I Dewa Putu Berata- Director

Born and raised in the village of Pengosekan, son of a great drummer, Dewa was immersed in Balinese performing arts from birth. His creative talents, teaching capabilities and leadership qualities make him a noted figure in the Balinese music world. He is renowned for his compositional skills in both traditional and innovative styles and a rare ability to communicate a diverse knowledge of Balinese arts to both Balinese and international artists. He is the founder and director of Çudamani, and has lead Çudamani, on tours to venues including The Jazz at Lincoln Center (NY), the World Festival of Sacred Music-(LA), the Cultural Olympiad (Greece), EXPO (Japan) and the Tong Tong Festival (Holland) among others. As a result of Dewa’s vision and commitment, Çudamani, has become an important artistic center in Bali, endeavoring to study and preserve rare classic forms of Balinese arts and also provide a space that nurtures the creative energies of young artists in Bali. He is a graduate of STSI, Denpasar (Bali’s National Academy of the Arts).  Currently Dewa is serving as the Guest Music Director of the Berkeley, CA based Gamelan Sekar Jaya.

Emiko Saraswati Susilo- Associate Director

Susilo was raised in a family rich with the arts. She began her study of Balinese dance with Ibu Ni Made Wiratini and her study of Javanese dance with late Master Rama Sasminta Mardawa, teacher of the Court of Yogyakarta. She is a gamelan/vocal student of Bp. Tri Haryanto and Ki Midiyanto. Susilo is a founding member of Çudamani and has been a core leader since the group’s inception. She works closely with Çudamani’s senior dance students, master dance teachers, performers preparing for tour and the groundbreaking girls gamelan program. Susilo has a deep love of bringing together traditional and contemporary forms and ideas across the disciplines of dance, music, voice and visual arts. She received her BA from UC Berkeley’s Dept. of Anthropology and her MA from the University of Hawaii’s Dept. of Asian Studies. Currently Emiko is serving as the Director of the Berkeley, CA based Gamelan Sekar Jaya.