Kelantanese singer Reena Nicky sings in Tamil

Singer Reena Nicky discovered her true talent as a singer when she was put to the test to record a Tamil track last year.

Her hard work paid off and the result was an astounding success. The Tamil track Ewah! is currently enjoying maximum airplay on several radio stations.

It was first played over THR Ragaa station and is still a favourite because of its catchy music and upbeat tempo. The song was also voted the best song on Minnalfm for three consecutive months – April, May and June. It was also one of the Top 20 songs on Sabahfm for the last five months since April.

Ewah! is also Reena’s first collaboration with the husband-and-wife team, Matilda and Boy Radge who not only coached her but recorded, mixed and mastered the song. The Radges have been in the music scene since 1997.

For someone who has never spoken a word of Tamil in all her life, embracing the language was initially tough.

“Tamil language has less number of basic consonants as compared to Hindi and is not easy. I have to master everything from the diction, the tune, beat, and tempo of the song within a short period of time,” said Reena who took three months to master the song before recording it.

“But with Matilda’s help and patience, I managed to do it. She helped me with the pitching, tune, beat and tempo. The coaching was an eye-opener.”

Reena, whose real name is Nik Azlina Nik Dir, hails from Semerak, Pasir Puteh, Kelantan, can sing in five languages, namely English, Bahasa Malaysia, Hindi, Thai and Mandarin.

Reena Nicky took three months to learn proper diction before recording the Tamil track Ewah!.

The response from the fans and peers in the industry on Ewah! has movitated Reena to strive harder.

“All the positive feedback makes all the hard work worth it. I would like to thank my manager, RN Suresh, for proposing to do Ewah!. It’s worth the gamble and he was right when he said the song would gauge how good I am as a singer. I am so inspired to do much more after getting favourable responses from my fans, music critics and my peers,” said Reena who first hit the limelight with her single, Gadis Kelate, last year.

Reena lost her parents at a young age and sought refuge in music. “This was the transition phase in my life. I learned very early that people can only support and encourage you, but only you can fulfil your dreams and make things happen. It’s not that I was not affected by the personal tragedy but I wanted to prove that I could change my life for the better and make it big someday,” said Reena.

The singer was so determined to make it in the music business that she formed her own recording and artiste management company, Impian NS Resources.

“Every obstacle only motivates me to want to do better. I’ve always wanted to be a singer, so I worked towards that. I invested my savings to record my single and debut album,” said the 36-year-old singer.

Reena’s goal in the music industry is to record multi-lingual albums and make her mark overseas. She’s also determined to to guide and mentor other young talents to realise their dreams in the music business.

This gutsy singer doesn’t believe in waiting for things to happen. For her, if you really want something badly, you have to work hard to get what you want.

“My principle is, ‘It’s now or never’. I believe everyone is unique and there lies our true strength. I’ve always loved singing regardless the language. As they say music is universal,” said Reena who is inspired by her favourite singers Adele and Celine Dion.