Anthony Natividad

It was like being on a movie set where a busy mob scene is being filmed or trying to get a class of thirty-six 7th graders organized for their first clay lesson. It was an electrically charged evening of energy, talent, and multi-faceted activities happening all at once...somehow coming together in a most unique way. As Jerry Brocklehurst coined it: “This is an evening of E K Kaos!” Those who braved the entire evening walked out with auras around their smiling faces.

Electrically Charged Evening at EKK

To set the tone for the evening, three visiting Tibetan monks from Bhutan in typical maroon and orange religious garb -- Rimpoche, Hodo, and Kindling -- offered a short Buddhist prayer chant. Interesting note on tempo is that several times they slowed down like an antique hand-cranked phonograph and then pick up speed again.

It was to be an evening of nose flute music - quiet, meditative, music that reaches into the soul and calms the nerves. Anthony Natividad -- flute musician, craftsman, storyteller, and performer at ‘Ulalena in Lahaina -- and his wife Jamie came prepared with a bagful of beautifully crafted nose flutes. At least a third of the folks there were anxious to get their noses acclimated to the once nearly lost art of making music with the breath.

Anthony introduced himself with a kahea to let us know who he was and why he was here. He began with stories of what has become his lifelong love affair with this esoteric oral tradition. His initial uneventful but unforgettable introduction to the nose flute in a fifth grade camp at Camp Erdman was hilariously conveyed. He did not realize at that young age the lasting influence this experience would have on his later life. He tried for years to find this first kumu, Uncle John Naone, only to discover that he had passed away five years earlier.

Although he did not become a nose flute child prodigy at age 10, his wife’s gift of an ocarina, a small clay turtle-shaped flute, triggered in him a fascination and obsession with the pure and simple sounds of a flute-like instrument. From the ocarina to the native American flute, to the South American pan pipes and finally back to the Hawaiian nose flute, he spent the past fifteen years exploring the creative possibilities of interpreting his subject matters in flute compositions. Unable to find properly pitched nose flutes, he also began handcrafting his own instruments to deliver a better quality sound and has since crafted over one thousand bamboo flutes.

Flutes, which are based on the pentatonic scale, are of different sizes; this affects its tone. He explained placement and shape of holes to make pitched flutes. He then played a beautiful nose flute number so folks could hear how they would eventually, with a lot of practice, sound.

He followed with demonstrations on the art of blowing the nose flute -- hand position, flute position relative to the nostril, fingering of the holes, movement of fingers, how to breathe, how not to breathe, how to release breath, etc. He demonstrated the release of the air with one long breath and managed to play a tune that lasted 21 seconds. He then demonstrated playing a duet with himself - his left nose carried the drone while his right nose carried the melody.

He covered the basics thoroughly, explaining each step clearly so all received the necessary information before any nose flutes were handed out. He must have done this before. When he asked how many wanted to try their hand at the instruments, hands shot up all around the room and a long queue formed down the aisle.

Having taught school for 37 years, I automatically always think of the logistics of any group activity and wondered in advance how the flute would be disseminated. Not only are the flutes different in size, looks, hand span between holes, they also are made in different pitches -- key of F, Key of C, Key of D -- and Anthony asked them to pick a pitch that matched the tuning of their ukulele or guitar. It was not simply picking any flute out of a bag; each flute had to be matched to the person who was going to blow the flute.

While the fifty-plus people who got their flutes raised them to their noses as per instruction and tried to get the mellow soft haunting tones of the flute, there was generated a lot of windy sounds in the room. The collective sound of the air passing out of multiple noses searching out the illusive holes of the nose flute sounded like the wind through a bamboo forest .... with an occasional real soft flute sound when someone discovered the correct tilt. It looked easier than it was.

Ethel, an experimental four-member string quartet who just arrived from their various tours around the world, and Jeff Peterson who came to record with Ethel, had their instruments poised for just such a moment. Seated informally around on the risers, they rose to the occasion with some lively contemporary rock beat. As folks filed single file to pick up their flutes, the other 100 plus people were occupied and entertained by the unique music of Ethel. Neil and Mary on Violin, Ralph on viola, Dorothy on cello, joined by Will Lydgate on fluke and Jeff Peterson on guitar. What a combination!

Those with flutes continued to try making the appropriate sounds. Rimpoche, one of the Bhutanese monks, got it right off the bat and some pure flute sounds emanated from his flute. Others continued to create a lot of wind. Probably a fourth of those who tried it met with some degree of success. A number of people opted to purchase their own flute so they could continue this musical venture.

After the break, Anthony played “Amazing Grace”. Exquisite melody came floating out of Anthony’s nose flute. Ethel joined in while everyone sang along. Anthony played solo, then each musician played variations on the theme, and finally everyone sang while everyone played. What a great sound and chicken skin moment!

Ethel’s truck stop on Kaua’i was to collaborate with Hawaiian musicians and music so the evening moved on to everyone singing some Hawaiian songs. They got their weekly singing “fix” with the songs “Hanalei Moon” and “Hula O Makee”, the latter led by Rocky Pau on vocals. All the musicians immediately picked up on the melody and each threw in their own animated interpretations of the melody while the audience just sang their hearts out. Sabra Kauka got up and added her hula moves to the mix. It was such fun to see Jeff Peterson so relaxed and just jammin’ away with everyone.

Ethel was invited to play several numbers. Their music is certainly original, eclectic, varied from serene to dynamic and everything in between, but definitely not what one usually associates with string quartets. Neil, the violinist, shared his composition called “Lighthouse.” On Sunday they had another chance to share and play their music at “Me Kealoha”, the kupuna concert, with an amazing line-up of entertainment. Headliners Mihana Souza and Uncle Bill Tapia will be at tonight’s EKK.

Anthony continued his nose flute presentations with demonstrations on the “nguru”, a mournful flute from New Zealand and the native American flute. Hawaiians used the nose flute as an instrument of courtship which conveys purity and sincerity to a chosen loved one. Looking at his wife Jamie, he demonstrated a courtship song, He then showed how lovers could quietly communicate in the middle of the night even if they were apart and longing for each other. He played a special melody, and his wife who had stepped outside on the Lanai, sent her musical reply wafting through the jalousies .... all very romantic stuff getting folks into the mood for Valentines. Simple, pure and hauntingly beautiful, one could easily fall in love with such music.

Never without a nose flute, Anthony shared a final story of doing background music at a huge Sony convention at Waikoloa for top European sales people. He was there to fill in for a no-show flute player to play with a colorful French piano player. No one ever really listens to the entertainment at such events. He went into the kitchen to get some food. Begging an aluminum can from the kitchen staff he quickly poked holes into the can to fashion a makeshift nose flute .... this he did right before our eyes as he continued his story. He went on stage and started blowing the diet Coke can nose flute while the kitchen staff peeked from the side door. Pierre, the French piano player saw Anthony and got fired up, jumped on the piano and began accompanying the flute. One person stopped, saw Anthony and nudged his neighbor; soon the entire table was listening to the duet -- diet Coke can and piano. One by one, the other tables followed suit until the entire banquet room was quietly listening to the music. At the end of seven minutes, everyone stood up and gave them a standing ovation. The kitchen crew was beaming and applauding from the sidelines. He then brought the aluminum can up to his nose and the sound that came forth was as clear, sweet and melodic as that of a bamboo flute. “This is the cheapest nose flute you will ever get,” said Anthony.

With Jeff on guitar and Anthony on aluminum can, everyone stood up to sing “Hawai’i Aloha”. The electric energy field created by the extemporaneous coming together and sharing of such talents, stringed instruments, nose flutes, hula, Hawaiian music, music about lighthouses, Bhutanese prayers, group singing, aluminum can nose flute, and much more is another example of the magic of music in creating a bond between peoples the world over. One never knows quite what to expect at EKK ... E K Kaos!

Upcoming in February and March: Monday, February 18, Pat Palika Enos, ukulele instructor from California will do the instrumental hour from 6 - 7 pm. Mihana Souza and 100 year old ukulele virtuoso Bill Tapia, will be the presenters. February 25 will be another special evening of Hawaiian chants and kala’au with Kumu Hula Keala Ching and Rolinda Bean of BI, along with a whole cadre of his students from BI and Japan.

March 3 - Napua Greig of Maui, together with Sean Naleimaile and Kamakoa Lindsey-Asing of BI; March 10 - Kauai’s wonderful old-timers “The Kama’ainas”; March 17 - “The Taro Patch Band”’; March 24 - Ozzie Kotani and Danny Carvalho; March 31 - Paul Togioka, Dolly Kanekuni and Brent Eynon.

April 7 - Aaron Sala, known as The New Traditionalist, will be our last Monday EKK presenter. April 13 - EKK ends with a Finale Concert at KCC PAC featuring Aaron Mahi, Dennis and David Kamakahi, Natalie A’i Kamau’u with Iolani Kamau’u and Chad A’i, and the Ladies of Kapu Kinimaka’s Na Hula O Kaohikukapulani.

(s) Carol Kouchi Yotsuda, www.gardenislandarts.org -- “Celebrating 31 years of bringing ARTS to the people and people to the ARTS”

E Kanikapila Kakou 2008 -- EKK Silver Anniversary -- Hawaiian Music Program is funded in part by the Hawai’i Tourism Authority, the County of Kaua’i Office of Economic Development, and Garden Island Arts Council supporters. Space made available by Island School.

Garden Island Arts Council programs are supported in part by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts through appropriations from the Legislature of Hawai’i and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.

2/18/08