Ata Ratu: Jungga in Sumba Timur

Ata Ratu is the queen of jungga in East Sumba, Indonesia. She plays the four-stringed lute and sings improvised lyrics with a gorgeous, powerful voice. Visitors come from all around Sumba to hear Ata Ratu play, so she often improvises new lyrics based on the situation: this song is about our arrival to record her. “Listen,“ she sings. “I’ll be sad when we part. I hum this song for you, sir, who will soon leave.” Also, HUGE NEWS! Ata Ratu is one of a handful of artists joining the Aural Archipelago night at