Heruwa

Heruwa, the vocalist who’s been at the front line of Shaggydog since the band’s inception, has provided most of the lyrics for the band so far. The musician, whose full name is Heru Wahyono, was born in Bali on 20 April 1980. The youngest of 5 children, he spent his childhood in Kuta, together with his parents and siblings. His mother was a cook in a restaurant, while his father worked in the same place as a cleaner. From an early age, Heruwa felt drawn to music, listening to The Rolling Stones that he heard being played around him. His father liked playing records by Ebiet G Ade, Broery Pesolima, and Chicha Koeswoyo. Growing up on the ‘island of the gods’ there were so many foreign tourists coming and going and these foreigners provided the young boy with a wealth of musical references. After his mother stopped working as a cook and changed course to open a business in the garment industry, she recruited many young transmigrants from around Indonesia, who helped develop Heruwa’s widening appreciation of music. This is how Heruwa came to know the Stones and Bob Marley.