SASANDO

Sasando already played by Rote people since 7th century. Sasando is a harp-like traditional music string instrument from Rote Island of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. The name ”sasando” derived from Rote dialect ”sasandu" (vibrating or sounded instrument). Generaly, sasando shape is similar to  other stringed instruments such as guitar, violin, and harp. However, without a chord (key), sasando strings must be plucked with both hands, like a harp. The left hand plays the melody and bass work, while the right hand plays accord. It is unique because one can be sasando melody, bass, and accord at once.

According to legend, the origin of Sasando was linked to folktale of Rote people about the tale of Sangguana. the story is about a boy named Sangguana who lived in Rote Island. One day he tended to savannah. He felt tired and fell asleep under a palmyra tree. Sangguana dreamt that he played beautiful music with a unique instrument. The sound and the melody was so enchanting. Then he woke up, surprisingly Sangguana still remembered the tones he played in the dream. He wanted to hear it again, so he tried to sleep one more time. He dreamt the same song and same instrument. Sangguana was enjoying his dream, however he realized he had to wake up. but he don't want to lose those beautiful sounds, Sangguana tried to recreate the sounds and in no time he create a music instrument from palmyra leafs with the strings in the middle, based on his memory from the dream.

The main part of sasando is a bamboo tube that served as the frame of the instrument. several wooden pieces served as wedges where the strings are stretched from the top to the bottom is Surrounded the tube. 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 types distinguished from the number of strings. Sasando ankle (with 28 strings), double sasando (with 56 strings, or 84 strings) sasando gong or sasando haik and sasando violin. Because of that, sasando sound have many variety. Almost all types of music can be played with sasando, such as traditional music, pop, slow rock, even dangdut. Sometimes the differences in the way certain play types depending sasando play style in each region, the ability of the player and not a system of musical notation, particularly for sasando gong.