DESPITE spending most of her time in Australia, singer and songwriter Nur Fatima Wahab is making sure she remains relevant in the Malaysian music scene.
Three years ago, Nur Fatima released the single 'Galeri', which was well-received here.
She is now following up with 'Ku Cuba', and hopes fans will be equally "in love" with it.
Nur Fatima, who now lives in Sydney, continues to perform throughout Malaysia with her own band.
"My husband and I moved to Sydney from Canberra at the beginning of the year. Change of city aside, I am very much involved with my band and we tour the country (Malaysia) every year," Nur Fatima told 'Harian Metro' recently.
"I admit that since the pandemic started, my singing career has slowed down a little.
"It took me a long time to release a new single because I feel ballads are better suited to my voice and style," she said.
Nur Fatima said 'Ku Cuba', composed by Sharon Paul with lyrics by Shah Shamsiri, was initially proposed for two other singers.
"I'm so happy they (Sharon and Shah) finally decided I would sing 'Ku Cuba'.
"The other two singers they had in mind are great singers, too. But I was given the job because they felt my voice was 'delicate' and suitable for this rather 'tender' song."
Nur Fatima said she enjoyed working with longtime friends Sharon and Shah.
"Shah is a great writer and his lyrics always come 'alive' whenever I sing them."
She described 'Ku Cuba' as a power ballad, which challenged her vocal abilities.
"It tells the story of a person who makes sacrifices and is willing to accept any decision concerning her ongoing relationship, so long as her partner is happy."
Nur Fatima said "bouncing" between high and low notes while delivering deep emotions reflected in the chorus and verses was her biggest challenge with this song.
"The song is supposed to hit deep with listeners, a profound and poignant anthem."
Nur Fatima said she "isolated" herself in the recording studio in order to appreciate the song's lyrics.
"This was my mental preparation to get back into singing. I am glad I pleased Sharon, who is a perfectionist."
On the increasingly stiff competition in the Malaysian music industry, she said: "To stay relevant is a challenging process. Many new singers and songwriters emerge month after month, and they are pretty good.
"But I never give up and always push myself to work behind the scenes and help the industry as best as I can. I have also decided to continue my studies to become a successful music producer."
Nur Fatima advised new singers to always seek knowledge to improve themselves and take their music and talent to the next level.
"Always aim for the highest. We must not be content in our comfort zones, and instead push ourselves and inculcate self-discipline to strive for excellence in what we do," she said, adding that singers should always ensure their physical and emotional wellbeing, have courage and persevere.
Nur Fatima, 42, from Ipoh, Perak, began singing during her pre-teenage years in Radio Televisyen Malaysia's (RTM) Kelab Kanak-Kanak Angkasapuri.
She won the first prize in RTM's Bintang Gala 2 in 1999.
In 2000, she released her first album 'Selembut Sutera', produced by the late Datuk Adnan Abu Hassan. This was followed by 'Gadis' with Datuk Ahmad Izham Omar as producer.
In 2008, Nur Fatima released the single 'Rindu', which she wrote and composed. She also read the news part-time on 8TV.
Nur Fatima has written songs for Dina Nadzir (Malu Tapi Mahu), Zahid Baharuddin (Caramu) and Jaclyn Victor (Satu Harapan).
Other artistes who have collaborated with her include Ziana Zain, Suki Low, Diddy Muhid, Stacy Anam and Ayu Damit.
Nur Fatima married Australian Jeffry Wainwright in 2009, and spends her time between Kuala Lumpur and Australia.
In 2019, she participated in the sixth season of Astro reality show 'Gegar Vaganza' and finished in fourth place.