Malaysian musician who can play 30 traditional instruments is captivating millions online

South China Morning Post

14 hours ago

At just 19 years old, Belle Sisoski moves with the certainty of an artist twice her age.
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While her peers navigate university life, temporary jobs – even the occasional existential crisis – this Malaysian performing artist has already mastered more than 30 traditional instruments, composed genre-defying electronic anthems and built a social media empire, all while spearheading a cultural revival of Southeast Asia's endangered musical heritage.
In today's segmented music industry, where artists are packaged in neat little boxes, Sisoski defies categorisation.
Classically trained pianist? Check. Digital native with millions of followers? Absolutely. Ethnomusicologist preserving near-extinct tribal instruments? Without question.
Her live performances that see her seamlessly shifting between
throat singing , electronic production and traditional instruments would already be career-defining for most artists.
Belle Sisoski is known for her one-woman show that combines the ambience of ethnic instruments, cinematic music and electronic elements. Photo: Belle Sisoski
Her distinctive aesthetic – shaved sides with a warrior's braid, slicked-back hair, well-known fashion accessories of
Sarawak – mirrors her musical philosophy. Each performance and composition layers cinematic strings, pulsing electronic dance music (EDM) and indigenous instrumentation, all anchored by her remarkable five-octave range.