Komunitas Badan Gila (Crazy Body Community), more commonly known as Kobagi, was formed in 2008 in the village of Sebatu, Bali, Indonesia. Its sixteen members include farmers, labourers, entrepreneurs, teachers and civil servants. The members’ various artistic activities have included Balinese masked dance, the processional ensemble balaganjur, puppetry, and contemporary music, combined to create their unique performance style they call Angga Suara Murti. Kobagi fuse the western influence of body percussion with Balinese music (including tembang, genjek and kecak), by using their own bodies as their primary instruments, accompanied by pieces of bamboo used as stamping tubes.  The initial impetus for their current style came from French artist Gregoire Gensse (known locally in Bali as Made Bagus), after he saw the group perform Winara Konye, a piece composed by Kobagi’s leader, I Wayan Sutapa, at a contemporary music showcase at the Denpasar Art Center 2007.

Gensse guided the group on body percussion techniques through rigorous rehearsals during his time in Bali, and the group has since developed an exciting and vibrant style of performance that celebrates intercultural creative exchange. Angga Suara Murti may be performed in both sacred and secular contexts, and Kobagi is in high demand for ceremonies, exhibitions, concerts, and festivals throughout Bali.

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