Has Siti Nurhaliza lost her sweet, dynamic voice?

The first song that I heard Siti Nurhaliza sang was her duet with 2 by 2, “Mawarku”. I heard it on the radio, back in mid-1990s. My first reaction was that this girl sounded like Julie Remie (a singer during the 1970s, famous for her single, "Korban Percintaan").

I have not heard anyone whose voice was so sweet. I instantly looked forward to Siti’s first album (“Siti Nurhaliza 1996”) and her famous first single, “Jerat Percintaan”.

Siti Nurhaliza was an instant hit. She became Malaysia’s icon for the entertainment industry for quite a while.

However, I was so disappointed with her performance at TV3’s Anugerah Skrin 2008 last night. Her closing act did not get the usual rousing applause from the audience with her new single, “Wanita”.

I think Siti has lost her sweet, dynamic voice.

I hope Siti have not succumbed to the life of the Rich and Famous with her millionaire husband, Datuk Khalid Jiwa. Another singer, Fauziah Latiff, fell into the trap: wining and dining with her (then) husband, Johan Indot. In the international scene, the same happened to Whitney Houston.

Have I seen (almost) the last of Siti in the mainstream music scene? I hope not. I hope that she will still maintain her sweet voice, even when she is in her 50s, and remain as Malaysia’s living singing legend.