The hasapi is the Batak version of a widely popular instrument known variously as ketjapi, kecapi (Java, Malay Peninsula, Sulawesi) or kutyapi (Philippines) which suggests a very ancient heritage in the region. As with most societies, music often played an important role in Batak rituals and ceremonies. Clearly the success of the ceremony included the quality of the music and required the invocation of ancestors and deities.
