Speaking to singer Misha Omar over a late lunch at a cafe in Kuala Lumpur proves to be an interesting experience.
It’s not because of how delicately she eats her wrap, but because every few questions are punctuated by other customers stopping by to greet her – or waving from afar.
Misha responds to each one with a bright smile and cheerful wave, warmly acknowledging their acknowledgement.
Some of the journalists she knows even come over to our table to give her a cheek-to-cheek kiss greeting, which she happily reciprocates.
It’s this friendly and down-to-earth demeanour that has endeared the Machang, Kelantan-born singer to fans since she first burst onto the entertainment scene 23 years ago.
From her debut track Bunga-Bunga Cinta in 2002 to her latest single Break, released just a few months ago, her fans have stayed steadfastly by her side.
And on Nov 29, the 43-year-old plans to show her gratitude to them through her solo concert DiA Misha Omar at the Mega Star Arena in Kuala Lumpur.
She’s currently deep in rehearsals under the guidance of vocal coach Datuk Syafinaz Selamat to ensure she delivers her very best that night.
“Basically, I’m very excited,” she says of the upcoming concert, speaking in English.
“Usually, I feel scared before a show, but this time I don’t – and I hope it stays that way until Nov 29,” the laid-back artiste tells StarLifestyle with a laugh.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing all my fans at this exclusive concert. They actually bought tickets to come and see me! I feel honoured and loved.
“When you’re surrounded by people who accept you and believe in your talent, there’s really no reason to be scared.
“That’s why I’m excited to sing for them, to feel their energy and love.
“Usually, if you saw me three weeks before a show, I’d be a wreck.
“But this time, it feels different – I’m just really excited,” reiterates the singer, who has won multiple awards at music competitions in Malaysia, including from Anugerah Industri Muzik and Anugerah Juara Lagu.
Although Misha loved singing karaoke with her family as a child, she never imagined turning it into a career.
It was at her aunt’s insistence that she even auditioned for Bintang RTM 2001 at 19 years old.
While she didn’t win, jury member the late Datuk Adnan Abu Hassan was so impressed by her talent that he signed her to a major record label.
That led to her hit Bunga-Bunga Cinta from her debut album Misha – and a Best Vocalist win at Anugerah Juara Lagu 2003 when she was just 21, beating industry heavyweights like Siti Nurhaliza, Anuar Zain and Ning Baizura.
Still, Misha says it took her three years after her debut to truly realise singing was her calling.
Describing her journey as “blessed and magical”, she says: “I’m not someone who releases music every year ... I only have three solo studio albums.”
(It should be mentioned that Misha has continued releasing singles, including the haunting Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam tracks Pulangkan and Ku Seru, and she’s set to drop another single in early 2026.)
“I’m not the type who chases opportunities. I’ve always believed that if something is meant for me, it will come. And when it does, I work hard to deserve it.
“I always want to improve myself, to prove something – not to others, but to myself.
“At 43, there are days I feel tired for no reason, like I don’t feel like doing anything at times.
“But then I remind myself – this is my time. And I embrace it. Doing this concert is part of that. It’s time to grow and to show my loyal fans that I can still meet their expectations.”
Misha counts many Malaysian female artistes as inspirations, including Datuk Sheila Majid, who recently celebrated her 40th year in the industry with a sold-out concert.
“She’s someone who celebrates every moment for others – and that’s something I try to practise too,” says Misha of her senior.
“Whenever a newcomer enters the industry, I celebrate their moment. I applaud their wins, big or small.
“Watching her recent concert – as a singer and as a fan – I felt so proud. The way she embodies women’s empowerment through music is wonderful to me.
“Some of the songs she performed were the same ones my mum used to sing while cooking dinner or doing laundry, so it was extra special.
“She inspires me to work harder and be better in this industry.”
When told that many young people look up to her for her positivity, discipline and authenticity, Misha laughs and says: “All I do is sing!”
“I guess people tend to look at me from a different perspective,” she explains. “They say I’m a strong woman, that I have a strong character, that I’m a good entertainer.
“But honestly, I just do what I love. I just be myself.”
What perhaps resonates with fans is the way she carries herself – always grounded in good thoughts and good practices, whether online or in person. Even when faced with criticism, she handles it with grace.
“I think because of that, it becomes a kind of strength.
“When people say things about me, I remind myself that I know who I am. I trust myself first and foremost.
“And if I need advice, I’ll seek it from people with better perspectives and wiser opinions.
She adds that she’s surrounded herself with a circle of good people: “They are my backbone.”
Misha, whose image appeared on New York City’s Times Square billboard in September as part of Spotify’s global #SpotifyEQUAL campaign, believes a woman’s best feature is her confidence.
“When you’re comfortable with yourself, you feel confident. My parents and siblings taught me to know my strengths and weaknesses and to embrace both.
“That’s why I feel confidence is the most beautiful part of a woman,” says Misha, who has four sisters and two brothers.
She admits that she once felt insecure about her weight, looks, etc “feeling like I wasn’t enough”.
But instead of letting them bring her down, she chose to take action – working out, drinking more water for better skin and wearing braces early in her career to fix her teeth, even performing at award shows with them on.
“(Earlier on) I wasn’t so fluent in English. But instead of feeling bad about it, I learned to accept it first.
“My mindset is always: it’s not that I don’t have it – it’s that I don’t have it yet.
“So I seek advice, get guidance, read more and keep learning. That’s how I grow – by embracing both the good and not-so-good parts of myself.
“For this concert, for instance, I consulted my doctor about my diet.
“She introduced me to the calorie deficit diet. These days, it’s easy to take shortcuts to look slimmer, but I’ve always believed in trusting proper guidance.
“I’ve been practising the calorie deficit diet since July, and I can really see the results.”
The journey that began 23 years ago is still one Misha is enjoying and learning from.
While she acknowledges that luck played a role, she credits hard work for keeping her going.
“It’s all about balance – when there’s hard work, God won’t cheat you (of success),” she says.
This is a principle she learned from her father, a government servant, who also often told his children not to dwell on the past and to always look forward.
“Another of his sayings is ‘there are no dead ends until you are dead’ meaning we should never give up as there is always a solution up ahead.”
For the singer, challenges are meant to be faced head-on.
“There’s always struggle ... the other day I saw a video of Angelina Jolie saying to ‘go right through’ a difficult time and not avoid it. She said, ‘Walk right through it and come out stronger’.
“When I look back at my sister and myself, that’s exactly what we did. We just pushed on – and here we are,” says Misha, who with her older sister and manager, Mimie Omar, runs a production company.
Her own advice to aspiring artistes is to believe in themselves more.
“Don’t wait for others to believe in you.
“Get out of your comfort zone. If I had stayed home singing karaoke with my cousins, none of this would’ve happened. All you need to do is take that first step.
“And love yourself first, before you want to love others or receive love from others.”
Tickets to DiA Misha Omar are available at jiotix.asia/events/dia-misha-omar.
