Malaysian artiste Alena Murang has done the country proud as she picked up two international awards recently.
The music video for Alena's single Warrior Spirit bagged two gongs at the International Music Video Awards in Britain — Best Asia And Pacific Music Video and Honourable Mention For Best Costume. The music video is directed by Alena's cousin, Sarah Lois Dorai.
Warrior Spirit is one of the eight songs available in Alena's new album titled Sky Songs which was made with the support of the communications and multimedia ministry and the Dayak Cultural Foundation.
In an interview with StarLifestyle in April this year, Alena — who is of Dayak Kelabit and European ancestry – said the album is steeped in stories about her ancestors. Four of the songs are in the endangered language of Kelabit, one in Kenyah and one in English.
“This album is my way of preserving our beautiful heritage in the hope that it is still there for our children and the future generations to accept and appreciate,” Alena, 32, said.
For the music video of Warrior Spirit, Alena and her team were inspired by the culture of the people of Borneo, mainly Sarawak.
“We wanted to showcase the beauty of our Borneon cultural heritage amplified by fashion-forward aesthetic that speaks the spirit of a modern warrior. I’m beyond ecstatic for the honourable mention from IMVA and I hope the world can appreciate the beauty of Borneo through this music video,” said Alena's stylist Saerah Ridzuan in a press statement.
Alena added that she is proud of her team who had put in a lot of effort in the making of the music video which was released at the end of May, 2021.
"It’s been a really rough period for people in film and music so it’s heartwarming to have achieved not just creating this music video, but also the added bonuses of these international awards. We can do great things when we work together,” the singer said.
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