posted on February 17, 2008 06:07
I WAYAN BALAWAN
PROFESSION
Musician-Guitarist
QUALIFICATIONS ACHIEVED
Diploma of Music
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTION
Australian Institute of Music
MANAGEMENT
Balawan Batuan Ethnic Fusion
WEBSITE
www.wayanbalawan.com
I Wayan Balawan was born in Bali and he grew up amongst traditional Balinese gamelan music. At the age of 8 he began to play guitar and started his first band at the age of 14. By the age of 10 he could play rock guitar virtuoso style like Yngwie Malmsteen.
In 1993 he received a 2 year scholarship to study jazz at the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney. He came back to Bali in 1997 and formed Batuan Ethnic Fusion (a mix of Balinese Gamelan and Jazz) and released an album in 1999.
He is a versatile guitarist who plays many styles of music, and is a great solo performer. He has developed the ability to play a special and difficult form of tapping which involves chord and bass works using his left hand and tapped melody with his right hand which resembles piano playing.
Balawan is now considered as one of the most famous and favourite jazz guitarist in Indonesia. He is currently producing a new album and a guitar lesson video which are to be released soon.
Disclaimer: This information is correct at the time of publication.