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Yuna: Straight out of Malaysia.
Other | Friday 19th October 2012 | Ladan
So who is this Malaysian Songstress that’s caught Pharrel’s eye?
The South East Asian singer started writing her own songs at the tender age of 14. Now at 25 she has since been signed to the independent record label Fader Label in New York City and currently resides in Los Angeles. Her musical journey began on Myspace where she earned a strong legion of fans posting her Indie/Folk inspired tunes; in 2008 she released her self-titled EP. The EP became an underground success with its earthy uplifting music; we recommend the tracks “Backpacking Around Europe” and “Deeper Conversation” from this particular EP.
Not the stereotypical musician Yuna Zarai comes from an Islamic background and often struggles to make cultures meet. She admits that she is a household name in her country of origin although she is relatively unknown in the States. But the future looks interesting for this beautiful soul, after all who wouldn’t find a guitar yielding, hijab wearing songstress intriguing? Although there is a certain novelty in her background story the real charm lies in her voice, with its deep rich tones and sweet melody it’s hard not to be comforted by her music. She is intuitive in her execution and there is a certain sensitivity to her sound that puts the listener at ease. No overwhelming bass, no pulsating beats, just simple straightforward Zen music.
And she’s not just a beautiful face, she’s got a law degree under the belt too, she is beloved by all of Malaysia and is even the face of a number of products in her native country. Setting her sights on the states now, she is on a journey to make her stamp on the western world. Currently working on new material and touring across America, her self-titled debut album was released in April this year and includes production from Pharrel Williams. Yuna has been compared to the likes of Coldplay, Dido and The Sundays Harriet Wheeler. That being said, many people have voiced opinions that they find her voice to be unmemorable and that the only tacks worth having a listen to are those that involve Pharrel’s genius production. And this is to some extent true. There is a disparity between her older material and the tracks that have been produced my Williams. Nonetheless we wish her all the best in her endeavours here at the Guestlist.
Have a listen to Yuna’s Live Your Life Produced by Pharrel Williams below
By Ladan
