Hayden at WCOPA in July.
PENAMPANG (Dec 19): Fresh from his win at the World Championships of Performing Arts or WCOPA in July, Hayden Hansannon Suimin came home and recorded his first single, ‘Di Sampingku’ which was launched on Sunday here.
The 18-year-old from Kampung Nambazan said the song is a tribute to parents everywhere for their love and sacrifices for their children.
Hayden comes from a musical family as his dad and two younger siblings are also performers.
“One of my sisters is a dancer while the other sings,” said the teenager who aspires to be an engineer.
Hayden, who was met at the launching of his single said he has been singing with his dad, Humphrey, ever since he was five years old.
“My dad is a singer and from a young age I would join him on stage and we would perform together. He and my mom encouraged me to join singing competitions,” said Hayden who is currently studying for his A Levels at College UEM in Peninsular Malaysia.
Hayden or Hansannon as he is known to close friends and family, is a Yayasan Sabah scholar and speaks Malay, English, Chinese and Kadazan fluently. He also plays the piano and guitar.
The eldest of four siblings, he is equally comfortable singing in these four languages. This adds to his singing versatility besides being able to sing in different genres.
Hayden said he started actively competing in singing competitions at the age of 11 and has won quite a few at all levels including international levels.
His biggest achievement to date is winning the title of ‘Champion of the World’ at the World Championships of Performing Arts or WCOPA, held at Anaheim, California, USA from 22 July to 2 August 2022.
The title is given or awarded by the Hollywood music industry, recognising Hayden as an international artiste in his own right. Recently, Hayden was awarded the National Star “Most Aspiring Talent” 2022 in the Singing Category recently in Kuala Lumpur.
‘Di Sampingku’ is Hayden’s first single, a touching sentimental Malay number which expresses a deep love and appreciation to parents who selflessly sacrifice themselves for the well-being and success of their children. The song was written by one of the best guitarists ever produced by Sabah, a renowned musician and composer, Alejandro Juntingzon Jr. or Jun, to his close friends.
Jun is also the founder of Juntingzon Production, a production studio that has produced and recorded many high-quality songs from Sabah. Jun has also collaborated with many famous artistes such Amy Search, Datuk DJ Dave, Juwita Suwito, Hillary Ang, Man Kidal, Suen “the Voice Asia”, Mia Palencia, Faizul AF, Firman AF, Patrick Leong, Noisy Crush, Rey kimara, Felix AF, Esther Applunius, Acha Fariesha, Arddley Nicholas, Dallen Fabien and many more.
Hayden hopes that in the near future he will be able to balance his studies and still pursue a career in singing in the long run.
“If you focus on being the best that you can be, you can succeed in whatever you put your mind into,” said Hayden.