KUCHING, Malaysia -- Visitors to the traditional longhouses of Borneo are often served a round of tuak (rice wine) by their indigenous tribal hosts, known collectively as Dayaks. But the really lucky get an extra treat: the sweet, melancholic melody of the sape', a traditional instrument whose four strings are a perfect match for the ubiquitous serenade of buzzing rainforest insects.
Long, lean and exquisitely chiseled, the sape' was developed by the indigenous Kenyah and Kayan communities in northeastern Sarawak -- one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo -- and has become a global emblem of local indigenous cultural identity. But the island treasures dozens of other indigenous string instruments, collectively called "boat lutes," in dire need of preservation.
