I Gede Dewa Budjana - Best Indonesian Guitarist Ever

I Dewa Gede Budjana or Dewa Budjana (born August 30, 1963 in Waikabubak) is an Indonesian guitarist, songwriter and composer. He is the lead guitarist and songwriter of the band Gigi. Budjana’s style changed dramatically to jazz as he got to know John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny, Jeff Beck, John Abercrombie, Chick Corea and Weather Report. In his early experience, he established a band called "Squirrell" which was popular in the local community. Throughout his musical experience in Indonesia, Dewa Budjana has collaborated with many famous guitarists such as Tohpati, Ridho and Abdee Negara. His ability to combine jazz and rock has put him among the top Indonesian guitarists.


Dewa Budjana’s first teacher was a construction worker lived nearby his house in Klungkung regency, Bali. The passion grew stronger, and was nurtured when the boy moved to big city of Surabaya, where he took a classical music course, performed with a band, and indulged in dozens of music performances.

Initially into pop and rock, Budjana’ s style veered heavily into jazz as he got to know the likes of John Mc Laughlin, Pat Metheny, Jeff Beck, John Abercrombie , Chick Corea , Weather Report , He also established a jazz band called Squirrel, which was pretty popular in the local scene. Budjana’s song Nusa Damai (Peaceful Island) earned the band an award at the prestigious Light Music Contest in 1984.

After graduation, off he went to Jakarta to pursue a career as professional musician. He came across jazz maestro, the late Jack Lesmana -- father of former jazz whiz kid Indra Lesmana, who taught Budjana the philosophy of jazz.

After a period of club performances, Bud Jana’s skill later attracted many artists to collaborate with. He joined several bands, including Spirit and Java Jazz, as well as working for noted musicians like Erwin Gutawa, Elfa Secioria and Addie MS, making him quite a household name.

Despite growing reputation as a top-notch guitarist, Budjana’s personal taste is actually pretty eclectic, which brought him to establish pop group GIGI in 1994, along with guitarist Baron Arafat, bassist Thomas Ramdhan, drummer Ronald and singer Armand Maulana. The group survives until now, still hailed as one of the biggest pop bands in the country.

Budjana’s current influences from pianists Keith Jarret, Alex de Grassi and Bill Evans, Bill Frissell as well as those from saxophonists Jan Garbarek, are also reflected in the latest album.

He also manages to release four solo albums whose music is an amalgamation of jazz, pop and traditional music. His debut in 1997, Nusa Damai, was a collection of compositions he wrote ever since he knew how to play the instrument. With the title taken from the book by Balinese noted author Ktut Tantri Revolt in Paradise, there was a song called Ruang Dialisis (Dialisis Room), which contained Budjana’s grandmother’s singing.

The sophomore effort Gitarku (My Guitar) was released 2000, a purely instrumental album with therapeutic and meditative sound. Samsara followed three years later, an album highlighted with traditional Kalimantan flute and Japanese Shamisen, for instance. The album was a reflection of his journey and experience of working with international musicians, such

as Peter Erskine from legendary jazz-fusion group Weather Report, and bassist Dave Carpenter.

It was Erskine again who urged Budjana to release another album when they crossed their path again in the early 2005. The result was Home, a tribute album Budjana dedicates for the victims of tsunami disaster, which scheduled to release on December 2005.