Dewa 19 (ID)

About

Also known as: Dewa

Few Indonesian rock bands have left a mark quite like Dewa 19. Formed in Surabaya in 1986 by a group of students whose initials spelled out the band's original name, they built a reputation as one of the greatest rock acts in Indonesian music history, alongside God Bless and Slank. Their breakthrough came in the 1990s with vocalist Ari Lasso, but it was the 2000s, with Once Mekel stepping up to the mic and the release of "Bintang Lima", that pushed them into a different league entirely. That album alone sold close to two million copies and ranks among the all time best selling Indonesian records. Over a career spanning multiple decades, Dewa 19 has moved through pop rock, hard rock, alternative rock and everything in between, racking up over seven million album sales domestically and winning both BASF and AMI Awards along the way. They even picked up a LibForAll Award in the United States for their work promoting religious tolerance. After disbanding in 2011, they came back together in 2019 for reunion shows featuring a rotating cast of guest vocalists, including former frontmen Ari Lasso and Once Mekel.