Ari Bernardus Lasso (born 17 January 1973) is an Indonesian singer of
Minahasan and
Toraja
The Torajan are an ethnic group indigenous people, indigenous to a mountainous region of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Their population is approximately 1,100,000, of whom 450,000 live in the List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, regency of T ...
origin. Songwriter, musician, and former lead vocalist of
Dewa 19
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 ...
.
Biography
Lasso was born in
Madiun
Madiun () is a city in the western part of East Java, Indonesia, known for its agricultural center. The city has been administratively separate from the surrounding Madiun Regency since the formation of the two bodies in 1950, but the city remain ...
,
East Java
East Java (, , ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost third of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean border its northern ...
on 17 January 1973 to Bartholomeus B. Lasso and Sri Noerhida. His mother told him that he could become a famous singer, saying that "
islife should be beautiful" because of his voice. While attending high school at
SMA Negeri 2 Surabaya, he established the Outsider Band along with the drummer Wawan Juniarso, from
Dewa 19
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 ...
, and guitarist Piyu of
Padi. After graduating from high school, he attended
Airlangga University
Airlangga University ( Indonesian: ; , abbreviated as UNAIR) is the second-oldest university in Indonesia and also a research public university located in Surabaya, East Java. Despite being officially established by Indonesian Government Regulati ...
and earned a degree in economics.
Lasso eventually became a member of Dewa 19 together with Wawan Juniarson, Andra Junaidi,
Ahmad Dhani, and Erwin Prasetya. With Dewa 19, he released the album ''Kangen'', which was chosen as the best album of the year by BASF in 1993.
Beginning after Dewa 19's third album, Lasso used drugs heavily; his drug addiction led to his personal decision to resign from the band in 2001. To overcome his addiction, he tried going to rehab and alternative medicine; he was also hospitalized and put under isolation at home. All of these efforts were to no avail. After promising his dying mother that he would beat his addiction, he became more adamant in attempting to recover, eventually succeeding. He also quit his 20-year habit of smoking in 2010, after his son began taking and destroying his cigarettes.
After his dismissal from Dewa 19, Lasso became a solo singer. He released his first solo album, the commercially successful ''Sendiri Dulu'', that year which sold over 500.000 copies. Two years later, he released his most successful album ''Keseimbangan'', which featured two songs performed with Dhani. This album sold more than 800.000 copies. In 2004 he released ''Kulihat Kudengar dan Kurasakan'', of which two songs became used for the movie ''Mengejar Matahari'' (''Chasing the Sun''). In 2006, he released the album ''Selalu Ada'', while the following year his album ''The Best of'' included a duet with
Bunga Citra Lestari
Bunga Citra Lestari (born 22 March 1983), often referred to by her initial BCL, is an Indonesian singer, actress, talent show judge, and television personality of Minangkabau people, Minangkabau descent.
Career
Bunga Citra Lestari grew up as ...
.
In 2009, rumours spread that Lasso would become mute due to damage to his
voice box; although he did not perform for four months during that period, he performed in a series of concerts between May and June of that year. Lasso has expressed interest in becoming a
music producer
A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...
if he can no longer be a singer.
In 2012, Lasso released a compilation album,
Yang Terbaik. The album was only sold at
KFC
KFC Corporation, doing business as KFC (an abbreviation of Kentucky Fried Chicken), is an American fast food restaurant chain specializing in fried chicken and chicken sandwiches. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, it is the world's se ...
outlets in Indonesia. The album compiled top hit singles and six new songs, "Kisah Kita", "Karena Aku Tlah Denganmu", "Cintailah Aku Sepenuh Hati", "Satu Cinta", "Doa Untuk Cinta" and "Cinta Adalah Misteri". Lasso also includes musicians who merged his albums sold in KFC stores like
Cinta Laura,
Indah Dewi Pertiwi
Indah Dewi Pertiwi (born 3 January 1983) is an Indonesian singer, dancer, and artist. Her first single ''Baru Aku Tahu Cinta Itu Apa'' was a commercial success, and her first album ''Hipnotis'' released a few months later sold over 2 million copi ...
,
Agnes Monica,
SM*SH,
T.R.I.A.D,
Rossa,
Slank,
Last Child
"Last Child" is a song by American rock band Aerosmith. It was written by Steven Tyler and Brad Whitford and released as the first single from the album '' Rocks'' in 1976. It peaked at number 21 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, one of a string ...
,
Ello
Ello ( Brianzöö: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Lecco in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about southwest of Lecco
Lecco (, , ; ) is a city of approximately 47,000 inhabitants in Lom ...
,
Sammy Simorangkir,
Armada and
Ungu.
In 2016, Ari Lasso joined the judging panel of
season 2 Season 2 may refer to:
* ''Season 2'' (Infinite album), 2014
* ''2econd Season'', an album by Unk, 2008
* "Season 2", a song by Phoenix from ''Alpha Zulu
''Alpha Zulu'' is the seventh studio album by French indie pop band Phoenix, released on 4 ...
of ''
The Voice Indonesia''.
In 2021, Lasso was diagnosed with DLBCL (
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a cancer of B cells, a type of lymphocyte that is responsible for producing antibodies. It is the most common form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma among adults, with an annual incidence of 7–8 cases per 100,000 ...
) cancer so he had to undergo chemotherapy. In July 2022, Lasso announced that his treatment had ended.
Personal life
When not busy with music, Lasso tries to participate in his children's lives, assisting with their homework and attending school performances. Lasso has noted that
Mitch Albom
Mitchell David Albom (born May 23, 1958) is an American author, journalist, and musician. As of 2021, he has sold 40 million books worldwide. Having achieved national recognition for sports writing in his early career, he turned to writing inspi ...
's ''
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
''The Five People You Meet In Heaven'' is a 2003 novel by Mitch Albom. It follows the life and death of a ride mechanic named Eddie (inspired by Albom's uncle), who is killed in an amusement park accident and sent to heaven, where he encounters ...
'' has influenced his parenting style and belief that a parent's interest in their children's lives can be a large influence.
Discography
;With Dewa 19
*''Dewa 19'' (1992)
*''Format Masa Depan'' (''Future Format'', 1994)
*''Terbaik'' (''The Best'', 1995)
*''Pandawa Lima'' (''Five Heroes'' (1997)
;Solo
*''Sendiri Dulu'' (''Alone for Now''; 2001)
*''Keseimbangan'' (''Equality''; 2003)
*''Kulihat Kudengar dan Kurasakan'' (''I See, I Hear, and I Feel''; 2004)
*''Selalu Ada'' (''Always There''; 2006)
*''The Best of'' (2007)
*''Yang Terbaik'' (''The Best''; 2012).
See also
*
Ahmad Dhani
References
Footnotes
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lasso, Ari
Indonesian Christians
Indonesian Protestants
Living people
1973 births
Dewa 19 members
20th-century Indonesian male singers
Anugerah Musik Indonesia winners
Indonesian male film actors
Indonesian male television actors
People of Batak descent
Javanese people
Minahasa people
People from Madiun
21st-century Indonesian male singers