Exclusive Zara Leola, Interpreting The Transition From Child Singer To Youth Singer

Exclusive Zara Leola, transition as a teenage singer (Photo: Bambang E Ros, DI: Raga/VOI)

JAKARTA - Zara Leola is one of the young singers circulating in the Indonesian music industry today. He is still 18 years old, but his music career has been running for eight years, with dozens of songs released to date.

His latest single, titled More Than Friends with Mario G Klau, became his first duet song with a male singer with the theme of love. This song tells the story of someone whose love doesn't reply as desired. Zara mentions her new song with the theme 'friend zone'.

"This song is more of a friendzone. And what I want to tell my friends, maybe don't give people too much hope first," Zara Leola said while visiting VOI's office in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta recently.

"Because now there are so many, especially as a young person, I really get along a lot, I want to have a lot of friends, then suddenly meet someone, eh baper, but only considered friends," he continued.

Through his new song, Zara, who used to be known as a child singer, has even been nominated at the AMI Awards twice, has now turned into a teenage singer.

The transition from child singer to teenage singer for Zara went quite well. This can be seen from his consistency since his debut at the age of 10. Every year, Enda Ungu's eldest daughter always releases new songs, some of which are even involved in songwriting.

Zara herself feels the changes she has experienced so far are going well. She knows what kind of song a singer of her age is, as well as a large part of the same age fan.

"I didn't feel like I was changing suddenly. I told my father, 'Well, I think it's difficult to keep my little idol being a teenager', so I said I needed a solution. My father said I had to look for songs whose theme was universal and continued to the theme of romance, "said Zara.

"But besides that, (the change) is not that difficult, because it happens that my fans are my age, right, so they can also feel what I feel. If for example I give out who loves for sure who is according to his age. It's impossible for me, who is 18 years old, to tell you songs of infidelity.

Currently, Zara is also confident in her choice in the entertainment industry. She likes what she does as a singer, and wants to stay consistent with her choice, although she admits it's not easy.

"Now I believe in myself that I want to hone myself in this music world. I feel that his son really likes art, I like to write songs more, I prefer acting. For now, God willing, I will continue to have a career. For now, in this young way I think this is what I like, "he said.

"Because I started my career from 10 years, I really wanted to change when I was 15 years old. There I felt like I had to keep what I wanted. Incidentally, I realized that I was a teenager who was very unstable with his own choices, like suddenly wanting this, I wanted that, so I realized that I had to be consistent.

The Role Of Musician Father, Privilege Or Burden?

Not without reason, the views of some people who saw him only relied on the big name of his father and questioned his abilities, encountered on social media. However, Zara seems more mature than he imagined, he is well aware that not everything he does gets a positive response.

Everyone commented on me, I always take it as an evaluation material. Not everyone is perfect, if you make a mistake, we just have to understand," Zara said.

"If that's people's opinion, not everything has to be listened to. Not everything has to be positive, so if there are negative ones, that's okay. Back again, I learned that in this world there will not be all our respect, and not everyone likes what we are going through," he continued.

Furthermore, Zara even sees that her father's big name is not a burden, but as a blessing in itself that must be accepted. He realized without his father, it was difficult for him to find love for the music industry.

Enda's journey as a musician is not easy as well as a lesson in itself. Zara finds the best teacher to have a music career.

"My father's advice is so that I respect the people around us. Because without us realizing it, our work also helps a lot of people, and without those people we also can't work. I feel that in this industry there are a lot of people behind the scenes who help," Zara said.

"Father also taught me to be patient. For example, for example, it goes viral, we don't know. If for example viral can be bought, everyone will also buy it. But my father must always say, 'Be patient, Sis, everything has its time. Don't rush'," he continued.

"Because what I saw from my father, he was very patient in the music world. My father really taught me a lot from the start, from Manado to Jakarta, then the first album didn't boom. So, I really felt like he taught me a lot."

None of the advice from the father was underestimated. The times may have changed, but Zara sees his father's maturity in the world of music will never be wrong.

"Because I know, in the end the things my father learned will definitely be useful. I think this industry is turning around, so I feel my father's advice can't be wrong. Even if I feel my father's advice is wrong, it must be at the end of the day too. right, "he said.

"I'm also impossible to underestimate what my father told me, because he's a professional in music".

From what he went through while in the music industry, Zara actually felt more 'lucky' than his friends. When some of his friends had not yet determined what was his way of life, Zara actually felt he had a decent career to live.

"I realized that I have a cool job, and I can still balance with my work and social life. For eight years in this entertainment world I feel like I have to be sure. I feel impossible to stop because I want to take a different college. Yes, maybe now my hobby has become my priority, it has become something serious, "said Zara Leola.

"Maybe because I feel like I already have this career, which initially had a hobby of being serious. So I feel that music is changing my life because I can go further".