Guitarist Balawan makes a name for himself

Guitarist Balawan makes a name for himself

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): A blend of various music -- rock, pop,
jazz and traditional Balinese gamelan orchestra -- makes the
newly released solo album of guitarist I Wayan Balawan unique.

The CD record, titled Balawan and produced by a recording
company in Germany, consists of 17 compositions of diverse
musical origins. Apart from western music, he also highlights the
tunes of Balinese gamelan such as in Putri Centing Ayu (Princess
Centing Ayu), 1000 Temples and Bird Song.

"Music is a gift. It is an expression of life. An image of the
soul. I don't consider my music as belonging to any particular
genre. Throughout my life, I've been influenced by many different
styles of music. I've listened to and played classical, rock,
pop, jazz and traditional Balinese gamelan music. Maybe you will
be able to hear some of these influences when you listen to this
recording. But whatever you think of it, whatever it means to
you, I just hope you enjoy it."

Listeners might assume that in producing the record, Balawan
was assisted by other musicians or helped by sophisticated
technology. In fact, the musician who has mastered the intricate
technique called tapping, which enables him to produce different
timbres in a very brisk tempo, plays nearly all the tunes
himself.

Sadly, this extraordinary music piece is not yet available at
record stores in the country as the German producer wants the
records to be directly imported while Indonesia wishes to buy the
license.

I Wayan Balawan, who can play any kind of music, is said to be
one of two musicians to have mastered this tapping technique. In
this technique, the left and right fingers play the instrument
independently -- like writing in English with the left hand and
in German with the right.

American musician Stanley Jordan is the world's other
guitarist who has mastered the tapping style. Jordan presently
teaches musical therapy in his country.

Rock musicians here use a simpler tapping technique where the
left fingers hold the guitar while the right ones play the
instrument by touching it. Balawan's technique is more
sophisticated since both his left and right fingers play
independently, making it possible for him to create colorful
sounds in brief moments with his electric guitar. The technique
also makes it possible for him to improvise, making the audience
feel they are listening to a piano recital.

Rare talent

The 28-year-old Balinese guitarist's remarkable talent has
made him popular and be invited to play in various music
festivals for solo performances.

Besides touring Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya and Bali, he
represented Asia last year, along with a Japanese musician, in
the East Meets West International Guitar Festival in Germany,
earning him overwhelming acclaim from other musicians, critics
and the press.

This prestigious event entailed invitations to different
German cities. This was when he met the German acoustic music
record producer who asked him to play solo for the album.

For the coming year, the son of I Wayan Regug and Ni Wayan
Sunti, looks set to have a tight schedule. For a year, starting
September, he will be traveling across Europe, Japan and the
United States for concerts and to promote his CD.

"I've signed contracts for at least 15 concerts," said the
owner of 18 guitars.

Learning to play guitar at eight, Balawan joined a rock band
when he was at the sixth grade. In senior high school, his
fascination with piano melodies inspired his interest in jazz.

By the end of 1980s, he started experimenting and learning the
tapping technique. He felt satisfied because the tunes produced
by the tapping technique resembled those of the piano.

"I didn't know then that there was another musician who could
play the same music ... I wasn't informed of Stanley Jordan
then," Balawan said.

After high school, he continued his studies at the Institute
of Music in Sydney where he pursued a one-year certificate
program. His talent prompted the institute to offer him a two-
year diploma program.

After graduating from the institute, he was given a
scholarship to further his studies. But he did not yet take it
because of his lack of interest in orchestral arrangement. "I
have no talent or interest in dealing with many people. So, I
haven't taken up the scholarship offer yet. But the school's head
told me that anytime I wanted to, I could further my studies
there for free."

Instead, he chose to continue with stage performances and his
experiments.

"I want to keep on performing and developing my skill in
music. I can only do so through stage shows. The more I practice
and perform on stage, the more skilled I will be. It's the only
thing that gives me satisfaction," Balawan said.

His latest album, the second after Globalism, was released at
the end of 1999. In his first CD, he performed with Batuan Ethnic
Fusion, a group he set up early in 1997.

The popular dancers and traditional musicians in his area,
Gianyar, inspired him to establish the group. He then tried to
combine his modern music with local tunes with the help of
several band players and five gamelan musicians. Now, in its
performances, the group plays modern music with a Balinese touch.

"But my principle is to play music before the right audience,
like those in jazz cafes. A star-rated hotel has been asking me
to play there but I have turned it down because I think its
audience is not right for me," said Balawan, who sharpens the
sensitivity of his fingers by playing guitar three hours every
morning.

Now the guitarist is creating a two-in-one guitar with 12,
instead of six strings. "Sometimes I feel like I can't completely
express myself with six strings, that's why I am trying to double
them (the strings)," said the man who vows to make music his
career for life.

With the increasing demand for his shows in other countries,
the musician does not rule out the possibility of living abroad.

"If I were given a good opportunity to express myself and my
music there, I wouldn't mind giving it a try." (Alpha Savitri)