Siti Nurhaliza Receives Standing Ovation For Performing Tamil Song At AR Rahman's Concert
"Tonight, my dream to be on stage alongside an idol and music legend from India, AR Rahman, was achieved."
By Wayne Garreth — 30 Jan 2023, 10:53 AM
Two-time Academy Award winning singer-songwriter AR Rahman recently held his first concert in Malaysia after six years, titled AR Rahman — Secret of Success: Live in Malaysia 2023
Orchestrated as a celebration of his 30-year journey in the music industry, the concert was a power-packed production carried out in front of 60,000 individuals at National Stadium Bukit Jalil this past Saturday, 28 January.
The 56-year-old, whose full name is Allah Rakha Rahman, performed a plethora of medleys from different Indian genres, including some of his most notable works such as Jai Ho and Oh Sayo, which were featured in the 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire. Other works he performed included Reeti Gowla, Chalanatai, Dharmavati, as well as different Hindi and Tamil numbers.
Organised by DMY Creation, multiple notable artistes were also featured in Rahman's show, including playback singers Hariharan and Shweta Mohan, as well as percussionist Drums Sivamani.
However, one of Rahman's most notable guests was Malaysia's very own Siti Nurhaliza.
Taking the stage at around the two-hour mark, audience members were blown away when she partook in a duet with Indian vocalist Haricharan to sing a Tamil song titled Munbe Vaa
Popularised by Indian vocalist and television personality, Shreya Ghoshal, Siti took the opportunity to cover the song for the concert — and clearly, she did not disappoint.
Thousands of audience members erupted in cheer for the singer, giving her a standing ovation during and after the performance.
A few audience members captured the moment and shared it on Twitter:
Many Malaysians praised the songstress for her precision and near-perfect enunciation of the Tamil lyrics in Munbe Vaa, mentioning how her overall performance captivated the entire audience.
Another Twitter user, who goes by the handle @asrulmm, even mentioned how multiple global singers have expressed their admiration for Rahman and an intention to collaborate with him at some point in the future, including Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, and Madonna.
"Taylor Swift calls Rahman her 'favourite musician'. Both Madonna and Selena Gomez have expressed their interests to collaborate with him. But none have materialised so far. Then, Siti simply came along and did it," wrote the user.
In an Instagram post by the Malaysian singer after her performance at the concert, Siti revealed that one of her biggest dreams had finally become a reality
Detailed in the caption of her post, the artiste stated, in translation, "A night of a million memories. As a singer, I have had dreams and wishes, but I always placed my hope in them. Tonight, my dream to be on stage alongside an idol and music legend from India, AR Rahman, was achieved. This is an honour for me."
Continuing on, the singer also revealed that 2023 is her 27th year as a performer in the music industry. "Coming into 2023, I opened my artistic portfolio with a personal goal, that has become a reality," she stated.
"Thank you to all the viewers who came to National Stadium Bukit Jalil and gave me strength from beginning to end to perform Munbe Vaa just now. You guys are the best!" she ended.
Never failing to make us proud, we tip our hats to Siti Nurhaliza for exemplifying a part of Malaysian diversity that's authentic and beautiful
Watch the full clip of Siti Nurhaliza's performance below, shared by the artiste herself:
Making history, Michelle Yeoh became the first Malaysian to be nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Academy Awards:
