Italian Songwriter Releases Bahasa Melayu Song Titled "Bunga"

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As Malaysians, we speak and write Bahasa Melayu proudly as it’s our national language.

It makes us even prouder when we hear foreigners speaking and understanding Bahasa Melayu fluently.

Just take a look at British-born Rhys Williams, otherwise known as Mat Salleh Cari Makan on social media. His excellent command of Bahasa Melayu is what won over the hearts of Malaysians when they watch his food content videos.

We also have Mat Dan, an English traveller and television host known for his fluency in the Terengganu dialect.

When a non-Malaysian picks up Bahasa Melayu, regardless of which dialect or accent, it’s a sign of their interest and love for the country’s culture and heritage, and most Malaysians would swell with pride at their genuine effort in learning the language.

An Italian singer-songwriter made an original song in Bahasa Melayu

Learning a foreign language just to get by in everyday life is already an impressive feat, but writing and singing a song in a language that’s not in your native tongue is something that deserves recognition.

Gianluca Cafagna is an Italian singer-songwriter who released a song titled “Bunga”, as announced on his Instagram account @gianlucacafagnamusic recently.

When asked about the song, the music producer and independent artist told TRP that Bunga is about rebirth.

“It tells the story of finding peace after the storm, of hope returning after life’s darkest moments. It’s a promise that pain never lasts and that every difficult chapter can eventually bloom into something beautiful.

“More than anything, Bunga is my love letter to new beginnings and to the country that gave me a second life,” said Cafagna when contacted on Instagram.

He first started covering famous Malaysian songs, which led him to write Bunga

Cafagna’s passion for music began at the very early age of nine years old, after he discovered the legendary songstress Mariah Carey. He said her voice and artistry inspired him to start singing, which developed into a deep love for soul music throughout his childhood and teenage years.

“As I grew older, my musical taste evolved into a profound passion for ambient music, dream pop, synth-pop, and electronic music. Those genres have had a huge influence on the way I write, produce, and shape my own sound today,” he said.

Fast forward to 2019, Cafagna moved to Malaysia and studied at Sunway University, where he graduated with a degree in Contemporary Music (Audio Technology) in 2023.

During his time here, he had joined a local band and spent six years performing with them as a member — from private functions to official events organised by the Embassy of Italy in Kuala Lumpur.

“Those experiences allowed me to connect with Malaysian audiences and deepened my appreciation for the country’s rich and diverse culture,” said the musician.

“Malaysia has truly changed my life. It gave me a second chance — not only as an artist, but also as a person. I fell in love with the warmth of its people, its multicultural identity, and especially the beauty of the Malay language,” he added.

When asked about what inspired him to write Bunga, Cafagna said it came from a special occurrence on social media.

He was sharing covers of famous Malaysian songs and received overwhelming positive response over each one. He noted one of his performances of an Anuar Zain song which has come close to one million views on TikTok at the time of writing.

“That was the moment I realised I didn’t want to just sing in Malay — I wanted to create for Malaysia. Bunga became my way of saying thank you to the people who welcomed me with open arms,” said Cafagna.

Malaysians have shared positive responses on Bunga across all of Cafagna’s social media accounts. Even before the track was released, many expressed how they were looking forward to the full song.

The song is not only a representation of how beautiful Bahasa Melayu is as a language, but also how language can connect people on a much deeper level, even if they’re from half way across the world.

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