Bali was settled by Chinese immigrants sometime around 2500 BC. For a while, life was very simple and farming-based. The Chinese introduced a complex irrigation system that Balinese culture was founded upon. In1010 AD a Balinese Prince Airlangha conquered East Java to unite it with Bali under his rule and made his brother, Anak Wungsu, ruler of Bali. The Balinese began to speak the Javanese language, Kawai, which can still be heard today. Much cultural exchange, in terms of music and politics, occurred at this time. As such there was a great deal of commerce between Bali and Java bringing with it an exchange of politics and arts. Javanese Kings to continue the Javanese control until 1343 when Bali was conquered by a Hindu Javanese general named Gajah Mada from the Majapahit Empire.

When Islam began spreading south from Sumatra into Java in the 16th century, the Majapahit empire fell and many prestigious Balinese artists and religious figures left.  In 1597, Dutch arrived, finding a culture very developed in spiritual and artistic rituals with Indian influences. The community structure was developed around agriculture. The Dutch brought European ways and customs onto the island. Today there is still a strong native Bali culture, as well as a strong expat community