A quiet ocarina boom continues.
When did the ocarina become widely known in Japan? Soh broke through in 1986 as the theme for NHK's special "The Yellow River." Living in a mountain village in Ibaraki Prefecture, Soh became known worldwide as both an ocarina player and maker.
Its origins trace back to Maya civilization; turtle-shaped ones have been excavated in Central and South America. It reached Europe in the 19th century. The current shape is called a teardrop. Tracing the word's origin, it apparently means "little goose" in Italian—OCA (goose) and RINA (little).
Unglazed pottery is the common material, but plastic ones have appeared recently. Tone depends greatly on material and shape. With about 6 to 13 finger holes, resonance in the hollow body produces a soft sound.
In "My Neighbor Totoro," familiar to children, Totoro plays the ocarina. In the "GeGeGe no Kitarō" anime, a "Yokai Ocarina" appears as a weapon.
Beginners say that from "Do" with all holes covered, raising right-hand fingers one by one to "Re," "Mi," "Fa," and "So" is easy. But "La," produced by raising the left ring finger, is the first hurdle. Raising only the ring finger is uncommon in daily life. With practice, clearing this step makes playing relatively smooth afterward, they say.
"El Condor Pasa" in Simon & Garfunkel's 1970 "Bridge over Troubled Water" is a representative Andean folk song. Kitano Maru Park near Palaceside Building is an ideal place to practice. Why not practice the ocarina and someday play "El Condor Pasa" under a blue sky?