Shortly before Hari Raya and Mother’s Day, Kaka Azraff took some time off her busy schedule to chat exclusively with Motherhood.com.my. The popular singer spoke candidly about her life growing up and on becoming a mother herself.
She also shared some nostalgic moments spent with her mum during Hari Raya over the years. It is so refreshing and relatable to know that Kaka is doing everything she can to raise the best version of her own family.
Nor Atiqa Bt Noor Azraff, better known as Kaka Azraff, was born on 20 May 1989 and is the third child of four siblings from Klang, Selangor. After the passing of her father when she was only 10 years old, her mother focused solely on raising Kaka and her siblings. Her mother’s hard work and dedication has made Kaka the person she is today.
The popular singer has filled the pages of her career since 2012 with a string of hits including Bawaku Pergi, Karma, Sibuk, Kembali, the ever-popular Bukan Hal Aku (a collaboration with Sleeq), and the award-winning song Gila. Gila, her collaboration with Noki and Loca B, which was crowned Best Song at the 35th annual Anugerah Juara Lagu last year.
The crowning achievement of her career came after she married Adam Azriff on 14 December 2018. This beautiful couple then welcomed their eldest, Aslan, on 11 October 2019.
Becoming a mother is the greatest joy and blessing for this singer. Her youngest bundle of joy, Aryan Adam, saw the light of day on 22 February 2022 (Yes, that’s 22022022 in numbers).
Kaka knows the hardships of mothers intimately, having learned and experienced parenting from her own mother as a single mum. Kaka’s past has shaped her as a parent. Stay the course and keep reading as she shares the lessons she wants to pass on to her children and other mothers below.
We are delighted to interview you today! Please tell us, what have you been up to these days?
Thank you for having me! Well, I’m actually busy being a mother to my two children. Other than that, I’m also working on my new singles and album. There are some exciting and special projects coming soon. So, I’m doing my very best to be able to work and be a good mum to my two children, adjusting and juggling in my roles in between.
You look absolutely amazing. Do you have a favourite workout routine?
Thank you! Actually, I’m still trying to achieve my ideal body weight. I haven’t reached my goals yet, so I’m working very hard towards them. My workout right now is by taking care of my two children.
Breastfeeding, for me, helps me to lose weight and to maintain my physical appearance. Before I got pregnant and gave birth to my latest addition, I did CrossFit to keep up with my stamina and to better my health.
I don’t really believe in getting skinny because working out for me is to take care of myself, being in the best shape and living in good health. It doesn’t make sense becoming skinny but yet you are not healthy. So, I will allow myself to be in good shape, prioritise my own wellness so that I can also take care of my children.
Do you think it is important for mummies to still go to the gym and workout, despite becoming a mother?
Yes, it is very important for us mums to still work out and go to the gym even when we have children. Stamina becomes the priority of everything when becoming a mum. You need to have a good sleep to be able to do chores and take care of the kids well.
We also need to work out to have enough strength to go through our days. When you are in good shape, then you can take really good care of your family.
What about Hari Raya celebrations? Are you being more festive than before now that many COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted?
Our preparations to welcome and celebrate Hari Raya are very simple. My family and I have decided not to overdo the celebration and keep it modest because I just had a baby. We are looking forward to celebrating Hari Raya on its first day.
This time round, we will visit the close relatives of our families from both sides, my husband and myself. Most of the time we will stay at home because we do not want to take any risks to protect my family.
We still have to do our part to make sure we follow the SOPs. We have to be careful and take the necessary measures when we come for visits during Hari Raya.
I am really glad that people can finally visit each other this Shawwal, everyone was looking forward to it. Especially those who will balik kampung and can finally meet with their families again because they have not seen each other for a very long time. I am very happy for them.
Tell us, what is your favourite Hari Raya outfit? Do you have any favourite style or colour?
Honestly, my style is very simple but I like something that can create a statement. When it comes to my favourite colours for Hari Raya outfits, I like those that have earthy tones. I don’t mind wearing black and white outfits too.
As for my favourite Hari Raya clothing, I like baju kurung Kedah. That’s because of our weather and humidity. The loose cutting makes me comfortable in the long run when I wear it. So yeah, baju kurung Kedah is my ultimate favourite.
What is your favourite Hari Raya dish?
There are a couple, actually. Some of them include kuah kacang ayam which is unusual and unconventional. This recipe comes from my grandmother and my mum knows exactly how to prepare it too. I also love rendang kerang from my aunt as she makes one of the best!
Ever since I got married to my husband, I love his grandmother’s lontong dish—especially its gravy, kuah lodeh. She knows how to cook it so scrumptiously!
What about your husband? What is his favourite dish?
My husband absolutely loves ikan bilis masak kicap and sambal telur. My husband, Adam, can eat this anytime and I have no idea why. I think it is because preparing them are very simple and quite easy, and that’s a bonus for me. *laughs*
If you were to indulge your sweet tooth, what would you like to have?
I love vanilla ice cream and I would like to have it any chance I could, and I just don’t know why. *laughs*
Speaking of Hari Raya earlier, what do you remember the most about it when growing up?
*laughs* I will always remember the fact that my mother dressed my sisters and I wearing matching-colour outfits for Hari Raya, until my eldest sister reached her teenage phase. She has three amazing daughters for her to play dress up with through matching Raya outfits.
So, we will look like a group of boria during Hari Raya. That’s the one thing I remember the most about my mum when it comes to Hari Raya, it’s very nostalgic for me.
The one thing about my mother is that she loves going to the tailor to get our Raya outfits done. She has never bought ready-made outfits, which I think is very thoughtful of her.
I think she puts so much effort into it because she wants her children to really fit into these clothes. So that we will look amazing and great on the first day of Hari Raya.
The tailored clothes would match up to our sizes and shapes when my sisters and I were growing up. I wish I could do the same for my children *laughs*. Probably because I haven’t found the right tailor. And I also don’t mind wearing ready-made clothes.
Come to think of it, it is kind of sentimental for me because my mother spent so much time making sure that we got the right outfits, going back and forth to the tailor for fittings. It’s fundamental towards the Hari Raya season.
I really miss those moments about my mother when speaking of Hari Raya. She did that annually during the festive season until I found my own ways to style myself. I’m also glad that she is open minded about it when I told her I can find my own Raya clothes.
Speaking of your mother, Mother’s Day is just around the corner too. What is the one thing that you have learned since becoming a mother yourself?
Being a mum is about sacrifice. We sacrifice a lot of things in life in order to become excellent mums, we sacrifice our body, time, among other vital things in life for the sake of our children. I feel content, happy at acceptance and complete upon becoming a mum.
It is a feeling I can’t describe but definitely feels great and fulfilling. I’m at a stunningly grateful stage of my life knowing that I’m able to give birth to my children, knowing that they came out of my womb, and I sacrificed myself to welcome another life.
My mother is the greatest, just extraordinary and the most amazing woman I have ever known. She raised her four children all by herself for many years ever since my father passed away when I was just 10 years old.
I will never forget her courage and determination to raise my siblings and I, because she was also working as an operator at a local factory. She was very dedicated to her job. Some years later, her friends told me that everything she did back then was for her children.
There are no words to describe how much my mother really meant to me as her child and still does to this day. For that, I will always cherish and appreciate what she has done for my siblings and I.
*laughs* I remember asking her when I was younger. I thought happiness is about having a life partner. Then I asked her to meet someone and get married. She gently said ‘No’ because she really loves my late father so much that she already had a great life with him. So, she loves him for eternity that one day they can reunite and meet again in the hereafter.
She was so focused and dedicated at raising her children that all of us turned out to be amazing, and we are all successful, in good health, living our best lives and in better conditions because of her. That is the ultimate sacrifice my mother has made for me. I just wish I knew to repay her in any way that I could.
I definitely think all mums are like that. They have this ‘superpower’ when it comes to doing things by themselves, especially when it comes to raising children as a single mother. They will know exactly how to do it.
We are truly touched hearing this about your mother. Any parenting tips you would like to share with mummies out there?
1. Always take good care of yourself first. Otherwise, it will be very challenging for you to take care of others, especially your children.
2. Ask for assistance and help if you need one. Either your mum or husband, even your best friend or any loved one. Please don’t hesitate to ask them for help. There’s nothing wrong in asking for help from someone as you will require a good support system. It’s also good to ask for help so you won’t have to go through this journey of parenting alone. Otherwise, you may feel like it has to be done just by yourself and that’s even harder.
3. Make sure you help yourself first before you start helping others in your family. When you are fully prepared, you can then give your best and 100% to your children as well as your family.
These are good parenting tips! Last question: What are some of the things people may or may not know about you?
1. I am the fierce one among my siblings! *laughs*
2. Despite being the fierce one, I’m also the funniest.
3. I can be manja at times as well.
4. I just love to spend on all things, that’s the one thing people may not know about me. *laughs*
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