Beijing-born, Shenzhen-raised, London-based and fiercely independent, singer-songwriter/producer Fifi Rong blends alluring, ethereal melodies with an electronic edge. She’s won influential fans including Massive Attack, Tricky (with whom she collaborated on 2013’s False Idols album) and Yello’s Boris Blank, who describes her music as ‘a miraculous flower that does not grow in any garden.’ From Taiwan pop to American gospel, via British psychedelia and Chinese folk-rock, she selects 10 songs that have shaped her cross-cultural journeys
Teresa Teng was a Taiwan pop superstar, and she is definitely one of the biggest inspirations that got me into music. She is considered a goddess because of her voice—there is so much pain in her delivery, but it’s so tender and magical. When I was born, my mum used to sing me her songs as lullabies. But I really became a huge Teresa Teng fan the day she died. There were tributes everywhere, and I started out imitating her when I was about 11. I could sing more than a hundred songs of hers. This performance is very old-school and completely genuine. It’s a love story, set by a river, about a couple not being able to live without each other. It still gives me goose bumps.
2. ‘Flowers Of The Other Shore’—Faye Wong
The Chinese language is very beautiful and deep, and Faye Wong has always worked with the best songwriters in the industry. When I was growing up in Shenzhen, she was doing her best work. She is the only forward-thinking Chinese commercial pop star. With her status, she could do whatever she wanted, and this is one of her most transcendent and experimental songs—the composition is more orchestral and arty than pop. It’s like Beyonce doing Bjork in Hong Kong. When I was a kid, I loved to read very dark stories, and my favorite novelist Anni Baobei used this song in one of her novels to describe a woman in a hopeless love affair.
3. ‘Ant’—Zhang Chu
Zhang Chu really mixes Chinese culture into rock spirit rather than copying anything else. This isn’t his biggest hit but it’s off his best album, Lonely People Should Be Ashamed (1994), which is where I became a big fan. I later covered the title track in my own style. His songwriting style is very imaginative, and he really reflects Chinese society and its modern transitions in his perspective. In this track, he puts himself in an ant’s body, talking about how his life operates; he uses metaphors to talk about inequality, and he has another song where he is a fly.
4. ‘Time’—Pink Floyd
My knowledge of English music mostly starts with 1990s releases, but this is an exception. When I was about 11 years old in China, a very musical older friend played me a live recording of Pink Floyd’s album The Dark Side of the Moon. That was the beginning of me getting into the cool side of alternative music. This track is a soundscape that takes you to a different place; the lyrical metaphors are almost Buddhist, and it kind of turns your mind on. I already felt like a black sheep in my family: I shaved my head because I wanted to stand out. When I came to Britain, I felt such a great sense of freedom, but I also realized that I could be at home anywhere.
When I was at boarding school near Bristol, I had Helicopter Girl’s album How to Steal the World on mini-disc! It was love at first listen. I’m drawn to music that triggers a physical emotion, like my senses are being activated. I also love Scottish musicians, and I later studied in Scotland. Helicopter Girl is a singer-songwriter called Jackie Joyce, from Perth, and she has a very unusual voice and resonant lyrics. The music has a very mysterious, smoky-club kind of vibe. It’s like discovering a secret. I’ve listened to this album a lot more than most, and I really hope she’ll keep making music on her own terms. She did something too good to forget.
I was walking down a high street in Bristol when I heard this playing out of an independent record shop. I went in and said, ‘I need this.’ I wasn’t old enough to have heard it when it was first released in the 1980s, and it just grabbed me. It was so mysterious—I kept asking what language the vocalist Liz Fraser was singing. ‘Is it German? Is it a made-up language?’ I still don’t understand a word that she’s saying, it’s so alien and beautiful, so far away, that it feels untouchable. The Cocteau Twins can take you to a different universe in five seconds.
Friends at school would often tell me, ‘You have such weird taste in music—what is that? That song would make me want to kill myself!’ Mazzy Star’s frontwoman, Hope Sandoval, has this vulnerability in her voice that really resonated with me as a young girl in love. It’s a very feminine expression, almost like the loneliness of a girl’s diary, and she sounds like a confidante, someone whispering in your ear. There’s a line in this song that really stands out to me: ‘They say every man goes blind in his heart.’ It’s about the feeling of not being understood—by men, or the whole world.
I loved the whole ‘nu soul’ movement and I am the biggest fan of D’Angelo, who really stands out in the genre. Everything is so fine in every aspect of his music; it’s very sexy, but not in an obvious way—his voice is sensual. If I call myself a fan of someone’s work it means I like at least 90 percent of their catalog. On this duet, he and Lauryn Hill are singing about what love means, and they capture a private kind of chemistry—that idea that you could run away together. In the second half of the song a kind of reality kicks in.
I actually met Tricky when I was working at a club in Mayfair, London. I’d been a fan of his work since his first album, Maxinquaye, and he’s a very unique character. He found my music demos on MySpace by himself after we met, and we later worked together. Tricky has a woman’s heart when he writes. He’s one of the best lyricists, but the magical quality of this track also has a lot to do with Martina Topley-Bird. I toured with them both for the Maxinquaye tour. When I listened to Maxinquaye again recently, it still cast a spell.
When James Blake’s first album came out I was already making my own music and listening to other artists less. This felt like a shock to the system—I cried when I heard it. He’s an all-round great musician and singer-songwriter, and I appreciate his minimalism. He’s managed to put real sentiment into very electronic sounds, and he’s also influenced by gospel and R&B. He is really good at writing naked and simple songs, sampling his voice as an instrument and using his instruments as a voice. The flow of this track is so melancholy—you have to be emotionally ready for it.
Share your favorite travel music selections with us! Tell us your favorite playlists, and we’ll feature them. Each month we’ll be giving away a prize for the best selection. Share them with hashtag #momentumtravel.
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With thousands of breathtaking options on offer, deciding where to holiday in Indonesia can be hard work. That’s why we’ve come up with 10 simple questions to steer you towards your perfect island partner.
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Lombok
Best for: beaches
The beaches of Indonesia are the stuff of castaway fantasies. There are literally thousands to choose from, but the place that best combines extraordinary beauty with the convenience of easy transport links is Lombok – you can fly direct, or nip over on a fast boat from Bali.
There are beaches on the island for every occasion, but the standout for many visitors is Mawun. It goes without saying that Mawun has white sand and stunning, turquoise water, but the bonus here is the seclusion of an enclosed bay. The beach is rarely busy, and at “off-peak” times there’s a very real chance of having it all to yourself.
Another winner is Senggigi Beach, where can sit on the sand and watch the surfers do their stuff (or, if you’re so inclined, borrow a board and join in).
Jimbaran or Nusa Dua, Bali
Best for: children and teenagers
Older kids will love Jimbaran in Bali for its range of watersports. Close your eyes and try not to worry as you send them off parasailing, jet skiing, water skiing or bouncing along on a banana boat.
If you want to take it down a notch, there’s snorkeling and learning about turtle conservation.
If you’ve got younger kids, you might want to stay at a family-friendly resort to make use of the various kids clubs. (It’s your break, too, and it’s easier to relax by the pool knowing that your child is being professionally entertained in a purpose-built playroom.)
If you’re trying to cater for more than one age group, you might want to take a look at The Westin Resort in Nusa Dua, Bali. They have a “teen zone” packed with PlayStations and dedicated clubs for both toddlers and younger kids.
Ubud, Bali
Best for: wellness
If your holiday packing is pretty much sun cream and yoga pants, and you like to come back from time away cleansed and invigorated, Ubud is for you.
Ubud is Bali’s center for healing, and in fact the name of the area comes from Ubad, which means medicine. This is the place to head for the full menu of luxury spas, Ayurvedic treatments, acupuncture or panchakarma programs.
Ubud is also Bali’s cultural nexus, and you can easily fill your days with temples and art galleries, ceremonies and dancing, and great cuisine.
After all that, enjoy a hedonistic four-handed massage before settling into bed to re-read Eat, Pray, Love.
Kuta, Bali
Best for: partying
With a reputation for good times, busy, crowded Kuta in Bali draws a young, energetic crowd ready to party.
Days are spent swimming, shopping, sunbathing or just chilling. Nightlife ranges from places where you buy beer by the bucket to the kind of upscale establishments where the barman takes care not to bruise the gin in your martini.
It’s not the prettiest of places on the island, or the most authentically Balinese, but it has an appealingly brash, good-humored vibe all of its own.
If hardcore partying isn’t your thing, you’ll also find a few quieter, less high-octane places for watching sunset turn into sunrise.
Yogyakarta, Java
Best for: cultural experiences
As it’s the history, culture and ceremonies of a new place that thrill you, you’ll probably find Yogyakarta the perfect destination.
This is the city where Java began, a place that was a powerhouse in the 8th and 9th centuries, and an opportunity for modern visitors to enjoy fascinating Javanese arts and traditions at every turn.
Beyond the urban sprawl are two of Indonesia’s most astounding archaeological sites: Borobudur and Prambanan. The Mahayana Buddhist temple at Borobudur boasts nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome, while the UNESCO World Heritage-listed temple compounds at Prambanan makes for a stunning spectacle in the style of Cambodia’s Angkor Wat.
Thanks to Yogyakarta’s surprisingly mild climate, a bit of exploring won’t leave you exhausted. That’s good news as there’s still the Sultan’s Palace to see, local silversmiths to admire in action at Kotagede, and endless pavement stalls selling the must-try local specialty gudeg: a stew of jackfruits simmered in coconut cream and served with chicken, egg or tofu.
Jakarta, Java
Best for: urban buzz
Beaches are OK, but who wants to spend a couple of weeks just lying in the sun? If you find lazing around a recipe for boredom, then your best bet is Jakarta.
From the aromatic, old-fashioned streets of Chinatown to the crazy nightlife in North Jakarta, you really can have any experience you like in this city of 10 million people.
You’ll find haute couture in Plaza Indonesia and the Grand Indonesia shopping town, but bargain hunters will be in heaven in the wholesale textile malls of Tanah Abang.
For a Jakartan market with edge, head to Pasar Santa on Jalan Wolter Monginsidi. This was a conservative indoor market until 2014, when it was transformed by a group of young entrepreneurs who wanted to use it to showcase their start-up companies. Now Pasar Santa has a unique mix of style-conscious places to eat, vinyl record stores, vintage clothing shops and cool coffee lounges. We promise you’ll go for the shopping and stay for the people watching.
Lombok’s Gili islands
Best for: diving
The Gili islands off the northwestern coast of Lombok are famed for their fantastic diving. The conditions are rarely difficult, the current is near non-existent, and you’ll pretty much always have at least 20m of visibility for spotting the first-class marine life.
Advanced divers will enjoy the deeper reefs, which have vast areas of pristine coral, swathes of hard corals and brightly colored fans.
A speedboat from Lombok’s main beach resort of Senggigi gets you to the trio of islands in around 20 minutes.
Trawangan (which everyone refers to as Gili T) is the funkiest of the three with chic bars and cool restaurants. Gili Air is more traditional and Meno is the least developed.
In recent times the waters surrounding Lombok have been intently watched by conservationists, so turtles are a common sight once again. You may also come face-to-face with a manta ray, reef sharks or even the rare Mola mola – the heaviest bony fish in the world, capable of weighing more than 950kg.
Not desperate to swim rapidly away from a fish that weighs much the same as your car? Fear not: there are endless colorful, pleasingly small fish pottering about in the shallows, too.
Lampung, Sumatra
Best for: wildlife
Lampung is an easy hop from Jakarta—take a 40-minute flight, or a seven-hour bus trip, your call—and you’ll soon be surrounded by what the World Wildlife Fund has called ‘one of the planet’s most biologically outstanding habitats.’
Elephants inhabit the rainforest of the Way Kambas National Park, while Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park is home to Sumatran rhinos and tigers. The park is also famous for the many bird species that prefer foothill climates, as well as for several species of sea turtle that nest along its coastal zone.
While you’re in Sumatra it would be remiss not to give a few coins to help orangutans. There are now less than 700 in the wild, making them critically endangered. It feels unimaginable that orangutans share 97 percent of our DNA and yet could be extinct in 20 years.
The one piece of nature that you don’t want to see at its most magnificent is Mount Krakatoa. Happily dormant right now, the volcano holds the record for creating the loudest sound ever heard in modern history: its 1883 eruption was audible up to 3,000 miles away.
Nusa Dua, Bali
Best for: loved-up luxe
Many resorts in Indonesia are aimed at honeymooners, but the neatly groomed enclave of Nusa Dua in Bali turns the sense of seclusion and luxe up a notch.
Just 14km southeast of Kuta, it’s easy to get to, unlike some of Indonesia’s more remote beauty spots. (After all, nothing ruins a romantic holiday in paradise faster than three hours uncomfortably bouncing on a wooden speedboat.)
The beautifully quiet coastal stretch is home to an array of five-star resorts, fully mod-conned-up, with plenty of spas and options for candle-lit dinners on the beach.
Take a look at The St Regis, The Westin or The Laguna, which is encircled by a network of seven large, swimmable lagoons and pools.
Bali
Best for: when you can’t make your mind up
There’s a reason that Bali is the most famous island in Indonesia. It’s because it’s easily the best all-rounder, with a beautiful hinterland of volcanic mountains and rice paddies and some pretty outstanding beaches. There are so many that you can even chose your preferred sand color—soft and white in the south; exotic volcanic black in the west.
The Kuta-Legian-Seminyak strip is an 8km sweep of golden sand that’s well known as a weekend hangout for visitors who’ve hopped over from Australia. Now, however, it’s increasing in appeal to other travelers drawn to chic restaurants and designer shops.
Hardcore divers will gravitate towards Malibu Point for glimpses of sharks, tuna and manta rays, while snorkelers will enjoy Crystal Bay, where the clearest water in the region offers visibility between 30-50m.
Honeymooning couples head toward the luxury of Nusa Dua, party people take on Kuta and parents simply find one of the many child-friendly resorts and hunker down while the kids clubs do all the work.
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Question 1 of 10
1. Question
What is your personal paradise?
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Question 2 of 10
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What’s on your 90s pop mix tape?
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Which of these most appeals to you?
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4. Question
After a holiday, is your camera filled with shots of:
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If your friends planned a surprise for you, would you like it to be:
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6. Question
Complete this sentence: “The buzz of a big city makes me feel…”
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7. Question
A friend tells you they’ve spent the morning aligning their chakras. Do you…
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Question 8 of 10
8. Question
When you’re sitting on your suitcase trying to squash it closed, is it because you’ve tried to squeeze in: