Siti Nurhaliza unites legends and young talents in Gema Bumantara

ALWAYS elevating traditional music to the highest stage, Malaysia’s national songbird Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin continues to strengthen her role as a champion of the nation’s musical heritage with the launch of her latest album, Gema Bumantara.

Admitting that traditional music has always been rooted in her soul, the 46-year-old vocal powerhouse described the album not merely as a continuation of her artistic journey, but also as a great responsibility to ensure that traditional rhythms continue to live on, be recognised and resonate across the world.

"In pursuing this goal, I believe that the mould and recipe of music must evolve with time so it can reach audiences of all generations.

"Therefore, for this traditional album, I felt it was important to give everyone a chance to contribute - whether they are legends, newcomers, or young talents. If I don’t give them the space, how can we nurture future successors?

"When we see their abilities, knowledge, and experience, we should appreciate the talents of this new generation. I myself learned a lot from them,” she said when met after the album launch ceremony at TGV Pavilion Bukit Jalil recently.

Siti said that over 200 song submissions were received from composers of various ages, but only 10 were selected after a stringent evaluation process to ensure alignment with the traditional concept she envisioned.

"Honestly, all were great. It was tough to choose just 10 because actually 40 were really good - imagine narrowing that down to 10. If we wanted, we could easily produce another album because there were so many quality works,” she said.

She added that among the entries received since the open call in early 2024, some compositions were even created using artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

Gema Bumantara features 10 new tracks composed and written by renowned composers and lyricists, including Firdaus Rahmat, Igie Hugh, Usop Kopratasa, Hafiz Hamidun, Aubrey Suwito, Omar K, Shazriq Azeman, Aiman Sidek, Wan Saleh, Affan Mazian and Danish Norr.

Also contributing were Aisha Retno, RADi, Melly Goeslaw, Amni Musrifah, Irena Taib, Jamilah Abu Bakar, Ahmad Fedtri Yahya, Datuk Habsah Hassan, and Siti Nurhaliza herself.

Among the songs featured in the album are Kumbang Bunga (duet with Lesti Kejora), Hati Yang Rindu, Rencong, Pesanan Buat Diri, Kaca dan Permata (duet with Umairah), Syurgaloka, Hujung Bumi, Kesuma, Jenjang Cinta, and Cenderamaya.

The mother of Siti Aafiyah Khalid and Muhammad Afwa shared that the album also received support from the Ministry of Communications through MyCreative Ventures under the Domestic Market Capability Fund (2.0).

"The funding I received covered five songs, while I invested my own money for the remaining five to complete the full album. The assistance from MyCreative was truly a relief, and I’m very grateful,” she said.

When asked about a possible traditional concert, the Cindai hitmaker said the idea is still in the early planning stages but promised a fully traditional showcase from start to finish.

"For now, I can only say it will be a full traditional concert, similar in concept to Lentera Timur, which I performed at Istana Budaya before - except this time, it will be on a much larger scale as it will take place at Axiata Arena Bukit Jalil.

"We’ll announce the date later. For now, I want to focus on Siti Nurhaliza Legacy 30 Concert in January next year first,” she said, adding that the traditional concert will be part of her ongoing effort to celebrate the country’s traditional musical heritage.

Siti also said that the physical edition of the album is expected to be released in January 2026 in conjunction with her Legacy 30 Concert. - BERNAMA