Dewa 19

Dewa 19 is a rock band from Surabaya, East Java, formed in 1986 and led by singer-songwriter Ahmad Dhani. Alongside God Bless and Slank, they are recognized as one of the defining rock acts in Indonesian popular music history. The band's lineup saw multiple changes over its decades-long career, reflecting both internal evolution and the shifting landscape of Indonesian rock from the late-authoritarian era through the post-Reformasi indie boom. Dewa 19 disbanded in 2011 after 25 years of recording and touring, but reunited in 2019 for a series of comeback shows that underscored their enduring resonance with Indonesian audiences. Their influence extends beyond chart success—shaping the aesthetics of mainstream Indonesian rock in the 1990s and 2000s, particularly through Dhani's songwriting, which blended poetic Indonesian lyrics with stadium-scale rock arrangements. Based in Surabaya during their formative years, the band helped establish East Java as a credible counterweight to Jakarta's music industry dominance.