Yuna

The first Malaysian to conquer the American market, Yunalis Mat Zara’ai, or commercially known as Yuna, has captured the ears of many Malaysians and people across the globe through her organic blend of contemporary pop, acoustic folk, and soulful R&B.

Born on November 14, 1986 in AlorSetar, Kedah, Malaysia, Yuna began composing her own songs when she was 14 years old. When she reached 19, she learned how to play guitar and also started to perform her composed songs.

Since 2006, she has been performing in several acoustic shows and events in various parts of Malaysia.

In 2012, the diva has shined. Her new single “Live your Life” debuted in iTunes which lifted her career up. The track was produced by a Grammy Award-winning producer Pharrell Williams. In addition, her self-titled album was also released in which it received accolades and positive response from various critics.

Yuna was also awarded by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri NajibRazak with a National Youth Icon Award, for her exceptional achievements in arts.

Since then, Yuna has become an international singing sensation. In fact, the Multiple Grammy-winning producer David Foster excitedly invited Yuna to become part of the Verve Music Group, in which Foster is the head of the creative operations.

Despite her successful musical career in America, Yuna has been very true to her Malaysian roots. Apparently, she has been enjoying the fun she had in her recordings in Malaysia as well as the amazing working atmosphere for musicians and artists in America. She has enjoyed both worlds.

“I don’t really like the idea of putting myself in any category now. But as a pop artist, I feel like it’s easy for me to maneuver from one thing to another and try different things.  To me, it’s all just music, and if you have good lyrics and good melodies and good production, people won’t care what you call it.  I think that people are looking for music that’s real and honest and that they can relate to emotionally.  I think we’ve created that with Nocturnal.  The whole project was a challenge for me, but I’m very happy with the way it turned out”, she concluded in her self-titled blog.

For more updates about Yuna, visit her website @ www.yunamusic.com