KUCHING, May 27: Sarawak’s sape-playing sweetheart Alena Murang has released a new music video titled ‘Warrior Spirit’.
Released on YouTube, the music video is the work of the same team behind Alena Murang’s award-winning music video ‘Midang Midang’ (2019), directed by her cousin, Sarah Lois Dorai, and co-produced with production house Project Room.
According to Alena, her latest music video shows the “strength within, inherited from her ancestors”.
“We come from a line of warriors and heroes. My great, great, great grandfather Balang Nganud was a great warrior, and the community called him ‘the Tiger that floats enemies’ heads downriver’.
“Though we no longer practice that anymore, we inherited their spirit, their courage, their strength, and moreover, the courage to fight together for something greater than ourselves. I think many Malaysians, and people across the world also, can relate to the spirit of the warrior,” she said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, director Sarah Lois said the contribution of every team member’s voice, skill and creative talent on this music video has made what started out as a plan to make a “dance video” evolve into a visual statement of identity and culture.
“It took a year to plan and shoot this video as we had to wait for the safest times to shoot, and to readjust our schedules,” she said.
The looks and styling for the music video were mainly inspired by Alena Murang’s cultural heritage and that of the peoples of Borneo, mainly Sarawak, styled by Styllar, who worked together with Malaysian designers and craftswomen, and makeup artist, Gebriel Padan.
The video features Alena’s band mates, Joshua Maran, Jonathan Wong Ketshin, Herman Ramanado and Jimmy Chong, all of whom were instrumental in the creation of the track.
The track has no lyrics, and is inspired by a sape folk tune which tells of a warrior watching the morning mist rising, coupled with influences from rock music.
Warrior Spirit is a single from Alena Murang’s latest album ‘Sky Songs’ which is now available on all digital platforms (Spotify, AppleMusic, KK Box, YouTube Music and many others).
Her latest album which was released in April this year, has been nominated for International Indigenous Artist- Group Recording of the Year at the Summer Solstice Indigeous Music Awards Canada.
It can be purchased as CD and cassette from Tandang Store (KL) and Bandat Record Store (Kuching). The music video, co-produced by Kanid Studio and Project Room, is supported by CENDANA, Sarawak Tourism Board and Sarawak Convention Bureau. – DayakDaily
