Sawung Jabo

Sawung Jabo (born Mochamad Djohansyah in Surabaya in 1951) is an Indonesian musician, actor, director, and producer. Jabo’s works embrace traditional music in contemporary arrangements, performed in unique and compelling ways. He was a co-founder with Iwan Fals of Indonesia’s famous rock band Swami that challenged Indonesia’s Suharto military regime in the last decade of its rule, with songs and hugely popular performances that railed against injustice, corruption and ruling class violence. Jabo’s first  band Sirkus Barock was founded in 1976 and continues to perform. In 1999 he co-formed the Sydney-based Indonesian/Turkish fusion band GengGong, which has toured and recorded to critical acclaim across Australia and Indonesia. Jabo has also starred in award-winning films such as ‘Lucky Miles’  and ‘The Year of Living Dangerously’, and had a starring role in the award-winning Australian feature film, Lucky Miles (2007). He has acted, produced, and performed with Australian theatre companies including Sidetrack Theatre, the Belvoir St Theatre, and at festivals such as Adelaide’s annual OzAsia.