SANDAKAN: After 25 years in the music industry, singer-songwriter Shila Amzah says she has no intention of slowing down, with touring, a Mandarin album and new experiences continuing to shape the next stage of her career.
Speaking after headlining Sepilok Jazz 2026 at the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) here on Saturday (Sept 5), Shila said her schedule remained packed throughout September.
She said she would have only three days at home during the month, with a trip to Kota Kinabalu followed by a return to Kuala Lumpur before flying to Hangzhou, China, to continue touring.
Shila said the tour was approaching eight venues, with plans to add another four and possibly one more next year.
She described 2026 as a year in which she had been able to explore many new things despite having already spent a quarter of a century in the industry.
“I want people to see that, at whatever age, if you have the will, you can always start over,” she said.
“I am four years away from 40 and, for the moment, I am nowhere near stopping, so you always need new goals to keep striving for something new in life.”Shila said her work was currently divided fairly evenly between Malaysia and China, although she could not put an exact percentage on where future opportunities might come from.
She is also working on completing a Mandarin album as part of her continuing activities in the Chinese market.
“In show business, wherever the opportunity takes us is where we go, and whoever books us first is the job we take,” she said.
Shila was also due to serve as a judge for Borneo Rising in Kota Kinabalu, saying she immediately agreed when she heard the programme carried the Borneo name because she expected to discover strong talent.
“Even though I will be the judge, I know I will also be learning from them because, despite being here for 25 years, there is always room for improvement,” she said.
Shila added that she admired Sabah and Sarawak performers who remained strongly connected to their roots, and said she would be honoured to explore songs from both states in future.
