Setabuhan

Best known for his powerful vocals as part of duo Senyawa, Rully Shabara has a new project, Setabuhan. Comprised solely of percussion (drummers Ramberto Agozalie and Caesarking), and Shabara’s voice, the project is a modern reinvention of tribal trance. They take inspiration from the monotonous, interlocking beats of the ancient Central Sulawesian animistic ritual, Balia. The ritual focuses on healing people possessed by evil spirits, exorcising and appeasing the spirit through repetition, dance, and movement. Their performances are accompanied by displays of martial arts – the project does not promote violence, but rather proposes cathartic ways of managing aggression via the release of raw energy.