| Maria | |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Name: | Meria Aires |
| Birth Date: | 16 February 1989 |
| Origin: | Brunei |
| Genre: | Pop Soft Rock |
| Occupation: | Singer song-writer |
| Years Active: | 2005–present |
| Associated Acts: | Putri Norizah, Merah Band |
Meria Aires (or popularly known as Maria or Meria Aires; born February 16, 1989) is a Bruneian singer-songwriter.
She began her career in 2005 in a radio singing contest organized by Kristal FM in conjunction with His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam's birthday celebrations. Despite only winning Silver, Angan (an original song composed by her own uncle, Nan), was very well received by radio listeners at that time. Her music genre was new to the local during the time and her songs revolutionized the music industry in Brunei. Her ability to play musical instrument such as guitar made her a unique pop singer and interests several songwriters during the time of her early career. It is also notable that her voice and singing skill are one of her unique ability.
The success of, Angan, had encouraged her to try her luck in releasing her first official single, Bisik Hati, in 2006 – a song that had changed her life instantly. She began performing at various state and corporate functions,[1] winning more music awards locally than any other Bruneian celebrities in Brunei's music history[2] and finally releasing her second album (first solo album), Sesaat Kau Hadir, on May 23, 2009. She won the Pelangi Awards on the undisputed four straight years. For the first year of her four-year streak, thanks to her first hit single, Bisik Hati, she won the top female singer category in the award. In 2007, Maria and a male band named The Seeds collaborate and developed a song called Kau Tetap Milikku. This song took a great leap to her career as 'Kau Tetap Milikku' helped her win the 'Song of Choice' category in the Pelangi Award. In 2008, she won the 'Chosen Female Artist' category beating several new top singers. During her fourth year voted for the award, she won the new Pelangi Award's B Mobile's Most Voted Singer category which in the same time became the first singer to win the award.[3]
Quoted in an interview with local media, she recalls a music collaboration with Merah band from Singapore as one of her most memorable moments in her career. Biar Sampai Akhir was launched on the February 13, 2011, at Kallang CC Singapore along with its official music video produced by Singaporean production company Merah in Motion. Despite being a university student in University of Brunei Darussalam, she managed to attend several local live shows in the country.
Aires represented Radio Televisyen Brunei (RTB) Brunei at the first ABU Radio Song Festival, which took place at the KBS Concert Hall in Seoul, South Korea on October 11, 2012,[4] [5] a competition that brought Brunei the Silver award.
Studio Album
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Maria And Destine[6] |
| 2010 | Sesaat Engkau Hadir[7] |
Singles
| Year | Single | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Angan | ||
| 2006 | |||
| 2006 | Aku Atau Dia | Pelangi FM's Song of the Year 2006 | |
| 2007 | Jatuh Cinta | ||
| 2007 | Kau Tetap Milikku | Duet with "The Seeds" | |
| 2008 | Waktu | Pelangi FM's Song of the Year 2008 | |
| 2009 | Sesaat Engkau Hadir | ||
| 2009 | Kau Segalanya | ||
| 2009 | Waktu | ||
| 2009 | Semarak Syawal Mulia | First Hari Raya song | |
| 2010 | Kini Berakhir Sudah | Album Sesaat Engkau Hadir | |
| 2011 | Biar Sampai Akhir | Duet with "Merah Band" | |
| 2012 | Yang Terindah | ||
| 2013 | Satu Kali | ||
| 2014 | Jika Tiada Jalan Lain | ||
| 2015 | Kekasihku | ||
| 2016 | Ballad version |
Awards
| Year | Categories Nominated | Award | Organizing Body | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Artis Wanita Pilihan | Pelangi Awards 2006/2007 | Pelangi FM | Won[8] | |
| 2007 | Lagu Pilihan (Song of Choice) – Kau Tetap Milikku (duet with The Seeds) | Pelangi Awards 2006/2007 | Pelangi FM | Won[9] | |
| 2009 | Artis Wanita Pilihan (Chosen Female Artist) | Pelangi Awards 2008/2009 | Pelangi FM | Won[10] | |
| 2009 | B.Mobile's Most Voted Artist | Pelangi Awards 2008/2009 | Pelangi FM | Won[11] | |
| 2009 | Artis Wanita Popular (Popular Female Artist) | RTB Awards | RTB | Won[12] | |
| 2010 | Best Female Artist | Cool Tones Awards | CTA | Won | |
| 2012 | Lagu Pilihan (Song of Choice) – Jika Tiada Jalan Lain | Pelangi Awards (2012–2013) | Pelangi FM | Won[13] |
Other Achievements
| Year | Competition | Organizing Body | Country | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Kristal Idol | Brunei | Silver | |
| 2012 | ABU Radio Song Festival 2012 | South Korea | Silver[14] | |