Back with something New 'n Improved!

It took me a while to regain my strengths after a hot summer filled with festivals in b***-f*** Nowhere, trips to exciting places, never ending parties and tear jerking concerts and I must admit that my everlasting Catholic guilt made me realize that I should haven written more, but time flies when you're having fun.

But I'm here now and I brought back an amazing discovery from my visit to Barcelona, so just Hang in there!

Hang player at Park Güell

During one of my slow strolls in the fantastic hills of Park Güell, my ears were suddenly seduced by a magic sound. Through the wild trees I heard a combination of hypnotic drums, subtle strings, gentle caresses and soft strokes, which made my heart skip a beat and my legs walk faster towards the enchanting composition. On my way to the origin the sound kept getting louder without loosing its suave character. Abruptly a personage, a man, appeared amidst this extraordinary wealth. It was he who created this tang. All by himself, with nothing more than an ordinary Hang.

And it is the Hang, I would like to introduce you to. This steel idiophone, that has been created in 2000 by PANArt in Switzerland, seems to have exploded all over the Catalonian capital. The inventors Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer made a steel pan resembling creation that combines its sound with the gong, the gamelan, the musical saw, the ghatam and many other international percussion instruments. Even though it's pricey (around 1200 for a new Hang and over 5000 euro for a second hand one), the process to buy one is extremely complicated (you need to write a letter to Sabina and Felix and íf they agree with your request, you can book an appointment to visit them at their workshop) and its limited production (the company temporary stopped the production in March this year, next deliveries will start in 2010), the Hang keeps up getting more popular.
Nowadays it (and its funny halfbrother HAPI) can be found around Park Güell, la Catedral, plaça del Sol in Gracia, you name it. Barça could give you an almost 100% guarantee of encountering the subtle sounds of the DING and the GU side of the percussion instrument.

Hang concert behind La Catedral in Barri Gotic

The instrument often referred to as a Hang Drum (the translation of the Bernese word Hang), which might explain the popularity amongst the huge amount of hand drummers in the city of Gaudí. Although it is more probable that one person came, spreading out the love for this melodious reference to acoustic freedom, passing it on to many others.

Whatever it might be, it's definitely something to check out as its sound is just plain beautiful.......
So watch one of youtube videos and decide for yourself.