Oniro · Living Passport
B2 · B minor · 17 notes · engraved ding
Krystie,
this is Fuertebonita — and it is your work. Over seven weeks you hollowed all seventeen of its notes by hand, following my instructions strike by strike, until a flat sheet of steel learned to sing. I only pointed; the hammer was always yours.
Together we engraved a Māori design into the ding — a spiral for new beginnings and growth. Fitting, for an instrument that was also the beginning of something for you.
Before it left the workshop we captured its sound fingerprint — the print below belongs to Fuertebonita and to no other handpan on earth. From here, its story is yours to write.
How true each note sat against its target the day it was sealed — deviation in cents for the fundamental and its two tuned partials.
| Note | Fund. | Octave | Fifth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ding · B2 | +1¢ | -2¢ | +3¢ |
| D3 | -1¢ | +2¢ | -4¢ |
| E3 | 0¢ | -3¢ | +2¢ |
| F#3 | +2¢ | +1¢ | -2¢ |
| G3 | -2¢ | +3¢ | +5¢ |
| A3 | +1¢ | -1¢ | -3¢ |
| B3 | 0¢ | +2¢ | +4¢ |
| C#4 | -1¢ | -4¢ | +6¢ |
| D4 | +2¢ | +1¢ | -1¢ |
| E4 | -3¢ | +2¢ | +3¢ |
| F#4 | +1¢ | -2¢ | -5¢ |
| G4 | 0¢ | +3¢ | +2¢ |
| A4 | +1¢ | +1¢ | -2¢ |
| B4 | -2¢ | -3¢ | +4¢ |
| C#5 | +3¢ | +2¢ | -1¢ |
| D5 | -1¢ | +4¢ | +5¢ |
| E5 | +2¢ | -2¢ | +3¢ |
The full voice of the instrument captured before it left the workshop — every note and its partials in one spectral print.
Edhu drew and joined two nitrided steel shells — the low B needs a big body to breathe.
Krystie hollowed the whole note field by hand, following Edhu's instructions strike by strike — her build, and the heart of the instrument's voice.
A spiral etched into the ding — new beginnings and growth. Krystie's mark on the instrument she built.
Oven treatment to lock the tuning; the steel relaxes and the 17 notes settle into place.
Final pass note by note, the sound fingerprint captured, and the birth certificate sealed. Fuertebonita is ready.
Fuertebonita travelled to Pangonia, where dozens of makers and players passed it around the circle. The impressions were warm and generous — congratulations to Krystie kept coming for how the instrument turned out, remarkable for a first build.
“Hard to believe this is a first build — the low B is huge and the harmonics are clean.”
— a visiting maker“The engraved Māori spiral on the ding is stunning. It looks like it has a soul.”
— a player in the circle“From here, the story is hers to write.”
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