After facing a setback that almost dimmed her spirit, hijab-wearing rap artiste Bunga has risen resiliently, marking her return with the release of her debut album, Seharum Nama.
Bunga, whose real name is Noor Ayu Fatini Mohd Bakhari, 25, admitted that despite the cheers and applause from fans since starting her music career five years ago, she once faced a tough challenge that nearly made her give up.
At that time, she had to balance her life as a university student, commitments as a singer and the responsibility of caring for her mother who lived alone.
"There was a time I felt burnt out. While pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, I commuted daily from Damansara Damai, Petaling Jaya to Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Seremban to take care of my mother.
"I had to wake up as early as 5am and return around 11pm, sometimes taking the train, other times driving myself. The journey eventually affected my performance, causing me to fail two consecutive subjects,” she said at her debut album launch press conference recently.
However, the continuous support from her husband, Amzar Sabri, 28, who is also a composer and songwriter, as well as her family and close friends, became her pillar of strength to get back on track with her career.
"I tried to slowly heal myself through nature activities like camping. Alhamdulillah, that healing helped me regain calm, sharpen focus, and strengthen my spirit to create again,” she said.
Regarding her debut album Seharum Nama, Bunga explained it took nearly two years to complete, with close supervision at every stage of production alongside Warner Music Malaysia, including feedback on song selection and music arrangement.
The lead single Tak Tidur Malam was inspired by the character Meriam in the film Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam, combining traditional elements with a spooky vibe.
"At first, we tried dangdut, but it didn’t fit my identity. However, the message of this song is about inner strength, not ghost stories,” she shared.
Interestingly, in the album which contains 10 songs, Bunga also incorporates rarely used Malay proverbs in the lyrics to honour the language and culture, while reminding the younger generation of the beauty of their mother tongue and traditional values of politeness.
Commenting on perceptions of her as a hijab-wearing female rapper, Bunga emphasised that her focus remains on her work and not on external views about her appearance. – Bernama
