Instruments
The M'basing M'basing flute

The  "M'basing M'basing" (or simply "Basing Basing") bamboo flute from from the Kaili people in central Sulawesi. This smaller Suling like  flute is 36.5 cm long, 2 cm in diameter and has six  finger holes on the top and no thumb hole on the back.  I have no idea why the body of the flute is black while the rest is left in natural colour. Opening hole by hole a diatonic scale is provided, but most players know many ways to perform semitones or even quarter tones on demand.  Like most Suling in Sulawesi, this flute provides the "human voice" in the "Dade'ndate" ensemble of the Kaili people (see video 01 below). Most of the time, the singer has his orientation in the melodies provided by the flute, allthough both do not go unisono.

* Video 01 *     * Video 02 *

<- back to the list of instruments