Gigi is a Jakarta-based Indonesian alternative rock group founded by vocalist Armand Maulana and guitarist Dewa Budjana. One of the most successful rock acts in their native Indonesia, most of its members were already a part of the country’s thriving rock scene before joining the band. Their lineup was consolidated in 1994 with the addition of Baron Arafat on guitar, Thomas Ramdhan on bass, and Ronald Fristianto on the drums. Gigi made their official debut with the full-length Angan in 1994, selling over 150,000 copies. Subsequent albums Dunia (1995) and 3/4 (1996) were even more successful, with the latter surpassing half a million copies in sales. Despite featuring a lineup of top-tier musicians such as Mr. Big’s Billy Sheehan, Harry Kim, Arturo Velasco, and Eric Marienthal, 2 X 2 (1997) turned out to be a commercial flop. Its successor, 1998’s Kilas Balik, also experienced poor sales. After a series of changes in their formation, Gigi started the new decade in full swing with the LPs Salam Kedelapan (2003), Raihlah Kemenangan (2004), Next Chapter (2006), and Pintu Sorga (1996), which included the single “Selamat Hari Lebaran,” a religious-themed anthemic rock number that quickly became a staple of the band’s repertoire. Over the course of the next few years, Gigi cemented their status as elder statesmen of Indonesian rock through the albums Peace, Love 'n Respect (2007), Gigi (2009), Sweet Seventeen (2011), and Mohon Ampun (2015). In 2018, the band celebrated its 25th anniversary with a reunion tour featuring its original lineup.
