Singapore singer Shahfiq, who died in 2024 accident, remembered in brother Syaz Smooth's EP
SINGAPORE – Before he died in a traffic accident in 2024 at the age of 27, Singaporean singer-songwriter Mohd Shahfiq composed several songs that he did not get a chance to record.
Two of them are now part of his younger brother Syaz Smooth's debut EP, Bersamamu (With You). The EP was released on May 2, which would have been Shahfiq's 28th birthday.
Syaz, who turns 20 in June, tells The Straits Times: 'When I wanted to start singing, he was the first person to help me. He was my first vocal teache r, my pillar of support, an d the one who told me that I should start writing my own songs.'
Shahfiq, whose full name was Mohammad Shahfiq Irman, came to fame in 2017 after winning the 10th season of Suria's reality singing competition Anugerah. After releasing singles such as Maya (2018), he studied music in Lasalle College of the Arts and planned to become a vocal coach.
He was among a group of Singaporean motorcyclists who were hit by a lorry in Johor in March 2024. Shahfiq and Mr Mohd Firman Nordin, 26, died at the scene, while four seriously injured riders were taken to a hospital in Muar. Shahfiq and his then fiancee were due to tie the knot in December 2024.
Mohd Shahfiq, winner at the Anugerah 2017 final.
PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN FILE
Syaz is also part of SUI, the home-grown vocal quartet that won Suria's reality singing competition Kaki Nyanyi in January.
Shahfiq's tragic and sudden death hit Syaz, who has two other older brothers and three older sisters, hard.
'He was always the first person I turned to when I needed advice. I trusted him with everything,' adds the singer, who performed at the National Day Parade in 2019 and was one of the artistes who participated in that year's anthem, Our Singapore.
The title track of Syaz's EP was written and composed by Shahfiq in 2020.
'He wrote it for me, and we had plans to record and release it,' Syaz, whose real name is Syah Riszuan, says of the orchestral-acoustic pop song.
'It was supposed to be a love song based on experiences that he went through. In my version, the way I tell the story, it's a personal tribute to him and the bond we shared.'
Singapore singer-songwriter Syaz Smooth's debut EP includes songs written by his late brother, singer Shahfiq (right). This photo was taken in 2017, the same year Shahfiq came to fame after winning Suria's reality singing competition Anugerah.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF SYAZ SMOOTH
The other song in the EP written by Shahfiq is the bossa nova tune Ku Harap (I Hope), which was part of his final-year project when he was in Lasalle. He also got Syaz to sing it at a Lasalle recital in 2019.
Syaz recalls: 'He was always trying out new music genres. It was very different from his other songs, but it kind of grew on me.'
Syaz penned and composed the remaining three songs on the EP. Berhenti Mengharap (Stop Hoping) is about finally coming to terms with the loss of his sibling months after the accident took place. 'Sometimes, when I wake up, I would hope that I will see him again. But I have also accepted that he's no longer here, and I always pray that he's doing well up there.'
Another song, Baik Saja (Just Fine), is written like a letter to Shahfiq. 'I'm assuring him that everyone he knows is doing well, and that I will take care of them.'
The EP opens with Doa Untuk Ibu (Prayer For Mother), an R&B-tinged pop track which Syaz wrote for their mother to soothe her heart.
'It expresses deep gratitude and love for a mother's sacrifices and unwavering devotion to her family. When we lost Shahfi q, it affected her the most.'
He also plans to release a music video for Doa Untuk Ibu on Mother's Day, which falls on May 11.
Syaz developed a passion for music at th e age of three. In 2017, he got his first big break when he reached the semi-finals of the second season of Asian reality variety series Asia's Got Talent (2015 to 2019). Canadian music producer and hitmaker David Foster, one of the show's celebrity judges, had said then that he was impressed by Syaz's gift for singing.
In the same year, Syaz sang at ChildAid, the annual charity concert co-organised by The Straits Times and The Business Times. He would go on to perform again in the 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2024 editions.
In 2023, he graduated with a music production diploma from local private school The Songwriter Music College.
When he was 16, Syaz Smooth was the youngest artist signed to music label Universal Music Singapore.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF SYAZ SMOOTH
In 2022, at the age of 16, he joined Universal Music Singapore and was the music label's youngest signee. He left in 2024 so that he could chart his own path as an independent artiste. His new EP is distributed by Malaysian music label Breaking Music.
Syaz, who recently enlisted for national service, says he will continue to write and record music during his free time and has plans to build up his audience beyond Singapore and the region. 'My dream is to bring Singapore's music to the global stage.'
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Reaching the top of its "treehouse" rewards young adventurers with sweeping views of the park. For more excitement, children can opt for a thrilling zip line or get creative building sandcastles in spacious sandpits - making this garden a haven for hours of fun. Fruitful romp in Tengah Feeling hungry? Plantation Grange in Tengah, completed in December 2023, is bursting with fruit-themed playgrounds that take a leaf from its past as a 1950s fruit plantation. At Ong Lye Garden (Block 132A), a giant yellow pineapple beckons. Children can explore its interior and go down a green slide. Over at Durian Paradise (Block 132C), older children can tackle durian-shaped climbing towers, swings and spiral slides. Little ones can traverse a "fruit farm" near Block 131A, with play zones shaped like pineapples, watermelons and bananas, plus a bright red "lorry" to hop on. Sky-high play at SkyParc@Dawson Step into a wild adventure at Dawson Road's Eco-Jungle Playground, which was completed in 2020. Nestled between Blocks 96A and 96B, it invites children to explore timber sculptures of Singapore's indigenous spotted wood owl and Sunda slow loris, turning playtime into a mini-safari. Set within the lush, park-like grounds of SkyParc@Dawson, the playground is just one of many green spaces woven through the estate. There are also three Insects Hotels, the first of their kind for a public housing project. These are designed to recreate natural habitats to help local biodiversity thrive. Forest Ramble at Jurong Lake Gardens At Forest Ramble, the biggest nature playgarden in the heartland, playtime transforms into a wild adventure across 2.3ha of Jurong Lake Gardens, packed with surprises at every turn. Children set off on a journey across over 10 imaginative adventure stations in Lakeside Garden, each inspired by fascinating local creatures of Singapore's freshwater swamps. Fancy soaring like a grey heron? Try the zip lines. Want to channel your inner squirrel? Bounce and climb through treetop trails. Or splash and scamper like an otter at the otter-inspired station. The playscape, which opened in 2019, is managed by NParks. It is designed for everyone, with inclusive features that welcome children of all abilities to join in the fun. Whether children are gliding, leaping or inventing their own escapades, the playground invites every child to connect with nature and let their imagination run riot. [[nid:519528]] This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.
