Screengrab of Winnie Albert covering ‘Percayalah’ at Rumah Asap Tabuan Dayak from the TikTok video.
KUCHING (Aug 13): Veteran Iban singer Winnie Albert is causing a sensation across the South China Sea after her awe-inspiring cover of Datuk Siti Nurhaliza’s hit, ‘Percayalah’, was shared on TikTok.
TikTok user, dinozonefc9, had posted the video of Winnie singing at Rumah Asap Tabuan Dayak, a popular eatery here, on his page on Friday night and it quickly went viral.
The video has been shared on all major social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram, where it has garnered tens of thousands of likes and reactions.
Among those who sang praises for Winnie’s rendition of ‘Percayalah’ was the song’s composer himself, Ajai.
He pointed out that besides having a good voice and being pitch perfect, the ‘feel’ of the performance without going overboard was equally important in making a song great.
“Apa yg sy huraikan.. semua ini ada dalam nyanyian ‘Penyanyi’ cover lagu ini. Sedap didengar. (What I am saying…is they are all in this cover singer’s song. Wonderful to listen to),” he said on Facebook.
Another popular Malaysian celebrity who was stunned by Winnie’s performance was the comedian, Harith Iskander, who pointed out on Instagram that he had goosebumps watching her sing.
What’s more, Harith offered to feature her in a show he was planning.
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“I did not know you before I saw this WINNIE ALBERT, but you deserve to be a star! Siapa2 yang tahu how i can get in touch with her, please DM me – I would love to feature her on a big show I have coming up. Her control, tone and raw talent is outstanding,” he said.
Harith also said that the power in Winnie’s voice reminded him of the late artiste, Adibah Noor, who died in June due to cancer.
Netizen’s who commented on the posts by Ajai and Harith showered Winnie with praise, some even claimed that she sang the song even better than Siti.
Winnie was also described as an icon and legend of the Sarawakian music scene.
@dinozonefc9 #dayak #bidayuh #entertainer #dinozonefc #sarawak #fyp ♬ original sound – dinozonefc
The original TikTok video posted by dinozonefc9.