KUCHING: Final year strategic communication student, Alezxandria Kapple, is making a name for herself in Sarawak’s growing creative industry.
Despite only being 28, the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) student has already taken on voice-overs and music to event planning and media production.
Alezxandria’s path into the entertainment and creative industry began with something as simple and innocent as watching the evening news with her parents here.
“I always wanted to be a weather broadcaster,” she said, adding, “but that dream felt so far away, and growing up, we were taught that pursuing something like media or music full-time was unrealistic.”
But there was no stopping her creative spark which came to the fore when she was just six years old, featuring in her sister’s rap song.
It got the the ball rolling on what would become a passion for music and performance.
She also highlighted that her inspiration came from within her home itself as most of her family members are musicians.
“Even though we were led to believe back then that you couldn’t make a career out of it, it was always in us,” she added.
When her eldest sister took a sabbatical from work, the two began vlogging and making songs together just as a fun bonding activity between sisters.
“She went back to work, but I was left with this thirst to explore more,” Alezxandria recalled.
From there, she started making friends in all sorts of creative fields and was eager to experiment and learn.
“I wrote life goals, some I have achieved, some I haven’t. But I’m not done yet,” she said matter-of-factly.
Alezxandria’s sojourn took off in dribs and drabs, busking around town with college friends which helped her gain confidence and also slowly opened doors of opportunities for her.
“I couldn’t do this full time, so I freelanced a lot,” she said.
Her work spanned voice-over gigs, and acting in a telemovie under TVS Entertainment titled ‘Suffice‘.
Not only that, Alezxandria also worked as a radio announcement trainee at RedFM a few years back and even helped run events like the now iconic Black Parade.
She and her friends started after COVID-19 and named the event company Project Amnesia.
Much to their exasperation, they spent months just to come up with standard operating procedures.
“But we were patient enough to push through, and success made it all worth it,” she explained.
While balancing all this with her university life has not been easy, Alezxandria attributes her success to her support system.
“I told myself that no matter what, I have to finish my degree and build my portfolio along the way,” she said.
And her proudest achievements have been about making her family proud of her.
“Making my parents happy with my grades while managing projects on the side,” she explained.
“I think I can say that I have already experienced my peak but hopefully won’t lose it any moment soon.”
One dream she never let go of was voice acting that started as a childhood curiosity.
Eventually it came to fruition when a producer gave her the opportunity to voice an animation for ‘Kumang and The Ungrateful Python’ series where she did a voice over for the character named Lulong.
“The experience was surreal. It felt like everything I loved, music, acting and storytelling was coming together,” she said.
Preparing for voice-overs reminded her of being on stage before starting her gigs where she has to do vocal warm-ups, script rehearsals and staying in character. It wasn’t always easy.
“The biggest challenge was delivering emotion purely through voice, since there are no facial expressions, no gestures. Just pacing, tone and heart,” she said.
Still, the process was made fun by fellow voice actors, including Alvin who voiced a snake named Sawa.
“We laughed so much during our sessions,” she said.
“But my favourite moment was voicing a disgusted character; it felt so natural, like I wasn’t acting at all,” she recalled.
What sets Alezxandria apart is not just her talent, but her active role in shaping the local creative landscape.
As someone who has worked behind the scenes in events and in front of the mic as a voice artist, she bridges multiple fields to bring together a community of likeminded creatives in Sarawak.
“People always talk about how talent from Sarawak moves to KL or abroad to make it,” she noted.
“But there’s a whole movement here now, people staying, creating, and building up our own scene, and I’m proud to be a part of that.”
Through events like Black Parade and her collaborations with local artists, Alezxandria has helped create platforms for young talents to perform, network, and express themselves.
“Some of the most meaningful moments come from seeing others shine,” she added.
“There are youngsters performing for the first time, people launching passion projects that remind me why I keep going.”
Her ability to shift between roles as emcee, planner, performer and producer speaks of her adaptability, something she believes is key to surviving in a small but evolving creative industry
Alezxandria is no stranger to the stress and thrill of the events world. Black Parade remains one of her favourite projects, birthed from passion and persistence.
“What started as a group of friends wanting to party became a professional event that helped people reconnect after lockdown,” she explained.
But the industry isn’t without its challenges.
“Handling clients’ expectations can be draining, especially when visions don’t align,” she admitted.
“But communication is key; not just talking but really listening.”
“Stay adaptable. Trends change, and so must we,” she said.
Outside of media and events, Alezxandria is also the lead vocalist of ’11th Minute’, a pop punk band that formed organically through friendships and shared passion.
“We got the name because we always decide to perform at the very last minute,” she laughed.
She met Shaun, the bassist, during Black Parade, when she collaborated with Exhale My Ozone.
“At first, I was the worst singer in my family, maybe even tone deaf,” she joked.
Then she met Nick, who is a drummer in their ’11th Minute’ band, who taught and encouraged her to improve her singing ability
“Nick, our drummer and a music teacher, really pushed me to grow,” she said.
Their most memorable shows include ‘Think You Got Skills’ in 2019, where she performed with her sisters, and Black Parade 2.0, their first real pop punk gig.
“Music has shaped everything I do from how I speak, listen, even how I adapt during a crisis,” she said.
“It taught me how to express emotion, how to read timing and tone. It’s the reason I can do voice acting and media,” she added.
Today, Alezxandria serves as a quiet inspiration to young creatives in Sarawak who are navigating the same doubts she once faced.
“You don’t have to wait until you’ve ‘made it’ to start,” she said.
“Just do it scared. That’s how I began.”
She often receives messages from younger students or fans of her band asking for advice or guidance, something she never takes for granted
“Even if it’s just one person who feels seen or encouraged, it’s worth it.” she said.
As Sarawak continues to grow its creative industry and economy through movements, indie productions, and youth-led initiatives, voices like Alezxandria’s become even more crucial.
She represents a new wave of local talents who are choosing to grow where they are, turning their hometowns into hubs of innovation.
