ZOAHARIAN.COM – The figure of Kanaya Whulan has recently become increasingly familiar to the people of West Java. His melodious voice can often be heard when the music group Emka 9 or MK9 performs at various activities attended by the Governor of West Java Dedi Mulyadi.

Emka 9 itself is not a newly formed music group. This Sundanese nuanced group existed long before Dedi Mulyadi served as Governor of West Java.

Recently, Emka 9's popularity has increased along with its appearance on various agendas, one of which is Abdi Nagri Nganjang Ka Warga.

Behind the group's performance, public attention was also focused on the vocalist, Kanaya Whu.

The woman whose full name is Kanaya Wulan is known to have a distinctive voice. He has been the vocalist of Emka 9 since 2019, replacing Echa who previously filled that position.

Kanaya is a woman born in Bandung in 1991. Now, she is 34 years old.

Even though he was born in Sunda, Kanaya's life journey was spent mostly in Jakarta. He studied from elementary school to high school in the capital city.

This condition made it difficult for Kanaya to sing Sundanese songs.

However, these challenges are slowly being overcome. Over time, Kanaya became more accustomed to the character of Sundanese songs and was able to perform various works created by Dedi Mulyadi with great emotion.

In a conversation broadcast on the West Java Kadisdik YouTube channel in a video entitled "This is Kanaya, Vocalist Kang Dedi Mulyadi in MK9 During a Cultural Safari", Kanaya revealed her experiences while being part of Emka 9.

According to him, the songs created by Dedi Mulyadi have strong stories and messages.

"Every song that Mr (Dedi Mulyadi) writes has a story," said Kanaya.

Some of the songs by Dedi Mulyadi that he often performs include Kaasing Indung, Lungse, Lampah, Rubuh, and Rindu Purnama.

Don't just rely on sound

For Kanaya, performing these songs is not just singing the lyrics and following the tune.

He said that every song requires feeling and soul so that the message to be conveyed can truly reach the listener.

"Your songs are truly spiritual, full of value and meaning," he said.

According to Kanaya, another challenge lies in the character of the song which has quite a high pitch. Therefore, a singer must be able to appreciate the song and understand the message contained in it.

"You have to sing with feeling, your soul has to be full. Plus the songs are also high pitched, they have to be soulful. Thank God you can sing what you want," said Kanaya.

Before diving more seriously into the world of singing, Kanaya apparently worked in an office.

However, this job was eventually abandoned because it was felt that it was not a suitable field for him. He then chose to return to the world he had loved since childhood, namely singing.

Kanaya's love for music has even grown since she was in elementary school. This talent was also influenced by his mother, who was said to have artistic blood and was good at singing.

Now, Kanaya is not only known as the vocalist of Emka 9. He also often shares his activities with this music group via social media Instagram with the account @kanayawhu.

From stage to stage, Kanaya's voice is one of the colors that makes Emka 9's performance even more well known. For him, being the vocalist of a Sundanese music group is not just about singing, but also how to convey the stories, values ​​and feelings in each song.