Erin, flanked by Nur Balqis and Raziq, is all smiles after being crowned champion of this year’s Bintang Kecil RTM.
KUCHING: It was a night to remember for Siti Erinshahira Jamaludin, who beat seven other finalists to emerge champion of this year’s Bintang Kecil RTM.
The 10-year-old wowed judges during the grand showdown at Stadium Perpaduan here last Saturday night, earning her not only the coveted crown but also the Best Performance Award.
Met by reporters after the show, the Negeri Sembilan girl who went by her stage name Erin, could not hide her excitement upon being named the winner of the annual junior singing competition.
“I was only focused on doing my best – I did not think of anything else. I’m so grateful to have won and I do believe that I deserve it. I am still very surprised,” the 10-year-old said.
Adenan (third right) presenting the championship trophy to Erin. — Photos by Muhammad Rais Sanusi
Each finalist was required to perform two songs at the final, namely a cover of any hit by renowned singers and an original number specially composed by Patrick Khamis for the competition.
Erin chose to sing Datuk Siti Nurhaliza’s breakout ballad ‘Jerat Percintaan’ for the first part of her performance while for the second part, she opted for a more folksy beat ‘Cinta Anak Desa’.
“As a fan of Datuk Siti, I was only too happy to emulate her on stage. However, the second song was a bit difficult, I must say. I also drew a lot of inspiration from (another renowned Malaysian singer) Aishah for my performance,” she enthused.
As champion, Erin bagged RM15,000 plus RM1,000 for her best performance.
Finishing first runner-up was Nur Balqis Aleeya Shahrom of Selangor, who was not too downhearted with the result as she said she lost to a ‘very formidable contender’ that night.
For her rendition of Stacy’s ‘Pakai Buang’ and the original ‘Sesekali’, the 10-year-old received RM10,000.
Meanwhile Kuching-born Raziq Qadree Elham, 10, made the state proud by finishing third through his performance of Hazama’s ‘Cinta Teragung’ and an original ‘Siapa Kamu Di Hati Ku’.
“I thank all Sarawakians who have come here to support me. To me, this is not the end; rather it is the beginning of my ambition to become an accomplished singer,” said the SK Green Road pupil.
Adenan (centre) with wife Datin Patinggi Datuk Jamilah Anu (second left) and Bintang Kecil RTM officials joining the contestants for a group photo.
Each of the top three finalists also received a trophy, certificate and wristwatch.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, who was accompanied by RTM Sarawak broadcasting director Salmah Ibrahim Melina, presented the prizes to the winners.
The grand show also featured performances by a number of Malaysian artistes comprising Adira, Shahmin Jasmi and rap group W.A.R.I.S. together with DJ Fuzz.
Introduced in the state in 1986, Bintang Kecil RTM has grown over the years to become among the most anticipated annual singing competitions, drawing participation of junior talents from across the nation.
This year, the programme kicked off on Nov 19 and
from there, contestants went through round-robin elimination process which saw the first batch of 16 hopefuls being trimmed to 12.
At a preliminary stage later, only eight made it to the final.