From its earliest appearance
in the ancient civilizations of the world
to the present day, the ocarina has possessed
the allure of the flute while maintaining a mystique
of its own.
The earliest “globular flutes” (ocarinas) were made
of clay and often were in the shape of small animals.
Others appeared through the ages in many cultures,
and the name “ocarina” was given to the instrument
in Italy in the 1800’s. In the early 20th century they
were called “sweet potatoes” in the United States,
and during World War II, the U. S. government
issued mass-produced plastic ocarinas to its
soldiers as a morale booster.
Now there is a whole family of ocarinas
handcrafted by Charlie Hind from
American black walnut. Each one is
a highly finished and refined
musical instrument.
Sample
Wooden Ocarina
© Ingo Steinbach
(used with kind
permission)
“The ocarina
sounds like a
human voice saying
something kind.”
Ada Dadiani