Ella (singer)
Encyclopedia
Norzila binti Haji Aminuddin or Ella (born July 31, 1966) is a popular Malaysian rock musician. Ratu Rock is Malay for "Queen of Rock" and this is an apt title for this female rock-star. Ella's more well-known hit songs spanned from the 1990s to today. Ella still holds the local record for the bestselling female artist for pushing more than 300,000 copies of her records during the peak of her career. She also became an international icon and one of the 'Richest Artists' in Malaysia.
, Penang
and was raised in the Klang Valley
in Selangor
. She lives with her parents, along with her other siblings. During her school days, she was often invited to sing at ceremonies held in her alma mater
. Ella completed her studies while she was in Form Five at the Tunku Ampuan Rahimah Girls School in Klang Valley. Before she became a master in the arts field, she used to sing in various places in the Klang Valley such as in night clubs and lounges. After singing in one of those clubs, Ella was contacted by one of the bands called The Boys who were also night club singers. After a discussion, Ella agreed to merge with their band and they were given the name ( Ella & The Boys ). In 2007, Ella filed a complaint with police, after a sex tape allegedly of her and her sister in the presence of a couple performing sexual acts surfaced.
and Wings as the best grouped singers in Malaysia. Unfortunately, the band Ella & The Boys only lasted for three years because Ella had made the decision to go solo in the music industry. After making that decision, she decided to record her first solo album, that is Pengemis Cinta which was a platinum
album. This song made her one of the most popular female artists in Malaysia. After launching a successful album, she was contacted by the EMI Malaysia Recording Label in 1992. Just after Ella agreed to the proposal, she made her fourth solo album, that is ELLA 30110, and it sold many copies in a short time. After that, Ella went to recording her fifth album in the United States
in 1994. This made her the first Malaysian artiste to record a full album in the United States. It was titled ELLA USA, and this album even surpassed the sales of her fourth album. It sold 350,000 units which made it Malaysia's highest selling album for a female artist. Ella also has performed in Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, and United States. She has many fans in Indonesia
and at the same time, Ella is also known as the Rock Diva Of Malay Archipelago and Asia.
She was able to garner the title Jutawan (or Millionaire) that had been obtained by other artistes such as Yusof Haslam
, Sharifah Aini, Tan Sri SM Salim, the late Sudirman Arshad
, Sheila Majid
and Jamal Abdillah
. After the successful releases of ELLA USA and ELLA 30110, Ella received recognition from the Malaysian Book of Records
as Malaysia's First Artist With the Highest Number of Sold Albums (Artis Malaysia Pertama Mempunyai Penjualan Album Terbanyak) and Malaysia's First Artist to Record a Full Album in the United States (Artis Malaysia Pertama Merakamkan Album Penuh Di Amerika Syarikat).
In 1998, Ella was chosen to sing the song Standing In The Eyes Of The World, the theme song of the 1998 Commonwealth Games
in Malaysia. This song was then made into an album of the same name. In 1999, Ella produced her ninth album, that is EL with the help of Slash (musician)
and Guns N' Roses
.
In 2000, Ella stopped producing new albums and remained solitary for a while due to the fact that she wanted to pay more attention and concentrate more in the fashion industry, which she enjoys. After a year of silence, she finally produced an album titled Ilham Bicara. Despite receiving mixed reviews from the public, Ella is still listed in the list of artists with the highest/best number of sold albums. In 2003, she produced her 20th album that is Simbiosis. This album managed to attract the attention of radio listeners which caused this album to go platinum. Two years later, in 2005, Ella produced an album containing all of her songs from the rock era until the millennium period, that was titled Ella A Journey Beyond. In the same year, she created another album with the title Ratu Rock, that was Ella's special album in conjunction with Ella's 20 years' experience in the field of music. This album, too went platinum. In 2007, Ella released a solo album that was titled Rama - Rama (literally : Butterfly) with a whole new breath. Rama - Rama attracted the publics attention and is one of the most popular songs of 2007. This song also gave a big impact by topping Era's charts for almost ten weeks.
, Indonesia
and Brunei
.
Biography
Ella hails from GelugorGelugor
Gelugor is a town located at the southern part of Georgetown, a midway town between Georgetown and Sungai Dua...
, Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
and was raised in the Klang Valley
Klang Valley
Klang Valley is an area in Malaysia comprising Kuala Lumpur and its suburbs, and adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. An alternative reference to this would be Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Area or Greater Kuala Lumpur. It is geographically delineated by Titiwangsa Mountains to the...
in Selangor
Selangor
Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
. She lives with her parents, along with her other siblings. During her school days, she was often invited to sing at ceremonies held in her alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
. Ella completed her studies while she was in Form Five at the Tunku Ampuan Rahimah Girls School in Klang Valley. Before she became a master in the arts field, she used to sing in various places in the Klang Valley such as in night clubs and lounges. After singing in one of those clubs, Ella was contacted by one of the bands called The Boys who were also night club singers. After a discussion, Ella agreed to merge with their band and they were given the name ( Ella & The Boys ). In 2007, Ella filed a complaint with police, after a sex tape allegedly of her and her sister in the presence of a couple performing sexual acts surfaced.
Ella's success
Finally, Ella & The Boys was successful in winning the hearts of the viewers and fans, thus putting them in the same row as other popular bands such as SearchSearch (band)
Search is a rock band in Malaysia.It was founded in 1981 by Yazit , Hillary Ang , Nasir , and Zainal . The group went through many line-up changes in its career, but the songs and music remained strong and unique among Malaysian and Singaporean fans...
and Wings as the best grouped singers in Malaysia. Unfortunately, the band Ella & The Boys only lasted for three years because Ella had made the decision to go solo in the music industry. After making that decision, she decided to record her first solo album, that is Pengemis Cinta which was a platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
album. This song made her one of the most popular female artists in Malaysia. After launching a successful album, she was contacted by the EMI Malaysia Recording Label in 1992. Just after Ella agreed to the proposal, she made her fourth solo album, that is ELLA 30110, and it sold many copies in a short time. After that, Ella went to recording her fifth album in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1994. This made her the first Malaysian artiste to record a full album in the United States. It was titled ELLA USA, and this album even surpassed the sales of her fourth album. It sold 350,000 units which made it Malaysia's highest selling album for a female artist. Ella also has performed in Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, and United States. She has many fans in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and at the same time, Ella is also known as the Rock Diva Of Malay Archipelago and Asia.
She was able to garner the title Jutawan (or Millionaire) that had been obtained by other artistes such as Yusof Haslam
Yusof Haslam
Yusof Haslam is a Malaysian film maker and director. His film production are mainly focus on the world of police, such as Gerak Khas and Roda-Roda Kuala Lumpur. Now his legacy are continue by his sons, one of them is Syamsul Yusof....
, Sharifah Aini, Tan Sri SM Salim, the late Sudirman Arshad
Sudirman Arshad
Dato' Sudirman Haji Arshad DIMP, JMN, AMN, AMP was a Malaysian singer and songwriter. He was known as the 'Singing Lawyer', the 'People's Singer' and the 'Elvis of Malaysia'.-Early life:...
, Sheila Majid
Sheila Majid
Shaheila binti Abdul Majid or commonly known as Sheila Majid is a popular singer from Malaysia. She is of Mandailing-Javanese descent. - Biography :...
and Jamal Abdillah
Jamal Abdillah
Jamal Ubaidillah bin Haji Ali or is better known as Jamal Abdillah is a Malaysian pop singer and actor. Winner of Bintang RTM 1979.-Concerts:...
. After the successful releases of ELLA USA and ELLA 30110, Ella received recognition from the Malaysian Book of Records
Malaysian Book of Records
The Malaysian Book of Records is a Malaysian project to publish records set or broken by Malaysians. The project complements former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Bin Mohamad's 'Malaysia Boleh!' campaign...
as Malaysia's First Artist With the Highest Number of Sold Albums (Artis Malaysia Pertama Mempunyai Penjualan Album Terbanyak) and Malaysia's First Artist to Record a Full Album in the United States (Artis Malaysia Pertama Merakamkan Album Penuh Di Amerika Syarikat).
In 1998, Ella was chosen to sing the song Standing In The Eyes Of The World, the theme song of the 1998 Commonwealth Games
1998 Commonwealth Games
The 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes...
in Malaysia. This song was then made into an album of the same name. In 1999, Ella produced her ninth album, that is EL with the help of Slash (musician)
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
and Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
.
In 2000, Ella stopped producing new albums and remained solitary for a while due to the fact that she wanted to pay more attention and concentrate more in the fashion industry, which she enjoys. After a year of silence, she finally produced an album titled Ilham Bicara. Despite receiving mixed reviews from the public, Ella is still listed in the list of artists with the highest/best number of sold albums. In 2003, she produced her 20th album that is Simbiosis. This album managed to attract the attention of radio listeners which caused this album to go platinum. Two years later, in 2005, Ella produced an album containing all of her songs from the rock era until the millennium period, that was titled Ella A Journey Beyond. In the same year, she created another album with the title Ratu Rock, that was Ella's special album in conjunction with Ella's 20 years' experience in the field of music. This album, too went platinum. In 2007, Ella released a solo album that was titled Rama - Rama (literally : Butterfly) with a whole new breath. Rama - Rama attracted the publics attention and is one of the most popular songs of 2007. This song also gave a big impact by topping Era's charts for almost ten weeks.
Successful Entrepreneur
After her success in creating a name in the arts field, she finally decided that she wanted to master commerce which was her dream all along. She managed to open and develop various companies because of her hard work. Some of the companies she founded include Ella's Production, Ella Inc's Sdn Bhd and Syarikat Ombak Warna Sdn Bhd. Until today, she remains one of Malaysia's successful entrepreneurs. Ella used to manage many businesses such as importing and exporting items that were made by her own companies. Today, she creates health care and beauty products which uses her own name, that is ELLA. These products are not only popular domestically, but are even noted in several neighbouring countries such as SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
.
Albums
- 1985 - The Battle Of The Bands 1 (Ella & The Boys)
- 1986 - The Battle Of The Bands 2 (Ella & The Boys)
- 1986 - Ella & The Boys 1
- 1987 - Ella & The Boys 2
- 1988 - Pengemis Cinta (Platinum)
- 1989 - Puteri Kota (Platinum)
- 1989 - Sembilu
- 1990 - Identiti (Platinum)
- 1990 - Unggul
- 1991 - Mendung Tidak Bererti Hujan
- 1991 - Kesal
- 1991 - Ella Mood (Malaysia's first video album)
- 1992 - 30110 - Over 300,000 units sold (100,000 units were sold in the first week alone)
- 1993 - Ella 'Sebuah Rockumentari' (Ella's second video album)
- 1994 - Ella USA (Over 300,000 units sold)
- 1995 - 8494 (Compilation)
- 1996 - Demi (Compilation)
- 1997 - Jalan Ke Sisi Mu
- 1998 - Standing In The Eyes Of The WorldStanding In The Eyes Of The WorldStanding In The Eyes Of The World is the official song for the 1998 Commonwealth Games, written by Wah Idris and David Gates. Two versions were recorded: an English version by Gates and a Malay version by Ella....
(The official 1998 Commonwealth Games1998 Commonwealth GamesThe 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes...
theme song ) - 1999 - El
- 2000 - Baldu Biru (Compilation - Duet with Awie)
- 2000 - Diva Metal-Ella
- 2001 - Ilham Bicara
- 2003 - Simbiosis
- 2005 - A Journey Beyond (Compilation)
- 2005 - Ratu Rock (Compilation)
- 2006 - Urban Strike (The Queen of Rock's Recognition Album)
- 2007 - Rama Rama
- 2009 - Greatest Hits
Songs
- Jalan Ke Sisimu
- Bayangan
- Pedih
- Cekal
- Cerah Kembali
- I.S.A (Ikut Suka Aku)
- Rindu Padamu
- Malam Ini
- Cinta Pertama
- Terpaku
- Sembilu - G2 Only
- Layar Impian
- Kita Lah Bintang
- Kabus & Sirna
- Penjara Misteri
- 12 Purnama
- Bendera Damai
- Justeru
- Bolero
- Mat Kental
- Cinta Selembut Sutera
- P.P.P.
- Menanti
- Mungkin
- Aku Kau Dia
- Risau
- Esok Lusa Selamanya
- Ala Amerika
- Penawar
- Nuri
- Itulah Saya
- Rindu
- Gemilang
- Pengemis Cinta
- Standing In The Eyes Of The World
- Dua Insan Bercinta - duet with Amy
- Simbiosis
- Hanya Pada Kamu
- Terima Kasih
- Jauh
- Ulek Mayang
- Pesona
- Sayup-sayup
- Luka Terbisa
- Kabus
- Ibu
- Kau Saja Yang Tahu
- Dunia Batinku - duet with the rock band Spider
- Belenggu
- Rama Rama
- Aku Tak Tahu
- Percaya Diriku (OST Gol Dan Gincu)
- Teruja (OST Gol dan Gincu)
- Puisi Hamba
- Jiwa Setia
- Mencari
Ella's Achievements
- Winning the competition Battle of the Bands (BOTB), sponsored by Radio Televisyen MalaysiaRadio Televisyen MalaysiaThe Department of Broadcasting, Malaysia, DBA Radio Televisyen Malaysia , is a Malaysian state-owned public broadcaster. It owns and operates a number of radio and television stations in Malaysia, based in Kuala Lumpur...
- First Malaysian artiste to release a video album, that is Ella-Mood' (1991)
- Former ambassador of many popular brands such as L.A Gear, Levi'sLevi Strauss & Co.Levi Strauss & Co. is a privately held American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's brand of denim jeans. It was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss came from Buttenheim, Franconia, to San Francisco, California to open a west coast branch of his brothers' New York dry goods business...
and Canon. Updated on 6 July 2009. She renewed her commitment with Canon. - Malaysia's highest selling album for a female vocalist, that is for the album Ella USA, which sold 350 000 units.
- Malaysia's only female rock artiste that is still standing today.
- Ambassador of the Red Cross Society in Malaysia before Siti NurhalizaSiti NurhalizaDato', or occasionally Datin Seri, Siti Nurhaliza binti Tarudin DIMP, JSM, SAP, PMP, AAP is a Malaysian singer, songwriter, record producer, television presenter and businesswoman. To date, she has garnered more than 200 local awards as well as international awards...
. - Ella made an appearance on an American television station called MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. She is also the only Malaysian artiste that has ever been interviewed by MTV after Datuk Sharifah Aini. - First Malaysian artiste to record a full album in the United States.
- Chosen as a Role Model by the Yayasan Kebajikan Negara to promote positive thinking among teenagers.
- Won the Most Popular Female Artiste Award in 1993 (Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita HarianBerita HarianBerita Harian is a major Malay language newspaper in Malaysia. Its Sunday Edition is called Berita Minggu. It was founded on 31 August 1957, which also marks the date of Malaya's independence...
1993) - Ella once donated MYRMalaysian ringgitThe Malaysian ringgit is the currency of Malaysia. It is divided into 100 sen...
100 000 to the Red Cross Society (Malaysia) - Received recognition from the Malaysian Book of Records as Malaysia's First Artiste With the Highest Number of Best-Selling Albums (Artis Malaysia Pertama Mempunyai Penjualan Album Terbanyak; 1998)
- Main character in three films called Bayangan Maut (1990), Pemburu Bayang (1992) and Hanya Kawan (1997).
- First Malaysian artiste to receive a platinum award five times.
- Host of the MTV Asian Awards in 2003.
- Ella was conferred the " Pingat Jasa Kebaktian" (P.J.K.) by the Sultan Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah on 17 February 2003
- Ella was conferred the " Pingat Setia Mahkota Pahang" (S.M.P) on 30 March 2010.