Fio became the lead singer of the reggae band D’Sunset when she was just 14 years old. She is an outstanding young woman who stays true to herself; she is the most constant presence in reggae music in Indonesia.

She sticks on her path and gets back up when she stumbles. She straightens her Rasta crown and continues on her way. I had the pleasure of meeting her and doing an interview.

Since when has music defined your life?

According to my mom, I have sung since I was about 3 years old.  My mother was a famous makeup artist in Indonesia, constantly moving.

I moved to Borneo with her when I was 13 years old. I didn’t enjoy going to school for various reasons, including being bullied because I was always the “new kid.” Since I was always “the new one” and a tiny rebel, I was also not very popular with the teachers. It was hard, but I didn’t mind because I couldn’t do anything with school because it was simply too uninteresting for me. And that’s why I stopped going to school after the middle class.

Music and singing are my life because I can fully express myself through singing

When I was 13 years old, I sang in a reggae band in Balikpapan, Borneo.

There were numerous musicians and bands present, but there were no female lead vocalists. As a result, I became the lead singer of our reggae band, D’Sunset. I enjoy rock and other genres, but Reggae is my favourite.

Reggae just feels right to me.

I fell in love with reggae music when my brother introduced it to me. Reggae music really got me, and since then, it’s been a part of my life.

I was part of a large Vespa community and had a lot of friends.

We travelled across Indonesia. And the community organized events 1-2 times a month, so I was constantly performing in different places. For me, this was far more thrilling than going to school. Suddenly, we were making money, becoming increasingly well-known, recording a single and being nominated for a reggae compilation. 

Where and how did you grow up?

My parents split when I was five years old. I lived in a mountain village in East Java with my grandma and another family. Everything was always relatively rigid, and I was not free; it was difficult to simply be myself.

I was always expected to do what the others expected of me.

On the other hand, my mother is a free spirit who has always pursued her dreams as a makeup artist. I moved around a lot with her and had to change schools all the time.

You came to Bali to make music, right?

I escaped to Bali from my ex-husband. It’s difficult for me to talk about it, but that’s the way it is. I simply wanted to get away from it all.  My family forced me to marry because it is not considered acceptable in Indonesia to have a “best friend” and spend a lot of time together if you are not married. That is not acceptable; it is Haram.

So, under intense pressure from my family, I married at 18. I lived with my husband and with his family. I was continuously watching and couldn’t move freely, and that was not how I wanted to live.  My family members came up with these concepts:

“What more could you desire than a wealthy spouse and children?”

Yes, it is my wish, but not in this way. I want to marry a loving man and to be free of compulsion and abuse. Until one day, with the help of a mother’s friend, I managed to flee to Bali by car.  That was the end of my life, I thought. I was constantly plagued by emotions of guilt. Except for my mother, the rest of my family thought I was crazy.

Do you write your own songs?

Yes, I do. I co-wrote two songs with Armina and Martin from the Uluroots, but the other one that I wrote myself was written last year. The title is “Urip iku urup,” which in the Javanese language means “Lives that are meant to illuminate each other.”

And where do you get your songwriting inspiration from?

This song, which I wrote myself, came from my personal experiences all along. Also, I’ve met some amazing women, and I believe in women’s ability to support each other.

How would you describe your music style?

Modern Reggae – a blend of Reggae and a touch of my Indonesian culture.

My music should reflect my origins.

Who are your favourite musicians?

Of course, there’s Bob Marley, a slew of Indonesian musicians, and Armi from the Uluroots.

He is my role model. We converse a lot when we meet together; the talks are engaging, supportive, and motivating, and I learn to see things differently in my life. Then there’s Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone, and many others.  

What are your goals for the year 2022, both for your music and for yourself?

I’d like to record the two songs that I wrote by myself. Do more live sessions, music videos, and music improvement and learn new things. I prefer to live in the present, and I don’t want to worry about the future. I’d like to improve my English and continue to work on my eyesight.

Every day, I strive to be a better person because I am not perfect, which is ok. I want to live a life of kindness and love, be good to my fellow humans, and stand up for myself even more. 

What has been your music highlight up until today?

Touring with my latest band in Borneo, D’Sunset.

What does being a woman mean to you?

Stand up for yourself! Always!

Men cannot simply grab you and do whatever they want because you are a woman.

Sadly, this still happens much too often. That is why we ladies must always be there for one another. Being a woman, in my opinion, does not imply that you must be female, and it doesn’t matter to me what gender you are. I’m more open because I see it now, and I have many friends born in the wrong body. We girls need to band together more.

Because what happened to me happens to many other women. I have met a lot of extraordinary women in Bali, and we encourage each other. That is precisely how it should be. One for all, all for one. No woman should be made to feel inferior just because she is different.

Thank you, Fio, for taking the time to share your amazing story with Instant Karma.

You should know if you haven’t seen her on stage yet since her unique voice and apparent stage presence are just DOPE!

You can stay up to date on her gigs by following her on Instagram. @andis.fio.virani