Singing To Her Own Tune

Who is Njwa and why did she change her stage name? Tammy chan digs deeper to find out what makes the 33-year-old r&b singer-songwriter different from who she was in the past and why she still holds on to her Malaysian roots despite having been based in new york for a couple of years.

In high school, NJWA (who formerly went with the stage name Najwa Mahiaddin) was part of a girl group that was heavily influenced by Destiny’s Child. Although her music career only kicked off after she graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA, her passion for the arts started to bloom in her primary school years when she watched Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera musical in London. While she admits that 2019 has been a mix of highs and lows, nothing is going to stop her from achieving the goals that she has set for herself. “As Dory from Finding Nemo puts it, ‘the most important thing is to just keep swimming’,” says the artiste, who’s also the daughter of Home Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

FEMALE: How would you describe NJWA the person as compared to NJWA the artiste?

NJWA: “In person, I’m more shy and an introvert. I was never the outgoing type who could walk into a room and just be friends with everyone. However, on stage, a different side of me comes out and being an artiste has helped me develop my self-confidence.”

F: You were one of FEMALE’s 50 Gorgeous People in 2010. How do you think you’ve changed over the years personally and as an artiste?