PERHAPS that was for the first time the tahlil (praise to God) was ever sung in a cafe. The singer did not wear kopiah (fez) or sarong, yet his pronunciations of the syahadat (confession of faith), tahmid (praising God), and other praises were flawless.

His name is Kumasi, a 20-year-old citizen of the United States. He has dark skin and frizzy hair. Dressed in a leather jacket, complemented by tasbih (Islamic rosary beads) around his neck, he sa