Daniel Sahuleka

Artist : Daniel Sahuleka Album : The Best of Daniel Sahuleka (Moedyamusic/Alfa Records)

Back in the 1980s, Indonesian-born Dutchman Daniel Sahuleka was a big name on the pop scene here, with his distinctive, clear and eloquent voice winning the hearts of millions.

His evergreen love songs Don't Sleep Away the Night and You Make My World So Colorful were huge hits and are still aired on the radio today.

Most of the 1990s was spent on hiatus, with a few small concerts here in 1995 and a couple of albums, but he never made those huge waves again.

This album, which is only distributed here, is a nice reminder of what a good singer and songwriter Sahuleka is.

Aside from the bilingual English/Indonesian Don't Sleep and the unplugged version of You Make, there is also Imagine, a festive, Al Jarreau-esque number with percussion and brass sections and the sweet pop song The Sunlight.

Paying homage to his heritage, there is Berdendang (Chanting), a joyful track highlighted by the tifa, a traditional percussion instrument from his homeland of Maluku.

A few numbers are recorded live, which may be a positive sign that Sahuleka will decide to perform here once again. -- Hera Diani