Siti Nurhaliza mature and accomplished at 23

Hera Diani The Jakarta Post Jakarta

The last time Malaysian singer Siti Nurhaliza, 23, came to town was in June to promote her traditional Malay album Sanggar Mustika (House of Precious Stones).

Now she is back in town, invited by Trans TV station to perform at its recent first anniversary celebration.

The Jakarta Post interviewed her on the sidelines of the press conference to promote her new single Camar Yang Pulang (The Returning Seagull).

She remains the same ol' nice Siti who is humble, unbelievably nice, sincere and composed while her achievements are quite something. Besides her versatile and magnificent voice, she has produced 13 albums since 1996, which have sold in Indonesia, Japan, Brunei and Singapore, and earned her a solid fan base in each country.

She has grabbed 77 awards, both domestic and international, including the 2002 MTV Asia Award for Best Female Artist.

Another thing about her is she has no need to wear provocative clothing like young female stars in the West.

"I would never wear something Britney Spears wears. I don't like something 'inviting'. I still respect tradition," she once said.

The tradition includes her preference to celebrate New Year's Eve at home as it is "Mak's (mom) birthday in my village."

Below is an excerpt of the interview.

Question: Do you come here quite often?

Answer: Yes. I actually want to visit more places outside Jakarta. I plan to tour Medan, Surabaya and Bandung. I also plan to do a concert here in Indonesia next year.

I'm kind of surprised because the response (of the audience) is very good here. I'm really pleased.

Can you tell us about your new album?

It's a commercial pop album, unlike the last one I released which is a Malay traditional album. It's going to be released next month. Here, I collaborated with (Indonesian singer/composer) Dewiq. I co-wrote the lyrics as Dewiq has her own style of writing and it's a little unsuitable for me.

I also made the video clips here, with (director) Rizal Mantovani. I've worked with him before and I really like his work.

Do you write your own music?

No, not yet. Just the lyrics of three songs. I've been learning to write my own songs.

Your music is always a kind of mellow pop songs, why?

Well, maybe because that's what suits my voice best. Personally, I like songs that are simple with not many musical instruments, only focusing on vocals. But I also like funk (music), alternative (music) and slow rock.

Do you play any musical instrument?

Not really so well, but I play a bit of piano. I like percussion instruments and I often play some in my concerts.

You are really interested in traditional Malay songs and released some albums, aside from pop albums. Why?

It's very important because I want to reach the young generation to make them pay more attention to their own culture.

Now they seem to be more interested in it. There are singing competitions for Malay traditional songs. Since that kind of record is a proven seller, many artists also record the same kind of songs.

You're still very young, yet you manage to be composed, humble and..?

Mature? (laughing) Well, maybe because of my upbringing. I'm very close with my family. My parents always give me advice and warnings, that I have to be humble and everything.

Do you feel that you've lost your youth?

Many have asked me that. I do miss being with my friends, like in old times. But when I think about the future, about my family, I feel so grateful that I have been given this career. Rather than hanging out with my friends, I think it'll be more useful if I focus on my career.

So how's the music industry in Malaysia going right now?

It's been great. There are so many young artists doing different things. There are also many new ones. The competition is good and healthy.

But I've heard that record companies in Malaysia are reluctant to produce albums from new artists due to rampant piracy which cuts into their profits.

Yes, piracy is indeed a difficult problem. We can't deny that. There should be a collective effort from all sides to eliminate it. But it (piracy) does not prevent artists or composers or record companies from producing new albums. The industry is still going great.

You've been in this business for around seven years now. What do you like and dislike about the music industry?

I just want to say that I'm more mature now, more calm in the face of gossip. I've been doing some solo concerts in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. My records have sold well in Japan, Brunei and Singapore. And I've won many awards.

What about going outside of Asia?

Well, who doesn't want to? Like (Indonesian singer) Anggun, for example. But I guess to penetrate Western countries needs extra effort. That's why I often participate in singing festivals outside of Asia. I see them as my opportunities to go global. I also need to polish my English.

You also have the Siti Nurhaliza Production company. What kind of company is that?

It basically manages my contract, schedule, etc. There's also this division called Siti Nurhaliza Marketing which manages the strategy of my career and so on.

The idea is to establish the company from my family. We don't have any background in business but we think there must be the time that I will no longer be a singer. Maybe I will still sing, but no longer produce new albums. So we have to think about my future.

Do you have any plans to jump into acting?

No, not at the moment. I don't have time to do that. I'm already busy with singing. So, I just act in TV commercials, for Maybelline and Pepsi. But even if I had time, I'd prefer to do theater or musicals.. I love musicals. I prefer direct contact with an audience like that.