Taiwanese artiste releases new song featuring Sarawak’s Alena Murang

KUCHING (July 17): Indigenous Taiwanese artiste Sauljaljui has released a new single titled ‘Anun Bala’ featuring Sarawakian musician Alena Murang.

The song, inspired by Sauljaljui’s visit to Sarawak in 2023, translates to ‘How are you’ in the Kelabit language, with the track also featuring the voice of Sarawak’s ‘Living Legend’ Mathew Ngau Jau, said Alena in a statement.

According to her, Sauljaljui – a Taiwanese Paiwan ethnic – had noted linguistic similarities between her language and Kelabit, with both part of the Austronesian language group.

The Sarawakian also shared that visiting Sauljaljui’s village in Taiwan in 2017 felt like “being at home” due to these similarities.

“Both cultures share strong traditions of oral storytelling, music, and the cultural significance of beads, with traditional instruments like the Paiwan’s nose flute and the Orang Ulu’s Sape’ playing pivotal roles in their heritage,” Alena said.

Both she and Sauljaljui have traveled together in various countries, exchanging gifts as part of their cultural practices.

During Sauljaljui’s visit to Kuching last year, Alena gifted her a sape, fulfilling Sauljaljui’s long-held desire to learn the instrument.

Reflecting on their friendship and artistic collaboration, Sauljaljui was quoted in the statement as expressing deep admiration for Alena, who is both a musician and a painter.

She described their hometowns by the river, and shared her belief in the power of dreams and love to bring people together.

Sauljaljui first performed at the Rainforest World Music Festival in 2017, where she met Alena.

During her recent visit to Sarawak, Sauljaljui was joined by fellow indigenous Taiwanese singer Ado Kaliting Pacidal from the Amis tribe.

Together with Alena, they attended a sape class and visited Mathew to learn about his journey with the instrument. They also enjoyed Sarawak laksa and explored the waterfront.

Last year, Ado and Alena released a song titled ‘Water Come Back’ in the Amis and Kelabit languages, which debuted in Taipei.

Alena emphasised the importance of these cultural exchanges in deepening their understanding of their heritage within global history.