Taufik Batisah's first solo concert will also be his last

New Paper

7 hours ago

Twenty-one years after he became the country's inaugural Singapore Idol champ, local singer Taufik Batisah is finally staging his first solo concert.
But the show - titled Taufik Batisah: One Last Dance and set to take place at The Star Theatre on Oct 25 - will also be his last, as he plans for it to be a one-and-done affair.
"I strive to achieve clarity in my work and life. You have to be clear with your intentions, and you have to just work towards the intention," he tells The Straits Times in an interview at a press event to announce the gig. The event was held at the Prinsep Street outlet of Chix Hot Chicken, the restaurant brand he co-owns.
The 43-year-old multi-hyphenate is a property agent, an actor and the owner of interior design company Ivory Cove. He also produces social media content with his wife and manager Sheena Akbal, 40.
"If there are invites to shows here and there, if they still want me, I'll probably consider them. But my main focus is going to be real estate, my ID (interior design) team and Chix Hot Chicken."
Taufik says he first had the idea to do a solo concert in 2018 but was held back by his busy schedule, as well as the challenge of organising a show that would meet his standards.
Singer Taufik Batisah says that he wants to focus on his real estate career and various businesses. PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN
It was Sheena, whom he married in 2015, who constantly encouraged him to get it done. "She told me, you have to commit to it. Do it for the fans because they've been asking for the longest time."
Taufik admits it is "scary" to headline The Star Theatre, which has a capacity of 5,000 - especially as he will be the first Singaporean solo Malay act to take the stage on his own.
"We have to be very realistic (about filling up the venue), but we're hoping for the best. We plan to give the fans the best experience."
The closest he got to doing something similar was a solo showcase for 1,600 fans at Kallang Theatre back in 2005, less than a year after his Singapore Idol win.
Plans for the upcoming show - which is slated to be at least 90 minutes long - started coming together earlier in 2025 after he had discussions with fellow home-grown singer Sufi Rashid, who runs SAH Entertainment. The company has in recent years organised shows by acts from Malaysian pop queen Siti Nurhaliza to American R&B singer Ne-Yo.
Backed by a full orchestra, Taufik's set list will comprise songs dating back to his early music career.
These will include the Singapore Idol finale number I Dream (2005), the cover songs he sang as a contestant on the 2004 reality singing competition, as well Malay radio hits such as Usah Lepaskan (Don't Let It Go), a ballad from his 2006 sophomore album All Because Of You.
He will also sing tracks off his last album Fique (2014), which included hit song #AwakKatMane (Where Are You).
"There will be moments where I hope (the fans) will feel as emotional as I will be when I'm on stage. I want to take them on a journey of what they have given me in the past 20 years because, ultimately, this is a concert for the supporters."
Among other items on his bucket list? Starting a podcast with his wife that discusses healthy relationships, as well as venturing into new businesses.
Taufik is also game to do a joint concert with the two Singapore Idol winners who succeeded him: Hady Mirza, who won the second season in 2006, and Sezairi, who won the third and final season in 2009.
On Hady pivoting to becoming a realtor, having announced the news on Instagram on June 27, Taufik says: "I'm happy to see that he's progressing in the direction that I think he should be going.
"It's important for us to be happy for other people, for us to not feel threatened. If you feel threatened, then you're not doing enough in whatever it is you're doing, be it music, entertainment or real estate. We should feel inspired to do better."
Book it/Taufik Batisah: One Last Dance
Where: The Star Theatre, 04-01 The Star Performing Arts Centre, 1 Vista Exchange Green When: Oct 25, 8pm Admission: Tickets via Sistic (go to www.sistic.com.sg or call 6348-5555), prices to be announced. Pre-sale for SAH Entertainment members start on July 9, from 10am to 1.59pm. General sales start from July 9, 2pm.