Hari Raya dedication
Dayang Nurfaizah’s new Hari Raya single is a musical tribute to frontliners.
EVERY day, Malaysian frontliners fight to keep our country safe from the Covid-19 pandemic. Oftentimes, this means they rarely get to meet their families, let alone celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
That is exactly why Dayang Nurfaizah chose to dedicate her first Hari Raya single, Di Pagi Raya Ini, to our hardworking frontliners.
Apart from frontliners, the song also goes out to folks who were unable to return to their hometown for Aidilfitri festivities.
“The morning of (the first day of ) Raya is always the most special. I wanted listeners to be able to wake up to a song that was written just for them,” said Dayang.
Songwriter Ahmad Izham Omar added that Dayang was the perfect person to convey the touching message: “I felt that Dayang was the best person to sing this song. No other singer could express the lyrics in such a beautiful and heartfelt way.”
Although Dayang has been in the music industry for a long time, she has never released a Hari Raya song. According to the singer, this was because she did not feel the need to add to the multitudes of Raya tracks out there.
However, Di Pagi Raya Ini was different – it was not just a typical Raya song, but a track that she could resonate with.
“Not only is it for a good cause, but I could truly tap into my own feelings when
I was singing the lyrics.
“To me, it is all about being able to relate to the lyrics. As I was also unable to return to Kuching for Raya this year, I could capture the message Izham meant to convey without much difficulty,” explained Dayang.
This year’s Hari Raya was a quiet affair for the singer, who celebrated with a small group of relatives. It was also
Dayang’s first Hari Raya away from her mother, who had returned to
Kuching before the movement control order was put in place.
While Dayang had no problem connecting with the lyrics, the singer shared that she did experience some difficulties during the recording process: “Due to the movement control order, I had to record the audio at home. As I do not have a proper setup at my house, I was worried that the recording would not be up to standard. It was a real learning experience.”
Dayang added: “I believe home recording will be the new normal for musicians, at least for the next few months.”