COMPOSER and singer Ikhwan Fatanna Mokhtar did not expect his song “Hening Rindu”, sung by Marsha Milan Londoh, to gain international recognition after receiving a gold nod at the ContentAsia Awards 2025 in Taipei, Taiwan, recently.
He said winning the Best Sound Design Category Created in Asia for an Asian Television Programme/Series was a major achievement, coming after the song was crowned champion of the 39th Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL) in February. (The song, composed by Ikhwan and Wan Saleh with lyrics penned by Ikhwan, won AJL’s main prize of RM100,000 and a trophy).
“Actually, I wasn’t even told about this song being nominated for the ContentAsia Awards. So, when I found out, I was really surprised because it was Marsha and several staff from Alternate Records who told me this song won for Sound Design,” he said when contacted by Bernama.
Ikhwan said the victory would serve as motivation to continue producing quality works for artistes, as well as music that resonates with listeners both in Malaysia and abroad.
“I want my songs to be heard not only in Malaysia but also internationally,” he said, noting that he has previously collaborated with Indonesian artistes Rizky Febian and Nissa Sabyan.
Discussing the piece, Ikhwan explained that “Hening Rindu”, also arranged by Wan Saleh, was about finding sound elements that could make the song’s melody stand out more.
“Music and sound design are very important. Alhamdulillah, with the help of Wan Saleh as the sound arranger for this song, he did an excellent job in shaping the melody and lyrics into what we all hear,” he said.
Meanwhile, Marsha expressed her gratitude for the song’s success in an Instagram post, describing it as the result of teamwork.
“Thank you for pouring your heart and soul into this project. I’m so grateful to be the voice for a song that carries so much soul. This is truly a shared journey,” she said.
The ContentAsia Awards is an annual event that recognises premium video content and talent achievements across various platforms in the Asian region.
This edition featured over 150 nominated programmes, highlighting the strong competition in the regional creative content industry. – BERNAMA
