KUALA LUMPUR: Reinterpretations of classic pop songs are never easy, and singer-songwriter Najwa Mahiaddin can attest to this with her version of Seri Mersing.
The award-winning artiste behind the hit Got To Go was criticised by listeners who claimed she had "spoiled" the traditional tune when she gave it her new version two years ago.
"I wanted to give this classic a more contemporary touch, so that it could find its way to international music awards or festivals," said Najwa in a recent interview.
"However, a lot of feedback from Malaysians was negative, and many accused me of ‘damaging’ the original song!"
Najwa admitted that she "dared to be different" in order to make Seri Mersing reach an international audience, but many Malaysians rejected musical innovations by new composers.
"We have many independent musicians who are full of creative ideas, and I feel they should be given more opportunities to promote their works. Their journey to the mainstream has been challenging to say the least, because they face a lot of pressure to conform to the musical tastes of various quarters who want them to sound "trendy"," explained Najwa at the launch of her latest single Sentiasa Merinding at SukaSucre, KL Sentral last Thursday.
Sentiasa is a duet with Singaporean singer Imran Ajmain.
"Malaysian audiences need to be exposed to more diverse musical styles, of good quality from time to time. Innovation is the only way for us to make the music industry grow."