Feto Bo'i performed by Daniel Huan in Roti, Indonesia

The main accompanying instrument for Rotinese song is the sasandu, a plucked, bamboo tube-zither with a palm leaf resonator. Its ten or eleven strings are usually made from strands of motorcycle coupling wire, and their pitch is adjusted with individual, movable bridges and tuning pegs. The resonator is made by shaping the large fan-leaf of the lontar palm into a pleated hemisphere. Although it resembles tube-zithers found among other Austronesian peoples (for example, the Savunese ketadu haba, the Sikkanese santo, and the Malagasy valiha) the Rotinese claim the sasandu as their own invention, and revere it as the single most distinctive medium and symbol of their music culture.

This version of Feto Bo'i (Dear Girl) was created by the performer Daniel Huan. He plays with fragments of traditional couplets and phrases, repeating and varying the refrain incessantly ("Ayla do e feto bo'i na e" = "Mercy, dear girl!") to create an emotionally charged and completely unique interpretation of this well-known song of desire and longing.
"Mercy, Dear girl,
Lost on the vast sea
Mercy, Dear girl
Lost at sea
Where?
Where is contentment?
Struggling to find shore
What will be?
Trying to get to harbour
A boat in the midst of the sea
In the deep water
The sea gathered in high heaps
A few more days until you get there
A few more days until you reach there..."

Please see http://www.users.on.net/~renike.basile/roti-lombok/ for more information.

Notes by Christopher Basile.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• sasandu
• song
• Roti
• Indonesia
• bamboo
• zither
• palm
• sasando
• rote
• ntt
• nusa
• tenggara
• timur

[inalilahi]

I'am Savunese.... but is this Sasando rotenese... but it sounds great

[Jakeysworld]

I can see how they would revere this instrument. I can only imagine how wonderful the resonator must sound as it reflects back up the player. Thank You for this wonderful field video.

[Ndriana]

I lived in Djibouti and thought clearly Blues came from Africa while listening locals traditional music. But this one clearly reminds me some old Robert Johnson to the point it makes me wonder if Blues realy takes its roots in Africa.

[dustintheMausoleum]

wow ! this instrument reminds me of the valiha , although the bamboo is larger and the strings are closer to the bamboo .But yeah the sound those kind of instrument produce is rather melancolic

[Raioan]

wow, nice.

[redking15ca]

weird... lol... does sound kinda bluesy

[Ochsenburg]

The added notes about this video is excellent and melting into the music by listening it!

A native blues -

Congratulation Christopher!

[600euros]

i love the blues!

[kidatonal]

this is excellent. thanks!

[EnvolSideral]

pour moi c'est oui...