Alena Murang

Alena Murang (born 1989) is a Malaysian singer-songwriter, sape player, visual artist and educator who sings in endangered languages including Kelabit and Kenyah. She is one of the first women to play the sape, a lute instrument from Borneo traditionally (pre-1930s) reserved for male healers.

Early life and background
Murang is born and bred in Kuching, Sarawak to Kelabit father, Datu Ose Murang and mother of English and Italian descent, Dr. Valerie Mashman. She started playing the sape at the age of 10, from renowned sape master Matthew Ngau Jau. She graduated with a First Class BSc (Hons) management degree from the Manchester Business School, University of Manchester. She went on to work in management consulting at PricewaterhouseCoopers, focusing on environmental sustainability, before leaving to study visual arts for a year in Singapore. Prior to pursuing music full-time, she worked as strategy manager for not-for-profit organization, Teach for Malaysia.

Career
Murang made her debut as an artiste in 2016 with the release of EP, Flight. She never formally studied music, but has been learning the dance, songs, and music from her elders. She has performed at many renowned world music festivals including the SXSW (USA), Colors of Ostrava (Czech Republic), Paris Fashion Week (France), Rudolstadt-Festival (Germany), OzAsia Festival (Australia), and Rainforest World Music Festival (Malaysia). She was a youth representative at the UNESCO Youth Forum in Paris, and UNESCO Asia-Pacific for her work in intangible cultural heritage.

She was listed in Tatler Asia's list of Most Influential Malaysia in 2021, and Gen.T Malaysia in 2018 & 2019. In March 2023, she held her first painting exhibition Colours of the Highlands at the Hoan Gallery at La Promenade Mall, Kuching.

Studio albums

 * Flight (EP) (2016)
 * Sky Songs (2021)

Singles

 * Promotional singles


 * Collaboration

Solo

 * Live in Kuala Lumpur : Alena Murang Sky Songs, Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre (PJPAC), Petaling Jaya (2023)

As headliner

 * Pentas Seni Merdeka: Muzik Dan Tarian Borneo Malaysia, Jalan Raja, Kuala Lumpur (2022)

As supporting act

 * Rainforest World Music Festival, Sarawak Cultural Village, Kuching (2016, 2021, 2022)
 * The Roar for Life Virtual Concert, Virtual (2020)
 * 2021 World Music Festival @Taiwan, Taipei Dajia Riverside Park, Taiwan (2021)
 * Te Aratini: Festival of Indigenous and Tribal People, Dubai Expo, United Arab Emirates (2021)
 * OH!Tenang with Alena Murang, Gurney Plaza, Penang (2024)
 * ESTRANGED Apa Khabar Teman?, Persada Johor International Convention Centre, Johor (2024)