26/02/2026

LYFE THURSDAY | FEB 26, 2026

/thesuntelegram FOLLOW / Malaysian Paper

ON TELEGRAM m RAM

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A T 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, saw Ella (born Nor Zila Aminuddin) appearing in a simple white outfit, commanding the stage from corner to corner without excessive gimmicks, maintaining a vocal prowess that suggested two decades had not 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 . 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 artiste 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. The return of Ella & The Boys to the stage was a priceless, emotional moment, as the band served as the backbone of her early rise. 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

Rock Queen Ella stuns crowd with vibrant energy at age 59

o Artiste maintains vocal prowess

Games theme song, a rendition that strengthened the emotional bond between music and sporting spirit at the very venue where history was made, reported Bernama. 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. Towards the end, the tempo surged with Pengemis Cinta and Nuri , before closing with Gemilang , which united the entire stadium in a massive collective choir. Even after the final note, cheers and applause lasted for several minutes. In a post-concert press conference, Ella expressed her

Ella greets the audience in all-white fit before sweeping them off their feets.

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. 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 for Yayasan Kebajikan Negara and Yayasan Kebajikan Artis Tanah Air each. 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.

At 59, Ella makes a huge statement as she blows the crowd away with her performance, clinching to her status as Malaysia’s ‘Rock Queen’.

Ella duets with Amy Search for Dua Insan Bercinta . – PICS FROM BERNAMA

Qasrina Karim breaks out of comfort zone THOUGH a relative newcomer to acting, Qasrina Karim is already pushing herself beyond her comfort zone, taking on a challenging role in her latest project to prove her rising star is not one to shy away from hard work. friends who are clinical psychologists. “It’s about a woman caring for her sick mother while juggling several part-time jobs to get by. She struggles with trauma, depression and anxiety – and the role is challenging because I need to understand the emotions of a mother and someone facing mental health struggles. outside, people may seem fine, but their inner struggles aren’t visible. That’s what I’ve learned,” she said. Beyond being an acting challenge, Qasrina, who has done various projects including Imam Instant Ustazah Scammer , Kongsi Raya , Siapa Tutup Lampu and T hariq Ridzuan: His Treasure , believes her character highlights the reality of people quietly battling mental health issues, often unseen by those around them. Qasrina, 30, admitted that the role of portraying a woman facing trauma and high-functioning depression tests her acting skills. To fully embody the role, Qasrina went beyond the script, researching mental health and consulting “I studied and spoke with friends who are experts in the field to understand what living with depression is really like. On the She said she took the role to grow as an actress and was drawn

to a strong script unlike anything she had done before. Looking ahead to Ramadan, Qasrina plans to spend quality time with her family and devote herself to worship once her work commitments are done. “I used to think Ramadan was a time to rest, but when work opportunities came, I saw them as blessings. I might still work in the first half of the month, but after that, I want to focus on my family and worship. Fasting doesn’t really get in the way,” she said. – Bernama

Qasrina now sees Ramadan as a month filled with blessings.

– PIC FROM FACEBOOK @QASRINAKARIM.MY