star of the night was Tika Panggabean. If not for her witty banter and jokes, the event would have been downright boring.
She was the real proof that physical appearance is not the most important thing.

Labels: culture, urban

Posted by hera at 3:22 AM | Permalinks | Comments

Divas in Concert: Showing a bit of attitude

Sunday, November 11, 2001
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Lucky you if you watched the Divas of Southeast Asia (DIVASEA) concert on television on Thursday night rather than in person. You missed the acappella group that killed time during the commercial breaks.
Calling themselves Peace Acappella, they practically ruined every song they did with unnecessary, show-offy improvisation.
Well, here I am, being overly picky again.
Anyway, The Divas of Southeast Asia concert featured seven "divas" from three countries: Indonesia's Vina Panduwinata, Titi DJ and Krisdayanti; Malaysia's Sheila Majid, Siti Nurhaliza and Fauziah Latief; and the Philippines' Kuh Ledesma.
The term diva here is confusing, though. What makes these women divas? Is it their popularity, album sales or what?
Perhaps it involved the fame of the singers within their respective countries. But have we ever heard a song from Fauziah Latief or Kuh Ledesma? And why weren't Ruth Sahanaya and Reza included?
However, because of a lack of publicity surrounding the event, we don't have the answers to these questions.
And maybe also due to a lack of publicity, the concert, which was held at the Bung Karno Indoor Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta, was only attended by some 2,000 people, meaning 3,000 tickets went unsold or unused.
Maybe the tickets, which ranged in price from Rp 75,000 (US$6.80) to Rp 200,000 were too expensive.
Having said all that, it has to be admitted that it was not a bad concert and proved to be quite entertaining.
It kicked off at 9 p.m., an hour later than scheduled, with Sophia Latjuba, looking like a diva herself in a red dress, serving as emcee. Sophia was later joined by Normala Samsudin from Malaysia.
The first diva to perform was Krisdayanti, wearing white glittery pants and a sleeveless striped top.
Backed by the Elfa Secioria Orchestra, she kicked off the concert with Rembulan (Moon). Not bad, not bad at all. In fact, her voice is much better than Sheila's, who took the microphone next and sang Inikah Cinta (Is This Love), a song originally performed by the Indonesian group ME (now 9 Seasons).
Titi then took the stage and sang her old hit Salahkah Aku (Am I Wrong). Siti came next with Betapa Kucinta Padamu (How I Love You), looking pretty yet conservative in a long yellow dress. But what a voice this teenager has, she certainly can hit the high notes.
Next was a duet by Kuh and Fauziah, You, a song by Filipino singer Basil Valdez. Kuh, who starred in The Year of Living Dangerously with Mel Gibson, looked ravishing and she has a beautiful voice as well.
"I'm so happy to be here. Indonesians are so musical and talented and they have beautiful musical compositions," she said.
Fauziah, however, forgot her lyrics.
Vina then appeared, singing a medley of her old hits -- Cinta (Love), Di Dadaku Ada Kamu (You're In My Heart), Aku Melangkah Lagi (I'm Walking Again) and Surat Cinta (Love Letter).
She has gained a little weight, but the added kilos make her look more sexy.
It was a pleasure to see her back on stage singing her hits with her signature mixture of flirtation and humor.
The divas continued to take turns on stage and once in a while they performed a duet or a trio.
Vina and Sheila sang Vina's hit Biru (Blue), which Sheila covered on one of her albums.
"This is a dream come true for me. She's my idol. Mother, look, it's Vina!" Sheila shouted to her mother in the front row.
Krisdayanti and Siti performed Krisdayanti's Menghitung Hari (Counting the Days). Siti sang so beautifully that Krisdayanti, after a costume change into a dress and long wig, appeared lacking in confidence.
Fauziah, Kuh and Titi sang That's What Friends Are For and Fauziah forgot her lyrics again.
The concert closed with all of the divas up on stage singing Antara Anyer dan Jakarta (Between Anyer and Jakarta) -- which was a hit for Sheila -- and Titi DJ's Ekspresi (Expression).
And who was the biggest diva of them all? My vote is split between Siti and Vina. Siti for her voice, her charisma, for making Krisdayanti feel insecure and for keeping her real name. And Vina for still being sexy after all these years.

Labels: music

Posted by hera at 3:23 AM | Permalinks | Comments