Malaysia Airlines Integrates Diverse Traditional Musical Instruments in its New Boarding Music jointly with Aeroplay Entertainment

KLIA, 8 December 2020: Malaysia Airlines has enhanced its inflight experience with a piece of brand-new boarding music that infuses more Malaysian elements via a harmonious blend of traditional musical instruments, reflecting the diverse cultural ethnicities.

In line with the airline's Fly Malaysia campaign, which is to promote the beauty of Malaysia to the world, the original three-minute soundtrack which is co-produced by the airline’s new inflight content service provider, Aeroplay Entertainment features a mix of traditional instruments, offering a taste of Malaysia while still factoring in a fresh and contemporary feel.

The score is an ode to Malaysian culture, featuring a diverse medley of musical instruments from Malay, Chinese and Indian traditions and origins music. The signature melody includes sounds from the Sape (An indigenous lute from Sarawak); Kompang (A traditional Malay hand drum), Gambus (A string instrument popularly featured in Malay folk music); Gamelan (An ensemble of percussive instruments, originating from Java); Erhu (The "Chinese violin); Ghuzeng (An ancient Chinese string instrument); Veena (An ancient Indian string instrument); Sitar (A centuries-old string instrument from northern India) and other ethnic musical instruments.

Malaysia Airlines Berhad’s Group Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer, Lau Yin May said, "We take pride and responsibility in representing our beloved homeland the very moment our passengers step on board our flights. Malaysian Hospitality is not just about providing quality service and attentiveness to a passengers’ needs on board, but to also ensure they are introduced to our rich culture through music.

Our newly composed on-board music creates the most inclusive environment that showcases the depth and diversity of traditional Malaysian music that serves as a great way for our guests to immerse themselves in the country’s pride and culture even before they land in Malaysia.

We are delighted to connect to our passengers through our brand-new boarding music that reflects the country's score of diverse cultures. The rich mix of ethnic instruments such as Sape, Kompang, Erhu, Gambus, Gamelan, Sitar and Veena, Ghuzeng that gives the piece an undeniably a harmonious Malaysian feel. Available on all MH flights, the boarding music is now available on the Youtube channel, allowing you to immerse in the serene and captivating qualities this piece has to offer before the next time you Fly Malaysia."

Prakash Johari, CEO and Managing Director, Aeroplay Entertainment added, "As the Bard wrote, "If music is the food of love, play on". Boarding music is not just soothing and relaxing; it carries the identity of the airline and sets the tone for the journey. Keeping in mind the impact of boarding music as part of the passenger experience, we have composed a refreshing and upbeat track which is distinctively Malaysian. The music is inspired by Malaysia's deep-rooted traditions, especially its well-known hospitable culture. We are honoured being involved in this latest creation and are confident it will elevate what is already an exceptional inflight experience for Malaysia Airlines guests.

In addition to the new boarding music, Aeroplay creates tailor-made in-flight entertainment content to offer passenger with an immersive onboard experience for Malaysia Airlines' guests, through creative content, strong studio partnerships and a uniquely Malaysian bespoken boarding music.

Onboard Malaysia Airlines’ passengers will be spoilt for choice with broad diversity of films, TV shows and music albums in various languages, ranging from English to Malay, Chinese, Thai, Tagalog, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi. Aeroplay Entertainment is also collaborating with all major Hollywood and independent studios, and popular networks from around the world to curate the content mix.

"We are honoured and excited to have been selected by Malaysia Airlines to be its IFE content service provider and contribute to elevating the travel experience for Malaysia Airlines' guests. It is a great pride for us to work with the Malaysia’s national carrier, and we will continuously strive to deliver a memorable IFE experience to Malaysia Airlines' guests," added Prakash Johari.

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