David Foster spellbound by Siti Nurhaliza's powerful vocals

KUALA LUMPUR: The 2023 David Foster and Friends Live in Asia Tour concert at the Mega Star Arena, Sungei Wang last night, saw Malaysia's very own icon Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza receive a standing ovation after her powerful rendition of Celine Dion's original hit, The Power of Love.

The charity concert was organised by the Prihatin Nasional Foundation (PRIHATIN).

David Forster, the world-renowned composer, was as spellbound as the approximately 3,000 members of the audience while he accompanied her on the piano, and spontaneously requested another Celine Dion hit, All By Myself, as an encore.

"She has a beautiful voice, I love her," said David, 73, who has won 16 Grammy awards, including three for Best Producer of the Year.

Among the famous international singers in the lineup were Michael Bolton, Peabo Bryson, Loren Allref, and Katharine McPhee, who performed a repertoire of the Canadian songwriter's chart toppers.

The two-hour concert treated the audience to more than 15 chart toppers written by David, such as, When A Man Loves a Woman; Beauty and the Beast; If Ever You're In My Arms Again; Can You Stop The Rain and Cry Me A River.

It was also a proud moment for Siti Nurhaliza when David himself played the piano accompaniment for 'Sehebat Matahari', a track from her latest album SITISM.

Siti Nurhaliza is also in the lineup for the same concert in Singapore today.

In a statement by PRIHATIN, Siti Nurhaliza said she was very grateful and lucky for this collaboration with David Foster.

"I worked with David Foster nine years ago and prayed to share a stage with him again. My wish came true today," she said.

Meanwhile, PRIHATIN chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Aizuddin Ghazali said the concert served to not only enhance Malaysia's presence on the international stage but also helped raise funds for the education of underprivileged students.

-- BERNAMA