In the early hours of September 10th, torrential rain caused severe flooding in parts of Bali. Within hours, our friend and co-director I Putu Arya Deva Suryanegara saw his home and family compound fill with rising water. By dawn, several feet of muddy water had entered the living spaces, damaging furniture, clothes, mattresses, and appliances. Two walls collapsed — one in the family temple area, another along the riverbank behind the house — and a third retaining wall now shows widening cracks with each new rainfall.

As of posting this, the temple wall and riverbank structure remain unsafe, and replacement costs for furniture, appliances, and repairs continue to grow. Government aid has been slow to materialize, leaving the family to shoulder these unexpected expenses alone.

Arya’s home is more than a house: it is also the headquarters of Naradha Gita (NAGI), the community-based sanggar he founded in 2017. This space has long been a gathering place for young musicians, a teaching center, and a hub for innovation in Balinese and electroacoustic music. Over the years, NAGI has nurtured local youth ensembles, helped preserve traditional repertoires, and welcomed international artists and students eager to learn Balinese gamelan.

The flood devastated not only the family’s living space but also this creative environment. Many electronic instruments, amplifiers, microphones, and recording devices used for Arya’s pioneering gamelan elektronik work were destroyed beyond repair — including his newly constructed electroacoustic dome of speakers, the first of its kind in Bali.

We at Giri Kedaton, Arya’s extended musical family in Montréal, are launching this fundraiser to help rebuild his home and sanggar, so that he and his community can continue their vital work in both preserving and reimagining Balinese music traditions.

On a more personal note, Arya’s home has been a home away from home for many of us when we visit Bali. His family has welcomed every one of us as if we were their own. It has been heartbreaking to see all this unfold while being so far away and unable to lend a physical hand in the rebuilding efforts. Today, we want to return that generosity by standing with him in this difficult moment.

How the Funds Will Be Used

Funds raised will directly support:

We are managing this campaign transparently under Giri Kedaton, and all funds will go directly toward Arya and his family’s recovery and rebuilding efforts.

How You Can Help

Any contribution — large or small — makes a difference. Even sharing this campaign within your circles helps amplify support for Arya, his family, and the creative community that gathers around his sanggar.

Thank you for helping us rebuild a home, protect a cultural space, and stand with a dear friend who has given so much to others.

With gratitude,

Pierre Paré-Blais

Co-director, Gamelan Giri Kedaton (Montréal)

On behalf of our ensemble, musicians, and friends