Zainal Abidin

Abidin launched his recording path as vocalist for the Malaysian soft rock group Headwind, yet soon departed once he realized the position offered no space for honoring his homeland’s heritage. At first he rejected every Western approach, devoting himself instead to kampong village music and penning lyrics that mourned the erosion of ancestral customs. Over time he adopted a less absolute position, mixing disparate traditions into fresh hybrids after drawing encouragement from World Music pioneers Papa Wema and Youssou N’Dour.