Balawan
I Wayan Balawan is a jazz guitarist from Ubud, Gianyar, Bali. He was born on September 1973, and grew up around the Balinese gamelan music environment. He started playing guitar when he was still 8 years old, and made his first band when he was 14 years old. When he reached 20 years old, he went to Sydney to study at the Australian Institute of Music under a scolarship, then he came back to Bali and formed Batuan Ethnic Fusion, where he brilliantly combining Balinese gamelan music and jazz. Until now, he’s considered as one of the most famous and favorite Indonesian jazz guitarist.
Balawan has a really special style. His “Touch Tapping Style” (almost like Stanley Jordan style), a style with eight finger plays to tap the fretboard, covering all the bass, chord and melody all alone. His left hand handles chord and bass, while the right hand tapped the melody, which resembles piano playing. His albums are all great, combining Balinese instruments with jazz fusion. You’ll feel the magical Balinese feeling in the shape of jazz, amazing blend of ethnical eastern side of the world with the western world, all in the plays of brilliant guitarist, Balawan.
- GloBALIsm (with Batuan Ethnic Fusion) (2000)
- Balawan (2001)
- Magic Finger (2005)
- Trisum (trio guitarists band with Dewa Budjana & Tohpati) (2007)
Popularity: 21% [?]
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an amazing person in Indonesian artist, esp jazz. He can blend any of music elements. [maybe I call it ethnics fusion ]. Most of his song comes from his culture [Bali], I ever listen his song in his album, Trisum, it sounds like his fingers playing at the chord of his guitars like a blood of his body.
maybe he’s one of the fastest indonesian guitarist i’ve ever seen. have a wonderful technique & unique sound also. In my opinion, he has more rock style & influence than two other guitarist that he collaborated in trisum.