From Teaching Children to Preserving Tradition: I Wayan Karta’s Journey with the Balinese Flute

Wayan Karta’s interest in the suling began in his teenage years, influenced by a family environment that appreciated flute music. This passion grew stronger when he was encouraged by a friend named I Nyoman Dayuh, who introduced him more deeply to the world of the suling.

In addition to family and social influences, a personal experience also played a significant role in shaping his motivation. He was once verbally insulted by an unknown person, an incident that instead became a powerful driving force for Wayan Karta to prove himself and to pursue the suling more seriously, eventually becoming a skilled flute player.

Performance of I Wayan Karta (Source: Personal Collection of I Wayan Karta)

In his learning process, Wayan Karta did not take an instant path, but instead went through a long journey of study under the guidance of various artists and master flute players from different regions in Bali. Some of the figures who played important roles in this process include Pak Mangku Regig from Abian Nangka, Denpasar; Pak Rangsi from Kerta Payangan; I Made Sadra from Banjar Pinda, Blahbatuh District; as well as Cokorda Bagus from Peliatan, Ubud, and other flute artists.

From these teachers, Wayan Karta learned not only flute-playing techniques, but also musical understanding, tonal character, and the artistic values of Balinese traditional arts.

Performance of I Wayan Karta (Source: Personal Collection of I Wayan Karta)

Since 1998, while still in his teenage years, Wayan Karta began to seriously study the process of making suling. In this field, I Made Sadra from Banjar Pinda, Blahbatuh, served as his main mentor, especially in finding and adjusting the tonal harmony of the flute.

After that, Wayan Karta continued deepening his knowledge at the home of Pak Rangsi in Kerta Payangan, focusing on the technique of making the siwer suling, an important component that affects the quality of the flute’s sound. Through this continuous learning process, Wayan Karta eventually committed himself to becoming a flute craftsman, a profession he continues to pursue to this day.

Performance of I Wayan Karta (Source: Personal Collection of I Wayan Karta)

The flutes crafted by Wayan Karta are known for their good tonal quality and are sought after by various groups. They are not only used by artists in Bali, but have also been marketed outside the region and internationally, including to Japan, the United States, Germany, Italy, Australia, and Spain. Some types of flutes produced and well known from his work include suling jungket and suling sunari, which are used in various contexts of Balinese artistic performances.

As a tangible contribution to the preservation of flute art, Wayan Karta established a sekaa or flute studio called “Sanggar Suling Semeton Nika Manu” in 2012, which later obtained official permission in 2017. Through this studio, he actively conducts training and mentoring in flute playing in various locations in Bali, while also serving as a platform for the regeneration of flute artists.

Awards Received by I Wayan Karta (Source: Personal Collection of I Wayan Karta)

Throughout his artistic career, Wayan Karta has also gained extensive performance experience at various important events. In 2010, he performed in nine cities across the United States together with Sanggar Cudamani Pengosekan as part of the Balinese Gamelan Tour. In the same year, he also performed at Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta, in a New Music Performance with the Pendro Made Arnawa Group.

In addition, Wayan Karta is frequently involved in performances at ISI Denpasar, the Bali Arts Festival, as well as various ceremonies and performances at temples throughout Bali, both as a flute player and as a supporting artist.