Zee Avi (born Izyan Alirahman,[ last.fm Koko Kaina]), PBK
Early life
She is originally from Miri, located in
Sarawak,
Malaysia on the island of
Borneo. She moved to
Kuala Lumpur at the age of 12 and taught herself to play the guitar at 17.
Avi played rhythm guitar in a couple of bands while in Kuala Lumpur before moving to
London to study fashion design at the American InterContinental University. After returning from London, she started writing songs.
Musical career
Breakthrough
In September 2007, Avi posted a video of her first song, "Poppy" on YouTube for one of her friends who had missed her first performance in Kuala Lumpur. The friend convinced Avi to leave the video online even after he had seen it, and soon she received positive feedback. This inspired her to put more videos on YouTube.
Several months later, on the eve of her 22nd birthday, Avi posted what was supposed to be her final video "No Christmas For Me". The next day, YouTube put the spotlight on her video and Avi's mailbox was bombarded with more than 3,000 e-mails and a slew of offers from record labels.[ Zee's Open Road]
After discovering her video, Patrick Keeler of The Raconteurs, passed the link to Ian Montone, the manager of The White Stripes, The Shins, The Raconteurs, M.I.A. and others. Montone then passed her music on to The Malloys, who signed her to Brushfire Records, a record company that is partly owned by Jack Johnson.
2009–2011: Debut with Zee Avi
Avi's self-titled debut album was released on 19 May 2009. The album was co-produced by Brushfire Records and Ian Montone's Monotone Records. On the day of the release, YouTube featured her on the front page in Spotlight: Music Tuesday. A day after that, she performed to a full house at the famed Roxy Theater in West Hollywood.
The album went on to become the ninth best album of 2009 according to the
Associated Press.
She made her US television debut on 18 June 2009, performing her debut single "Bitter Heart" live on Last Call With Carson Daly.
2011–2012: Ghostbird
Her second album
Ghostbird was released on 23 August 2011. "The Book of Morris Johnson" was the first single off her sophomore effort.
Ghostbird topped the US Billboard
Top Heatseekers Albums chart and spawned hits like "Swell Window" and "Concrete Wall" after both songs were featured in Season 5 of the hit television series
Gossip Girl.
[ TV Fanatic: Zee Avi Music] Avi has the distinction of being the first Malaysian singer to have albums on the US Billboard Hot 200 Albums chart and top a Billboard chart (Heatseekers Album).
She toured the United States with Pete Yorn from June to August 2009, the final leg being at the Music Box, Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood, California on 27 August 2009.[ KCRW Events schedule] She opened for the multi-talented Jack Johnson during his concert at the Greek Theater, UC Berkeley on 6 October 2010,[ Yahoo Events schedule]
Avi has performed sets at some of the most celebrated music tours and festivals, namely SXSW in Austin, Texas (March 2009),
She toured Asia in November 2011, performing in Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, Singapore, Bali, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Miri.
In December 2012, Avi was conferred the state order and medal of Pegawai Bintang Kenyalang (Officer of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak) for her service to the state of Sarawak by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Head of State). The award is the Fifth Rank of the Darjah Yang Amat Mulia Bintang Kenyalang Sarawak (Most Illustrious Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak).
2014–2016: Nightlight
Avi's latest offering is
Nightlight, a 9-track album consisting of covers for children that was released on 22 April 2014. The album, which was recorded in Woodstock, New York within a span of just four days, includes covers of "Ben" (
Michael Jackson); "The Rainbow Connection" (Kermit the Frog); "The Circle Game" (
Joni Mitchell); "Colors of the Wind" (
Judy Kuhn); and a medley of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," "Lima Anak Ayam," "Air Pasang Malam," "Lagu Tiga Kupang," "Sing A Song of Sixpence," and "Rock-a-bye Baby." Avi released two tracks from the album, The Velvet Underground's "Who Loves The Sun" and
Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" in February 2014, as teasers for her new record.
made it on the iTunes Best of 2014 Albums (Children's Music) list.
On 26 November 2016, Zee Avi won her first major international award with Best Original Film Song at the 53rd Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards for Arena Cahaya, the theme song she co-wrote and performed for one of Malaysia's highest grossing films of all time, Ola Bola.
2019-present: Third studio album, Ellipses
In August 2019, Zee announced that she is working on her upcoming third studio album titled
Ellipses, which is her favourite punctuation.
The first single of the yet-to-be released album, "Who are U?" was released on
Malaysia Day.
Ellipses will feature nine songs that she wrote over the past seven years and will be released independently.
In December 2019,
Novartis chose Zee to compose a song, "My Skin" with the aim of creating awareness on
psoriasis. The song was produced by Yuswa Ansari. The music video features psoriasis fighters from different background and was uploaded on Novartis Malaysia's YouTube channel on 9 December 2019.
Artwork
Avi is also a visual artist and a lover of art. "The Book Of Morris Johnson", which is the lead single from her second album, was inspired by paintings by Morris Johnson, a Floridian folk artist. Avi's original artwork is featured on the CD of her second album
Ghostbird. She also produced three art pieces for a charity project with
Pledge Music.
Some of her artworks, emblazoned on
, are also given away as gifts to a selected number of her fans.
Musical influences
She cites
Swing music bands,
Gershwin and America jazz from the 1920s as influences.
She has been likened to
Ella Fitzgerald many times and one writer called her "the next heiress in the bloodline of young women with supernaturally classic voices".
She also describes herself as a "rock lover at heart". She has a diverse musical preference from The Carpenters to The Cranberries.
Awards and recognition
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The Associated Press named Zee Avi (album) one of the Top 10 Albums of 2009 alongside albums by big names like Mariah Carey, Jay Z, Norah Jones and The Black Eyed Peas.
-
Zee Avi was nominated for "Break Out Award" and "Pop Star Award" at the 2010 Shout! Awards in Malaysia.
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MSN Malaysia named Zee Avi one of the Top 10 Young Malaysians in 2011.
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Zee Avi was bestowed the Youth Icon (International) Award by the Sarawak State Government in conjunction with Hari Perhimpunan Belia Negara 2011 Peringkat Negeri Sarawak (National Youth Assembly Day 2011 Sarawak State Level).
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The Asia Pacific Brands Foundation presented Zee Avi with The BrandLaureate Grandmaster Brand Icon Leadership Award 2012 for Zee's achievements as a singer and songwriter, and for establishing a successful career in the international music scene.
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Is This The End a song written and performed by Zee Avi, and featured in the independent film Transatlantic Coffee, was the recipient of the Bronze Medal for Excellence in the Best Impact of Music in a Feature Film (Artistic Excellence) category at the 2012 Park City Film Music Festival.
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Zee Avi was conferred the Pegawai Bintang Kenyalang (Officer of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak) by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Head of State) in an investiture ceremony held in Kuching on 12 December 2012.
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Nightlight was named one of iTunes Best of 2014 Albums in the Children's Music category.
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The song Arena Cahaya, which she performed and co-wrote for the movie Ola Bola, won the Best Original Theme Song award at the 28th Malaysia Film Festival held on 3 September 2016
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Zee Avi was awarded "International Young Artiste Award" at the 2018 Top Asia Corporate Ball held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Discography
Studio albums
Tribute album
EPs
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One More Time With Colors (2010)
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Concrete Wall (remixes) (2012)
Singles
As lead artist
Non-album singles and collaborations
|
|
| This Warm December: A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 1 | |
| This Warm December: A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 2 | |
| | |
| Full Moon (EP) | Guest vocals |
| Legasi | Duet |
| Mansions On The Moon | Guest vocals |
| N/A | Lead vocals |
| Kuai Le Bu Kuai Le (Happy Or Not) | Duet |
| Ola Bola (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | |
| 2020 | "Make It Through" | Faizal Tahir and various artists | N/A | Lead vocals |
|
Videography
Music videos
Promotional videos
|
|
| 2008 | No Christmas For Me | |
| 2009 | Medley (Honey Bee, Bitter Heart, Kantoi, Monte) |
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Recorded live from and above the Solar Powered Plastic Plant
|
| Slow Hands |
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Interpol cover (live)
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Director: Tim Wheeler, Producer: Josh Nicotra, Editor: Brenden Mendez
|
| 2010 | Frosty The Snowman | |
| 2011 | Medley (Anchor, Swell Window, The Book of Morris Johnson, Milestone Moon, 31 Days) |
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"Ghostbird" live performances
|
Charity videos
|
|
| 2020 | Make It Through |
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Fund-raising video for Covid-19 related charities. Alongside Faizal Tahir, Ning Baizura, Nabila Razali, As'ad Motawh, Alyssa Dezek, Nanasheme, Syada Amzah, Wafiy, Jestinna Kuan, Reshma, Eliya Keesha, Tilla Hanna, Adam Sang and Jay C.
|
Concerts and tours
Tours
External links
