ATLANTA – Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna didn't take long to pen her first tune, writing the winsome "A Deeper Conversation" after learning a meager three chords on her first guitar.
Yuna Zarai, 24, was a self-described bored law school student back then, in 2008. But sometimes it only takes a few notes from the right hands and a few words from the right voice to reveal a budding star. Zarai was recently signed to New York-based FADER Label Records and recently opened for Raphael Saadiq at select tour stops.
"My songs are basically, they're just stories. I like telling stories about my friends whenever they tell me stuff and if it's very inspiring, I would just write about it," Zarai told The Associated Press during a tour stop in Atlanta, Ga.
"Sometimes it would be unsent letters -stuff that I would like to say to someone but I never manage to do it before. Songs are one of the ways for me to actually convey the message," Zarai said.
The native Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia offers echoes of Fiona Apple and Tori Amos in her delivery, her voice cracking at all the right parts when she sings about a strained relationship in "Decorate." Zarai's EP, also named "Decorate," was released on March 15, and a yet untitled full-length album is planned for release later this year.
Zarai is Muslim and retains that identity by, among other things, wearing a hijab, a traditional head covering worn by many Muslim women, whenever she performs. For some Western audiences, it may seem out of place for a pop singer, but for Zarai it simply is a part of her.
"If I were to play music, do I have to take off my hijab? To me it doesn't make sense. I don't know. I guess people have their own opinion and their different views about stuff like this. But to me it's just like as long as I'm comfortable with my own skin, it's enough for me," Zarai said.
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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