Sarawakian musician on mission to revive fading ethnic sounds

Summary

• Belle Sisoski, Sarawakian musician, artistically blends fading ethnic instruments with modern EDM to create a distinct sound attracting fans worldwide.

• The youth has more than a million followers on YouTube alone and performs in shows internationally.

• She is on a mission to revive Malaysia’s fading ethnic instruments and share them with younger audiences.

MALAYSIANSKINI | Watching Belle Sisoski live in action is almost an out-of-body experience.

As electronic dance music beats reverberate, the diminutive musician moves from one instrument to the other, seamlessly moving from a multitude of instruments.

From the violin to Chinese drums, the turntables to a nose flute, the Lun Bawang tapi, and then the keyboards, she moves without missing a beat or ruffling a single feather on her hornbill-inspired vest, a nod to her Sarawakian heritage.

Amid the laser beams and a backdrop of larger-than-life moving images at the Rainforest Music Festival last year, Sisoski commands the stage and takes to the microphone to use another instrument - her voice.

Seeing her on stage, it is easy to forget that it was not too long ago that she was a high schooler.

She made her debut at major music festivals at just 17, performing before a crowd of 40,000 from around the world at Borneo Sonic in Kuching.

It was at one of these performances - when thousands were echoing the lyrics of her song “Mother’s Calling” - that she first realised the impact that she had on her audience.

“Hearing the crowd scream my lyrics was an ‘Oh my God, this is real’ moment,” Kuching-born Sisoski recalled, eyes still lighting up at the memory. 

“It was exciting - like, wow! It means they really felt the song,” she said.

Today, her YouTube Channel has more than a million subscribers worldwide and her schedule is filling up with gigs in Malaysia and beyond. In fact, her success and stage prowess were long foreshadowed when at the age of two she started running her fingers on the piano, while on the lap of her music teacher mother.

Classically trained, she went on to complete Grade 8, earning a diploma in both piano and violin.

Taking up the latter instrument at age six, Sisoski said mastering it helped cultivate her perfect pitch. 

“The piano provided a strong foundation, allowing me to be able to branch out to other genres and ethnic instruments.

“The precision required in playing the violin sharpened my pitch and nurtured my perfectionist tendencies,” she said.

The result is an immersive soundscape that feels both deeply rooted in tradition and innovatively modern. 

‘Being authentically myself’

She credits much of her journey, from performing at recitals at the age of 12 to being a champion and master of ethnic instruments, to her mother, who filled their family home with music.

“She encourages me to embrace my flaws and insecurities, helping me transform them into my confidence, strength and superpower,” she said, referring to her mother as her pillar of strength.

“She lets me be authentically myself, without shame and apologies,” she said.

Sisoski’s journey into ethnic music began unexpectedly when at 16 years old, she discovered her mother’s master thesis on ethnomusicology - the study of music in its social and cultural contexts - which researched more than 30 traditional musical instruments from Borneo. 

This prompted her to learn how to play the various instruments, she said, helping her develop her own distinct sound, which she couples with a commitment to authenticity. 

Her latest track, “The Revelation”, released on Feb 14 on YouTube and various popular streaming services, is a testament of that. 

“It’s about embracing your true self. Being so deeply rooted in who you are that you feel no shame, no need for apologies - even if it unsettles others. 

“It’s about owning your identity with such confidence that it challenges those around you. 

“When you fully embrace your flaws and insecurities, without shame or apology, even the unconventional becomes your confidence, strength, and superpower,” she said with conviction.

Revelation: A sonic awakening

“The Revelation’s” music video shows just how deftly this Kuala Lumpur-based musician handles the various instruments used on the track.

The number opens with Sisoski playing the sirotuong, a traditional Dayak instrument from the mountains of Sarawak - one of only two that have remained with her mother since her research three decades ago.

Now, it stands as a rare and endangered relic of the past as younger generations lose interest in traditional instruments. 

A type of zither, it is crafted from a single section of bamboo with attached strings, but instead of plucked, it functions as a hand percussion instrument, struck along its length to create uniquely hollow, haunting sounds. 

The sirotuong is soon joined by the Bungkau, a Kadazan-Dusun bamboo jaw harp, while a third instrument - the turali, a Kadazan-Dusun nose flute - chimes in. 

With Mount Kinabalu in her backdrop, Sisoski picks up a Tibetan yak horn trumpet, setting the stage for a powerful build-up. 

The Javanese gangsa, the Malaysian Chinese 24-seasons drum, and orchestral strings on keys soon layer in, each element intensifying the soundscape - until the moment of the drop. 

All of it is performed by just one person.

It doesn’t stop there. “The Revelation” is a sonic tapestry of 735 intricately layered tracks,  seamlessly blending cinematic scores, created, produced, mixed and mastered entirely by Sisoski.

As more instruments - the engkeruemong (a set of Sarawakian gongs), kompang, violin, and synth-driven-drums - take centre stage, Sisoski seamlessly weaves in thumping electronic dance beats. 

The momentum pauses only for a striking interlude, spotlighting the tapi, a traditional boat lute of the Sarawakian Lun Bawang tribe. 

With vocals that transform into a chorus of her own, this trance-inducing track stands as an incredible tribute to Sisoski’s heritage, resonating deeply with listeners’ cultural roots and transcending generations through a fusion that is uniquely hers.

“The Revelation” also features one guest artist - Mathew Ngau Jau, a renowned sape master celebrated for his craftsmanship, teaching, and performances of the sape, a boat lute deeply rooted in the traditions of the Orang Ulu Kenyah Ngorek from Long Semiyang, Sarawak.

Sisoski knows that very few artists blend all three genres seamlessly throughout a track like she does. 

“It’s my distinct sound. It’s authentically me. For ‘The Revelation’, I put so much passion and intention into it. 

“It took me about two months to complete, and while it was a lot of work, every step of the process was filled with purpose,” she said. 

Mission to revive fading ethnic sounds

Now able to play at least 30 instruments featured in her mother’s thesis, Sisoski is on a mission to revive Malaysia’s fading ethnic instruments - blending them with electronic beats to make them “hit different” - as goes the parlance of the younger audiences she targets. 

Taking it further, her “Wonders of the Southeast” YouTube series spotlights these instruments, featuring interviews with their makers. 

In part five, aired on Feb 21, she sits down with Ngau Jau, at his space, diving into the history, craftsmanship, and unique sounds of the sape.

In another episode, she features the engkerurai, an Iban bamboo mouth organ on the brink of extinction. Sisoski, however, plays it in nearly all her tracks.

Sisoski restored and revived the instrument her mother had kept for three decades, searching the jungle for the right bamboo and replacing damaged parts.

She also shares knowledge on the music she plays by adding descriptions to the instruments in her music videos and social media content, sharing the instruments names and origins and bringing to life for a global audience, including 1.3 million followers on Instagram alone. 

A lesson in music history a la Gen Z

Her Gen Z-friendly approach to reviving endangered ethnic instruments doesn’t feel like a music or history lesson - it’s immersive, dynamic and effortlessly cool. 

“I blend ethnic, cinematic and electronic dance music (EDM) because each represents a different part of my identity and artistic vision.

“Sisoski music reflects my Borneo roots - my culture and heritage,” Belle shared, adding that her heritage is diverse and not easily defined.

“Cinematic elements help me tell a story, immersing the audience in an emotional experience.

“And EDM - whether it’s techno, dance, or dubstep - makes it more accessible to younger listeners, creating a bridge to revive long-forgotten instruments. 

“It’s about bringing tradition into a new space, where modern and traditional sounds don’t just coexist but complement each other. Together, they tell a story that feels both timeless and fresh,” she explained.

Powerful women

Sisoski has released 26 tracks to date, with her latest being the second installment in a four-part series. Once all four tracks are released, they will be compiled into a full album.

Each track in the series embodies the essence of a natural element, with the first, “The Revival”, representing wind - restless and ever-shifting, constantly questioning life’s purpose.

In “The Revelation”, Sisoski asserts that the answer is already clear: “You don’t have to search for the purpose of your life. Just live in the moment, because nothing really matters.”

The next two tracks will represent fire and water, but Sisoski is keeping their narratives under wraps until their release in the coming months.

Although she is a one-woman powerhouse on stage, in her life and work, she continues to honour so many others as mentors. 

This includes her circle of friends -  designers, writers, painters, and public speaking teachers who inspire her and act as her sounding board. 

“We exchange ideas, concepts and visions, constantly refining our creative process,” she said. 

“They are so much older than me and I gain so much insight from their experiences. 

“Every time when I’m with them, I feel like a completely different person,” she said. 

Growth booster

Many of them are women, whose guidance and support have helped shape her journey, pushing her to grow both personally and artistically.

“Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to meet them, and they played a huge role in shaping the person I am today.

“Women are the ones who truly push and motivate you, to cultivate the drive and passion, and my friends are incredibly supportive and I am equally supportive of their work too. 

“There are so many powerful women in my life.”

MALAYSIANSKINI is a series on Malaysians you should know. For the month of March, we are featuring notable Malaysian women as part of the Women In Front series for International Women’s Day.

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