Malay language is not exactly a language that is often spoken by people outside of Malaysia, even some Malaysians don’t speak the national language very well.
So when certain foreigners took the extra efforts to learn the language, they not only gain popularity in the country but also plenty of new fans from Malaysia as well as other Malay-speaking countries like Indonesia, Brunei, and Singapore.
Lately, there have been several foreigners who started to break into the Malaysian music market by covering and releasing songs in Malay language.
Check out these 6 non-Malaysians who can sing fluently in Malay language.
1. Takaaki Terry – Japan
Osaka-born Takaaki Terry went viral on Malaysian social media when he covered Faizal Tahir’s hit song “Assalamualaikum Dunia”. His performance not only gotten the attention of many Malaysians, but also the hit maker himself who flew all the way to Osaka, Japan to track the Japanese man. Takaaki ended up getting signed under Faizal Tahir’s record label, Faithful Music and has already released his very first Malay single, “Konnichiwa Dunia”.
2. Cassidy La Crème – Australia
Australian YouTuber Cassidy Anderson or better known by her stage name Cassidy La Crème officially moved to Malaysia in 2017 to focus on her entertainment career in the country. Cassidy gained fame in Malaysia after singing a cover version of “Ombak Rindu”. Since then, she has been covering more and more famous local hits. She signed under Raksasa Records and has released her very own Malay single “Seperti Dia” in 2017.
3. Chaleeda Gilbert – Thailand
17-year-old Thai-British singer Chaleeda Gilbert has decided to spread her wings in Malaysia by signing with Malaysian recording company Rocketfuel Entertainment. The local music label discovered the young talent via her YouTube channel where she performed various cover songs. She has already released several singles under the label, but most recently, she released her first Malay track “Bestfriend” featuring local rapper Lil J.
4. Mark O’Dea – England
British social media influencer Mark O’Dea first came to Malaysia in 2013 as a member of a Malaysia-based boy band called “The London Boys”. But when the group disbanded, Mark joined the “8TV Quickie” variety show and became one of the regular presenters. ON his YouTube channel, Mark is known for hosting videos of him getting up to mischief organising funny pranks on the public including suddenly singing Malay songs. One of his very first Malay covers was “Sedetik Lebih” by Anuar Zain.
5. Maher Zain – Sweden
Swedish-Lebanese religious singer Maher Zain found international fame when he released his debut album “Thank You Allah” in 2009. His music gathered a huge online following in Arabic-speaking and Islamic countries including Malaysia. He was the most Googled celebrity in Malaysia. Since Malaysia has been one of the countries where he has had the most commercial success, the singer has released a few of his famous hits in Malay language, the songs include “For The Rest Of My Life”, “InsyaAllah”, “Peace Be Upon You” and more.
6. G.T.I – South Korea
Short for Global Tour Idol, G.T.I is a 3-member Korean boy band consisting of members Dong Gyun, Aoora and Sibong. The band is known for covering Indonesian songs but once in a while, they will also take on Malaysian songs and give it their own spin. Some of the Malaysian songs they sang include Sufian Suhaimi’s “Di Mata Mu”, Estranged’s “Hancur”, Faizal Tahir’s “Sayang”, and Projector Band’s “Sudah Ku Tahu”.
