The Asasi Records label aims to introduce the world to music from the Maldives, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean. After listening to the first two songs of this CD, that seems like a good plan. Ahmed Nasheed plays electric guitar, but the local percussion (especially the large, reclining boduberu drum) is just as important to his sound. Also nice is the question-and-answer game with a background
… singer, which gives the music an Indian touch. The structure of the songs is inspired by Western pop music. That is not surprising, because for years Ahmed played in Zero Degree Atoll, a rock group that mainly played in resorts for tourists from the West. His sound is best expressed in the pointed, original songs Bakari and Alifuthi. Unfortunately it seems as if Nasheed has shot his best guns with those two songs. His acoustic songs in particular float on for too long. That is a shame, but all in all, this first encounter with pop music from the Maldives is a positive introduction. (PdK)more
