Once Mekel

Elfonda Mekel, (born 21 May 1970), better known as Once Mekel (, pronounced Ohn-chè), is an Indonesian singer, researcher, music industry observer, entrepreneur, and politician.

He started his career as a singer after completing high school, by becoming a semi-professional singer.

In 1989, Once was accepted as a law student at the University of Indonesia.

Despite his studies, he remained dedicated to his musical pursuits.

After joining Java Burns, he began singing songs he had written himself; he eventually provided a song for the compilation album Seribu Angan (A Thousand Dreams) in the early 1990s.

Before joining the band, he had released solo singles such as "Juwita Pandang" (1991) and "Anggun" (1999).

He released the song "Juwita Pandang" on a compilation album in 1991 with Andy Liany Ronald and Pay.

He formed the band 'Fargat 727' and released the album 'Seribu Angan' and also the band 'Java Burns,' which later became 'Bottoms Up' (the precursor to the band 'Getah').

During his college years, Once experienced vocal cord problems, leading him to quit singing and focus on his studies.

He began singing while attending junior high school at Tirta Mart

After graduating from Tirta Mirta Senior High School, Once joined numerous bands.

His first bands, Brawijaya and Dimensi, were cover bands.

Due to a problem with his voice box, Once took a hiatus from singing between 1993 and 1997.

After completing seven years of study at Universitas Indonesia, in 1996, Once, who was also proficient in piano, drums, and guitar, completed his studies.

After earning a law degree, he worked as a legal coordinator at a construction company.

Two years later, he joined a research project in collaboration between LIPI and CSIRO.

He used this time to study law at the University of Indonesia, graduating in 1996.

He also worked for a construction company.

After being part of the research management field and achieving success as a vocalist, Once was invited to join Dewa 19, which had renamed itself to Dewa, replacing Ari Lasso as the lead vocalist after the completion of the Pandawa Lima album (1997) and the single Elang (1999).

In 1997, amid his busy schedule, Once returned to singing in cafes after his vocal cords healed, although with a different voice (he had retired from singing for 5 years).

By 1997 he had begun singing again, in cafes, and after leaving the MSI LIPI project in 1998, Once became serious about his music career.

To fulfill his ambition, he left his job and released a solo single titled 'Anggun.' Alongside Ahmad Dhani, he worked on recordings for the film Kuldesak.

Joining Dewa, Once played a significant role in the success of two best-selling albums, Bintang Lima (2000) and Cintailah Cinta (2002), with his distinctive vocals.

Once produced a total of 5 albums with Dewa as co-lead vocalist with Ahmad Dhani.

Once was later asked to join Dhani's band, Dewa 19, in 2000, and eventually replaced Ari Lasso, who was expelled from the group for drug use.

He proved himself to become the main factor of Dewa's success.

He officially joined the band in 2000.

Once was eventually accepted by Dewa 19's fans after Bintang Lima, his first album with the group, was a hit; it eventually sold 1.7 million copies.

He later recorded four more albums with Dewa 19.

In 2004, Once had a hit single "Separuh Nafasku" ("Half of My Breath").

He also released three solo singles, "Dealova", "Aku Mau" ("I Want"), and "Symphony yang Indah" ("A Beautiful Symphony").

After his success as a co-lead vocalist with Dewa, Once revived his solo career with the single "Dealova" (2005), which was also the soundtrack for the film of the same name.

Following Dewa's disbandment in 2011 due to his departure, Once focused on his solo singing career.

After releasing several singles, he finally launched his debut album titled Once (2012).

Once is renowned as one of the best male vocalists in Indonesia due to his distinctive vocal style and power.

Rolling Stone magazine included Once in the "50 Greatest Indonesian Singers".

Once was born in Makassar, the son of Yohanes Elias Mekel and Maria Josephine Mekel Cambey.

While in junior high school, Once replaced a vocalist in a festival band, marking his entry into the music world.

After high school, Once became a semi-professional vocalist.

His band once accompanied famous singers like Ita Purnamasari.