Agung Alit (I Gusti Ngurah Adi Putra)

Agung Alit was born in Bona Village, Bali, Indonesia to Father, Kecak and Fire Dance Master I Gusti Gede Rai and Mother, I Gusti Nyoman Sari.

Agung Alit has been playing music since the age of 10. At first Alit played the Kendang (Balinese drum) as a member of his village's traditional gamelan orchestra. Since then, he has mastered many instruments, including the entire Balinese traditional gamelan ensemble as well as an ever-growing number of international instruments. At the same time as he was developing his musical talent, Alit also became an accomplished wood carver and traditional craftsman. With this came an interest in building instruments himself. He is now internationally renowned as a master instrument craftsman, incorporating local and Indonesian woods and materials, and wherever possible avoiding plastic and other artificial materials.

Alit is constantly extending the boundaries of all levels of musical creation. He and his Bona Alit fellow artists have built literally hundreds of instruments, including several entire traditional gamelan ensembles. His famous custom-carved Rebab/Erhu (2 stringed lute, pictured right) have become collectable items amongst the international world music community. Over the past 15 years, Alit has hand-crafted a diverse range of Balinese and other Asian Flutes and more recently his own version of the Japanese shamisen (Japanese banjo).

Additionally, Alit has invented several instruments of his own including huge Bass Flutes and Bamboo Wind Antenna Flutes. All the instruments he has created or invented are featured in the Kishi Kishi Album Series.

Alit's father, the legendary I Gusti Rai is a massive guiding force in his life. A fellow musical pioneer, I Gusti Rai created the famous Balinese Kecak Monkey Dance and Fire Dance as well as collaborated with many famous international artists.

Despite his expansion into the greater world of international music, Agung Alit remains rooted in his native Balinese classical tradition. This is clearly felt when witnessing one of Bona Alit's live performances or when listening to the Kishi Kishi album series.

tea beauty chinese tea aesthetics green tea oolong tea wulong tea Agung Alit works tirelessly to foster the younger generation of Balinese artists, not only in the traditional arts but also in the arts and cultures of the wider world. With his own career as an example, Alit constantly inspires his students to widen their perspective artistically, ever exploring new forms and styles and engaging in collaborative work with international artists. He feels that the Balinese younger generation have a natural ability to learn and adapt as the world becomes smaller and art becomes more dynamic and cross-cultural. Furthermore he feels that such adaptation is essential in ensuring the survival of the traditional art forms of Bali.

Agung Alit established Sanggar Bona Alit (Bona Alit Art Space & Studio) in 1996 as a center for artistic inspiration and education, aimed at preserving traditional Balinese music and art whilst at the same time exploring contemporary international music and art.

About

- Bona Alit

- Sanggar Bona Alit (Bona Alit Art Space)

- Agung Alit

- I Gusti Rai

- Agung Rai

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