Sun, Jan 04, 2004 page5

• US pop export is not the usual MTV

  AMERICAN IDOLS Fifteen of Debu's 17 members are American, but the Muslim band is making it big in Indonesia with its blend of strings, violins and drums

  • AP
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  They're regulars on MTV. Fans accost them in shopping malls. Their debut album smashed into the top 10.

  But Debu is hardly your typical American pop export.

  

  Debu lead vocalist Mustafa Kumayl practices playing his violin in Jakarta, Indonesia.

  PHOTO: AP

  The band's 17 members are all Muslims, and their songs of peace and love are making a big splash in Indonesia -- the world's most populous Islamic country -- where religious extremism, terrorism and anti-American sentiment are on the rise.

  "We are doing it for Allah," said Washington native Najib Ali, the band's drummer, manager and Web site designer. "The music is just a vehicle to convey an important message, namely that in Islam everyone is protected and there is peace."

  Debu's sound is a heady mix of Middle Eastern strings, thumping drums, flutes, violins, a harp and other Indonesian instruments picked up during the band's travels through this vast archipelago with 210 million people, about 90 percent of them Muslims.

  The band is made up of 10 women and seven men. Most of them join in the singing, belting out the lyrics in a mixture of Indonesian, Arabic and English.

  Fifteen of the group's members are US citizens, hailing from various parts of the country. They formed the band four years ago after visiting Indonesia along with their spiritual guru, Syekh Fattaah. Other members now include a Swede and an Indonesian.

  Although they've never released a record outside Indonesia, Debu hopes to find a following among America's growing Muslim community.

  "Our music is without limits -- it moves," said lead singer Kumay Mustafa. "What we try to do is make a combination of different sounds to make something universal."

  The band's popularity in Indonesia underscores a growing Muslim revival in this country, where the practice and observance of Islam have long been generally less rigid than in Middle Eastern countries.

  Muslims, especially young urban ones, are becoming more pious and orthodox. Islamic-style clothing -- once rarely seen on the street or in the media -- is gaining more popularity.

  Made up of four families of mixed ethnic backgrounds, Debu live in three large houses in a suburb of South Jakarta, at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac lined with banana trees. The band's stay in Indonesia is sponsored by a large Islamic foundation.

  Rehearsals, held in one of the houses, are a family affair, with children banging on drums, shaking tambourines or dancing around the studio.

  Debu's musicians are Sufis -- members of a mystical branch of Islam that emphasizes the allegorical nature of the Koran. Its followers strive for a direct, personal experience of God through meditation and self-discipline, normally under the guidance of a teacher.

  Unlike most mainstream Muslims, many Sufis believe music and dance can be used as tools to get closer to God, and as ways of spiritual cleansing.

  During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan late last year, a video clip of the band's latest single was repeatedly played on MTV Indonesia, the cable network's local unit.

  Its debut album, Drunk with Love, has sold more than 50,000 copies, enough to break into Indonesia's top 10, according to its record label.

  "They are so different from anything else I have seen," said one fan, Ali Mohammed, after a recent show at a five-star hotel in Jakarta. "Until now, we did not know there were American Muslims. It's an honor to have them there."

  For other fans, the secret of the band's success is more familiar.

  "The lead singer is so attractive," said one giggling female fan at the show.
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