So La Li
The former3 Mustaphas 3bassist delves deeply into Indonesian music onSo La Li, with the lightdangdutstyle mixing with traditional Sundanese texts. Backed by Bandung's Jugala All Stars, Sabah gets a sound that's both exotic and warmly familiar--indeed "Seuri" bears a strong resemblance in both style and melody toRoxy Music's "Avalon." But this isn't a Mustaphas pastiche; it's very much the real thing. While not the ethnomusicology ofDiscover Indonesia, it's still very much representative of the pop styles coming out of the area, be itdangdut,jaipong, or whatever. Singer Tati Ani Mogiono's lovely voice drips over the top, and Sabah himself offers his croon on a few numbers. Of course, there are the fun touches, such as the lap steel on "Di Nagara Deungeun," which takes the music from the Indian Ocean to the open plains, but it all works. Something to slake the most curious thirst.--Chris Nickson