Aufahanie took 5 hours to re-record late Siti Sarah’s song, as it was too emotional

The newcomer is prepared for fans to compare her cover to the song originally recorded by Siti Sarah, who passed away in 2021. Photo: Aufahanie/Instagram

Saat Hilang Cintamu was originally released in 2003 by singer Siti Sarah, who passed away in 2021.

Now, 20-year-old newcomer Nur Aufahanie Mokhtar or Aufahanie has released a cover of that song and she says she is open if fans want to compare her performance to that of Siti Sarah’s.

In an interview with mStar – The Star’s Malay language portal – Aufahanie said that she totally understands if some fans may feel that Siti Sarah’s rendition of the song is far superior to hers.

"I am ready if someone wants to compare our singing. I agree with all opinions. We all know that the late Sarah was an amazing singer. I just hope that my delivery of this song is well-received.

“Before this, when participating in any event or TV shows, I often watched the late Siti Sarah's performances as a reference because she is a great singer," she told mStar at an event to launch the cover.

According to Aufahanie, it was not easy for her to record Saat Hilang Cintamu because she often remembered the late Siti Sarah and got emotional, requiring her to take breaks several times.

However, with the assistance of Ajai, who is also the composer of the song, she was able to look into every line of the lyrics to deliver it with new breath.

"For me, the pressure to record this song is because Siti Sarah gave it so much soul. It took me five hours to complete the recording of this song. As a newcomer, I am happy to be chosen by a famous composer like Ajai," said Aufahanie.

She added that the opportunity to re-record this song was a great honour for her. She was excited because Ajai himself chose to collaborate with her after seeing her on Big Stage 2023.

The 2003 song Saat Hilang Cintamu was included in Sarah's second album titled Mimpi Pun Sama. .