Anthony Natividad is an innovative flute musician, recording artist, craftsman and entertaining storyteller. Born and raised in Hawaii, he has a deep appreciation for nature, spirituality and cultural diversity.
Anthony is reviving and raising the artistic and cultural value of the “ohe hano ihu”. He is an original musician with the award winning show “Ulalena” on Maui and has recorded the first all nose flute CD, “Ahupua’a”. He was also the featured nose flute artist on the Odyssey channel’s “America” series.
Anthony has been a guest performer with the Tau Dance Theatre, guest recording artist on “TC 2000” with Tony Conjugacion, Herb Ohta Jr’s “ Ukulele Romance”, Keith Nakaganeku’s , Uncle Sam Ka’ai’s artifact presentation at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center and Mahara Brennnan’s meditation CD. He has also played with Condor, a South American music group, Middle Earth, a middle eastern music group from San Diego, Morrison, a Doors music group and many local performers from jazz to jawaiian, classical to world music, taking native flute playing to new heights.
The “ohe hano ihu” is an instrument of sincerity, played with the “HA”, sacred breath of the nose. It expresses the player’s heart and intentions. Misunderstood by the foreigners, the nose flute was banned as an instrument of seduction. The nose flute was used for courting, ceremonies and pitch reference for chants and songs.
In 1993, Anthony began to craft his own flutes when he found difficulty finding pitched instruments. His creativity has birthed flutes made of aluminum cans, plastic bottles, cardboard rolls, film containers, straws, pvc pipes and even a chocolate egg. Anthony loves to expand the range and diversity of the flutes. The smallest nose flute he’s made is 4 inches long and ½ inch in diameter. The largest nose flute is 5 feet long and 3 inches in diameter. He has also created a sound therapy playing 2 nose flutes at the same time, while a person sits between them. People have had deep, profound and healing experiences. Anthony has produced a variety of flutes for many of Hawaii’s top entertainers, recording artists, Hawaiian culturalists and other international musicians.
Anthony’s ability to creatively integrate any subject matter into his flute presentation, captivates audiences of all ages from preschool to kupuna (elders). He has been part of the Artists in the Schools program since 1996 and the Elderhostel program since 1999. He has worked with many schools on Oahu, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, & Kauai.
Anthony has participated in and performed for many cultural festivals and ceremonies and has presented workshops in Washington, California, Utah and on Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kauai. He had the honor to play the nose flutes from all over the Pacific, in the Bishop Museum Archives.
Anthony is available for concerts, recordings, workshops and private gatherings.
An advocate of the arts, culture and children, he donates his time, talent and craft to groups and charities in Hawaii.
Since 1992, Anthony’s heart has been captured by the magic of the flutes. Starting with the ocarina – clay vessel flute, a cedar Lakota courting flute, Hawaiian nose flute, South American pan pipes & quenna, Anthony continues to learn about other native flutes and has added the Anasazi flute, Maori (New Zealand) nguru, koauau, putorino, Japanese shakuhachi, Chinese xiao. To further his knowledge, he researches the culture’s history, flute origins, stories and music.
