Malay singer, Mandarin songs: meet Layla Sania

Free Malaysia Today

At 22, Layla Sania is a rising star, celebrated not just for her hits but also for embodying the multicultural spirit of the Malaysian music scene.   Written & presented by: Theevya Ragu  Shot by: Hizami Safri & Andrea Edmonds Edited by: Andrea Edmonds  Read More:   Laporan Lanjut:   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5 Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Download FMT News App: Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46 App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP  #FMTLifestyle #LaylaSania #Singer #Chinese

Transcript

00:00There was this one portal that posted something about me not being able to speak Bahasa Melayu.

00:07I was so angry. I'm like, I'm a Malay, I speak Melayu in my daily life.

00:12But dia cakap, I takut dia cakap Bahasa Melayu.

00:30Singing this beautiful Cantonese song is Layla Sanya.

00:34At just 22, this Malay girl from Kuala Lumpur has already built a 7-year career as a professional singer under Warner Music Malaysia.

00:49Surrounded by a gifted family, her father is a musician, her mother a choir singer, and all of her siblings can sing, Layla's talent emerged naturally.

01:00I sang a lot since ketangga sampai tua. My mom said I sang before I spoke my first word.

01:07Layla's first album, 1671, contains 10 songs, 8 of which are in Mandarin.

01:14Her cover of Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies, a popular Cantonese song by the Hong Kong rock band Beyond, took her two months to master.

01:23This rendition launched her into the spotlight, particularly within the Chinese community in Malaysia.

01:30As for what led to her fluency in Mandarin, she has her mother to thank.

02:01Studying at SKJC Chenghua in KL helped mould her into a multilingual singer.

02:07In fact, Layla has chosen to further her studies at New Era University College in Kajang, where classes are fully taught in Mandarin.

02:16While Layla enjoys popularity today, she recalls that some were unhappy with her choice to sing in languages other than Malay.

02:31Just because I'm Malay does not mean I have to sing Malay songs.

02:36I can sing Malay songs, Tamil songs, Bollywood songs, Chinese songs, whatever I want.

02:41Malaysia is such a beautiful country.

02:44Layla, who cites Amy Winehouse and Anne-Marie as her idols, says she is still discovering her musical identity.

02:52The beautiful parts of it are being able to discover many sides of things that I can do.

03:00Before this, I'd like to limit myself on just a certain area.

03:04I just want to sing Chinese ballad songs.

03:08But then I'm like, oh, I can sing Chinese rock songs.

03:12I can go hosting in Mandarin.

03:15I can go singing in Mandarin.

03:17I can teach in Mandarin.

03:19That's quite a discovery.

03:22Now pursuing a degree in early childhood education, Layla dreams of balancing her passion for singing with her teaching career and hopes to be remembered for both.

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