Editorial Reviews

With four different racial categories, Malaysia is a confluence of cultures. There's Malaya, Chinese, South Asian, and a mixed bag of others, with Islam being the reigning religion. That cultural grab bag is apparent in the country's music, at least if this Rough Guide to the Music of Malaysia is anything by which to judge. There's Sandii, one of the country's biggest stars (who's actually Japanese), who turns in a glowing performance on "Cinta Hampa." But she's just one of several outstanding female singers on this disc, like Siti Nurhaliza and Noraniza Idris. However, that's only one facet of the music. There's vintage Malay pop/rock from Fredo & the Flybaits, which is deliciously cheesy. There's also creativity and originality (still rooted in the tradition) from "Salih Yacoub," and a mix of Indian ghazal and Middle Eastern rhythms on "Ghazal Masri" from Mari Menari. The diversity is quite spectacular, and it's easy to trace influences in the music: the Zapin rhythm, for example, featured on "Burung Burung Ayam" is simply a softer version of Arabic Zapin. What remains apparent is that Malaysia has a strong identity that's more than the sum of its parts, while still retaining its various ethnic characteristics. Chris Nickson, All Music Guide

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