CONTEMPLATIVE: A whale’s tooth nose flute, a long greenstone flute and a cocoon-shaped trumpet are among taonga puoro Jerome Kavanagh plays “to create a beautiful orchestra of nature”. Picture supplied
CONTEMPLATIVE: A whale’s tooth nose flute, a long greenstone flute and a cocoon-shaped trumpet are among taonga puoro Jerome Kavanagh plays “to create a beautiful orchestra of nature”. Picture supplied
A meditative soundscape that combines puoro with subtle electronica “to create a beautiful orchestra of nature”, can be viewed in Jerome Kavanagh’s video, Oro Atua: Puoro Maori sound healing journey.
The sounds of Kavanagh’s instruments, which include nguru, a whale’s tooth nose flute, porutu pounamu, a long greenstone flute, thekoauau toroa, an albatross wing-bone flute, and a totara, cocoon-shaped trumpet called putorino, are recorded and looped electronically to build the calm soundscape.
Available via a link on SOUNZ Facebook page, the video begins with a calming, ritualistic, whakapapa-based meditation before Kavanagh layers the music created by the traditional instruments. Oro Atua Maori focuses on the use of traditional Maori instruments to promote physical, mental, and spiritual wellness.
A Grammy award winning soloist and Maori musical instrument specialist, Kavanagh has previously performed and recorded with artists in genres that range from hip-hop to classical. Collaborations include the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Moana and the Tribe, and Hayley Westenra. He has performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Centre, the Sydney Opera house, the British Museum and Te Papa Tongarewa National Museum.
