Padi

Padi began as Soda at Indonesia’s Airlangga University and played their inaugural concert in 1996. One year later the group changed its name to Padi, selecting the word for rice because it embodies humility. A 1999 contract with Sony, obtained after a label scout attended one of their pub sets, quickly led to an appearance on a various-artists compilation and placed their debut album Lain Dunia in stores. The follow-up, Sesuatu Yang Tertunda, arrived in 2001 and brought the band its breakthrough single “Kasih Tak Sampai.” That release sold nearly 500,000 copies and cemented Padi’s position. Their third album, Save My Soul, surpassed even those figures by moving half a million units in its first week. A self-titled fourth album followed in 2005. The band has also contributed tracks to other collections, among them “Work of Heaven” for a 2002 World Cup project.