WHEN Evie Feroza was 21, she attended a relative’s wedding. Like some of the guests, she went on stage and sang a song to entertain the newly married couple and guests.
Little did she realise that this would prove to be a defining moment in her life.
The professional band members who were playing were so impressed with her voice that they invited her to fill in for their lead singer for a gig at a nightspot in Desa Hartamas, a couple of weeks later.
“I have never performed a handful of songs in a row,” said the now 28-year-old singer.
“I was very nervous.”
She managed to control her fears and performed rather excellently. She enjoyed the experience so much that she decided to pursue a career as a singer.
Over time, she built a name as a versatile and powerful singer who could sing tunes ranging from jazz to soul to pop.
She has performed at numerous live music venues across the Klang Valley as well as gigs in Korea, Switzerland and Australia.
“I must give full credit for my success to my mother,” she said.
Before becoming a singer, Evie worked as a hostess in a five-star hotel.
“When my mother learnt that I wanted to become a singer, she told me to quit my job and to focus on my singing career,” Evie said.
“I know some parents would not support their children to quit a permanent job and go after something that is not certain. I am really grateful to have a very supportive mother.”
She gained more prominence after her performance at the Malam Terang Bulan show at Dewan Filharmonik in KLCC in 2015.
Evie is also part of a nine-piece Prince tribute band called “The Rainbow Children” and has performed with them at the Borneo Jazz Festival, KK Jazz Festival and the Publika Jazz Festival.
Two years ago, she released her first single Close Your Eyes and she is currently working on producing a full album. At present, she is a contestant on the second season of TV3’s reality show Lagu Cinta Kita.
Entering the reality show was totally a different ball game for her as she had to allow the audience to have a sneak peek into her life.
“I am a private person. I do not like to share a lot of information about myself on social media. I would prefer the focus to be on my abilities as a singer,” she said.
“I am out of my comfort zone.”
But she is slowly adjusting to the new atmosphere.
“I cannot ignore that in today’s times, it is important for an artiste to take social media seriously,” she said.
“It is only natural for the audience to be curious about artistes and their lifestyle. But I have learned that I can control what kind of information I want to share with my audience. Sometimes, it is good to be out of your comfort zone.”
The other thing she did out of her comfort zone was to try her hand at acting. She is playing a supporting role in the murder thriller movie Exit Last Stage.
She cried her heart out on her first day on the set because she could not get into the skin of her character. But she did not give up.
She wiped away her tears and rose to the challenge. She has slowly developed a love for acting and would like to play more roles in future.
Coming back to the subject of music, she said her love for music was instilled in her when she was young as her family is crazy about karaoke.
“I was singing karaoke before I even entered primary school. I remember singing all the songs from boy bands like Westlife and Backstreet Boys,” she said.
She also comes from a musically-inclined family. Her father plays drums while her maternal grandfather plays the trombone and guitar.
“I have wanted to be a singer since I was a kid. But I never thought this dream would come true.”
