Diving Into The Mind Of Malaysian-Born Global Star YUNA

September 16, 2019
Nik A Ramli
Posted in A Conversation With Nik A Ramli Interviews

YUNA. Photo credit: AIMANNESS HARUN

(First published in DUNIA print magazine, Summer 2018 Edition)

From a self-published singer-songwriter to a global signed star, Yuna, born with a talent and voice that is vibrant and full of creative colours, has harnessed her talent with self-determination and motivation. The down to earth, humble star talks about getting started and how she has branched out from music in pursuit of other passions. Enjoy!

Nik A Ramli: Hello, how are you? Can you please describe Yunalis Mat Zara’ai aka YUNA in 3 words?

YUNA: Dreamer. Loving. Focused.

So, is there such a thing as a typical working day for you and if so what does it entail?

YUNA: Not really. It’s different every day. Some days I go to the studio to record my album and some days I’m on tour for 2 months. Some days I’m at a shoot… there’s never a dull day so I love my job!

How exciting. Can you describe your upbringing in Malaysia and what was it like being the daughter of The Hon. Justice the Pahang State Legal Advisor and a high school chemistry teacher at that time?

YUNA: It was simple. My parents were both government [civil] servants, we lived in a government quarters house, we lived a simple life, and I was an ordinary kid growing up. I had to keep my grades up and I knew it was important for me to go to university.

Looks like a very academic household! Where did your desire for music come from?

YUNA: We love music! My parents listened to music all the time and my dad plays the guitar… I guess it was natural for me to pick up singing.

So that’s where the artistic side of you came from and of course you taught yourself to play your own guitar. Can you tell us the story of that guitar? Is it still with you?

YUNA: It’s still somewhere I think, I was in University in Kedah and there was pretty much nothing to do over there but to study, so I went to the nearest music store and bought a cheap guitar and taught myself how to play it.

You started to write songs at a young age. How old were you and do you remember the title(s) and the storyline(s) of the song(s)?

YUNA: I was 19, I wanted to write about a boy I liked and the name of the song was ‘Deeper Conversation’.

While attending law school, you also started to perform. What was it like performing for the first time in front of an audience?

YUNA: It was nerve wrecking I thought that was going to be the first and the last time I’m ever going to do it.

Social media was still new when you started and we know you took advantage of the internet. Your ‘MySpace’ page performance received over one million plays! Was that the point you thought “Yeah, this is it”?

YUNA: Not really, but it was definitely a starting point for me. I knew how to handle social media at an early stage so from there I just kept going and built my fan base.

You are a very successful self-produced artist. With your label Yuna Boom Records you released ‘Yuna’ in 2008. Can you share your experience of recording your first record and how you went about selling and promoting it?

YUNA: It was a lot of fun, but also, I didn’t really know what I was doing. Thankfully I had friends and my band mates helped a lot in creating that album. I had to loan about RM1,000 from my dad to record 5 songs at a studio, and after that we were touring and performed at universities and gigs for like RM 200… but I paid it all back within 3 months.

I have the EP and enjoy the sound of ‘Yuna’. I also love the cover and the interior package of the CD. Surprise, surprise, the design and the art direction are by you! So, tell us what inspired you to create the look and how long it took you to get the final cover sleeve?

YUNA: I’ve always been into graphic design but never really had the chance to pursue it… but having an album I really wanted to have complete creative control. I wanted it to look very relaxed and summery… so I picked the colours and also some photos of me and my band to go with the handwritten lyrics of my songs.

For the EP you were nominated for five categories in the Malaysian Music Awards (the Malaysian equivalent of the Grammys). You won four trophies, two of them for Best New Artist and Best Song “Dan Sebenarnya” (‘’And Actually”). That was a fantastic achievement for an independent artist. Would you encourage budding artists to self-published and what is your advice to them?

YUNA: It’s definitely a great way to learn about yourself and what kind of artist you want to be. I admit I’ve made a lot of bad decisions but they only lead me to make the right ones later on. I’m glad I didn’t sign to any labels back then I was able to be creative and also take responsibility over my own career.

What are the pros and cons of self-publishing?

YUNA: Well, you don’t have the kind of budget that labels would be able to provide. Sometimes you need financial support to see your career grow – you need money to work with producers, for promotion, and for touring. It’s tough to try and do that yourself.

Following your Malaysian music success, you moved to the USA to record your first international album in 2011 with Fader Label after they ‘discovered’ you. That must have been exciting!

YUNA: It was! It was a dream of mine to take my music overseas and when that happened I was over the moon.

I can imagine! What was it like to have the opportunity to release an album in the USA?

YUNA: It was very satisfying. Not that I wasn’t happy with the albums I had before, but I listened to my songs made in the USA and I could finally acknowledge that “yea, I can definitely be an international star”, I got some confidence.

Was life in the USA easy when you first moved there? As a popular figure from Malaysia how did you adapt to relative anonymity in the USA?

YUNA: It wasn’t in the beginning, I was excited but I was also very lonely. I had to quickly learn how to make friends, because if you can’t connect with people you’re on your own and you can’t really go anywhere with that. But I love the fact that no one knew who I was in LA. I love walking around unnoticed. it’s really hard to do that in KL [Kuala Lumpur], but in LA I could just be myself and not worry if people are going to secretly snap a photo of me (which makes me very uncomfortable).

Speaking of your early living and working life experience abroad, how different is the music business in the USA compared to the Malaysian industry?

YUNA: It’s bigger and there’s a lot of competition. It’s constantly changing. One day you’re in and the next someone might replace you, someone younger and more talented and more hardworking. But the industry is more widespread – I’m able to make music for myself or for films, or write for other people or vice versa, get to work with countless producers. You grow and learn something new every day.

What is your favourite aspect of the entertainment business?

YUNA: That I get to be creative and write songs honestly. Once in a while I find joy in performing – it’s a lot of work, but yea. That’s it. I’m not really into the fame thing but it comes with the business.

Since you signed to Verve and released ‘Chapters’ in 2016, do you still have total creative control over your music and your image or do you have to compromise?

YUNA: I have to say I still have creative control over what I do – photo shoots, music videos, music, shows… everything. My label won’t force me to do something I’m not comfortable with.

Why do you think the press highlights the fact that you are a Muslim singer who wears the hijab? After all, readers can clearly see from the press photos who you are?

YUNA: I think it’s a new thing. It’s something that readers would pick up the magazine for, and I get it, I get what they do, and I respect that. The western media does not really focus on understanding Muslims but now there’s a Muslim singer everyone’s shocked because just like everyone else, we love music too.

Absolutely and of course, we (Muslims) enjoy music also! Do you feel you have to promote Malaysia on an international level in any way?

YUNA: I’m never pressured to do so. I tell people only when they ask, and it works better that way when I’m subtle about my nationality – makes them want to know more.

There are only a handful of Malaysian singers who have successfully released albums overseas. Why do you think you have been successful?

YUNA: I really don’t know, I like to think that I kind of just stayed in my lane, focused, I work really hard; I’m not a diva, I don’t ask for ridiculous things and people like to work with me because I’m very flexible. I’m open to new ideas but at the same time, I don’t sacrifice my identity for a shortcut to success.

Aside from the music, you are also a businesswoman in your own right. You have a fashion boutique ‘November Culture’ carrying the brand name 14Nov by Yuna Zarai. How would you describe your brand style?

YUNA: Fun and modest! Basically, what I love to wear… I try to bring in fun clothes for my followers – sometimes it’s too experimental but I get really excited when I see people in my clothes.

… continue reading reading on page 42 of DUNIA Print magazine issue 14