More than just a hijab-clad girl group
NAMA from Malaysia ups its game at Asia’s Got Talent, writes Tahir Alhamzah
IN case you haven’t caught up with the current season of Asia’s Got on Talent on AXN or watched the videos on YouTube, the popular show is back for its third season. Among the participants from Malaysia, only two contestants from this third season are worth noting, and one of them is the talented hijab-clad girl group NAMA which recently impressed the audience at one of the auditions with its rendition of Lady Gaga’s hit Bad Romance.
Though judge David Foster did not seem to be blown away, both Anggun and Jay Park liked the group very much, comparing it to the legendary group The Supremes and saying that there should be more groups like it.
The quartet is made up of Nur Fazrina Mohd Ani, 28; Noor Syamimi Makhetar, 24; Norfazira Malik, 24; and Nur Farahida Dolhadi, 24.
They met in 2016 while studying at Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
At the university, they actively took part in its annual Festival Seni, where all of them had won top spots in various performing categories.
Fazrina is the only graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Science while the other three are graduates in the performing arts.
Fazrina had been honing her passion for singing at the university’s Cultural Centre, and together with Syamimi, Fazira and Farah sing nasyid, learning to harmonise with one another.
Individually, the girls have different music influence and idols but as a group, they look up to a cappella groups like Pentatonix or Gamaliel Audrey Cantika from Indonesia.
Their vocal coach Rafiq Taib, from the vocal harmony group Infinatez, formed NAMA in 2017 and it has been performing at corporate events.
On what made them decide to take part in Asia’s Got Talent, group leader Fazrina says: “The local industry is hard to penetrate. That’s why we figured that trying out for Asia’s Got Talent would mean having a wider reach and more diverse audience.”
They admit that they have to work harder to prove that their genre comprises more than just nasyid and spiritual songs.
The members aim to be a hijab-wearing vocal group which also sings pop and ballads.
“We need a bigger platform for the exposure. Asia’s Got Talent is perhaps one of the best places to do so,” she adds. On the name for the group, Fazrina says: “There’s no story or meaning behind the name. We wanted something simple, easy to pronounce and easy to remember, especially for people outside of Malaysia.”
The girls simultaneously sang and danced at the same time for the first time at the audition.
While this is nothing unusual for other performers, as hijab-clad women, there is a need to maintain some decorum.
“We don’t usually dance. We just sing on stage. But since this is Asia’s Got Talent, we figured that we need to up our game,” adds Fazrina.
Based on netizens’ comments on the video, the group members admit that not everyone is a fan of their performance at the audition.
“Some commented that our outfits looked like those worn in a Zumba class.
“In retrospect, after watching the video again, we couldn’t agree more. So if there’s a chance for us to perform again, we will try to work on our wardrobe with the production team,” says Fazira.
Other contestants include Foster’s Golden Buzzer recipient Eleana Gabunada from the Philippines; Japanese magician Takumi Takahashi; and Taiwanese dance group Maniac Family who is Anggun’s Golden Buzzer recipient.
Besides the group, another Malaysian contestant who is in the running for the semi-finals is Yaashwin Sarawanan, 15, also known as The Human Calculator.
We need a bigger platform for the exposure. Asia’s Got Talent is perhaps one of the best places to do so. Nur Fazrina Mohd Ani