Dhani preaches tolerance with "Republic of Love"

By Mary Kissel - The Wall Street Journal - New York,NY,USA
Tuesday, August 15, 2006

"Why did I choose an Arabic beat? Because the Muslims think it's a Muslim song. It's not! It's a universal song."

So explained Dhani, the pony-tailed, baby-faced founder of one of Indonesia's most popular rock 'n' roll bands, Dewa, on a recent afternoon here. Blasting a track from the group's latest album, "Republic of Love," Dhani explained how his faith, Sufism -- a mystic, tolerant form of Islam -- informs his music. Despite appearances, Dhani, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, is a very different kind of rock superstar. He's promoting moderate Islam -- vocally.