Sheila Majid

With her ultra-sensual vocals and uplifting musical approach, Sheila Majid has quickly risen to the upper echelon of Malaysia's musical scene. Her debut album, Dimensi Baru (New Dimension), went gold almost as soon as it was released in 1985. Her fourth album, Lagende (Legend), released in 1990, exceeded triple platinum status. In 1995, her duet with Malaysian vocalist Nora, "Jentayu," received awards as Best Vocal Performance in a Group and Best Song of the Year. Majid's rise to fame began in 1982 when she auditioned for producer Roslan Aziz, who had heard her singing informally at a birthday party at the Raintree Club in Kuala Lumpur. Performing an original tune, "You Should Know By Now," at the audition, Majid impressed Aziz so much that he signed her to a recording contract despite having no affiliation with a label. Majid and Aziz subsequently fell in love and were married. Financing the recording costs of Majid's debut album, Dimensi Baru, Aziz began seeking a label willing to release it. His labors went unfulfilled for two years as the recording was considered "too much light jazz and R&B." Finally convincing EMI to release it in 1985, the album was an instant hit. Majid's second album, Emosi (Emotion), released the following year, was equally successful. With the release of her third album, Warna (Colors), in 1987, Majid became the first Malaysian artist to release a CD. In addition to being a superstar in Malaysia, Majid has built a strong following in Japan. Her album, Wanita (Woman), featuring songs previously unavailable in Japan, was released solely in Japan in 1993. ~ Craig Harris, Rovi