Dewa 1999 | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | 1999 |
| Origin | Surabaya, Indonesia |
| Genres | Rock, pop rock, alternative rock |
| Years active | 1986-2011, 2019-present |
| Labels | Team Records, Aquarius Musikindo, EMI Indonesia, GP Records, Universal Music Indonesia, Republik Cinta Management |
| Spinoffs | Ahmad Band, TRIAD, Andra and the Backbone |
| Members | Ahmad Dhani Andra Ramadhan Yuke Sampurna Agung Yudha |
| Past members | Ari Lasso Erwin Prasetya Wawan Juniarso Wong Aksan Setyo Nugroho (Tyo Nugros) Elfonda Mekel (Once) |
Dewa 19 (pronounced in Indonesian as Dewa Sembilan Belas) is an Indonesian rock band from Surabaya, East Java, led by singer-songwriter Ahmad Dhani. Along with God Bless and Slank, they are dubbed as one of the greatest rock bands in the history of Indonesian popular music. The band was formed in 1986. There have been a number of changes to the lineup that ended in their disbandment in 2011, but then they regrouped in 2019 for comeback reunion shows.
The current line-up consists of Ahmad Dhani, Andra Ramadhan (both as the remaining original members), Yuke Sampurna and Agung Yudha. Having no lead vocalists in the current line-up, starting in 2019, the band's shows continuously feature guest vocalists Ari Lasso, Once Mekel (both were previously Dewa 1999's members as lead vocalists), Virzha, and Marcello Tahitoe. The band may feature either one, some, or up to four vocalists at a time.
Dewa 1999 has achieved mainstream success during through the 1990s with Ari Lasso as the lead vocals, and even greater success in the 2000s when Once Mekel was recruited as the new lead vocalist, and the release of "Bintang Lima" which introduced the band's new musical direction. The release is the 7th Indonesian all time best selling album with sales of nearly 2 million copies.
In 2025, Hai magazine named Dewa 19 as the richest band in Indonesia with revenues reaching more than 14 billion a year. In the midst of the success, the group had stumbled several times over legal issues, including issues of copyright infringement and feud with Islamic organizations.
Throughout their career, Dewa 19 has sold over 7 millions album in Indonesia only and has received many awards, both BASF Awards and AMI Awards. They have also won the LibForAll Award in the United States for their contributions to peace efforts and religious tolerance. In 2008, Dewa 19 (as a band) and Ahmad Dhani (individually, founding member) are included in the list of "The Immortals: The 25 Greatest Indonesian Artists of All Time" by Rolling Stone Indonesia magazine.[1]
- ^ "Ahmad Dhani Tidak Tahu Alasan Masuk dalam Daftar 25 Artis Indonesia Terbesar Sepanjang Masa". Wartakotalive.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2023-02-17.