Sasando is a typical musical instrument from Rote Island which at first glance looks like a guitar. This musical instrument is said to have been used by the people in Rote, East Nusa Tenggara since the 7th century. Sasando has a main part in the form of a long tube made of bamboo. In the middle of this stringed instrument, it is circular from top to bottom. The strings on Sasando are stretched in the tube from top to bottom which has been given wedges.
Based on the tone structure, Sasando can be divided into two types. First, the Sasando gong with a pentatonic tone system has twelve strings. This type of sasando can usually only be used to play traditional songs of the people on Rote Island.
Second is the violin Sasando. This sasando has a diatonic tone system with up to 48 strings. The advantage of this Sasando lies in the types of songs it can play are more varied. This sasando is thought to have started to develop in the late 18th century and developed in Kupang.
Sasando is usually played to accompany songs in the traditional dances of the people of East Nusa Tenggara. Since the 1960s, this musical instrument has been modified into an electric sasando on the initiative of a sasando playing expert in East Nusa Tenggara named Edu Pah. So, have you tried using Sasando to play music?
