Balawan, Jazz Fusion Guitarist:
Our Musicians Don't Get Enough Spotlight

Although it's not unheard of, the ethnic fusion music genre is not as popular as modern jazz, rock or pop. In Indonesia, only a handful of musicians has ventured to the considerably more limited market. A successful one is I Wayan Balawan, better known as Balawan.

The 42-year-old Balinese grew up with the sound of traditional gamelan music. Although he preferred rock during his teenage years, Balawan soon grew tired of it and put his heart into jazz, deciding to study it at the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney. But as a Balinese, he felt his soul lay in the traditional music of the island. "I feel comfortable with Balinese music," he said.

January 5, 2016