Elizabeth Applunius Chin, also known as Esther Applunius or Esther OIAM 3 (born 12 April 1987 in Tambunan, Sabah, Malaysia) is a Malaysian singer. Her father, Applunius Chin of Papar, is a veteran musician on Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM).[1]
Esther Applunius | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Elizabeth Applunius Chin |
| Born | 12 April 1987 Sabah, Malaysia |
| Occupation | Singer / Songwriter |
| Instrument | Voice |
| Years active | 1998s – present |
Career
editAt the age of 10, Applunius was Sabah champion in the RTM singing contest Bintang Kecil. In 2009, she reached the final of the Malaysian TV reality show One in a Million and many expected her to win.[2][3] However, she gained second place after Shah Indrawan Ismail.[4] In 2016, she won the first prize of RM39,999 in the Star Search 999 Singing Competition, an event organised by the Sabah-Labuan Motion Picture Traders and Entertainment Association (Slamptea).[5]
Apart from her television appearances in One in a Million, Esther has entered and won many singing competitions since she started performing in 1998, including the 2005 Sugandoi Kaamatan singing contest,[6] and the 2008 PERTISA Award for the most popular singer in Sabah in the women's category.
She has also been a member of several bands, including D'Illusions, and has performed in a number of venues in Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah.[1]
Recordings
edit- 2005 - Esther Applunius Vol. 1 (Kadazan Dusun Album)
- 2009 - Menggapai Mimpi (Single)
- 2010 - Selalu (Album)
- 2013 - Sipi - Sipi (Single)
- 2014 - Aku (Single)
- 2016 - 1 Dalam 2 (Single)
- 2017 - If only you knew
- 2020 - ALFIAN
One in a Million (OIAM)
editIn December 2008, Esther auditioned for the third season of the reality TV singing competition One in a Million on 8TV,[7] and reached the final of the competition. The following shows her progress through the competition:
Performances and results
edit| Week #/Date | Song choice | Original artist | Result |
| 1st Week – 20 February 2009 | Better in Time | Leona Lewis | Immunity/Top 12 |
| 2nd Week – 27 February 2009 | Mengenangmu | Kerispatih | Top 11 |
| 3rd Week – 6 March 2009 | I Try | Macy Gray | Top 10 |
| 4th Week – 13 March 2009 | Dialah Di Hati | Datuk Siti Nurhaliza | Top 9 |
| 5th Week – 20 March 2009 | Won't Go Home Without You | Maroon 5 | Immunity/Top 8 |
| 6th Week – 27 March 2009 | I Don't Love You | My Chemical Romance | Top 7 |
| 7th Week – 30 April 2009 | Sweet About Me | Gabriella Cilmi | Top 6 |
| 8th Week – 10 April 2009 | Legenda | Datuk Sheila Majid | Top 5 |
| 9th Week – 17 April 2009 | One Night Only Keeps Gettin' Better Semua Jadi Satu |
Jennifer Hudson Christina Aguilera 3 Diva |
Top 4 |
| Semi-final – 24 April 2009 | Better in Time Won't Go Home Without You |
Leona Lewis Maroon 5 |
Top 3 |
| Grand Finals – 1 May 2009 | Mengapai Mimpi Please don't stop the Music |
Esther Applunius Rihanna |
1st runner up |
Anugerah Juara Carta Lagu Artis Sabah
editIn March 2011 she was the winner of the "Anugerah Juara Carta Lagu Artis Sabah" competition for her performance of the newly released song Selalu (Always), taken from her second album.[8] The competition, organised by Sabah Radio Television Malaysia, encourages performers not only to sing, but also to write their own songs; the winning song Selalu is Esther's first major success in musical composition.[9]
Anugerah Juara Carta Lagu Artis Sabah
edit7 March 2020. She again won the "Anugerah Juara Carta Lagu Artis Sabah" competition season 13 for her own song composition ALFIAN, she got champion, the best vocal, and longest Running Song No.1 in Sabah FM, 42 Weeks.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b Dennis Chua (1 May 2009). "Rose among the thorns". New Straits Times. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
- ^ Shamala Velu (1 May 2009). "Vying for top spot". The Star Online. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
- ^ "Pentas OIAM minggu kelima milik Esther". Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
- ^ Shuib Taib (10 May 2009). "Shuib on Sunday: Esther". New Straits Times. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
- ^ "Esther wins big in singing contest". The Borneo Post (Sabah). 2 December 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
- ^ "Sugandoi – a platform to take on world stage". Official Web Site of Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Sabah. 26 May 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
- ^ "One in a Million 3 Official Website". 8TV. 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
- ^ "Esther Applunius 'Selalu' jadi juara lagu". New Sabah Times. 21 March 2011. Archived from the original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
- ^ Ramjit (14 March 2011). "Eight Finalists in Sabah Song, Best Artiste Competition". Bernama. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
- ^ Unto, Ricardo (9 March 2020). "Esther Applunius kembali 'menyengat'". Daily Express. Retrieved 1 July 2024.