IT took nearly seven years for Siti Sarah Raissuddin to get back into the recording studio after releasing her last single Cinta Itu Nyawa, a duet with her husband Shuib.
Early last month, Sarah finally released her new single titled Semakin, penned by Shuib (whose real name is Shahmira Muhammad).
“I’m a very fussy person when it comes to recording and releasing singles. So to record one after a long period which can almost be considered as a ‘comeback’ song, I need to make sure that it is exactly the kind of song I really believe in,” shares the 33-year-old when met in Kuala Lumpur recently.
Sarah took a break after recording Cinta Itu Nyawa to concentrate on her marriage and stepped back into the limelight when she participated in the reality show Gegar Vaganza 3 in 2016.
She emerged as the first runner-up, next to that season’s champion Azharina Azhar.
FINDING THE RIGHT FIT
“After that, I wanted to go into the studio again, to record a new song. However, because I didn’t find the one song which I really like, the search just dragged on,” she says.
She rejected about 50 songs before finally deciding on the one composed by Shuib.
“I cannot just say yes to any song just for the sake of releasing one. I needed to find one which really suited me.
“Little did I know that the song would eventually come from someone who is extremely close to me,” shares Sarah, smiling coyly at her husband.
Even then, once she agreed on the song, it took another five months to complete the whole recording process.
“After a recording session, she would go home and tell me that she would need to go into the studio again. It happened so many times that I finally told her to do what she needed to do and only let me know once she was happy and satisfied before wrapping up the new song,” shares Shuib.
BACK IN THE SADDLE
The new ballad is also the original soundtrack for the drama series Halalkan Hati Yang Ku Curi, directed by Hashim Rejab, which is currently airing on TV3.
When asked about the song’s similarity to Indonesian singer Agnes Monica’s Matahariku, Sarah says her song has a different melody.
“Of course, I’ve always liked songs by Agnes and wouldn’t mind singing songs which are like hers. But Semakin’s melody is nothing like any of her tunes,” says Sarah who is also currently in the midst of preparing for her upcoming mini showcase.
She also admits that she is a little jittery about the performance as it’s been a while since she last performed at such a show, 11 years to be exact.
The showcase, to be led by musical director Faizal Uzir and staged on July 6 at Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTiC), was originally planned for May 4 but had to be re-scheduled due to the general elections.
A NEW BEGINNING
“I am a bit nervous as it has been a while since I performed at such a show,” says Sarah of the performance which will see her singing between 12 and 15 songs.
Sarah recently came back from her umrah to Mecca, Saudi Arabia with her family and husband, looking modest in the hijab.
Asked if she is ready to change her appearance for good, Sarah says she has no answer to that as yet.
“For the moment, I’m comfortable wearing it,” she says, adding that she looks to the styles of hijabi celebrities such as Rozita Che Wan, Neelofa and Nabila Razali for reference and inspiration.
Meanwhile, Shuib adds that when it comes to wearing the hijab, he prefers to leave it to Sarah as he believes that there’s no compulsion in such matters.