Bang on a Can

I Wayan Wija is one of the most popular dalangs (shadowmasters) in Bali, performing almost every night of the year. He has won numerous awards for his performing abilities in the popular Mahabharata and Ramayana wayang genres. Wija has also transcended the traditional bounds of his art by creating new types of wayang. In addition to the traditional "Wayang Kulit" (shadow puppetry), Wija has also pioneered "Wayang Tantri", a kind of Aesop's fables of traditional Indonesian stories, for which he created new and fantastic animal puppets, including giant dinosaurs. He has used the Tantri stories to spread an environmental consciousness in Bali. The Tantri Wayang was created by Wija in 1980 and he performed it for the first time in 1982. Beginning in 1983, Wija began taking his performances overseas and since that time he has toured extensively in Europe, India, the US, Canada, Australia, and Asia. Wija is known for highly skilled puppet manipulation, vocal quality and characterization as well as for his ability to continually surprise audiences with new stories and puppets. Wija collaborated with Lee Breuer on MahabarAnta, a part of the Warrior Ant Series, with Larry Reed's ShadowLight Productions on Wayang Listrik for the Henson International Puppet Theater Festival, and with the Mabou Mines Theater Company among many others.