Siti Nurhaliza : The Living Legend

Then & now: Forever Siti



Then & Now

DATUK SITI NURHALIZA, ANGEL of music, living legend and Malaysia’s pop queen are adjectives that best describe the country’s No. 1 singer, Datuk Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin.

Since bursting onto the music scene after winning Juara Bintang Hiburan Minggu Ini on RTM in 1995, this singer from Kuala Lipis, Pahang, has been hailed as the greatest Malaysian entertainer after another Pahang-born icon, Datuk Sudirman Arshad.

Born on Jan 11, 1979, in Temerloh, Siti is the fourth of eight children born to late police officer Tarudin Ismail. Her mother, Siti Salmah Bachik, was an Asli music singer and her grandfather, a violinist.

During her schooldays in Sekolah Menengah Clifford, Kuala Lipis, she was active in sports, public speaking as well as singing. She sang her first song, Sirih Pinang, when she was six.

Siti won her first singing contest at 12, and around this time, she followed her relatives to weddings and birthdays where she performed traditional Malay pop songs.

At 16, she won Juara Bintang Hiburan Minggu Ini and became a protege of award-winning composer Adnan Abu Hassan.

She released her first self-titled album a year later. From then onwards, her rise in Malaysian music was meteoric, and this was aided by her wholesome image, disciplined lifestyle and rapport with fans.


 With 14 solo albums under her belt (and sales exceeding three million copies), Siti not only gained a huge following in Malaysia, but also in neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia.

To date, she has won more than 100 local and international music awards. These include multiple Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian, Anugerah Industri Muzik, Anugerah Planet Muzik, Anugerah Juara Lagu, Anugerah Era and MTV Asia Awards.

Her hit songs include Jerat Percintaan, Biarlah Rahsia, Cindai, Dialah Di Hati, Hati Kama, Percayalah, Purnama Merindu, Balqis, Pandang-Pandang Jeling-Jeling, Nirmala, Ku Milikmu, Bukan Cinta Biasa, Menanti Pasti, Ku Mahu and Ku Percaya Ada Cinta.

In 2005, Siti followed Sudirman’s footsteps by singing at London’s Royal Albert Hall. She won the hearts of fans across the United Kingdom and the country’s newspapers described her as Asia’s answer to superstar Celine Dion.

Siti married businessman Datuk Seri Khalid Mohamad Jiwa in 2006. Her wedding banquet was broadcast live on TV3 and viewed by more than six million Malaysians. That same year, she received a Datukship from the Sultan of Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah.



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