Hula shell sound .. from the ocean depths

I want to take you on a journey of discovery with me of the hula shell sound, and this all happened on the beautiful island of Hawaii. We were just doing the tourist thing and came across one of the many markets that can be found on this island paradise.

Drifting through this maze of colour and sounds of “only ten dollars” .. “get your…..”, was something to behold. Anyway I was not too interested in anything at that time just following the flow. Well I am glad I followed that flow, because we came across a vender selling of all things, large sea shell, better than that they were the blowing type, we from the pacific call these the Conch Shell .

Hula Drums

The conch shell is a musical instrument used in hula shows, just like a trumpet you blow them to create a unique sound, and they can be very hard to come by, especially the large shells.

Anyway back to this vender, we spoke about the shells and I asked questions on how old they were, but all he wanted was the $80 (US-dollars) he had them on sale for. Well he picked the wrong guy with his wrong price, so we began to barter, and I manager to get him down to $20 (USD). Yes I am the man and he knew it, didn’t like it but he knew it.

But what he did not know was that he was sitting on a gold mine with this hula shell sound that he knew nothing about, but I did. So I changed my $20(USD) note for my new shell, I asked him if I could bother a small hammer or screwdriver, with this I tapped out a small hole from the wide end of the shell and blew it, and blew it, and the sound was a deep humbling tone, the deepness of this hula shell sound excited me .. “why” because my other shells were of a higher tone.

”Well” you should have seen his face he had $$ in his eyes, I said thanks and went back to my accommodation happy of my cheap purchase and of course proud of my skill in getting it for that price .. “yeah” .. “who’s the man”.

That was short lived as “the man” because I visited the same vender the next day for another $20(USD) conch shell, and low and behold there they were these beauties from the oceans depths with a $125.(USD) sign on them, and there was the vender who I thought I had got one over, he had learnt how to blow these hula shells, and was selling them like hot cakes. He would show his customer the shells have them pick one, tap out the hole, blow it, Sold

He saw me, and with a wink and smile as big as cash register he continued his new found profit making enterprise.

”Who’s the MAN now”

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