Female Malaysian hip hop artist who raps in a hijab and traditional dress: ‘We can’t jump around so much’
- When Malaysian rapper Bunga took part in a talent contest, her set went viral because she was wearing a hijab and traditional baju kurung
- She raps about her life, love and work, and hopes to become an international star. Being a female rapper doesn’t mean I have to talk about gangsters, teen says
One of the few Malaysian female rappers, Bunga says she at first didn’t consider a career in music.
“My initial dream was to be a politician or a lawyer,” the 19-year old rapper said before her first performance in Singapore for the Malay arts festival “Pesta Raya” last weekend.
Her success has her changing her tune.
Bunga, whose real name is Noor Ayu Fatini Mohd Bakhari, is one of the only known rappers who wears a hijab and baju kurung, a traditional Malay dress, at her performances. Selfies on her Instagram account show her wearing various shades of hijab, but she didn’t start that way.
From Perak, the fourth-largest state in Malaysia, she became popular after a video of her performing in baju kurung in a local rap competition went viral in November. “When I reached the venue, I was wearing regular clothes,” Bunga said.
But even though she was the only female at the event, she did not stand out. “At the very last minute, I bought myself a baju kurung at the venue itself.”