13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Zee Avi sacrifices career in the US for her parents
KUALA LUMPUR: After more than a decade in the United States, singer-songwriter Zee Avi, 39, has chosen to return to Malaysia, not because her music career is on the wane.
In a recent interview with Berita Harian, the Sarawakian talent said that she wanted to spend more time with her parents, who were "getting old".
"I chose to come home six years ago, after spending a decade in the US as a singer-songwriter," said Zee, who earlier lived in London for six years to further her studies at university level.
"During my six years in London, I was actively writing songs and as soon as I graduated, I was offered to record songs in the US, where I stayed for 11 years."
Miri-born Zee, or Izyan Alirahman added: "Every time I return to my homeland, I see my parents aging. As the eldest child, I need to fulfill my responsibilities."
"Some may think that my career in the US is on the wane, it's up to them to say what they want, so long as I know why I made my decision to come home."
Zee said that she was still a singer-songwriter with her group Zee Avi & The Good Things.
"I hope that one of my songs can make it to Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL).
"I warmly welcome any composers who are interested in writing songs with me," she said.
Zee has been married to Japanese content analyst Kenji Matano since 2021.
In the last few years, she has been suffering from hearing problems and needs to wear a hearing aid for 13 hours a day.
