Sasando Part I  (What Is Sasando???)

Sasando is a harp-like traditional music string instrument native of Rote island of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

The name ”sasando” derived from Rote dialect ”sasandu” means "vibrating" or "sounded instrument". It is believed that sasando already known to Rote people since 7th century.

Listen the Beautifull sound from Sasando (from Youtube)

The main part of sasando is a bamboo tube that served as the frame of the instrument. Surrounded the tube is several wooden pieces served as wedges where the strings are stretched from the top to the bottom. The wedges function is to hold the strings higher than the tube surface and also to produce various length of strings to create different musical notations. The stringed bamboo tube is surrounded by a bag-like fan of dried lontar or palmyra leafs (Borassus flabellifer), functioned as the resonator of the instrument. Sasando is played with both hands reaching into the stings on bamboo tube through lontar opening on the front, and the player's fingers plucked the strings in the fashion similar to playing harp or kacapi. 

Sasando has 28 or 56 strings. The sasando with 28 strings called sasando engkel, and with 56 strings called double strings.

                

                                                                                   Source: Wikipedia

See you in Sasando Part II…..

And don’t forget to visit East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia to know more about sasando…