In the remote Alas Valley of Southeast Aceh, Sumatra, young Alas girls once gathered after a hard day's work in the fields to play the canang buluh, a five-stringed bamboo tube zither. Three to an instrument, they each masterfully tap and mute the strings to weave a handful of notes into a complex interlocking rhythm that ends up so much more than the sum of its parts.

Now these girls have all grown up, but Ibu Kamrah, Ibu Satunye, and Ibu Siti Rahma still gather on some nights to play their homemade canang buluh together, just like in the old days.

Hear and learn more about this fascinating musical tradition at the new Aural Archipelago post here: https://www.auralarchipelago.com/aura...