TEENS EMERGE WINNERS AT INT'L FOLKLORE AND MUSIC COMPETITION IN CZECH REPUBLIC

KOTA BHARU, Dec 24 (Bernama) -- Nur Syafawati Damia Safwan and Nik Mohamed Firdaus Putra Nik Aziz, 17-year-old students from Kelantan, emerged winners of the Vocal Duet of Excellent Group category at the International Folklore and Music competition in the Czech Republic which took place from Dec 11 to 20. 

Performing 'Bergending Dang Gong,' a song popularised by Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza and the late Datuk SM Salim, the teens received massive applause from the audience and captivated the judges. They outperformed over 40 participants from seven countries.

Nur Syafawati Damia, a student of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Jeli, said it was an unexpected victory for her, given the impressive line-up of participants from across the globe, including the host country, Ukraine and the United States, all of whom displayed exceptional vocal qualities.

“Alhamdulillah, Nik Mohamed Firdaus Putra from SMK Raja Sakti and I managed to perform the song well. I am happy to do the country proud and elevate the status of traditional music," she told Bernama today.

During the competition, Nur Syafawati Damia and Nik Mohamed Firdaus Putra wore songket attire to promote Malaysia's traditional costume.

The eldest of four siblings said she inherited the talent from her mother, Siti Nor Abidah Zainuddin, 38, who taught her vocal techniques and delivery.

"To prepare for this recent competition, I practised whenever I had free time and was guided by Cikgu Suhaida Sukri, as I also had to manage my time to focus on the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations," she said, adding that her father Safwan Mamat, 39, is also supportive of her interest, allowing her to enter various singing competitions since a young age.

-- BERNAMA