Habibi Funk 034: Tirakat

Tirakat brings together Jakarta-based trio Ali and Lebanese composer and multi-instrumentalist Charif Megarbane in a collaboration shaped by long-standing cultural exchange between Indonesia and the Arab world. Ali’s blend of 1970s Indonesian psychedelic funk, Melayu traditions, disco grooves and Arab melodic forms meets Charif’s long-running exploration of cross-regional sound, rooted in a shared musical vocabulary rather than genre.

Rather than approaching the project as fusion, Tirakat reflects a way of making music that feels already interconnected. Melodies, grooves and textures move fluidly without signalling their sources, grounded in a performance-led process shaped by intuition, repetition and trust. Western instruments are played through techniques and sensibilities formed in Indonesia and Lebanon, emphasising circulation of influence.

The title Tirakat refers to a Javanese practice of discipline, patience and devotion, derived from the Arabic tariqa (“path” or “method”). This layered meaning mirrors the album’s focus on process and continuity. The result is a record that feels both contemporary and timeless, where Indonesian and Arab sounds intersect naturally through groove, texture and melody. credits releases March 20, 2026