Malaysian Indian singer on his breakout hit, the Malay-language single that made him a household name
- Multiracial appeal of Amalina catapulted Santesh, until then a hit only with Malaysia’s Tamil minority, to national fame
- ‘The song changed my life,’ says 31-year-old of track that’s earned several awards and whose music video has had 25 million hits on YouTube
The name Santesh has long been familiar to many Malaysian Indians due to his string of hit Tamil songs. However, with the release of his hit Malay single Amalina last August, Santesh became a household name among all Malaysians, the song striking a chord with its multiracial appeal.
After years of making music, Amalina marked a gigantic step forward for the 31-year-old, whose full name is Santesh Kumar Sukumaran.
The melody was written by local composer Harry Khalifah and the words by lyricist Hadi Rumnan. The duo had been searching for the right singer to bring it to life and held auditions online.
“I decided to try it out,” Santesh says “However, I changed the lyrics from the original Malay to Tamil. [Khalifah and Rumnan] were very impressed with my vocals and signed me up for the song. I eventually recorded it in both Malay and Tamil.”
The music video for the song is also multiracial. It tells the story of Santesh’s admiration for Amalina, a young college girl. He first spots her while eating with his friends, follows her around to win her heart and helps her repair her car when it breaks down.