Monsoon [SecretsOfFire]

Hawaii doesn't get monsoons, but the name seemed appropriately dark. This is an improv I recorded just after hearing that the Thursday "awa night" get together had been canceled...again. Shortly after recording this I got the call that it was "on" after all, so we spent a fine evening drinking awa, playing hang drums, bongos, cajon, rattles and shakers, and sharing "talk story".

Awa (in Hawaiian pronounced "ava" and called "kava" in Polynesia) is the traditional ceremonial and social drink of the Hawaiian and Polynesian cultures. It has been called "the drink of peace" because it mellows emotions, relaxes the body, but sharpens the mind, unlike alcohol. It is said that "one cannot be angry while drinking awa".

The flavor is not particularly pleasant, so you drink each cupful down in big gulps. If it is prepared correctly, it will somewhat numb your mouth and throat for a few minutes after drinking it.

For best effect, listen to this video with headphones. You'll hear the wind in the palms, crickets, and the local flock of wild mynah birds settling in to roost for the night, all apparently sharing their talk stories. We've heard their sound described as "boiling water over mynahs", because the intensity of their chatter rises and falls like the bubbles in a pot of boiling water.

Played on a PanArt Hang.

If you like my playing, check out my other videos. If you want to hear other Hang players, check out the YouTube channels of: Dante Bucci (mutlunatic), Manu Delago (lovingmecha), Andisteil, PlayHangHang, In2nation, BeyondTheMountain, Muckledrummer, and Imagineye.

Recorded in Hawai'i.

SecretsofFire, September 2010

Category:

Music

Tags:

• hang
• drum
• panart
• awa
• kava
• secretsoffire
• secrets
• of
• fire
• hawaii
• earth
• green
• unity
• secular
• humanism
• birds
• crickets
• rooster
• mynah
• bird
• boiling
• water
• music
• new
• age
• improv
• solo
• musical
• sex

[hollisfeats]

The sound of the halo with the birds singing in the background...a lovely mix.

Thanks for sharing

[Roninlord25a]

very beautiful. I have a Halo ake bono scale. your sound mixed with the setting, is right on. keep your vids coming. Parahi

[imagineye]

I love it man! (love the last tag too! ;) ) The Mynah sound right at home back there too. Awa? That sounds like a cool experience. Put that on my "to do" list. ;)