Siti Nurhaliza dazzles 63,000 fans at Gema Bumantara in Bukit Jalil, celebrating Malaysian traditional music with special guests and memorable performances despite the rain
KUALA LUMPUR: National songstress Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin’s ability to bring traditional music to the stage through a large-scale concert, ‘Gema Bumantara’, is a testament to her enduring influence and standing in Malaysia’s mainstream music industry.
Despite the rain, the 63,000 fans who thronged the TM National Stadium in Bukit Jalil here for the concert on Saturday night remained undeterred. Many came dressed in traditional attire, including baju kurung, kebaya, batik and baju Melayu.
Siti Nurhaliza’s influence on the local music scene was also evident in the presence of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who stayed on to watch her perform in the rain.
“I apologise because we can plan everything, but God has the final say. I couldn’t stop the rain,” she told the audience, adding, “What truly moves me is that we are reuniting nine months after the Legacy concert (‘Konsert Legacy 30 Siti Nurhaliza’).
“I am deeply touched and grateful because your presence shows your support for traditional music. To be honest, at the end of the Legacy concert, when I said we would meet again at a traditional music concert, I was just saying it in passing. But this concert eventually became a reality.”
The ‘Gema Bumantara’ concert was organised by SN Legacy.
Also present were Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil, Siti Nurhaliza’s husband Datuk Seri Khalid Mohamad Jiwa, and Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin.
Performing more than 20 songs over three hours and 30 minutes, the popular singer not only celebrated the beauty of traditional music but also brought the concert to life with creative staging elements, including a shadow puppet performance and a kampung-inspired setting on the stage.
One of the evening’s highlights was the appearance of actress Izara Aishah, who looked elegant in white as she danced to Siti Nurhaliza’s rendition of ‘Walinong Sari’.
“Izara told me she wanted to dance at my concert. I said, ‘Oh, of course!’ Since she loves ‘Walinong Sari’, we decided to make her the princess of Walinong Sari for tonight,” she said.
The evening was further enlivened by local singer Haziq Rosebi, as well as two prominent Indonesian stars, Lesti Kejora and King Nassar.
Adding to the spectacle, Siti Nurhaliza made her way around the stadium on a trishaw while singing ‘Kurik Kundi’, with actor Zarif Ghazzi riding along as her passenger. Fans seized the opportunity to take selfies with their favourite singer, despite tight security measures.
The mood turned emotional when Siti Nurhaliza appeared overcome with emotion while performing ‘Pesanan Buat Diri’, moving many in the audience to tears as well.
The poignant moment did not disrupt the concert’s momentum as the singer skilfully regained her composure before continuing with her other hit songs.
The concert’s climax featured the appearance of the queen of Malaysian rhythm Noraniza Idris, who joined Siti Nurhaliza for their popular duet ‘Hati Kama’. The performance ended their fans’ nearly 25-year wait to see the two singers perform the song together again.
“Siti, please keep going and continue the legacy of our Malaysian traditional music,” said Noraniza, affectionately known as Kak Ani, during the concert.
The crowd became excited when Siti Nurhaliza performed ‘Balqis’, with many singing and dancing along, particularly during the ‘Syahadah’ segment, which reverberated throughout the stadium. The songstress then brought the concert to a close with ‘Nirmala’ and ‘Cindai’.
Other songs performed that night included ‘Kesuma’, ‘Badarsila’, ‘Ya Maulai’, ‘Syurgaloka’, ‘Dondang-Dendang’, ‘Musalmah Manis’, ‘Rencong’ and ‘Masri Manis’.