So La Li

Sabah Habas Mustapha | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 22, 2000)
• Original Release Date: August 22, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Omnium
• ASIN: B00004WK1X
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #477,142 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #54 in Music > World Music > Far East & Asia > Indonesia > General

Track Listings

1. Di Nogara Deungeun

2. Bubi Chen

3. Malam Sunda #1

4. Ningal Gunung

5. Geulis

6. So La Li

7. Ratug

8. Seuri

9. Malam Sunda #2

10. Beber Layar

11. Geulis [Instrumental]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "So La Li" is Key!, March 15, 2001

By 

C. Goetz "notallwhowander" (Santa Cruz, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: So La Li (Audio CD)

For those familiar with 3 Mustaphas 3 all I need write is that "So La Li" continues faithfully in the footsteps of the world music masters. Sabah Habas ain't no slouch and neither are the Jugala All Stars.

For the rest let me put it this way, this is an excellent album. It mixes Inodnesian (specifically West Java) music with just enough western sensibility to make an accessible and delightful set of recordings. The musicianship and production quality are top notch.

If you have heard Sabah's previous release "Jalan Kopo", this is more Sunda and less Sabah. The humor and irony takes a back seat to the music. The pop elements are subdued & the Jugala All Stars get a chance to shine forth with brilliance. Also, there are no English lyrics this time around.

But what does it sound like? -Take a series of fluid and often brooding bass lines, then layer on top intricate hand drumming, a fiddle & a kacapi (a kind of harp) using haunting Indonesian scales, smoothed over by absolutely sublime bamboo flutes and mellifluous Asian vocals. The rhythms are catchy and will have grooving where you stand (or sit), and the melodies are full of a sweet nastolgia.

One warning: this is not straight pop, there are a few places where "So La Li" will challenge the ear. The challenge does not lie in the music itself, but in the passion it expresses. The listener is brought into a very intimate space with a very foreign culture (unless of course your Javanese). Parts can be a little scary at first, but there is plenty of levity to balance it out. This is one of those special albums that unfolds and grows the more one listens.

5.0 out of 5 stars Afronesia, October 20, 2006

By 

Stargrazer "the lost mixtape of my life" (deep in the heart of Michigan) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: So La Li (Audio CD)

A pretty glorious slice of world-pop, deliriously melding some diverse styles into a very groovy mix. Mustapha's percolating basslines weave into traditional Indonesian instruments and vocals, creating something rhythmically rich that (despite its oceanic geography) calls much of West Africa's contemporary music to mind.

"Bubi Chen" even adds a dash of Tito Puente's "Oye Como Va" into the melting pot of styles. An excellent, catchy, captivating release.

5.0 out of 5 stars An Uplifting Treat From Sunda, December 26, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: So La Li (Audio CD)

So-La-Li is absolutely one of my top favorite CDs. I have listened to it countless times and it never gets boring. Following the legacy of traditional Sundanese music, most songs on this modern Pop CD are both rythmically engaging and hauntingly beautiful. No matter who you are, this music will speak to you and perhaps make you a Sundanese music addict.