After the release of Journey (2016), Sarawak’s very own experimental world music band has returned with a new album called Oba.
In this album, At Adau fuses different kinds of musical styles and instruments, even inserting new sounds like electronic, pop rock and samba.
Oba which means love in the Kenyah language, has nine tracks to offer that will make fans dance or relax.
Apart from their usual music instruments such as sape, serutong, guitar, and all kinds of traditional drums and percussion, the band brought in new instruments such as the Penan nose flute and hulusi (Chinese cucurbit flute) in Oba.
The six-member band has been busy promoting their album around Kuching.
Together with their partners Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) and Malaysia Airlines (MAS), At Adau had a launching event with the press at Plaza Aurora on Jan 30.
Then on Feb 2, they had a launching party together with their fans at Rumah Asap Tabuan Dayak.
The party had special appearances by Swaiv, Automatic The Remote and master sape player Mathew Ngau Jau.
Though it was just released, Oba was already making waves in the world music industry. By February 2019, the album ranked at number 35 on the Transglobal World Music Chart (TWMC)
In addition to that, At Adau was the first Malaysian act to be on the chart.
Co-founded by Angel Romero from WorldMusicCentral.Org, TWMC’s songs are selected by renowned world music specialists from all over the world.
About At Adau
The band was founded in June 2014 as a traditional contemporary music act. Their music is mainly driven by the sounds of the sape. Plus, it blends the different beats of traditional drums and percussion of Borneo tribes.
The name At Adau is a combination of the word ‘At’ which means ‘root’ in Bidayuh. Meanwhile, ‘Adau’ refers to the preferred tree used to make the sape in Kenyah.
Since their debut, they have performed all over Sarawak as well as Thailand, South Korea, Australia and Singapore.
Oba is now available for purchase through At Adau’s official Facebook page. Or you can head over to Sape Gallery Riverside Shopping Complex, Skrang Tattoo Studio or Blackout Tattoo Studio.
Here are some throwback photos of At Adau performing at Rainforest World Music Festival 2017 and 2018:
