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SINGAPORE: Season 2 Singapore Idol champion Hady Mirza may be down with the chicken pox, but that hasn't stopped him from dancing alone in front of the mirror to prep for the APEC Singapore Evening, where he will join a stellar line-up to perform for some 2,000 delegates from all over the world.
The 29-year-old, who was also crowned Asian Idol last year, will be performing alongside season 1 Idol winner Taufik Batisah, renowned classical violinist Min Lee, as well as singer Kit Chan.
To be held at the Esplanade Concert Hall and the waterfront on November 14, APEC Singapore Evening will kick off with a half-hour multimedia show which aims to showcase the city-state's multi-cultural heritage, as well as its vibrancy and diversity.
Dick Lee, creative director of APEC Singapore Evening, said: "I want (our guests) to understand our country more and see that we have a diverse multiracial community here progressing in a new and exciting way, and that we are modern and contemporary. I also want them to ... (have) a great time."
The delegates include the who's who in today's politics, such as United States President Barack Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Organisers said the APEC Leaders Summit is not just about important meetings and taking decisions to improve the lives of citizens, it is also about giving the delegates and leaders a chance to appreciate the different cultures of the host country.
There will also be waterfront dining experience, featuring different zones that showcase the artistic and culinary highlights that are unique to Singapore's various ethnic groups – Chinese, Malay, Indian and Peranakan.
Mirza is currently on a two-week hiatus under doctor's orders after having contracted chicken pox during a relief operation in Indonesia's quake hit Padang last week. However, his record label HYPE Records said the 29-year-old will most likely recover in time to perform at the summit.
Despite being confined, Mirza said he has been hard at work at home perfecting his part.
"The segment that I am tasked with is actually representative of the Malay community in Singapore and there is this part where I have to do a 'dikir barat' dance," he said.
"I practice by looking in the mirror and ensuring the movements gel perfectly with my singing. It's a tad tricky as my movements have to be in sync with the dancers' movements as well."
With the star-studded guest list - or at least in the political world - the two Singapore Idols are highly excited, with Taufik quipping Obama has status equivalent to a rock star. He added he would give his "very best to represent Singapore... (so that the delegates) can return to their countries with many fond memories".
Hady said: "It's a great honour and I feel really excited to be able to 'meet' so many respected leaders of the world at such close proximity - faces that I always see on TV and papers who will be sitting in front and watching us perform! It's just so cool!"
- CNA/yb
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