IT'S taken more than three decades since she first beguiled music lovers with her mellifluous voice in 1991, for Datuk Wan Norafizah Wan Ariffin, better known as Nora, to stage her very own concert.
It's not that she or her late husband, musician and record producer Johan Nawawi, had not tried, but it seemed that luck was just not on her side.
"We had approached Istana Budaya more than once. But there were just too many challenges that our plan never materialised," recalls the 51-year-old singer with a tinge of sadness in her voice.
The talent from Kota Baru, Kelantan, says: "They would say yes, but only if we could come in with a sponsor."
"Both Johan and I were stumped. Without a sponsor, it'd be tough for us financially, as we were not millionaires who could dole out a big amounts of capital just for a performance there.
"So I came to a conclusion that, never mind, I can forget about putting up a concert," she says with a shrug.
Then when her husband died in 2017 after a heart attack, the singer did not even know what would become of her singing career, let alone dream about performing at her own solo concert.
With her eyes tearing up, she lets on that, "When he passed, it felt like I had lost one wing.
"I didn't even know how I could carry on singing, as he was my biggest support system."
Slowly picking herself up again, Nora is deeply thankful for the initiative of the Communications Ministry to help artistes, in order to develop the Malaysian arts industry.
New support system
A meeting with music producer Jennifer Thompson and Alita Aris resulted in what would become the highlight of her singing career.
"While I could no longer depend on Johan to map out my musical journey, I have been very fortunate to be surrounded by a circle of people who later turned out to be my new support system.
"They are what I need to move ahead now," she says.
So come Dec 18, Nora will finally take centrestage to perform at her debut concert, titled 'Hanya Satu: Datuk Nora Ariffin (30 Years Journey), at the Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre in One Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
The concert is presented by her own company, Johan Nawawi Sdn Bhd, with support from the ministry and MyCreative Ventures.
Dream finally realised
"Despite the long wait and various hurdles I had to endure in the past, after two years of planning, it's finally going to materialise," she says excitedly about her music show.
The concert will see Thompson taking on the role of show director while Aubrey Suwito serves as music director.
Nora says she will perform 17 songs from her 18 studio albums.
Concertgoers can expect 'Di Persimpangan Dilema', 'Naluri (Hadirlah Kekasih)', 'Sandiwara', 'Menyemai Cinta Bersamamu', 'Renungan Terakhir', and 'Jentayu'.
As a show of respect to her late husband, Nora will also dedicate a special tribute segment to him.
"He played a major role in making me the singer that I am today. All of my achievements that I've had so far have been the fruits of his labour," she says.