POPULAR spiritual music singer Hafiz Hamidun is back with more songs for the soul, and this time, they come in an album specially dedicated to the holy city of Makkah.
Hafiz, who is a talented lyricist and composer, unveiled his latest album entitled 'Haramain' at the Royale Chulan Damansara in Petaling Jaya recently.
PILGRIMAGE
Inspired by Hafiz's recent pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia, the album has 10 songs, which were mostly self-composed and self-produced.
Although Hafiz wrote most of his songs, four of them were penned by Ito Lara and one by Fedtri Yahaya of 'Jejak Rasul' fame.
"My visits to Makkah have been numerous, and all of them have been eye-openers.
"My last was in July and it was very hot, but nevertheless it greatly inspired me to compose new music.
"Each song in this album refers to an aspect of the holy city and my experiences there," said Hafiz, who sang three duets with Adi Priyo, Ruffedge and Rabithah in the album.
SEQUEL
Hafiz's last album was 'Zikir Terapi Acapella', which was released in 2021. It was the sequel to 'Zikir Terapi Diri', his most successful album which was released in 2011.
"After 'Zikir Terapi Acapella', I had a dilemma of sorts — to produce more albums or call it a day," he said.
PANDEMIC HURDLE
Hafiz said he began working on 'Haramain' when the country was placed under the Movement Control Order (MCO) brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
"It was a difficult time and restrictions on our movements made the production process a challenge," said Hafiz.
He added that he felt the time had come for him to focus on producing hit singles rather than physical albums.
Things however got better and the MCO was finally lifted.
FINAL FORM
"By the end of July, the final form of this album took shape. I decided that the best way to reach out to spiritual music fans is to make the album a tribute to my spiritual journey to Makkah," he said.
Hafiz first invited pop and hip-hop group Ruffedge to sing a duet entitled 'Batu Hitam', the second single.
"I have always been a fan of them, I love their vocal harmonies."
PEACE
Hafiz said the songs in 'Haramain' carried messages of love, peace and brotherhood.
They also reflected his longing and anticipation to visit the holy city, and the joy of making his pilgrimage there.
"The lyrics for all of the songs are profound and meant to touch the hearts of all listeners.
"They aim to make my fans feel that they are in Makkah."
SONY MUSIC
Hafiz thanked Sony Music Malaysia for making 'Haramain' a reality.
"The recording process took place as soon as I got home. We wrapped things up early this month," he said.
SOULFUL SEARCH
Hafiz also visited several West Asian tourist destinations such as Turkiye and Saudi Arabia to record the countries' musical styles to enhance his songs.
"I went there to record soulful sounds from various instruments, such as the gambus, clarinet and traditional percussion instruments," he said.
As for the music videos for each song, Hafiz had them contain stunning images of Makkah that looked right out of travel and historical documentaries.
INTERNATIONAL VERSION
Hafiz plans to come up with an international version of 'Haramain', which will contain songs in English, Urdu and Arabic.
"If all goes well, I plan to add Mandarin songs too," he said.
Hafiz had 15 Malaysian and 20 international musicians working on his album.
"I aim to promote my album in the region, especially in Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia," he said.
FAMILY PAL
Ruffedge member Cat Farish said the band had known Hafiz for more than two decades, and he was also their big fan.
"He greatly encouraged us to come up with our most recent reunion concert, and singing the duet 'Batu Hitam' with him is our thank you," said Cat, whose father was Hafiz's school teacher.
Cat's bandmate Azan said 'Haramain' marked the first time Ruffedge sang nasyid for a studio album.
"Hafiz praised us as masters of hip-hop or rap, and readily invited us to be his first guest artiste," he said.
IMPORTANT
Sony Music Malaysia managing director Kenny Ong said Hafiz was an icon of spiritual music and his tunes could sooth the souls of listeners of all ages.
"Spiritual music has long been a favourite of Malaysians. Hafiz gives this genre a modern and stylish touch, and his splendid videos and visuals attract lots of fans from around the region," he said.
He congratulated Hafiz on achieving 111 million video streams for his songs under the Sony Music label since 2005.
'Haramain' is available on all major music streaming platforms.