附注:
Like many other guitarists in the world, I Dewa Gede
Budjana (B. 30 Aug. 1963) did not really have a formal
education in music, except for a few years of classical
guitar course when he was in high school. The
Balinese native was not born in a family of professional
musicians, either, as father was a prosecutor. His
grandparents, however, played traditional gamelan
music in their spare times.
Dewa Budjana抯 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抯 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抯 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抯 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抯 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抯
grandmother抯 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.
