Ari Bernardus Lasso, better known as Ari Lasso, has had his fair share of ups and downs in his 18-year career as a pop musician and singer.
He first set up the band Outsider when he was still in high school in Surabaya with Wawan Juniarso (drummer) and Piyu (guitarist), then later joined Dewa 19 before going solo up to now.
“What I can conclude from my tough journey through life is that I’m a lucky man,” Ari summed up recently.
The 38 year old has a few reasons to say so: He battled a drug addiction for years, which finally led to his discharge from Dewa, went bankrupt, and almost slid into obscurity.
To overcome his drug addiction, he went through rehab. When asked if he had any regrets, the economics graduate from Airlangga University, Surabaya, said: “I even feel grateful I broke down and was kicked out of Dewa. God had a special plan behind my failure.”
When he realized he was no longer part of Dewa and thus had to struggle for survival, he strove to resolve his issues virtually in solitude. “I had no close ties with, for instance, a priest or figure that could give me some advice. I was all by myself, even estranged. So, the fact that I am here now is a miracle,” he added.
