Indonesian Grooves Go No. 1: Nusantara Beat Tops January Transglobal World Music Chart

Amsterdam-based Indonesian psych-folk collective Nusantara Beat has reached the top of the Transglobal World Music Chart for January 2026 with its self-titled debut album, Nusantara Beat.

The name Nusantara refers to the Indonesian archipelago and its many cultures unified as one. That concept underpins the group’s approach, which mixes Sundanese traditions, vintage Indo-pop influences, psychedelia, funk, and contemporary electronic elements.

The lineup reflects that shared heritage. Bassist Michael Joshua was born in West Java before moving to the Netherlands as a teenager. Vocalist Megan de Klerk, guitarists Jordy Sanger and Rouzy Portier, drummer Sonny Groeneveld, and percussionist Gino Groeneveld were all raised in the Netherlands within Indonesian families. Several members previously played in Dutch acts such as EUT, Jungle by Night, and Altin Gün.

Compositions draw heavily on the pelog scale and gamelan traditions, with instruments such as kecapi, kendang, and Balinese gongs woven into arrangements alongside guitar, synthesizers, and driving rhythm sections.

January 2026 Chart

1. Nusantara Beat – Nusantara Beat – Glitterbeat
2. Noura Mint Seymali – Yenbett – Glitterbeat
3. Antibalas – Hourglass – Daptone
4. Syran Mbenza – Rumba Africa – Hysa Productions
5. Radio Tarifa – La Noche – Buda Musique
6. Amadou & Mariam – L’Amour à la Folie – Because Music
7. Wesli – Makaya – WUP
8. Sanam – Sametou Sawtan – Constellation
9. Cheikh Lô – Maame – World Circuit
10. Hamouna Isewlan – Talle Talyadt – Remote / Studio Mali
11. Guitari Baro – Guitari Baro – Chrysalis Global
12. Muluken Mèllèssè – Éthiopiques 31 – Buda Musique
13. Silvana Estrada – Vendrán Suaves Lluvias – Glassnote
14. Nancy Vieira & Fred Martins – Esperança – Galileo Music Communication
15. Divanhana – Radio Sevdah – CPL-Music / CPL-Musicgroup
16. Saha Gnawa – Saha Gnawa – Pique-Nique Recordings
17. La Cumbia Chicharra – Quinto Mundo – Music Box Publishing
18. Adir Jan – Al Mast – Trikont / Unsere Stimme / Verlags
19. Omar Sosa – Sendas – Otá
20. L’Antidote – L’Antidote – Ponderosa Music
21. Didon – Bab El Mdina – Electrofone
22. Jasdeep Singh Degun – Jogkauns – Real World
23. Gangbé Brass Band – From Ouidah to Another World – Salt’n Ginger
24. Meral Polat – Meydan – W.E.R.F
25. Casapalma – Jotas – Raso Estudio
26. Meklit – A Piece of Infinity – Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
27. Veronika Varga – True Picture – CPL-Music / CPL-Musicgroup
28. Either/Orchestra & Ethiopian Guests – Éthiopiques 32: Nalbandian l’Éthiopien / The Ethiopian – Buda Musique
29. Wör x Kongero – Songbooks Live – Nordic Notes / CPL-Musicgroup
30. Mehrnam Rastegari – Dislocated Pulse – Merhnam Rastegari
31. Le Vent du Nord – Voisinages – La Compagnie du Nord
32. Xabi Aburruzaga – Bask – DND
33. Sahad – African West Station – Stereo Africa 432
34. Marco Grancelli – Camino Trunco – Marco Grancelli
35. Roël Calister – The Work of Songs – AudioMaze / Jiga Musica
36. Krama – Stanbrook – Modal Sound
37. Mustafa Said & Asil Ensemble – Maqam Pilgrims – Mapamundi Música
38. Mandé Sila – Live @ Levon Helm – Contre-Jour
39. Sessa – Pequena Vertigem de Amor – Mexican Summer
40. Qais Essar & Sonny Singh – Sangat – Qais Essar & Sonny Singh

More about the Transglobal World Music Chart: https://www.transglobalwmc.com