KUALA LUMPUR: Singer and sape player Alena Murang hopes traditional sape music will one day be recognised as a mainstream genre in its own right, rather than being confined largely to cultural and tourism events.
"I hope music made by sape could one day be taken as mainstream music all by itself," said Alena, 37, who is collaborating with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra for an upcoming concert titled Concerto for Sape and Orchestra.
While the traditional Bornean string instrument has gained increasing attention, she noted that it still occupies a space between different musical genres and settings.
"It's usually played at a lot of government functions, such as cultural or tourism events, or where representation is needed," she said.
