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Ohe Hano Inu
The
three holed Hawaiian Ohe Hano Inu or nose flute has
a hauntingly beautiful and mysterious sound. Traditionally
it was played while corting through serenading. The
ancient Hawaiian named this serenade "mele ho'oipoipo"
The sound of the Ohe Hano Inu is capable of just one
octave. The construction of the nose flute is very simple
and similar to those made in the South Pacific, especially
in Tonga and the Marshall Islands. Ancient Hawaiians
believed, that air blown from one nostril is the purest
manifestation of the "ha" or breath of life.
That is the reason this special flute was played only
with the nose. But this unique method requires a special
breathing technique to create a very distinctive sound.
The Ohe Hano Inu is made traditionally from bamboo which
symbolizes the element water, which is, in the Hawaiian
Mythology also a symbol of the greatest Hawaiian God
Kane, the source of life, power and water. During the
time of the missionaries, the Ohe Hano Inu was banned,
but now is being revived by many professional Hawaiian
musicians, as a sign of a renaissance of the Hawaiian
Culture.
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