A song for you
Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza on life as a pregnant woman and crafting a song for her baby.
PREGNANCY affects expectant mothers in different ways, from feeling nauseous to having odd food cravings.
For Malaysia’s No. 1 singer Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza, who has been singing for more than 20 years, she says she didn’t feel like singing for a while during her pregnancy.
“My body felt uncomfortable and restless all the time. Especially during my first trimester, my breathing felt laboured and I couldn’t walk much. So I didn’t have the mood to sing,” says the Segala Perasaan hitmaker at a press event in Kuala Lumpur.
“When I entered my fifth month of pregnancy, naturally that desire to sing came back. I started humming and singing without even realising it.”
Siti, who is now six months pregnant, is still limiting her singing engagements and public appearances to focus on her pregnancy. But there is no stopping her from coming up with fresh music ideas.
“I was in the shower one day and I got the idea that I should record a song for my baby. As a singer I would like to memorialise this moment. It’s a gift for my baby. When my baby grows up she would know this song was created especially for him or her.”
Siti, who started working on the idea a month ago, is still in the early stages of crafting the song. “I have three melodies that I composed myself. I have to pass it to the producers first and see what they think. The lyrics will come in later.”
The 38-year-old singer is scheduled to give birth in March. Thereafter, she plans to devote six months to caring for her newborn.
“After giving birth, I want to focus on breastfeeding and seeing my baby grow up before my eyes, especially since it’s my first baby.
“After six months, I will gradually take on more work. We have a few things lined up already. We’re currently in talks to hold concerts in Indonesia and Singapore at the end of next year.”
It may be still a while before Siti returns to the entertainment scene in full force. In the meantime, fans can look out for her on the small screen.
Siti, her husband Datuk K and their family embarked on a 20-day adventure across Spain, Portugal and the United Arab Emirates.
Shot in October last year, the 10-episode reality series, CTDKation, captures Siti going on a holiday with not one but 24 family members!
“Certainly, with so many of us, we have our own personalities and preferences. And we travelled non-stop. Each day is packed with so many activities. We get tired, hungry – you’ll see all sorts of emotions,” she recalls.
“The youngest in the group was eight months old while the eldest was 78 years old.”
Siti, who has never been to Spain and Portugal, shares she was most inspired by the spiritual aspect of the trip. "What really left an impact on me were the various places we visited that are rich in Islamic history."
The singer believes the reality show will offer an authentic look at their everyday life.
"The production crew allowed me to edit out some content that could be sensitive. But it's not a lot. Maybe just 2%. It doesn't affect the narrative of the series.
"At the end of the day, it's a real-ity show and people tune in to get to know my family members bet-ter."
Asked whether the upcoming birth of her baby will be docu-mented in a reality series, Siti responds: 'There are no plans at all. I haven't thought about it actu-ally. If there are offers, I have to discuss them with my husband when the time comes."
CTDK-ation airs every Friday at 9pm on Astro Ria (Ch 104).