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Instruments
The boatlute Kecapi 

The  "Kecapi"  is a boatlute which you can find in South Sulawesi and Central Sulawesi.  Compared to other boatlutes in Southeast Asia, the Sulawesi Kecapi is special in its shape and appearance.

The five to six finger posts are big and high and directly carved out of the body of the lute, which is shaped like the body of the famous Pinisi boats of the Kajang people.

The two strings are tuned either unisono, or in a fourth or fifth, depending on the music performed (Bugis, Makassar or Mandar).

The lute is rarely played solo, it supports the "elong" or "kelong" songs, often by doubling the meter of the singing in unisono.

The Kecapi of the Mandar people are called "Kacaping" and are much more ornamented and bigger than the Bugis and Makssar Kecapi, which you can see in the second video.


* Video 01 *    
* Video 02 *    

Pictures (click to enlarge):

    

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