Malaysian pop megastar, Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin, will be performing for the first time in Australia in Oct for Adelaide Festival Centre’s 2019 OzAsia Festival. And she’s planning a surprise where she will be singing in English and hoping to work alongside an Australian singer.
In an interview with CNA Lifestyle, the 40-year-old singer revealed she’s “elated” at the opportunity. She considers the upcoming performance as a wonderful extension to her recent Asian concert tour – Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza On Tour – which marks her 24th year in the music industry.
Previously, I was hesitant to open my concerts with traditional numbers and preferred fast songs. But I received very positive responses and felt that I had made the right choice.
The tour, which saw her perform in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, was the catalyst that led to her Australia show. The choreographer from the tour was working in Adelaide and helped link the organisers with Siti’s manager.
“The organisers from the OzAsia Festival came to Singapore and watched me perform and showed an interest in my music,” she said.
Siti added: “I am very excited and look forward to this concert as this is a golden opportunity for me to share Malaysian music and culture. The music I sing is a mix of ethnic traditional, pop and modern melodies.”
The 13th annual OzAsia Festival runs from Oct 17 to Nov 3, with the full programme to be released on Aug 6. It offers a variety of events from immersive and physical theatre to contemporary dance and internationally acclaimed music stars. Siti will be performing on Oct 18 at Festival Theatre.
Tickets for six early release shows can be purchased from ozasiafestival.com.au with early bird prices available from today (Jul 9, 7.30am) until midnight on Aug 5.
The six shows include Siti’s one-night-only concert; a theatre performance titled The Village by legendary playwright and director Stan Lai; and a music performance, Beyond Skin – Revisited, by award-winning multi-instrumentalist Nitin Sawhney.
AN ENERGETIC TRADITIONAL PERFORMANCE
Revealing more details about her 90-min concert, the award-winning artist said that it will be similar to her recent Asian concert tour. She will also be joined by several people from her same concert tour team, including six dancers.
I have started building my stamina now. My husband and I have a cycling group where we cycle twice a week and I also exercise at our home gym.
The performance will begin with Siti’s traditional hits such as Nirmala (Pure) and Cindai (Grief), accompanied with traditional dance, instruments and dazzling costumes.
“Opening the concert with traditional music is something new that I tried during the Dato' Siti Nurhaliza On Tour concert. Previously, I was hesitant to open my concerts with traditional numbers and preferred fast songs. But I received very positive responses and felt that I had made the right choice,” she said.
“So, I think this same concept will be suitable for the OzAsia Festival goers, especially for the locals, where they can definitely enjoy an energetic traditional performance from me.”
PREPARING FOR THE SHOW
Although this will be Siti’s first solo Australian concert, she shared that she had held a casual performance for a private event in Melbourne, arranged by her stepson, Asyraf Khalid, while he was studying in Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University.
Preparations for the upcoming show, said Siti, will go into full swing nearer to the concert date. One of the main things she will focus on is her stamina.
“A lot of stamina is needed when performing traditional songs, what more with dance choreography. My husband and I have a cycling group where we cycle twice a week and I also exercise at our home gym. The dance practice, later on, will also help me build my stamina,” she said.
With over six million record sales and six million followers on Instagram, Siti says she receives several offers to perform overseas. Managing the time to accede to such requests, however, is a challenge as she is busy with her music and business ventures.
The concert in Australia, however, came by at the right time.
The crooner added that she would like to return to London’s Royal Albert Hall next year. Siti first performed there in 2005 during her 10th year anniversary in the music industry. She was the third Asian artist to perform at the venue.
Being a mother to a year-old daughter, Siti Aafiyah Khalid, has not slowed Siti down. She released hit single, Anta Permana (Infinity), and a spiritual song, Ikhlas (Sincere), which saw her collaborating with Singapore Idol winner Taufik Batisah and Indonesian singer Nissa Sabyan after lying low while busy coping with pregnancy and motherhood in 2017 and early 2018. It was the first time she recorded a song with Singaporean singer Taufik.
READ: Siti Nurhaliza releases Hari Raya song with Taufik Batisah and Nissa SabyanAnother new song, Kasihku Selamanya (My Lover Forever), an original soundtrack for horror film Dendam Pontianak, will be available on all digital platforms on Jul 10. The new song is composed by renowned Malaysian music director and producer, Aubrey Suwito.
With so much going on in her life, what is a typical day like for the megastar? “On a work day, I will leave the house after 11am, after showering and feeding Aafiyah. Then, I will ensure that I will spend not more than eight hours working and attending to all the important appointments. This allows me to spend time with my daughter at night. But on days when me and my husband are free, we spend most of our time at home, relaxing with Aafiyah,” she revealed.
Credit: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/trending/siti-nurhaliza-australia-adelaide-11700518