Sasando from Rote Island Indonesia
When researching Indonesia’s treasure trove of indigenous instruments, I came across a tube zither, harp-like traditional string instrument, called Sasando. The instrument is native to Rote Island, part of the East Nusa Tenggara province of the Lesser Sunda Islands, and is named after the Rote Island dialect word ”sasandu”, which translates freely into “vibrating” or “sounding vessel”.
There are several folktales that tell the story about the early Sasando. In one of them it is believed that the origin of the Sasando is linked to a folktale about a young boy from Rote island, called Sanguanna. One day, very tired after tending the fields, Sanguanna fell asleep under a palmyra tree and dreamt he played an instrument that brought forth enchanting melodies and sounds. In his dream he heard a melody so beautiful and powerful, that even after waking up, it was still engraved in his mind. To capture and never forget the sounds he heard in his dream, Sanguanna then crafted a musical instrument from the palmyra leaves that surrounded him, to which he added strings. This became the basis of the Sasando.
A bamboo tube forms the main part of the Sasando and serves as its frame. Circumventing this bamboo tube, wooden pieces serve as wedges where strings are stretched from top to bottom. The stringed bamboo tube is surrounded by a half cone leaf of dried lontar or palmyra leaves (Borassus flabellifer) that functions as the resonator of the instrument. The sasando is played with both hands plucking the strings of the bamboo tube through an opening in the front, in a fashion similar to playing a harp or kacapi. Sasando have 32, 45, 54 or 60 strings but all range 32 tones. According to locals, this instrument has been around since the 7th century.
Jaghadita was this year’s theme for Ubud’s Writer’s and Readers Festival (UWRF) that I attended last week. Drawn from an ancient Hindu philosophy that speaks of happiness and prosperity, the festival’s 15th anniversary celebration took place from 24- 28 October on the Indonesian island of Bali. For four days, I took part in a festival that celebrated writers, artists, intellectuals and activists from Indonesia and abroad, all of who contributed greatly in maintaining harmony and prosperity. “In the present moment, when the differences separate us to forget the equations we have, we will ask how prosperity and harmony will be sought in 2018”, said founder and director of UWRF Janet DeNeefe. From humble beginnings in 2004, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival has evolved into one of the world’s most celebrated literary and artistic events – an annual pilgrimage for lovers of literature and conversation. Below are some of my reflections on UWRF’s talks.
Day one started with Indonesia’s current Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti, who in Indonesia enjoys near rockstar status as she leads a tough crackdown on illegal and unsustainable fishing, and on whose order hundreds of boats have been blown up. Bu Susi, as she is referred to in Indonesia, spoke with BBC’s Indonesian editor Rebecca Henschke about her fight to protect the country’s millions of fishers and vast marine resources. She has been painted as Superwoman on a public mural, where she is depicted as a half mermaid-half warrior. Her carefully crafted social media image is shaking up Indonesia’s normally conservative political style.
I therefore much appreciated the 2018 international global business and interfaith peace award winner Haidar Bagir, who stated that Islam is a religion of love and inclusion that embraces us all. The Author of Islam – The Faith of Love and Happiness, and President Director of the Mizan Group, contributes to interfaith understanding and peace in Indonesia by publishing books that champion pluralism. He also supports the Charter for Compassion International, and funds the Yasmin Foundation (a Salvation Army-like charity). He also gives advice on peace education and leads the Compassionate Islam Movement, which galvanizes and mobilizes moderate Muslims in the face of increasing extremism and inter-religious tensions in the country.
Tom Owen Edmunds, who heads the Climate Change Unit at the British Embassy in Jakarta, but who is also a photographer, once described by the British Journal of Photography as “one of the world’s leading travel photographers” quotes from a lecture at Bogor by stating: “Forests are about people”.
Long before it was known as Indonesia, youth across the archipelago converged on present-day Jakarta and made the bold pledge to unite as one nation with one language. 90 years later, moderator and journalist Wayan Juniarta spoke with four language lovers who revealed their unique relationship with the evolving, dizzyingly diverse and underestimated language that is Bahasa Indonesia.
Bringing together some of the world’s most powerful voices in a melting pot of artists, authors, thinkers and performers, the Festival lived up to its promise and was indeed a platform for meaningful exchange and cross-cultural dialogue. A place where artists and audiences alike could discuss shared inspirations, ideas and concerns, the Festival transcended cultural and geographical borders to create a truly global community.
