In The Spotlight

Introduce yourself!
Hi, I’m Putri, and I’m currently studying sound and music at Singapore Polytechnic (SP). I just finished a Dikir Barat (traditional Malay performance), so that’s why I’m all dressed in pink!

Cool! Have you been doing Dikir Barats for very long?
I only really started doing it when I was in year 1 last year. My position was the juara (main vocalist).

Wow! You must have a lovely voice then! Do you see yourself pursuing music after you graduate?
(laughs) I don’t know! I’ll be interning soon once the semester is over, but after graduation, I plan on studying performing and songwriting overseas in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, just to expand myself as a performer and see how things go.

We hope it all goes well then! How and when did you first get into music?
I actually joined a competition during Bulan Bahasa (Malay Language Month) back in primary one and sang Ikan Kekek (laughs). I was just dancing and singing, and then, unexpectedly, I won first place! The next year, my teacher asked me to join again and I won again! So it’s kind of my teacher who discovered my talent, and this is also why I’ve been pursuing music until now.

How serendipitous! Do you play any instruments or do you mainly focus on vocals?
Mainly just my voice, but I do play a bit of guitar and piano. While I love singing pop and R&B songs, the main thing that I’m best at is singing in traditional Malay.

We hope we’ll get to hear you sing one day! Do you have any favourite artists or singers?
I’m a fan of Ariana Grande, and recently I’ve also been liking local artists like Heema Izzati.

Lovely! Apart from continuing to pursue music, do you have any goals for the new year?
My goal is to be funnier (laughs). I didn’t really set any goals on my own, but being funnier was a goal I made with my friend. We want to try to be funnier than each other (laughs).

That’s so cute! What a wholesome competition. Then how about in terms of music? Any specific goals for that?
I guess my main goal is to perform on bigger stages. So far, the biggest stage I’ve performed on would be the Outdoor Theatre at the Esplanade, but I really want to perform for the National Day Parade, on the huge stage, in front of thousands of people. It would be really nice to try!