Singer Siti Nordiana Alias, better known as Nana, has been abstaining from caffeinated drinks, especially coffee, for the past year.
The 40-year-old Memori Berkasih singer shared that while it has been challenging, given her love for coffee, she had to make the sacrifice to protect her career after facing issues with her vocal cords.
According to Nana, her vocal cords were affected by the lingering effects of Covid-19, and in addition to avoiding caffeinated beverages, she has enrolled in vocal classes under the guidance of Datuk Syafinaz Selamat to improve her singing skills.
"Every month, I attend vocal classes to 'top up' my voice. Insya-Allah, with Cikgu Syafinaz’s guidance, I am trying to minimise the risk of damaging my vocal cords through intensive training.
"Actually, it's quite hard to avoid coffee because I’m a big fan, but I had no choice as coffee causes me throat issues," she told a press conference for the Tomok and Siti Nordiana: Memori Mungkin Berulang concert recently.
The mother of one shared that issues with her voice have led to frequent criticism and feedback. However, she views these critiques as valuable lessons that have helped her improve and grow in her artistic career.
"As an artiste, we need to be resilient. I've been harshly criticised before, even during the Gegar Vaganza reality show, where I was heavily criticised. But for me, every piece of criticism actually teaches us to learn faster and step out of our comfort zone," she said.
In another development, Nana expressed her excitement about sharing the stage with Tomok in the upcoming Tomok and Siti Nordiana: Memori Mungkin Berulang concert, scheduled for Feb 1 at Zepp Kuala Lumpur.
She described the concert as a continuation of their duet after the success of the song Memori Mungkin Berulang.
"In this concert, in addition to our solo songs, we will also perform some of our hit songs, including a duet I did with the late Achik, which will surely bring back memories for the fans," she added. – Bernama
