SINGAPOREAN composer, lyricist, vocal instructor and music producer Diana Nazyra has just come up with her debut single, and it is a poignant tribute to a woman who is "near and dear" to her.
The song 'Hawa' is Diana's labour of love to her idol, her late grandmother. She wrote and composed it with her husband Abdul Razak Johar, as well as Malaysian composer and lyricist Omar K.
"'Hawa' is my thank you to my grandmother who raised me to become the woman that I am. She will always be my heroine and inspiration, and I miss her dearly every day," said Diana in a statement recently.
Diana, who has been in the music industry for a decade, wrote 'Hawa' two years ago, shortly after her grandmother died.
"'Hawa', which is also my grandmother's name, talks about the virtues of an ideal woman — polite, humble, hardworking, compassionate, self-sacrificing, patient, forgiving and strong," she said, adding that her grandmother possessed such qualities.
"Without my grandmother, I would not have come this far in life. She is the wind beneath my wings, always."
Diana dedicates 'Hawa' to all women. "It is a song for women by a woman, a message of love and sisterhood, for we womenfolk to embody the qualities of 'Hawa' and excel in life."
The song was recorded over three days at World Peace Entertainment Malaysia's studio in Kuala Lumpur. Diana was choked with emotion while recording the song, and it took her sometime to regain her composure.
"Singing every line brought out the pain of losing my grandmother. It was a painful and tearful experience, but thank God, I did it," said Diana, adding that she believed that her grandmother would be proud of her.
Omar said that he was very proud of Diana for coming up with 'Hawa', and described the song as an honest message from the heart of a loving granddaughter.
"It's an honour to work with Diana on this beautiful song. She has just been named Inspirational Woman by Women's Empowerment Singapore and also received the Woman of Today 2024 award from them," he said.
Omar added that he was impressed with Diana's work ethic and perseverance in the recording studio.
"She was moved to tears and initially felt that she could not carry on with the song. Nevertheless she braved herself to keep working and motivated herself to complete the song, by imagining that her grandmother was right next to her and encouraging her to finish it."
Omar said 'Hawa' suited Diana's voice, and it combined the best of modern as well as traditional Malay music.
"Diana's voice is crisp, clear and powerful. She is a dynamic performer and a perfectionist," he said, adding that Diana had also sung with music legends such as Sanisah Huri and the late R. Ismail.
'Hawa' is available on all digital music platforms including iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal and Deezer.