Justin Lusah’s second album, produced in the mid 1970s, entitled “Jambatan Tamparuli” or “Volume 2″ contained the most famous Kadazandusun song ever – the title track.

Jambatan Tamparuli has been covered so many times that the younger generation might have never heard the original version. To me, the original sounds raw (in a nice way), has a beautiful melody but the beat is too quick for sumazau dancing.

But what about the other 11 songs in the album? Are they any good?

Short answer:

This being Justin’s heyday, ALL the songs and beautiful and memorable, with at least one truly legendary track, and that is not the title track.

Long answer:

3 of the best songs from Volume 1 reappeared here, in slightly different versions: Oi Darling, Kada Arau Monduli and Sumandak Mantad Sunsuron. However, I still prefer the versions in Volume 1. Then, the songs seemed more laidback, less studio-like, more like they were being played in a kampung house surrounded by paddy fields or rubber trees overlooked by Mount Kinabalu.

In this album, Justin expanded his repertoire to contain songs with new beats (“Ika Pointanom Id Ginawoku” was done in march), style and instrument (added the use of saxophone) and sang a few songs in the Tangara dialect (Kadazandusun language as it is commonly spoken in Penampang), where before he sang all the songs in the Bundu-Liwan dialect (Kadazandusun language as it is commonly spoken in Tambunan).

I might be wrong here, but this album could be the one which set the trend of including at least one joget song (“Joget Tambunan”) in Kadazandusun music albums. This trend is still being followed until today.

As for the standout song, I’d have to say “Ih Ling Nokito Ku Di Hari Tiga” as the one possessing legendary status. To me, it’s the one true classic in this album, a tune you’d hum years to come.

Yours truly have listened to this album countless times over many years, up until now, right from the time it was first released in the mid 1970s, and I was still in primary school at that time!

In conclusion, I would say it’s definitely one of the best Kadazandusun music albums ever made, mandatory listening if you’re even slightly interested in Kadazandusun music. And perhaps it’s the second best after Justin Lusah’s incomparable first album.

If you like this, good luck tracking it down.

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