A song by singer Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza - who was once affectionately known as Malaysia’s pop princess - has been revealed to be among King Charles III’s favourite tunes, earning a spot on his personally-curated playlist featuring 17 songs from around the Commonwealth.
Anta Permana, a single released by Nurhaliza in 2018, was featured on The King’s Music Room on Apple Music 1.
The show, recorded at the King’s offices at Buckingham Palace, marks Commonwealth Day on March 10. The Commonwealth consists of 56 countries, most of which are British ex-colonies.
“The next piece is by the outstanding Malaysian artist, Siti Nurhaliza. It is called Anta Permana and it tells a story about love that is stronger than time,” said King Charles, 76, on the show.
Siti responded in an Instagram story on March 10, and wrote: “I am beyond blessed and deeply thankful.”
The musical powerhouse made her debut in the music industry 1995, at the age of 16. Since then, she has won over 300 local and international awards and in 2005 became the first South-east Asian singer to perform a solo concert at the Royal Albert Hall London.
Other songs that made the King’s playlist include Indian Summer (2013) by British-American sitar player and musician Anoushka Shankar, E Te Iwi E (Call to the People) (2013) by New Zealand opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa, and The Click Song (1960) by South African singer Miriam Makeba.
More familiar hits include Kylie Minogue’s The Loco-Motion (1962), Beyoncé’s Crazy in Love (2003), and Kante (2023) by Nigerian artist Davido.
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Thanks for sharing!