Ning Baizura

Born Ning Baizura on June 28, 1975, Ning focused on pop and R&B throughout her career. In her native Malaysia she earned recognition for performing songs and ballads across several languages, among them English and Malaysian. After working with multiple major labels she attracted domestic controversy through her choice of tank tops and candid interviews, a combination that evidently heightened her appeal among pop listeners and increased sales of her recordings. Her debut album, Dekat Padamu, arrived in 1993 and began a run of more than ten full-length releases over the following fifteen years. She also built a screen career, appearing in nearly ten films across a decade, one of which was the 2007 feature Diva. In 2006 she established her own imprint, Artiste United Records, and took several emerging artists under her wing. East to West, her 2008 album, came out on the label that March.