Indonesian star crosses into a more sultry sound

By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
October 21, 1998

Most artists make their American debuts playing smoky bars or small clubs. Anggun Cipta Sasmi found herself touring alongside Sarah McLachlan, Bonnie Raitt, Queen Latifah and Natalie Merchant at this year’s Lilith Fair.

“Nobody knew who I was, but the audience was amazing,” said Anggun, who goes professionally by her first name. “The great thing about the tour is that people came to hear good music and to support women artists. Of course they loved Sarah and Bonnie, but they didn’t just leave when their favorite act was over. To be introduced to America that way was an amazing start.”

Anggun and the Corrs kick off their current tour Thursday night at the Park West. On the road promoting her debut American album “Snow on the Sahara” – also her first album sung in English – Anggun is enjoying some stateside success with the sultry title track.

Born and raised in Indonesia, where she released her first album at age 9 and was the country’s biggest rock star by the time she reached her teens, Anggun said her countrymen are unimpressed by her crossover success in the West.

“Music is a really accessible part of (Indonesian) culture,” said Anggun, 24.  “When you start to talk or walk, parents teach you to sing and dance around the same time. There, singing or performing is not a big deal. But not many people choose this as a profession, so it’s not really considered work. It’s considered a hobby.”
Anggun became tired of her hobby when she found herself pigeonholed as a rock singer. She wanted to experiment with different styles but found that her fans were reluctant to accept her any other way.

“One of the reasons I moved to Paris  was because I felt I couldn’t experiment musically in Indonesia. The fans are really loyal, but if you move away from what you’re known for, they’re like, `What are you doing?’ And they get mad at you.”

Anggun, who speaks fluent English, French and Indonesian, said one of her favorite things about touring is being able to spread the word about her homeland through her music,  contemporary Western pop with traditional Indonesian influences.

“A lot of people are still unfamiliar with Indonesia,” she said. “Sometimes people will ask me, `Are you Thai? Are you Native American?’ And I’ll say, `No, I’m Spanish.’ ”

Laughing, she added, “No, I’m very proud of my heritage. I’m the first Indonesian artist who ever had a record deal outside of Indonesia.  . . . My goal has always been to introduce Indonesia to the world. Because some people don’t know.”