PETALING JAYA: With her soulful tunes and heartfelt lyrics, Malaysian songbird Amirah Ali is making waves in international contests with her music about unity.

       Amirah, who is currently based in the United States, released two singles, You are My Land and Tell Me, which landed her at the top in two songwriting competitions.

       For her self-composed songs, she was named a Top Four Finalist at the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and was also a semi-finalist at the International Songwriting Competition where she beat 26,000 other international entries.

       “It was wonderful to get such positive feedback from renowned judges such as Coldplay, Dua Lipa and Tom Waits,” she said, adding that she was also interviewed by John Lennon Educational Tour Bus executive director Brian Rothschild on tinyurl.com/amirah9.

       Asked what inspired her songs, she was quick to say it was her homeland Malaysia, and her deep desire for global cultural unity.

       “I realised that music could transcend cultural and religious boundaries and engage people around the world. Once I realised how powerful music was, I felt like I had no choice but to become a songwriter. It was my true calling,” she said.

       You are My Land is a love song for her country, and the pain she feels when she sees the difficulties that besiege it.

       “We have suffered so much during these challenging times, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic and the political issues that Malaysia faces now,” she added.

       Tell Me, which is the English translation of her song Katakanlah, is a powerful manifestation of her belief that human compassion should go beyond cultural and religious boundaries.

       “As a biracial woman who is fortunate to grow up in a multicultural household, I’ve always been passionate about the need for unity.

       “Unity is more important than ever today. It is vital to understand that we are all essentially connected – we are all one,” she said.

       In addition to her poignant lyricism, Amirah brings out Malaysia’s rich musical culture by infusing Eastern elements and instruments into her melodies.

       “I have been blessed to collaborate with East-meets-West musicians such as Jett Kwong, Marquis Hill, Dave Eggar, Satnam Ramgotra, STOLAR and many more from Los Angeles, New York and around the globe,” she said.

       Amirah said she had a strong love for music since she was young, though she faced obstacles pursuing it as a career.

       “As a child, I spent so much time banging on the family piano that my mother had no choice but to enrol me in piano lessons.

       “I started composing short pieces on the piano when I was 11, and vividly remember the sounds of old Hindustani songs that my father would play and the keroncong music that my mother played.

       “There will always be obstacles when pursuing a music career. It is difficult to go against the grain, and the road can be very lonely at times.

       “The journey so far has been amazing and bittersweet at times.

       “I am fortunate to have met and worked with some really amazing musicians, such as my talented producer Jeff Bova who is working with me on my album,” she said.

       Although she has been based in Los Angeles over the past two years working on her record, her heart is still very much in Malaysia.

       “I would like to appeal to Malaysians to stay united throughout this challenging period. Let’s continue to reach out and lend a helping hand to all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, gender or status,” she said.

       Amirah’s Instagram or Facebook account can be accessed at @amirah360.