Dewa 19 is an Indonesian rock group that emerged from Surabaya, East Java, under the leadership of songwriter and keyboardist Ahmad Dhani. The band was founded in 1986 by students from SMP Negeri 6 Surabaya, with the name Dewa reflecting the founding members' initials and the Indonesian word for "deity". Their breakthrough came with their 1992 debut album Dewa 19, which produced the singles "Kangen" and "Kita Tidak Sedang Bercinta Lagi" and earned BASF Awards for Best Newcomer and Most Popular Album in 1993. Subsequent releases—Format Masa Depan (1994), Terbaik Terbaik (1995), and Pandawa Lima (1997)—solidified the group's reputation, selling over 1.3 million copies by 1999 and garnering multiple Anugerah Musik Indonesia trophies. The 2000 album Bintang Lima reached 1.7 million sales, the highest in the band's catalog, and introduced a new musical direction under lead vocalist Once Mekel. The 2002 album Cintailah Cinta and the 2006 release Republik Cinta achieved further chart success and AMI Awards for Best Rock Group and Best Album. After a 2011 hiatus and 2019 reunion shows featuring former singers Ari Lasso and Once, the band resumed activity in 2022 with new vocalist Marcello Tahitoe, performing with rotating guest vocalists. In 2005, Hai magazine listed Dewa 19 as Indonesia's richest band.
