TAIPING: Although she has been thrust into the limelight for her stunning performance on a reality TV singing competition in China, Adinda Tasya Mansor is not about to rest on her laurels.
After arriving home here yesterday, the 11-year-old tucked into kuih raya but the Hari Raya celebration was the last thing on her mind.
“The only thing I want to focus on is to practise my singing.
“It was my first performance in an international competition and I was a little intimidated by how good the other participants were.
“I want to do the best in this competition, and I can only achieve that by working hard,” she told reporters after arriving with her 44-year-old homemaker mother Ernisyah Amron at the Taiping railway station yesterday.
Hauling a bag with earphones plugged in, Adinda looked slightly tired but beamed brightly when she saw her sister Azdila Tasya, 15, and her father Mansor Man, 53, an enforcement officer with the Road Transport Department, at the station to welcome her home.
Currently competing in Let’s Sing Kids Season 4 on Hunan TV, Adinda had, for the first time, spent her Hari Raya overseas after flying to Hunan province on July 1.
“I was sad that I couldn’t spend Raya with my family.
“Although my mum was with me, the programme kept me busy during the day and I could only see her at night back at the hotel,” she said.
Since the programme aired on July 2, the video of Adinda performing Lin Yu-chun’s Next Stop in the Future in Mandarin during the introductory round of the competition has gone viral online, garnering praise from many Malaysians.
“I heard from my family that news of my performance had been published in local papers and people were talking about me.
“I felt nervous because I’m not used to this kind of attention.
“But it still feels good to have people appreciate my talent,” she said.
On comments on social media calling her “little Shila Amzah” – another Malaysian who first made waves in a reality TV singing contest in China in 2014 – Adinda said she was humbled but happy to hear it.
“I would never have expected people to compare me to someone famous like Shila,” she said.
The student of SJK(C) Sin Min here shared that she had been singing Chinese songs since her kindergarten days.
The first song she sang in a competition was Mama De Shou (Mama’s Hands).
Adinda idolises one of China’s most renowned artistes, Na Ying, and often practises her songs at home.
“I love sentimental songs that are difficult to sing. I take it as a challenge to improve my singing,” she said.
Adinda has made two trips to Hunan since June 1.
She will next fly there for the competition stage of the weekly programme on July 15.
