#NoStigma: Meet the Balinese band formed by 3 men living with schizophrenia

Amid stigma toward people with mental health problems in Indonesia, three Balinese men living with schizophrenia decided to put their hearts into music by forming a band and releasing an album.

The trio, consisting of I Komang “Loster” Sudiarta, I Gede “Dedika” Kartika Wiguna, and Nyoman Sudiasa, call themselves Arusaji, an Indonesian portmanteau for Alumni Rumah Sakit Jiwa (former mental institution patients). The word ‘alumni’ refers to their ‘graduation’ from the hospital.

“We want to show that people like us can still be creative upon re-entering society,” said Loster during Arusaji’s album launch on Sunday.

Their self-titled debut album consists of seven songs that narrate their experiences while under treatment. The song Di Rumah Berdaya (At Rumah Berdaya) pays homage to Rumah Berdaya, meaning house of empowerment, which is a community effort focusing on helping people with schizophrenia by providing them a platform so they can support each other.

Another song, Jangan Pasung Aku (Don’t Lock Me Up), refers to many cases of Indonesians treating family members with psychological problems by shackling (pasung) them.

Other songs include Im Skizofrenia (I’m Schizophrenia), Halusinasi (Hallucination), Gadis Jalanan (Street Girl), Anarchy War, and Penjahat (Bad Guy).

Dr. I Gusti Rai Putra Wiguna, the founder of Denpasar-based Rumah Berdaya, said during the launch that music is a form of therapy for many people living with schizophrenia.

“It’s not just about creating something beautiful, but also as a form of expression,” he said.

Arusaji plans to tour around Bali to promote the album.

Check out Arusaji’s SoundCloud here.



Reader Interactions

Leave A Reply


BECOME A COCO+ MEMBER

Support local news and join a community of like-minded
“Coconauts” across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Join Now
Coconuts TV
Our latest and greatest original videos
Subscribe on