Yuna

It’s almost impossible not to fall in love with internationally-praised performer Yuna when you hear her sing. So much so that, when she announced, ‘This will be my last song of the night,’ she was met with an audience reaction that was nothing short of outrage. Luckily, as she explained cheekily, she was ‘just kidding!’

Yuna plays her OzAsia Festival show as if she is performing in a coffee shop; she is chatty, relaxed and intimate, taking time to share stories and make jokes between her songs. She has found a perfect balance – loose and peaceful enough to be casual but polished enough to be professional. One of the most striking things about Yuna’s performance style, though, is the fact that she is clearly perfectly happy and at peace when she is singing. Whether performing a mournful ballad or a sassy break-up song, she maintains an undertone of contentment. Although her attempts at audience participation didn’t quite stick, Yuna is never rattled, and creates a show that flows seamlessly.

Musically, Yuna is a poster-girl for fusion; her music is performed in both English and Bahasa Malaysia and stylistically is a mix of folk, pop, jazz, R&B and acoustic ballads. This variation, in addition to her conversational narration, keeps her set feeling fresh. Her vocals are earthy, with clear tones and excellent pitch. The entire set-list is immersive and easy to listen to, but her songs performed in Bahasa Malaysia were clearly crowd favourites, despite the fact that the majority of the songs she performed were in English.

Having brought her band to the festival with her, it is unsurprising that they work very well together. Although Yuna’s songs often include many separate musical elements and are rhythmically complex, the band seems to work in perfect synchronisation with each other and with Yuna. The band’s performance is supported by excellent sound and quirky, colourful lighting, which plays off Yuna’s colourful clothing. Her free-flowing, earthy clothing choice fits well with her music and performance style, creating a performance where all the elements come together effortlessly.

Whether Malaysian, American or Australian, it seems that all audiences love Yuna. The fact that she can transition from packed, MTV-sponsored concerts in Manhattan to the relatively small, candlelit Space Theatre in Adelaide is a testament to her versatility, and to the power of her music. No matter which language she sings in, Yuna’s music is universal, touching on themes from bullying to lost love. She transcends cultural boundaries, which is exactly what the OzAsia Festival sets out to do.

Rating: 4 ½ stars out of 5

OzAsia Festival
www.ozasiafestival.com.au
13-29 September