AINA ABDUL 28

Singer-songwriter & Producer, Aina Abdul Entertainment

A confident star on the rise, Aina Abdul continues to astound audiences with her angelic voice and quirky fashion sense, often embracing couture ensembles for her performances. Behind the eccentric façade is a humble young woman who has worked hard to realise her dreams. In 2021, Aina claimed the stage in her first solo concert titled “A Night with Aina Abdul” at Bsync Live Kuala Lumpur. Her second solo concert, held in 2022, was a sold-out performance at Panggung Sari, Istana Budaya, with more to come.

Aina discovered her gift at the age of 12 at a school talent show, performing Saloma’s “Sekapur Sireh Seulas Pinang”. “After that, I was actively singing at weddings – earning RM50 per week, which was an enormous amount for a kid at that age,” she shares. Born to an educationoriented family, Aina’s parents held strong reservations about her eagerness to pursue a career in music.

“Not a single person in my family comes from a musical background. My mum had hoped I would follow in her footsteps to become a teacher, but she was supportive when I decided to be a singer with a degree, and I trust her intuition,” the UCSI University graduate shares.

Aina had to overcome many challenges on the road to success, from hunting for gigs to pay for school to looking for opportunities to perform as her authentic self. “As a hijabi, I faced stigma with wanting to sing in clubs and jazz lounges. As those venues sell alcohol, some audience members questioned my presence there, making it harder for me to find work at the time.” She is grateful to Le Noir KL and No Black Tie for always giving her a space to sing and find her sound.

Embracing long hours and hard work, Aina remains committed to her art form.

“As a music graduate, you must be clever about planning your path forward even before finishing your degree. Many things about music do not exist in books – you will only learn it by performing in front of real audiences.”