Karen keeps Iban melodies flowing, like her mum

WITH a voice that transcends boundaries and a passion that fuels the soul, Karen Libau stands as a testament to the power of music in the Iban music industry.

The talented 31-year-old has crafted her distinctive signature with a beautiful singing voice that resonates with audiences around her.

Best described as a melodious, enchanting, powerful and captivating voice, Karen started singing as early as seven years of age.

Now with more than ten songs recorded to date, Karen shared her journey with New Sarawak Tribune in an exclusive interview recently.

She said it all began with listening to Hindi songs.

“I love to listen to Hindi songs and sang them with all my heart although I was only six or seven years old at the time.

“I remember, my mother who was my biggest inspiration, lending me her support,” she said, describing her mother as the biggest influence.

“Looking back it is indeed a sad story … my mother was sick for many years when I was younger. But I would always ask her if I could turn on the music a little louder, and she never objected.

“She knew I really loved to sing and she kept motivating me.”

Her mother, according to Karen was also an Iban singer, named Suzie Lily Jai.

The bond between Karen and her mother went beyond a shared love for music. She meant everything to her.

And she recalled her mother conveying her last wish that she continue the singing legacy in the family.

“It happened when I was 14 …some time before she passed away she said in Iban, ‘anang nda nganti aku’, which means, she wanted me to take her place and pursue a career as an Iban singer.

“I made a promise and the journey as a singer started from there. I joined singing competitions and thereafter was offered to record my song in the studio.

“I have now fulfilled my promise to my mother. I am proud of myself as I have achieved my targets,” she said, revealing that she moved from stage singing to album recording and then to award recognition.

Karen said she won several awards in singing competitions in the state.

“The first one and probably the most successful year for me was in 2016. I won for best vocal as well as third place in the Anugerah Carta Siapa Juara by RTM and also for best vocal, best pop song and as best new artiste for the Anugerah Muzik Dayak.

“I was champion in the Anugerah Carta Siapa Juara in 2018 and I hope to win more awards.”

On a song that stood out in her mind Karen said it had to be Lelengau Ka Nuan, which means ‘missing you’.

“Lelengau Ka Nuan, is my song for my beloved late mother. I really miss her, and this song has a very deep meaning. There was one moment during the video shoot for the song, when my sister who was with me, cried listening to my singing. I immediately stopped and cried along with her.

“The song depicted our emotions and desire for her to stay with us for a while longer but God loves her more,” said an emotional Karen.

On that score she said every song she sings carries its own meaning and is mostly about her journey and love life.

“With songs, we convey emotions through their melodies and lyrics. I have songs about love, either a sad story or a happy story, and I want my listeners to feel it too from their heart and soul,” she said.

But her road to success was not without challenges, the biggest being the time she lost her voice.

“It happened after the Covid-19 pandemic. I suffered from a severe sore throat for more than a month and my voice became very different.

“It was a very traumatic experience, I felt stressed and sad as I could not sing like I could at that time.”

Karen said another challenge is when no song was offered to her.

“It can get you down but what I did was, I engaged with social media such as TikTok. I recorded some cover songs so as not to be left behind.

“If we are active in the social media platforms, listeners and fans will know that we are still there for entertainment and music,” she added.

Karen, who has now ventured into Malay music, said it’s an opportunity for her to make changes in her song genre.

“Coming soon, I will be releasing a new Malay song, probably next year…I’m hoping everything will go well.

“It’s challenging, but we need to make the effort. We must show courage in expanding our careers, reaching beyond Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia. I sincerely hope for the support of my fans,” she said.

She also believes that the emergence of younger artistes will bring forth a plethora of modern and creative music into the market.

“We shouldn’t confine ourselves to a single genre, instead, we should diversify in line with the current modern lifestyle.

“Let’s make the Iban music industry something to be proud of, aiming not only for local listeners but also for audiences from other countries.

“We have our own identity and we must preserve Iban language songs,” she added.