BUKIT MERTAJAM: A Malay couple’s ability to perform songs in various Chinese dialects has made them familiar faces among multiracial audiences in Penang.
At a recent gig at Juru Auto City here, Nur Sharbanum Othman, 47, better known as Shamimie, showcased her versatility by singing in Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien and Teochew.
She opened with Jiu Gan Tang Bue Bo (Any Empty Wine Bottles for Sale), an iconic Mandarin pop song with a Hokkien title by Taiwanese singer Su Rui (Julie Su).
She then performed Hoi Fut Tin Hung (Boundless Sea and Sky) by Hong Kong rock band Beyond, followed by the Hokkien number Ai Piah Chia Eh Yia (Fight to Win) and a Teochew song, Kwee Chang Gweh Gahng Beh Swahn Nyah, which literally means “braving all hardships to make a living”.
Her guitarist husband, Abdul Khalid Salleh, 62, also joined her to perform the Mandarin song Wo Men Bu Yi Yang (We are Different).
A retired civil servant, Khalid released an album in 1988.
The couple perform about three days a week and spend the remaining days practising.
Besides busking at public events, they also perform at banquets and private functions, often earning applause from their multiracial audiences.
Nur Sharbanum said her love for Chinese songs began at the age of nine. She is now able to sing a repertoire of about 70 songs.
“I started singing when I was in kindergarten.
“My father worked in Klang, Selangor, as a special assistant to the Sultan of Selangor. There was also a band at the palace, which I joined.
“At the age of nine, I sang my first Chinese song, Jiu Gan Tang Bue Bo. I did not know how to read Chinese, so I relied on Pinyin.
“When I was in secondary school, I attended Mandarin classes. I was already familiar with Mandarin and Cantonese when I was in Selangor. When I returned to Penang in 1990, I was exposed to Hokkien,” she said during a break between performances at Juru Auto City recently.
She said having many Chinese friends throughout her school years, followed by working at a Chinese supermarket, further strengthened her familiarity with the language and culture.
“In my 20s, I started singing at functions and banquets. To cater to a wide variety of audiences, we need to be well-versed in different languages because we live in a multiracial community.
Nur Sharbanum said she could also sing in Tamil, adding that performing songs in different languages often surprised audiences while helping bring people from different communities together.
“It is the spirit of ‘muhibah’, where we can mingle with different people through music.
“When I sing in different languages, people from different cultures can come together, enjoy the same music and feel connected. That is the beauty of Malaysia.”
