I think to do an in-depth history of Hawaiian music would take me days, and you all know how I like to get in-depth on shit. So rather than make this an encyclopedia, I will mention some artists that I think have made an impact on Hawaiian music. You may find a few of these as MP3's, but definitely go out of your way to support their music. Many Hawaiians migrated to the West Coast in the late 60's/early 70's so those of us in the West will definitely find some of the artists I'm about to talk about at used record stores or thrift stores. You just have to do a bit of searching.

is 85 years old and still going strong. You cannot mention Hawaiian music without mentioning this woman's contributions. She definitely could give Eddie Bo a run for his money, as she recorded over 150 singles during her peak years. In the early 60's she would find herself on Hula Records and recorded one of the most popular albums of the modern era, PARTY HULAS! Her style of music is very old style, or what we call cha-lang-a-lang, which mimics the strumming style of the guitar and 'ukulele (ooh-koo-leh-leh). She would go on to release a string of albums. She will forever be known as the woman who gave us "Alika", where she holds a note in the last word in the second to the last song in the verse for awhile, showing the strength of her voice. When you think Hawaiian music, you will think of Auntie Genoa.

had the voice, the look, he was the complete package for people of my grandfather's generation. Before Don Ho, Alfred Apaka was the true ambassador of Hawaiian music, the equivalent of a Frank Sinatra. There's a reason why his albums are found in so many thrift stores, it's because his records were popular. He was signed to Decca and Capitol Records at various points in his career, and it is believed he would have gone on to bigger and better things if he didn't pass away at the age of 41. Musically, he relied on the formula of pop music, but for a generation of people that is slowly disappearing, Alfred Apaka WAS Hawai'i.

Before the term "singer/songwriter" became a badge of pride in pop and rock & roll, people in Hawai'i were doing this as part of the norm. One of the more celebrated singer/songwriters of Hawaiian music was . She too was of my grandfather's era, but the strength of her voice and songs have carried on with each generation of Hawaiian musicians, to where she has become timeless. She was one of the few Hawaiian musicians (and few Hawaiian women for that matter) who had her own radio show during World War II, at a time when Hawaiian music *WAS* the most popular form of music. It is safe to say that every Hawaiian singer alive today owes a bit of their vocal talent to her.

If you've ever dug around for records, you probably have come across your share of 45's on the 49th State and Waikiki record labels. There's a good chance that 's name is on most of them. He was a singer, songwriter, and mulit-instrumentalist, and he was far ahead of everyone throughout his entire career. Every single song he has ever written is now a "Hawaiian standard", attend any good luau and you are going to come across his music a number of times during the night. He would help create one of the most influential record labels in Hawai'i, 49th State Records (named so because there was a push for Hawai'i to become the 49th state in the late 40's/early 50's, before Alaska gained that honor. Statehood was granted for Hawai'i a few months later, but the record label had already gained a reputation for quality Hawaiian music, so the name stayed. Most of the work on 49th State were recorded in the living rooms of the artists, just to give the music a more "home" feel and it worked). By running 49th State, he also helped start the careers of countless Hawaiian artists.

There have been many Hawaiian slide guitar players since the early 20th century, and for most of them it all falls back on . You can read his story in the link, but he was the one who helped bring Hawaiian music to those who were fascinated with movies of the time (many of which were Hawaiian based). His playing style, considered revolutionary for its time, made a big influence on thousands of guitarists who never knew a stringed instrument of any kind could be played like that. He had a direct influence on country music, especially Hank Williams. If there is anyone to blame on the "twang" in country, blame Sol Ho'opi'i. Robert Randolph? You have to go back to Sol Ho'opi'i to hear where it all came from.
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These are the old guys. The following will consist of people who made an impact on my life, what I consider *my* music.

. Even the name gives me chicken skin. For all intents and purposes, if you are in anyway sane and have ears, he is the first person you should listen to. He started out as being a wicked man on the slide guitar, but eventually move on to playing ki ho'alu, or slack key guitar. He had a sweet voice that was reminiscent of his generation, and I am sure John K. Almeida's voice was an influence on him too. He started his career in the 1940's, releasing a string of singles that would carry him and his music throughout the 50's and 60's. While other artists tended to do songs in a "popular" fashion, Gabby Pahinui had a "backyard" style, where one could pull up a bucket, talk story, drink a beer or two, and sing until the chickens started going. It was very "down home" and for many people of my dad's generation, Gabby Pahinui brought them a sense of Hawai'i that was still present, but in a way was slowly disappearing. Gabby's voice would change with age, getting a bit rough around the edges but this gave him a character that no one before or since has had. That's what Gabby added to his music, character. When you saw a picture of him smiling, you felt his music and you felt his presence, as if he was welcoming you to his house for music and dinner. He released a number of great albums on Hula before he would join to create the group, the Sons Of Hawai'i. The union between Kamae (an influential 'ukulele player in his own right) and Pahinui was strong. This would eventually result in the album THE FOLK MUSIC OF HAWAI'I, released in 1971 on Panini. There was something in the air in the world of Hawaiian music, and this was one of many albums of the time that people bought like crazy. The original LP came with a booklet and a bonus 45, presenting the music and the musicians in a manner that was similar to other forms of music that demanded equal respect. A lot of these songs were standards before the Sons of Hawai'i recorded them, but in this setting they would set the standard for all Hawaiian music in the 1970's. They included "Kanaka Waiwai", "Mauna Alani", "Waikiki Hula", "Manu Kapahula", "I Love Christmas", and "No Ke Ano Ahiahi", which loosely translates to "when the evening comes". It is this version that moved Medeski Martin & Wood to cover the song in Pahinui's honor on their COMBUSTICATION album. (If you have the MMW show from 4/1/98 in Seattle, listen to their version of the song, and at the end you will hear some guy yelling out "HANA HOU!" That's me.)

Soonafter, Gabby Pahinui would record an album that would pretty much define him and his music. This album was , released in 1972. Because the original cover was similar in style and color to LED ZEPPELIN II (which had the nickname THE BROWN BOMBER), GABBY is still widely known as "The Brown Album". This is a very "down home" album, as it features the musicianship of his two best friends (Atta Issacs and Joe Gang) and his four songs (Philip, Bla, Cyril, and Martin). The photo inside of the cover, showing all of them playing in the backyard, is the exact vibe this album gave off, and for me it was a experience I had many times when my dad and uncle would play music. The album begins with the original 1947 version of "Hi'ilawe" that he recorded, and ends with a 1972 version, which he recorded on his 51st birthday. It then ends with "Aloha O'e" where he returns to the instrument that started his career, the slide guitar. When "Aloha 'Oe" begins, and it becomes the end of the album, one can't help but feel heartbroken. I can't hear it without crying, for he captures a time in Hawaiian music and Hawai'i in general that used to be everywhere, but almost feels as if it doesn't exist. He would continue to record great album after great album. It would eventually lead to a collaboration with Ry Cooder, whose style of playing is highly influenced not only by Gabby Pahinui but most Hawaiian music in general. He brought Gabby and his friends to California to record an album dedicated to the feelings Cooder got when he would listen to Hawaiian music. The end result was CHICKEN SKIN MUSIC, where Gabby is featured on two songs. While Gabby had always been a Hawaiian favorite, with Cooder being signed to Reprise it helped turn Pahinui into a folk hero of sorts. It would lead to Warner Bros. releasing a Gabby Pahinui album, . Cooder joined Pahinui, his family and friends, for a recording session that happened on the Big Island in an area that didn't have any electricity. Generators were brought in, so all they had was the music and good times. The song that still gets airplay to this day is "Moonlight Lady", sung by Bla Pahinui. After the track was done, Ry Cooder asked Gabby Pahinui to come with him to Los Angeles as Cooder had an idea. Cooder helped create a score that would back up the song. As the story goes, Pahinui was shocked to see an orchestra set up to play on a Pahinui song. Eventually, Cooder would start the original track and the orchestra would play the arrangement that Cooder composed. After hearing it, it is said that Pahinui sat down and cried, because it was so beautiful to hear.

Pahinui continued playing, performing, and recording for the rest of the 70's, and in his last days found a new hobby in golfing. Heavy drinking, and a work-related accident, would lead to wear and tear of his body before he died in 1980 at the age of 59. Many say that when he died, he took the true essence of Hawaiian music with him.
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When began in the late 1960's, they were nothing more than the backing band for singer Palani Vaughan. Peter Moon was the backbone behind the Sunday Manoa, and soon he and Vaughan would move their separate ways (Vaughan would have a very successful solo career, especially in the mid 70's with a series of three albums representing the monarchy of King David Kalakaua. The annual Merry Monarch hula festival is named in Kalakaua's honor for his love of music and hula.)

When the Sunday Manoa recorded HAWAIIAN TIME, Peter Moon was creating arrangements that were not commonplace in Hawaiian music, leaving some to wonder if what he was doing was "right". A year later, he dropped two members and brought on two new people, Robert and Roland Cazimero. It is this lineup that gave the world the flawless album known as . Released in 1969, just as Run-DMC helped separate the old school into the new, Sunday Manoa did the same with Hawaiian music on this album, which was subtitled "Contemporary Hawaiian folk music". What was different? Peter Moon helped bring folk and rock influences into Hawaiian music, specifically the "California sound" that was already popular. No one had ever done what the Sunday Manoa did on this album, especially in the album's opener, (audio sample). The song itself (about King David Kalakaua) was a Hawaiian chant, but here it was updated in a fashion that had never been done. The introduction, consisting of nothing but Hawaiian percussion, seemed to be a "calling of the tribes" if you will, making a bold statement for the song and the rest of the album. While the album was credited as "Peter Moon & The Sunday Manoa", it was truly a group effort for you also had find musicians with the two Cazimero brothers. Robert Cazimero's voice would soon become the group's trademark, and along with brother Roland would create some very nice harmonies. Add to that the voice of Peter Moon, and for many the Sunday Manoa was Hawai'i's own Crosby Stills & Nash. Pretty much every Hawaiian who moved to the West Coast in the late 60's/early 70's would take this album with them, as this became their reminder of home. The album continues to be one of Hula Record's best sellers.

Two years later, the group would record their second album under this lineup, another flawless masterpiece called (released in 1972). This album would feature such songs as "Hula Lady" "Kilakila O Moanalua/Moanalua", "The Queen's Jubilee", and "Honolulu I Am Coming Back Again". Gabby Pahinui was asked to join them on this album (open up the original gatefold album and it is Gabby you see reading the newspaper in the photo of the band hanging out at a store in downtown Honolulu.) Gabby played the slide guitar in the beautiful "Pa'au'au Waltz", which was complimented by Moon's guitar and 'ukulele solos.

A year later, the group would record yet another album, this time showing much maturity. This would result in their last album, . The musicianship was tight, the song selection was great, the arrangments were on the money, and the recording is easily one of the best they've done. They incorporated a string section for a few of the songs. It is this album that features what I feel is the best Hawaiian song ever made, and a one that makes me instantly homesick when I hear it, "A Hawaiian Lullaby".

The group would continue to perform as a group for two more years, including a stop at the . Soon, however, Peter Moon and the Cazimero Brothers would soon split and each would form their own careers. would create The Peter Moon Band, releasing a string of albums that showed his love of Hawaiian music and his talents as a musician in general. started a career together and have released a number of songs that have also become standards. Yet these three albums as the Sunday Manoa continues to influence EVERYONE who still records Hawaiian music today, for their impact has year to be full measured. What used to be considered "controversial" is now part of the norm.
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While the Sunday Manoa were doing everything to widen the boundaries of Hawaiian music, were a group who wanted to do the same, while sticking to the traditions of their culture and upbringing. Guitarist Ledward (Led) Ka'apana was a huge fan of jazz and blues, as was his brother Nedward (Ned) Ka'apana. Cousin Dennis Pavao played guitar as well, and could sing in tenor as well as a sweet falsetto that blew people away. While most of the Hawaiian music coming out originated from Oahu, there weren't too many people from the outer islands getting a lot of recognition at the time. Hui Ohana were from the Big Island, and their vocal harmonies were far different from what anyone had ever heard. Performing in Waikiki would lead to them being signed by Lehua Records, who released . As the title suggests, it was a mix of the old and the new, and this album became an instant classic. A year later they were back in the studio one more time with , featuring such songs as "Kaimana Hila" (when I climbed Diamond Head three years ago, this was the song I sang as I slowly made my way up), "He Aloha No Waimea", and "Vahine Motu".

was their third album where they decided to shine the spotlight on Led and Ned's mom, Tina Ka'apana. Her style of singing was uncommon to most outside of the Big Island, and this would eventually lead to a successful solo career with a series of albums on Poki.

Even by 1974, the amount of Hawaiian music coming out in Hawai'i could be counted with one hand. Yet there was a renaissance waiting to happen, people wanted to hear their music and Hui Ohana were at the forefront. The release of had the group in a recording studio, playing live in front of friends as if it was at a luau in their backyard. They got a hit single with this album in the form of "Macao".

was their fifth album in as many years. As the album cover shows, they were very popular but never once forgot their Big Island roots. The music is representative of that, and it would become their last album for Lehua Records before moving on to Poki, releasing a bunch of albums before they decided to let the group rest for awhile.

would form the group Na Leo Kani O Punahele. Their debut album would feature a song that would become Ka'apana's trademark song, the classic "I Kona". It was enough for him to change the name of the group to I Kona, and his career with I Kona would carry him through to the 80's and 90's. With a number of concert performances in the mainland, Led would begin to find an audience outside of Hawaiian music, finding a following among the folk crowds and fans of guitar music. He would eventually find himself signed to George Winston's Dancing Cat label, his Hawaiian music division. Ka'apana eventually would do music with everyone from Bob Brotzman to Taj Majal, and he continues to gain a following with new releases every year.

I found out 10 years ago that after Hui Ohana ended for awhile, moved here to the Tri-Cities in Washington State. To this day I don't know why, since this isn't exactly a place that has a huge Hawaiian community. Nonetheless, he was here for a few years before moving back home to start what would become a very successful solo career.

Hui Ohana managed to record one last studio album in the mid-80's, but never returned to the studio again as a group (they would perform from time to time). Dennis Pavao died a few years ago, taking away one element of the "ohana" they all shared.
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It is safe to say that the Kamakawiwo'ole brothers in were big buggahs. But when they were both alive, they helped record some of the best Hawaiian music in the 1970's and early 1980's. Skippy Kamakawiwo'ole was my uncle's best friend, playing music and football together in Kaimuki. Like my uncle, Skippy loved to play guitar and would play it everywhere he went. Skippy's brother was Israel, and "Iz" would be seen everywhere with 'ukulele in hand, trying to win girl's hearts. Eventually, the Kamakawiwo'ole's would move from Kaimuki to Waianae, and that is where they met Jerome Koko. This union would result in the formation of the Makaha Sons Of Ni'ihau, a group whose vocal harmonies were very different from Sunday Manoa and Hui Ohana. They shared a love for rock, pop, and country too (to the point where many Hawaiians believe they were the first one to perform Crosby Stills & Nash's "Wasted On The Way"). Skippy died in 1982, and the group shrunk down to a quartet. Due to heavy money disputes that left Israel Kamakawiwo'ole broke and on welfare (which in itself is another post altogether), he left the group and started his own solo career. There had never been this bitterness in Hawaiian music before, generally everybody "talk stink" but "no say nothing". This ordeal was made public knowledge, and soon people started hearing stories which came out, which to sum it up said "how can Israel be in a group where he is the lead singer, the main attraction, where he writes a good portion of the music, and yet be close to penniless?" As a solo artist, Israel showed that his voice and heart were as big as him, and he never once hid behind his big body. Israel would surprise people with the kind of songs he would cover, showing many that he was more diverse than most people assumed. Just as he did with the Makaha Sons Of Ni'ihau, he would show a political side to his music, such as the push for sovereignty and a need for respect towards Hawai'i and it's people, culture, and language. He recorded a medley of two songs, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" and "What A Wonderful World", and it seemed funny to some that here was a man so big singing a song with a childlike demeanor. It would receive a bit of radio airplay in Hawai'i but that was it. His health caught up to him and he passed away at 38. The medley would be used in the credits for "Meet Joe Black", and it was one of the few times where music in the credits gained national attention. Everybody had to know who did this sweet song. The song would later be used for an eToys commercial. By this point, the love for Israel in Hawai'i grew to a much higher level, with many people seeing him as a man whose life and career was cut too short. Personally, the best use of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" was in the last episode of ER that featured the character of Dr. Greene. Everybody in Hawai'i had heard about the ER crew shooting in Hawai'i, and those who followed the show knew that Dr. Greene had an inoperable brain tumor. Then the episode aired. I already anticipated what was going to happen, but nothing could help me prepare for what was to happen. Dr. Greene (played by Anthony Edwards) walked outside to sit down, and played a song that his daughter had on her CD Walkman. As soon as the 'ukulele played, I knew what was going to happen, and personally it became one of the saddest moments I ever experienced with a TV show. Dr. Greene began to see life flash before him, as he heard Israel sing and play in his ears. The "rainbow" is very symbolic, and whomever wrote that episode definitely did their research. That scene right there was perfect, and personally I didn't want to see an episode of ER again. That, to me, was the end. Unfortunately, Israel was never able to see what effect he and his voice was able to do for the world. A few months previous, magazines such as "Entertainment Weekly" and "TV Guide" finally showed photos of Israel, and his music now has a following in the mainland.
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There are so many other groups to choose from, but for me this is the best place to start. Other people of interest include:

* Kawai Cockett
* Olomana
* Cecilio & Kapono (Hawaiian folk/rock, a duo who were signed to Columbia Records in 1974)
* Country Comfort (along the lines of Cecilio & Kapono with a huge country influence)
* Kalapana
* Loyal Gardner
* Melveen Leed
* The Lim Family
* Keali'i Reichel
* Sean Na'au'ao
* Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom
* Willie K.
* Na Leo Pilimehana
* Ale'a
* Robi Kahakalau
* Jake Shimabukuro
* Sonny Ching
* Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu

I can go on and on. In terms of my own family, my first cousin is jazz singer Nohelani Cypriano, and my Auntie Elodia is married to slack key guitar legend Raymond Kane, thus he is uncle by marriage.

For the most part, the artists I mentioned here stick to the traditions of Hawaiian music to some degree. Even with groups like Cecilio & Kapono, Country Comfort, and Kalapana who would be at times more rock than Hawaiian, there are Hawaiian qualities in their music that made them very popular on AM radio in the mid to late 1970's.

The death of Bob Marley would lead to many Hawaiians enjoying reggae to the point where they would incorporate the music as their own. What was called "Island Style" is known as "Jawaiian music" and in my opinion this has killed Hawaiian music many times over. Some of it is cute, but most of it is watered down reggae, and I refuse to be a fan. There are a few people who have incorporated reggae into their sound but are actually not too bad. They include "Sistah" Robi Kahakalau and Sean Na'au'ao. Na'au'ao did an interview where he said his fans wanted him to do more traditional Hawaiian music, something he hadn't done for awhile. That resulted in the beautiful "Ka Pilina" and he found many fans coming to him. Afterwards, he released two albums, one to please both of his audiences.
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Hawai'i was definitely influenced by other forms of music, but because it is so far removed, they never caught on, with a few exceptions. Seawind was a band fronted by Pauline Johnson, and they found themselves signed to CTI Records before moving to A&M. They caught the ears of Michael Jackson, and Seawind made their way onto the OFF THE WALL album.

Yvonne Elliman calls Manoa her home, and would make herself known by being a part of the "Jesus Christ Superstar" cast. She would find her way into the movie version, and that made her an instant star. A few years later, she would record a song that to most of the world was her only hit, "If I Can't Have You". In Hawai'i however, radio would give much radio airplay to "Hello Stranger", "I Can't Get You Outa My Mind", and "Love Me". Before Amerie, Michelle Branch, and Vanessa Carlton made Asian-blends hip, Yvonne Elliman was doing her thing before anyone knew what she was. Elliman had lived in Malibu in recent years before moving back home in the last year.

In the late 60's and early 70's, there were many rock bands in Hawai'i, but they were looked upon as "bad" since as a Hawaiian you were expected to like Hawaiian music and that was it. If you looked outside for influences, you weren't worthy, which is why the Sunday Manoa were seen as being against the grain. Some of these Hawaiian rock records (psychedelic, hard rock, heavy metal, and even jazz) are now being looked at today from a different perspective, the outcasts of Hawaiian music if you will. It is an area that is still being explored and properly archived, and hopefully when I move back I'll be able to take part in the research for it.

Today, Hawaiian music and Jawaiian music remain the bread and butter of the Hawaiian music industry, which is going through hard times as much as any localized music scene. There are people back home who do record blues, jazz, soul, metal, hip-hop, and electronica, but continue to remain on the fringe. Nonetheless, the community within each are strong and show a sense of support that is common among the Hawaiian music community, and Hawaiians in general. Here are a few links some of you may want to look into:

* is a good source for most of the music that is discussed here in The Lesson.
* is the radio station for the University of Hawai'i, and they are "Hawai'i's only alternative". Lots of quality radio shows on there.
* is the site founded by Kavet Omo, a/k/a Kavet The Catalyst, whom I've posted about a few times in the past. He raps, DJ's, promotes shows, he does it all.
* is a hip-hop label founded by my friend, Lauren Muneoka. She's released a small number of records and CD's so far, including the new LP by Old Joseph. If you haven't heard him, you should. She is also preparing an album by Topic, whom I hope will blow people away as Topic has with me. A label to watch.
* is one of the top DJ crews in Honolulu, don't front.
* is the weekly tabloid paper there, and they often feature a healthy listing of events happening there on a regular basis. They also offer articles that the two main papers there don't cover.

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A lot of times I feel I am too far from the source, but my inspiration continues to be Hawai'i and the people there. I want to be a part of this and what they do, and for me I will forever represent Hawai'i in everything that I do.
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"Ua mau ke 'ea o ka aina i ka pono"
(The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness)



p.e.a.c.e.
-John Book

THE HOME OF BOOK-NESS:
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Speak into the box below, my love

www.anthonyhamilton.com

PRAY 4 THE EAGLES/FREE GEORGE CLINTON!

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holy mary mother of g.a.w.d

p.e.a.c.e.
-

THE HOME OF BOOK-NESS:
http://thisisbooksmusic.wordpress.com
http://twitter.com/thisisjohnbook
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hits "Printer-friendly page" and wiats till next bowel movement.

http://www.tumblr.com/blog/violinsinhiphop

>hits "Printer-friendly page" and wiats till next bowel
>movement.

bwahaha, i needed a good laugh, thanks.

N/m

o my god! kennie killed many!

p.e.a.c.e.
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THE HOME OF BOOK-NESS:
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Looking very forward to reading this. Also immediately requesting archiving upon retirment from the 7 pages.

I'll try to get the chance to read tonight, and I'm sure I'll have questions for tomorrow.

Edit: sheesh, 9 pages... awesome. *Changing ink cartridge*

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so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

.....

______________________________
Host of Soul Elixir on 88.7 fm or stream at wjcu.org Tues 6-8PM funk,jazz,Latin,disco,samba,funk,afrobeat all LPs& 45s

p.e.a.c.e.
-

THE HOME OF BOOK-NESS:
http://thisisbooksmusic.wordpress.com
http://twitter.com/thisisjohnbook
http://www.facebook.com/book1

p.e.a.c.e.
-

THE HOME OF BOOK-NESS:
http://thisisbooksmusic.wordpress.com
http://twitter.com/thisisjohnbook
http://www.facebook.com/book1

The role of non-Hawaiians in popularizing the musics you talk about. I can think of a few...

-all the cats in the '20s and '30s who played supposedly Hawaiian music. How valid was that stuff?

As for more modern -

-Ry Cooder - didn't he do a Hwaiian slide album sometime? And how was it received at home?

-Makoto Kubota - inthe mid-'70s he recorded a few albums (I think with Harry Hosono or whatever his name was from YMO) as "Makoto Kubota and the Sunset gang." It was sort of a pan-South Pacific affair, as I understand it, and pulled a significant Hawaiian influence. (Also notable for first popular cover of Shokichi Kina's classic "Haisai Ojisan.") -Did thes eprojects help start the hula boom in Japan? -With Hawaii's heavy Japanese-descended population and interaction with modern Japanese, did these projects raise any eyebrows at home?

-George Winston - He'd been into Hawaiian for a long time, I know, before he started Dancing Cat. Are his efforts appreciated, or is he still seen as an outsider?

-Bob Brozman - it's funny the first time I saw him he was dressed in a suit and did a very blues-based set. Last time I saw him play was with Led Kaapana. I know he plays with everybody (and with some of his non-Hawaiian collaborators, he brigs a distinctly Hawaiian element)... what's the perception on him?

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

>The role of non-Hawaiians in popularizing the musics you
>talk about. I can think of a few...
>
>-all the cats in the '20s and '30s who played supposedly
>Hawaiian music. How valid was that stuff?

Are you talking about the "hapa-haole" stuff, where it's a mixture of Hawaiian melodies with English lyrics, the songs you heard in movies? For years Hawaiians viewed it in the same way a black person might see those old movies with people in blackface. A lot of the songs were embarrassing, and the movements they made... obviously showed a lack of knowledge of the music and culture. They all assumed that the hula was about sex and swaying hips, so all of the moves were exaggerated.

However, those songs would carry on into my grandfather's generation. I mention this because , and some of those songs were the ones people began to request. Those old songs would battle the new Hawaiian songs that were being composed, and in an unspoken fashion became part of the Hawaiian repetoire.

One thing that did catch on immediately was the slide guitar, and there is a CD which features some of those early songs and the progression of the instrument in Hawaiian music.


>-Ry Cooder - didn't he do a Hwaiian slide album sometime?
>And how was it received at home?
I'm not sure, although he has always incorporated the slide guitar in his work (such as the double CD on Reprise featuring the music he did for soundtracks). I only know of CHICKEN SKIN MUSIC, but if there are others I'd like to pick them up.


>-Makoto Kubota - inthe mid-'70s he recorded a few albums (I
>think with Harry Hosono or whatever his name was from YMO)
>as "Makoto Kubota and the Sunset gang." It was sort of a
>pan-South Pacific affair, as I understand it, and pulled a
>significant Hawaiian influence. (Also notable for first
>popular cover of Shokichi Kina's classic "Haisai Ojisan.")
>-Did these projects help start the hula boom in Japan? -With
>Hawaii's heavy Japanese-descended population and interaction
>with modern Japanese, did these projects raise any eyebrows
>at home?

Touchy subject here. Culturally, Hawai'i became the home of the Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos, and Portuguese after 1850's for slave labor in the pineapple and sugar cane fields. What was supposed to be temporary would become a way for them to plant roots. Without the Spanish there wouldn't be a guitar, and without the Portuguese there wouldn't be the 'ukulele (jumping flea). In Hawaiian music there are loads of songs that are based on Portuguese folk songs, so all of this interaction would help mold modern Hawaiian music.

It's not a surprise that Hawai'i heavily relies on the tourist industry from Japan, and has always done that since the late 1960's. Some felt that catering solely to a Japanese audience was wrong, but just like any thing, the Japanese were curious and were honest about embracing the music to some degree. A few people realized that maybe they should take the music to Japan. There would be a number of groups who would find greater acceptance in Japan than back home, and would often release music there that you had to pay double or triple for in Hawai'i (the infamous "import prices"). These artists included Henry Kapono and Kalapana. Not only did the records sell well, but musicians realized they could make quite a bit of money by performing. Let's just say that one musician could make more money in Japan in two weeks than they would if they toured the U.S. for three months.

Hawaiian music reached Japan through a number of means, but primarily it was through the Nisei, who would move to Hawai'i and eventually come back home and share records with their family. In turn, a lot of these Japanese songs would travel back to Hawai'i so there was always a healthy exchange in that sense.
http://www.john-book.com/HawaiianMusicCorner/reviews/ClubNisei.htm
http://www.john-book.com/HawaiianMusicCorner/reviews/ClubNisei2.htm

Through the music, many Japanese fell in love with Hawai'i. If you look at the link I placed for my grandfather, he played in Japan in the early 1950's with his group, the Sakura Serenaders. The name itself catered to the Japanese, they would play some of the Japanese songs of the day, and would always play Hawaiian songs as part of their sets. I am sure my grandfather was not the exception to the rule, in terms of going to Japan to make better money.


>-George Winston - He'd been into Hawaiian for a long time, I
>know, before he started Dancing Cat. Are his efforts
>appreciated, or is he still seen as an outsider?
Since I'm not there, I haven't heard a perception of him, but without his love of the music, a lot of these artists (especially my uncle, Raymond Kane) would not have been given the exposure that they currently have. Slack key music is easy to get into, because they're mostly instrumental and you don't have to know the language in order to appreciate. For a guitarist, their music is great because of some of the custom tunings each player has, some of which are "family tunings". They used to be a secret but a number of releases on Dancing Cat show that in order for the music to be kept alive, some of the hidden secrets have to be shared. I think for the most part, Winston is seen as someone who has definitely helped in keeping one part of the music alive, especially when the Hawaiian music industry ignored many of them as has-beens.


>-Bob Brozman - it's funny the first time I saw him he was
>dressed in a suit and did a very blues-based set. Last time
>I saw him play was with Led Kaapana. I know he plays with
>everybody (and with some of his non-Hawaiian collaborators,
>he brigs a distinctly Hawaiian element)... what's the
>perception on him?
Not sure what people in Hawai'i think of him. That's why I want to move back, to get a feel of what people do think and to see how different those views are from mine. I have a lot of assumptions, but I think in terms of slack key music, it's probably considered "old music" in Hawai'i as it always has. With more people listening to Jawaiian as THE form of Hawaiian music, I think the only people talking about slack-key are people around my age who still want to keep a bit of that alive, and non-Hawaiian residents who have taken this music to heart and want to share it with the world.

I've talked about Brotzman before, but at first I wondered who he was, and realized that he is someone who wants to collaborate with everyone. I still have yet to hear the Indian CD he did, but I want to get into his music even more. There is still a "haole stigma" in Hawai'i, and that is understandable. Cooder and Brotzman didn't get into the music for the sole purpose of stealing it and making it their own. Historically, Hawaiians have always felt that way for any "outsider", so when someone does make it with the music, there is an unspoken jealously. With Cooder, he would appear on not only Pahinui's albums, but also a number of Peter Moon's albums, including CANE FIRE. I am sure there were many who looked at the photos and asked who he was, and through this realized that he wasn't a bad musician at all.

To be honest, I don't think they are looked down upon as "thieves" of the music. These days, people want music that is more real and authentic, and not a rehash of what came 7 years before. Or they would like to discover music that they might have ignored or had a passing curiosity.

Personally, this is very much my music, even moreso. I want to share this and let people know what it's about.



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>Are you talking about the "hapa-haole" stuff, where it's a
>mixture of Hawaiian melodies with English lyrics, the songs
>you heard in movies? For years Hawaiians viewed it in the
>same way a black person might see those old movies with
>people in blackface. A lot of the songs were embarrassing,
>and the movements they made... obviously showed a lack of
>knowledge of the music and culture. They all assumed that
>the hula was about sex and swaying hips, so all of the moves
>were exaggerated.

That's exactly what I was talking about - there's even a group on the Harry Smith anthology called So & So's Hawaiian island Singers... they play some Appalachian ballad. I'll have to check it out again.
But it never ceases to fascinate me how various elements of traditions come together to synthesize the whole... the way these songs moved from being looked down on to being embraced is great.

Note to you on Japanese language tips... I know that nisei is generally the term used, butas you are interested in language I thought I'd share the terms for various generations. You know 1-4 in japanese? (ichi-ni-san-shi/yon) - that's how you count the generations of expats.
Issei = immigrants
nisei = First generation born here
Sansei = next generation
Yonsei = next generation (most of my Japanese-American friends over the years have been yonsei)

>I've talked about Brotzman before, but at first I wondered
>who he was, and realized that he is someone who wants to
>collaborate with everyone. I still have yet to hear the
>Indian CD he did, but I want to get into his music even
>more. There is still a "haole stigma" in Hawai'i, and that
>is understandable. Cooder and Brotzman didn't get into the
>music for the sole purpose of stealing it and making it
>their own. Historically, Hawaiians have always felt that
>way for any "outsider", so when someone does make it with
>the music, there is an unspoken jealously. With Cooder, he
>would appear on not only Pahinui's albums, but also a number
>of Peter Moon's albums, including CANE FIRE. I am sure
>there were many who looked at the photos and asked who he
>was, and through this realized that he wasn't a bad musician
>at all.

I was surprised that Brozman, being a great fingerpicker, played slide (all lap-style, too, i think) whenI saw him this summer with Led. the album of his I have with Takashi Hirayasu is cool because he's playing mostly Hawaiian slide (thogh he does some blues slide as well) over Hirayasu's sanshin, and there are other strangecombos as well, most notably the track featuring David Hidalgo.

Anyway - lots to chew on here, as always -

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

>But it never ceases to fascinate me how various elements of
>traditions come together to synthesize the whole... the way
>these songs moved from being looked down on to being
>embraced is great.

Exactly. I think there will always be a younger generation that looks down at the old, and as they get older it is appreciated a bit more, I know I've done that.


>Note to you on Japanese language tips... I know that nisei
>is generally the term used, butas you are interested in
>language I thought I'd share the terms for various
>generations. You know 1-4 in japanese? (ichi-ni-san-shi/yon)
>- that's how you count the generations of expats.
>Issei = immigrants
>nisei = First generation born here
>Sansei = next generation
>Yonsei = next generation (most of my Japanese-American
>friends over the years have been yonsei)

Yes. It is the first generation of Japanese who were born in Hawai'i that pretty much helped mold what Hawai'i is today, those who appreciated Hawaiian music but also had a love for Japanese music from their parents. A former co-worker is Japanese and she was in one of the organizations in San Diego, and now she's one of the top news anchors in Honolulu. She'd be like "oh, my grandma is Nisei, you heard of Nisei?"

My appreciation of Japanese people and culture comes from being surrounded by it in Hawai'i, I was more amazed when I moved to the mainland and found that to be replaced by paranoia, not just for the Japanese but anyone with "slant-eye". Tell people you're Hawaiian, and it becomes question time. Then add that you're also Chinese, and they act like you're lying. Then keep on adding, and I felt like I was a freak show to the people here.



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Couldn't figure out the ethnicity, and teh last name was the inoffensive 'Gurney.'

Eventually I got to know her. Turns out her Dad's Australian via Scotland (Or Scottish via Australia, can't remember), and her mother is Jamaican of Chinese and African descent.

People like you & Susan make me wish more of white America had a traditional culture to hang onto... maybe that's why i'm so fascinated with others, don't really have one of my own.

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

For me, I definitely don't mind people asking what I'm about, if they are curious and serious about it. I'm surrounded by people who have the mentality of "you are five different things? That's impossible" as if to suggest I was created by a freak experiment in a lab. For me, acknowledgement of what I am has been there from the beginning. Being surrounded by so many others made me curious about what made other people tick. Food and music are the things that help spark conversations, and I miss that, being able to go to the park, having a plate lunch, or bringing a cooler of food to the beach and asking someone if they want to help themselves to eat.

When I moved here, I was immediately separated from everyone else, and since no one found a category to fit me in, I was an outcast. I struggled with that for years because back home I fit in with everyone. But... another story, another time.

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Singing styles.

What I've heard tends ot be sung in a high register, I wouldn't call it a falsetto exactly as it's huskier, but still something that really took me by surprise the first time I heard it. These massive guys singing in these high voices.

Is that typical?
and
I've never hear a female Hawaiian singer. Do they do anything like the men do to their voices, or sing it straight up?

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

>Singing styles.
>
>What I've heard tends ot be sung in a high register, I
>wouldn't call it a falsetto exactly as it's huskier, but
>still something that really took me by surprise the first
>time I heard it. These massive guys singing in these high
>voices.
>
>Is that typical?

Falsetto music in Hawai'i is literally a culture all into itself. Like other cultures, early Hawaiians believed that women should not mingle with the men, that they should cook and clean while the men hunted and looked for food. In the 1850's or so, in a more modern society, Hawaiian women weren't allowed at functions. Male musicians would mimic the voices of women by reaching the high register, and that caught on, even when women were "allowed" in formal settings. From 1940 on, there wasn't a record where you didn't hear someone sing in a falsetto voice. For a generation of people, that style signifies Hawaiian music to a tee. At the same time, others would sing regular style, so it would depend on what the song was about. A lot of people would buy records to see who could hold the notes the longest. Falsetto singing faded for a moment, but now there is an annual falsetto contest in Honolulu that keeps those traditions alive. The contest is open to everyone, so there have been people from Japan and Australia taking part.

For me, when I play an old album and I hear the right falsetto note, it's heartbreaking. I remember my childhood, going to my grandfather's place and hearing all the records he loved, or playing Hawaiian music every Sunday. When you hear a falsetto voice on a new song, you tend to think that this person knows what they're doing. Willie K. did a song called "For You Ku'uipo" that is mostly sung in a regular register, but once he reaches the chorus it's all over. Kala'i Stern is a great singer with the high register, and he was with the group Ale'a before moving on to concentrate on education. It's "old style" but a style that many people want and love because that *is* Hawaiian music.


>and
>I've never hear a female Hawaiian singer. Do they do
>anything like the men do to their voices, or sing it
>straight up?
Both. As I said, male falsetto in Hawaiian music is about mimicking the ladies. So when you're listening to the women sing, that's what you're supposed to hear. Genoa Keawe is a good example of what they were trying to achieve, because she is very much "old style". Just like the men, the voice of the woman in Hawaiian music is just as diverse. If you want old style, listen for Genoa Keawe. If you want new, listen to Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom, Anelaikalani (who recorded her first album when she was 14), or Robi Kahakalau. "Sistah" Robi pretty much sings straightforward, but she can reach some high notes too.




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>For me, when I play an old album and I hear the right
>falsetto note, it's heartbreaking.

Exactly... the first time I heard it, I couldn't figure out what was going on (i was also focusing on the guitar parts). But I think it may take an effort for an outsider to sit and LISTEN toit, and it's definitely a challenge to soak up both the vocals and guitar simultaneously. Again, seeing Led Kaapana this summer put a lot of it into a better context.

And that heartbreak... aaaaahhhhhh

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

>Exactly... the first time I heard it, I couldn't figure out
>what was going on (i was also focusing on the guitar parts).
>But I think it may take an effort for an outsider to sit and
>LISTEN to it, and it's definitely a challenge to soak up both
>the vocals and guitar simultaneously. Again, seeing Led
>Kaapana this summer put a lot of it into a better context.

True. When he sings, the guitar becomes accompaniment. Then the guitar speaks, as any guitarist does.

>And that heartbreak... aaaaahhhhhh<
Definitely.



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I read that the guitar was introduced to teh Islands in the 1850s by Mexican vaqueros. This gives me a few questions, aside from the obvious "what the hey were Mexicans doing in Hawaii in the 1850s?"...

1. The way you describe cha-lang-a-lang rhthymically makes me think of the strumming patterns inherent in a few of the Iberian-descended musics. Any thoughts?

2. I read that steel strings were hard to come by in the years after that, so they started tuning the strings down and learning the new tunings as an attempt to preserve the strings. Is this accepted there or again someone's theorizing?

3. Combining the first two... I think most Mexican guitars are at least currently nylon strung, so I would think that they would have been gut back in the day. Where did the steel trings come from?

4. When was the ukulele developed? Presumably it was a native adaptation of the stringed instruments brought in the 19th century...

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

>I read that the guitar was introduced to the Islands in the
>1850s by Mexican vaqueros. This gives me a few questions,
>aside from the obvious "what the hey were Mexicans doing in
>Hawaii in the 1850s?"...

LOL. Well, what in the hell were Chinese doing in Jamaica? My guess is that with the trade going on between Hawai'i and California (thus C&H Pure Cane Sugar), that would have caused it. I have to look it up again, but I think when horses were introduced to Hawai'i, the landowners would actually bring in cowboys from Spain (keep in mind the European influence, the reason why the Union Jack is in the Hawaiian flag). The Spanish would teach the Hawaiian cowboys (pani'olo) what to do with the horses and ranches, and in turn teach them about this six stringed instrument.


>1. The way you describe cha-lang-a-lang rhthymically makes
>me think of the strumming patterns inherent in a few of the
>Iberian-descended musics. Any thoughts?
I haven't heard any Iberian music so I don't know.


>2. I read that steel strings were hard to come by in the
>years after that, so they started tuning the strings down
>and learning the new tunings as an attempt to preserve the
>strings. Is this accepted there or again someone's
>theorizing?
It's one theory. Another theory was that because of the warm weather, the guitars would gradually go out of tune, and when they played the guitar it would result in something totally different, and they kept that up. I'd have to look up that one too though.


>3. Combining the first two... I think most Mexican guitars
>are at least currently nylon strung, so I would think that
>they would have been gut back in the day. Where did the
>steel trings come from?
Probably from the British.

>4. When was the ukulele developed? Presumably it was a
>native adaptation of the stringed instruments brought in the
>19th century...
Yes, that was brought from the Portuguese when they arrived in Hawai'i to pick pineapples and sugar and whatnot. I have my LEGENDS OF THE 'UKULELE CD here, so let me take a look:

It comes from the Portuguese instrument braquintho, or the "machete". It was brought to Hawai'i in 1879. It is said that an Englishman, Edward Purvis, befriended many Portuguese immigrants and immersed himself in their culture, food, and music. Apparently he was a small guy who played with very quick movements and Hawaiians, always a way with words, called him 'Ukulele, because he reminded them of a "jumping flea". Thus, the instrument became the 'ukulele. King David Kalakaua loved the instrument, and asked that groups would be formed to play the music. He also asked that the 'ukulele be incorporated in the local orchestras, and soon the 'ukulele would begin a life all its own.

, is one of the true masters of the 'ukulele. He recorded tons of albums in the 50's, 60's, and 70's, which lead to him being signed to A&M and having a huge hit in the form of "Song For Anna".

In the 60's and 70's you also have Peter Moon, who applied his love of other forms of music and incorporated into his style. He still performs and records today, and also teaches at the University Of Hawai'i.

Today, you have , who some say is the Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen of 'ukulele. I remember thinking as a kid how come no one uses steel strings for an 'ukulele to electrify it? Shimabukuro has done this for some of his ukes, and also uses pedals to enhance what he's doing. Outside of music he releases at home in Hawai'i, he has a contract with Epic in Japan which allows him to record music that might be questionable for the Hawaiian market (i.e. Ozzy's "Crazy Train" or something).
-----
As you can see, Hawaiian music is like sampling, it takes a bit of everything from each culture to turn into its own thing and has its own identity. With people like Ohta, Moon, and Shimabukuro one might be lead to believe "wait, the top Hawaiian musicians are Asians? Wassup with that?" That is true, but you also have Filipinos like Don Baduria whose 'ukulele playing was pretty fierce in his day (late 50's/early 60's). People in Hawai'i are mixed anyway, so you have many Hawaiian/Chinese, Hawaiian/Japanese, Hawaiian/Porutugese, Hawaiian/Filipinos, and it's not seen as a big issue. You play good music, you bring it to the party, that's alright.

Because you also have Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Keoki Ka'apana, David Kamakahi, and Wilson Kanaka'ole who can blow anyone away with their playing too.



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>LOL. Well, what in the hell were Chinese doing in Jamaica?

Same durn thing! Same too as the Indians in Trinidad-Tobago and Fiji.


>I haven't heard any Iberian music so I don't know.

Sure you do - Iberia being the peninsula holding Spain and Portugal. I was thinking primarily of the rhythmic guitar styles heard in everything from flamenco (extreme) to bossa nova (mellow) to bolero and even mariachi. make a little more sense?

>Probably from the British.

Ah, forgot about them - weren't those the days of the Sandwich Islands? Apity that name has ben lost to history.


>Yes, that was brought from the Portuguese when they arrived
>in Hawai'i to pick pineapples and sugar and whatnot. I have
>my LEGENDS OF THE 'UKULELE CD here, so let me take a look:

>It comes from the Portuguese instrument braquintho, or the
>"machete". It was brought to Hawai'i in 1879. It is said
>that an Englishman, Edward Purvis, befriended many
>Portuguese immigrants and immersed himself in their culture,
>food, and music. Apparently he was a small guy who played
>with very quick movements and Hawaiians, always a way with
>words, called him 'Ukulele, because he reminded them of a
>"jumping flea". Thus, the instrument became the 'ukulele.
>King David Kalakaua loved the instrument, and asked that
>groups would be formed to play the music. He also asked
>that the 'ukulele be incorporated in the local orchestras,
>and soon the 'ukulele would begin a life all its own.

Fascinating... i didn't even know previously there had been a Portuguese presence in hawaii, and somehow I'm surprised there was one that late (as opposed to, say, when the Portuguese actually were a world maritime power in the 16th century).

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

>>LOL. Well, what in the hell were Chinese doing in Jamaica?
>
>Same durn thing! Same too as the Indians in Trinidad-Tobago
>and Fiji.

Exactly. It's cool to read up on things like that, people moving to other places to find better. With dancehall, you have Pat Chin, who along with her husband, Vincent Chin, formed VP Records in Jamaica. Younger people are quick to say "what in the hell are Chinese people doing in reggae?" yet the Chinese were there in the early 1900's and never looked back. If I remember right, it was a small handful. But they definitely established their own ground, and the Chinese also played major roles in the development of ska (I believe Vincent Chin was in one of the first ska bands, and of course you have people like Leslie Kong too.) All of that is of interest to me.

>>I haven't heard any Iberian music so I don't know.
>
>Sure you do - Iberia being the peninsula holding Spain and
>Portugal. I was thinking primarily of the rhythmic guitar
>styles heard in everything from flamenco (extreme) to bossa
>nova (mellow) to bolero and even mariachi. make a little
>more sense?

Yes.

>>Probably from the British.
>
>Ah, forgot about them - weren't those the days of the
>Sandwich Islands? A pity that name has been lost to history.

Well, Hawaiians love McDonald's but don't get me started on that one.

There was a band in the late 70's called the Sandwich Isle Band, and they were really good. There's also a radio show called "Territorial Airwaves", which goes back to when it was called the "Territory Of Hawai'i", so it plays any and all Hawaiian music before 1959.

>Fascinating... i didn't even know previously there had been
>a Portuguese presence in hawaii, and somehow I'm surprised
>there was one that late (as opposed to, say, when the
>Portuguese actually were a world maritime power in the 16th
>century).
True. Well, once the Portugese came to Hawai'i, they stayed, and definitely played a major role in the growth of Honolulu from 1870 on. In fact, I am from an area in Honolulu called Pauoa, and most of the streets in Pauoa are named after famous Portagees. Pauoa is commonly known as "Portageeville", and it's a part of my heritage that I always acknowledge. The migration of other cultures to Hawai'i in the early 1800's caused a great portion of the Hawaiian population to die, due to lack of any proper medicine. Once proper medical procedures were applied, there was a sense (primarily from the British) to use Hawai'i as a port between Japan/China and San Francisco. Hawai'i was always seen as a business opportunity, and in a way that has never changed.

The U.S. government decided to take a piece of the pie, but even with outside influences, the Hawaiian monarchy kept firm and wanted to strengthen relations with other countries. One thing lead to another, and someone decided that it would be profitable to take advantage of the sugar and pineapple crops that were once everywhere. That's when the other cultures came. In the late 1800's, when slavery was abolished, the U.S. government secretly brought Hawaiians to the West Coast, specifically Washington and Oregon, for what was essentially slave labor. Some Hawaiians were able to escape and were able to create their own communities. One such place was the Idaho town of Owhyhee, named so because that was the phonetic way Captain Cook spelled Hawai'i. Owhyhee is now the home of the Idaho Spud candy. Along with those who were Hawaiian by birth were a wide range of Asians, who would eventually create some roots in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, I learned that the area I live in used to have a huge Asian farming community, but would soon be scared off by landowners with a bit more money and power. They would eventually move closer to the Seattle area. When the Japanese and Chinese settled in the Seattle area, they would be able to communicate with family back in Japan and China, and telling them to come to America. I believe Washington governor Gary Locke's family was a part of the initial immigration.

Hawaiians had always found a home in San Francisco due to the heavy trade, and this is why there is a huge Hawaiian community there, which would eventually spread throughout California.









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Being a fingerstylist who plays a lot in open D, DADGAD, and open G, of course I'm intrested in knowing more about the various tunings.
-Does a guitarist always play in the same tuning, or will s/he switch between songs?
-Why the focus on keeping one's tuning secret and/or proprietary? i've even heard of slack key players refusing to teach and possibly quitting b/c they suspected potential students of stealing their tunings. Doesn't seem like that big a deal to me.
-Slide: is it always played lap style in Hawaii? Are the slide tunings different fom the standard slack keys?
-Something slightly more technical: when did the resonator guitar come into play? I'm interested (as Rapster pointed out in the blues post) that resonators and slide developedin blues and Hawaiian concurrently - i'm wondering specifically if there was some sort of interaction, or was it by chance?

-And the 'ukulele - is that open to various tuning interpretations as well?

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

>Being a fingerstylist who plays a lot in open D, DADGAD, and
>open G, of course I'm intrested in knowing more about the
>various tunings.
>-Does a guitarist always play in the same tuning, or will
>s/he switch between songs?

They will switch between songs. If they can, they just switch guitars. But often times, as my uncle Raymond does, he will talk to the crowd about the next song and tune right there. He'll do that with each song.


>-Why the focus on keeping one's tuning secret and/or
>proprietary? i've even heard of slack key players refusing
>to teach and possibly quitting b/c they suspected potential
>students of stealing their tunings. Doesn't seem like that
>big a deal to me.
It's similar to the "gharana" of Indian classical music, where one pandit or ustad will pass his style directly to a family member, and that style is unique to their family. It may be a strumming style, or the way the strings are tuned, etc. Ravi Shankar's "gharana" comes from his guru, Allaudin Khan, who is the father of longtime friend, Ali Akbar Khan. Ravi was able to become a part of the "family" when his parents kind of abandoned him, and he was accepted.

In terms of Hawaiian music, it was simply trying to keep the style and traditions among family. When the U.S. government annexed the Hawaiian islands as U.S. territory in 1892, they put an immediate ban on Hawaiian language, culture, and music. They viewed these things as being against the Republic of America, and that the hula was viewed as being unholy, vulgar. Just as people in Afghanistan had to play and perform their own music in private, Hawaiians had to do the same. It was a matter of saying "let's keep this to ourselves", yet at the same time there had always been the need to share the music.

Historically it is a big deal, because so much was taken away, and they wanted to take away more. Music is what kept Hawaiians together. However, there were people like Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop who would create programs that were meant specifically for the Hawaiian people. When she was alive, she had already seen other governments take away what was there, and she hoped that by creating programs for children, it would help them take that knowledge and pass it on from generation to generation. In other words, there was a need to preserve what they feel was already being taken away.

>-Slide: is it always played lap style in Hawaii? Are the
>slide tunings different fom the standard slack keys?
I believe slide guitar has the same tunings, and is generally placed on the lap, or in the case of Billy Hew Len, standup style like Robert Randolph.

>-Something slightly more technical: when did the resonator
>guitar come into play? I'm interested (as Rapster pointed
>out in the blues post) that resonators and slide developedin
>blues and Hawaiian concurrently - i'm wondering specifically
>if there was some sort of interaction, or was it by chance?
I'd have to look that up.

>-And the 'ukulele - is that open to various tuning
>interpretations as well?
The standard ukes have the same "My Dog Has Fleas" tuning, and most play it in this fashion. I wouldn't be surprised if there are some people today doing different tunings, but it's always been "My Dog Has Fleas".

p.e.a.c.e.
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THE HOME OF BOOK-NESS:
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>They will switch between songs. If they can, they just
>switch guitars. But often times, as my uncle Raymond does,
>he will talk to the crowd about the next song and tune right
>there. He'll do that with each song.

That sounds like most 'folk' guitarists... but somehow in the back of my mind I was thinking that each guitarist had his one tuning that he used all the time... sort of like a trademark, like what you weretalking about regarding keeping the tunings secret.

>Historically it is a big deal, because so much was taken
>away, and they wanted to take away more. Music is what kept
>Hawaiians together.

All the more reason I would have expected sharing to have developed... unless they were afraid of being reported, or something, for playing at all. I just would think that anyone who was breaking the law in order to preserve this (new, at that time) style of music would have wanted to share it with anyone interested, been starved for means of transmission and perpetuation of the genre. *shrug*

>>-Something slightly more technical: when did the resonator
>>guitar come into play? I'm interested (as Rapster pointed
>>out in the blues post) that resonators and slide developedin
>>blues and Hawaiian concurrently - i'm wondering specifically
>>if there was some sort of interaction, or was it by chance?
>I'd have to look that up.

I'll try to do a little research myself if I have time. Hopefully this will stay up for next week.

>>-And the 'ukulele - is that open to various tuning
>>interpretations as well?
>The standard ukes have the same "My Dog Has Fleas" tuning,
>and most play it in this fashion. I wouldn't be surprised
>if there are some people today doing different tunings, but
>it's always been "My Dog Has Fleas".

I know there are ukes of various sizes too, and then there are the banjo ukes and ukelins/mandoleles and other hybrids. I wonder if that tuning or variant is common across... I actually play some tenor guitar (small guitar with basically top four strings, usually tuned to match the top four of a standard six-string), and somebody tried to tell me it was a baritone ukelele. The tuning was my main defense, though I didn't really know what I was talking about.

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

>That sounds like most 'folk' guitarists... but somehow in
>the back of my mind I was thinking that each guitarist had
>his one tuning that he used all the time... sort of like a
>trademark, like what you weretalking about regarding keeping
>the tunings secret.

Some do.


>All the more reason I would have expected sharing to have
>developed... unless they were afraid of being reported, or
>something, for playing at all. I just would think that
>anyone who was breaking the law in order to preserve this
>(new, at that time) style of music would have wanted to
>share it with anyone interested, been starved for means of
>transmission and perpetuation of the genre. *shrug*

No. It was a simple matter of "those fricken haoles, they like take our stuffs and now they like take da music. Hea, we goin geev up somet'ing, one swift kick up da okole".


>I know there are ukes of various sizes too, and then there
>are the banjo ukes and ukelins/mandoleles and other hybrids.
>I wonder if that tuning or variant is common across... I
>actually play some tenor guitar (small guitar with basically
>top four strings, usually tuned to match the top four of a
>standard six-string), and somebody tried to tell me it was a
>baritone ukelele. The tuning was my main defense, though I
>didn't really know what I was talking about.

Do a search on "ukulele tunings", someone on my blog friends list bought one and wanted to learn how to tune it. It was there that I saw the different tunings for the various sizes. It is generally the same. My dad's friend used to work for Kamaka Ukuleles, and he would custom make some beautiful ones for friends and musicians who would request one. My dad played one of these, and it was nothing like he had ever heard. The twist in this is that my dad's friend was deaf, so he never was able to hear his craft, just make them.



p.e.a.c.e.
-


"I listened to most of your cd and really liked it. That was 2 weeks and it is still sitting in the player. CD's, just don't get spun much around here. Anyway I really liked it. I was impressed that it made no attempt to be hip hop in the sense that the beats are not hip hop beats. Instead it is original, melodic and listenable. I should have known, you listen to yourself in your writing and record collecting. It shouldn't be a surprise that you listen to yourself in your music as well." - Dan Berkman of Jump Jump Records in Portland, Oregon, commenting on my HOME album

THE HOME OF BOOK-NESS:
http://thisisbooksmusic.wordpress.com
http://twitter.com/thisisjohnbook
http://www.facebook.com/book1

so i hardly ever post,
but i just wanted to say that this topic and this whole post is great.
maaaaaaaaad props to mr. book.

damn.

thanks

--------
Guante: www.guante.info

As you can tell by some of the questions, I know I missed a lot of aspects and of course loads of people. But if it moves people to buy a few CD's or dig and listen to the albums seriously, I'm happy.

p.e.a.c.e.
-

THE HOME OF BOOK-NESS:
http://thisisbooksmusic.wordpress.com
http://twitter.com/thisisjohnbook
http://www.facebook.com/book1

Boukman Eksperyans

SECOND!!!

In Rotation:
------------------------------
You Am I - Hi Fi Way
Talking Heads - Talking Heads '77
The Band - Stage Fright
Robert Johnson - King of the Delta Blues Singers
TSU Tornadoes - Gettin' the Corners 7"
Over the Rhine - Ohio
Gerry Mulligan

[]

knew we could count on you!

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

noted a few names missing (in my book at least, in terms of contemporary artists)... namely willie k and ka'au crater boys

mid 90s, high school age kids were playing nothing but ka'au crater boys... no matter what your style, you dug opihi man. that was simply it.

hope to reply a bit more later.

-thebigfunk

~ This morning, I was the leader of the universe as I know it. This afternoon, I'm only a voice in a chorus. But I think it was a good day. ~

Playlist:
Ted Leo & The Pharmacicsts: Hearts of Oak
Dar Williams: The Beauty of the Rain
Outkast: take a wild guess
Squarepusher: Go Plastic
Rufus Wainwright: Want One

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

>noted a few names missing (in my book at least, in terms of
>contemporary artists)... namely willie k and ka'au crater
>boys

I would have mentioned Willie K., and now that I think about it I did refer to him in one of the replies. I feel he is important. As for Ka'au Crater Boys, eh...

To me, Hawaiian music fell flat in the 90's. Not downhill, but just made a swift turn for some serious crap.


>mid 90s, high school age kids were playing nothing but ka'au
>crater boys... no matter what your style, you dug opihi man.
> that was simply it.
That's true, but they were also ignoring a lot of quality Hawaiian music that came out at the time. I just never got into the "cutesy" factor, that most Jawaiian artists played it safe. You had songs like "Keep Hawaiian Lands In Hawaiian Hands", but you also had that fricken "Oompa Loompa" and that weak cover of Prince's "Blue Light".

Yet I like a few of Three Plus' songs, so go future.







p.e.a.c.e.
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THE HOME OF BOOK-NESS:
http://thisisbooksmusic.wordpress.com
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http://www.facebook.com/book1

doing my part to keep this up for you... & the weekend crowd.

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

What music is it done to?

I am thinking of the Brady Bunch and shit like that. it's always a lot of leis and grass skirts, coconut shell bras on the native babelets if we were lucky little viewers. But the music was always basically like a drum circle, with little variation whether it was an Elvis movie or a Scooby Doo episode.

So what do they really hula to?

Again, I'm coming from the perspective of mostly only being familiar (on a regular listening basis) with slack key, and most of that stuff is very slow, not what I would think of as dance music (the only dance music that slow that I know of is Japanese court music and Noh, and that's painful to listen to in the best of circumstances).

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

>What music is it done to?<
You have asked the question that many people do not ask. You, my friend, are a good person, and thus I'm more than willing to share.

The reason people don't ask is because they see it not as just a dance of the Hawaiian people, but as something cheesy. Even in today's TV shows and movies, you will always see it described as being the "hula hula", and it's said in a cute way. People see the waving hands and hips and all they do is wave the hand and hips. When you see those movies from the 20's-40's, it makes me sick. "Hula hula" would be like saying all people from Africa speak "booga booga". In other words, it was never treated with respect and thus people are clueless about the hula.

You seek to learn, and thus I teach.

There are two styles of hula. One is the "kahiko", which are the ancient chants. The music of these ancient hulas were done with the ipu (gourd) as the basic rhythm. You also have other percussive instruments that are used pertaining to what the chant is about, be it (feather rattles), (bamboo sticks), or 'ili'ili, which is lava rocks. If the chant is about war or a battle, the dancers will use long sticks to hit on the ground, and each other, as part of the rhythm, while the dancers sing. The chants are the most intense, because this is the music and the culture before the Western influence (or as they say, "pre-contact"). This is the style that is often mocked in television, movies, and cartoons. When you dance kahiko, it is ALWAYS with traditional Hawaiian costumes. Musically, an ancient chant involves words and rhythm, and nothing more. Sometimes it involves singing, but not all the time.

The other is 'auana, which is modern hula. Hula is danced to all styles and all tempos of Hawaiian music, there isn't a specific speed to the music which says "aah, this is hula tempo". Genoa Keawe generally plays in an uptempo "cha-lang-a-lang" style, and it would involve a lot of fast and swift movements. You then have a song like "Kaulana O Hilo Hanakahi", which is generally played mid-tempo. Then you have a song like , a romantic song that is usually played slow (as a ballad).

Is there a difference in how the hula is danced, depending on tempo? Like playing guitar, it honestly depends from kumu (teacher) to kumu. When a song is written in Hawaiian, it can have many interpretations. Each hula teacher can interpret it in many ways, and can either dance it in the form of the metaphors, or it can be very literal.

Some songs will talk about the flowers of the islands, and it will be about the flowers, nothing more. When someone dances to it, their hands will create the movement of flowers, or perhaps they will show that they are plucking the flowers from the ground and maybe putting it in their hair. If it's a love song, anything goes. Just as a good soul song is rich with metaphor, a Hawaiian song can be packed with its share of double entendre too. Let's go back to the flowers. The colors of the flowers are essential, so in song one might talk about the "redness" of the flower, and how its "pedals" open up to "consume" the "mist" of the "mountain rain". In hula, one can show that it is about the flowers. But to show that the words has a slightly different meaning, a woman may look at you in the eye and raise her eyebrows, while moving her hand towards the place you're supposed to concentrate on. It's not the physical flower she wants you to touch, but it's her flower. When a man is singing, he can use a bird's beak as a metaphor, where a "bird" may want to "quench its thirst" within the "untouched flowers" of the "valley".

It's more sensual than sexual, it's more about teasing and playing than the actual act. When a song is written, one must consider the composer's intent. When turned into a hula, it can become something else in the hands of a hula teacher. It is the personality of the hula dancer that enhances what the song may or may not mean.

You have hulas about the various islands and various areas of each island, where the meaning of the song has nothing suggestive about it. The hula tells the story of the song, so it's much more than just "dancing to the music". Every movement that the dancer makes is part of the story, from the movement of the hands, the feet, the body, the eyes, everything. Through the dancer, the song comes to life. The dancer is the song's interpreter.

---
There are two rules to kahiko and 'auana. With kahiko, there are absolutely no modern references made whatsoever. It stays true to the language and culture of Hawai'i, NO EXCEPTIONS. With 'auana you have a bit of creative freedom. It can be about cowboys, it can be about swimming. It can be about a group of guys who are into sports because they love to play with their "balls" and look forward to ending their "game" so they can "eat poi". It can be about Queen Lili'uokalani, and her beautyu. It can be humorous. It can be serious. It can refer to modern events, it can even incorporate some modern dances. There was one halau (hula dance group) in the Merry Monarch festival a few years ago where they actually did the Running Man and the Cabbage Patch within their routine, which suggested that no matter what dances they'd come across, it would always come back to them doing and respecting the hula.

---
To make a long story short, the music is one side of things. The hula is another. Each dancer is different, each teacher is different. At the Merry Monarch (a three day celebration of hula), on the last day of the group 'auana (they have a day where the men and women can dance solo as well), they will have a period where there is some time left. Someone will start playing music, and all of a sudden all of the kumu hula will go on stage. The song played will usually be a song EVERY kumu hula will know. On the stage, you'll have about 25-30 hula teachers dancing the song, and each of them will dance it in their own way. There will be a lot of similarities, but generally you will see the hula at its best when it many ways, as evil as this is going to sound, it is like a dog show. The teachers want to represent and say "this is how the song SHOULD be danced" and a lot of them will be very regal about it too. It's pride, it's showing off, it's them being sassy about shit. They'll do this for about three songs, and maybe all of them will say okay, let's return to our seats. Then you'll have a guy like George Na'ope, one of Hawai'is living legends of hula, come on and take the stage for himself as if to say "you guys had your chance, this is my style". The styles differ depending on the age of the teacher too. Some will keep to traditions from 1950 and before, others will show an influence from the 50's and 60's, others will be more modern, and then you have guys like Johnny Lum Ho, whose routines are beyond anyone elses. Maybe smoking too much pakalolo has helped him create some amazing routines, he is, as the Geto Boys would say, "on the other level of the game".

Not all Hawaiian music must have a hula, but to keep the music alive, a lot of songs are turned into hulas.

My mom used to dance to a song called "Ei Nei", which is a song about longing for a loved one. So in the song, she would create the sound of a voice echoing in the valley, and hoping that the sound of the voice will bounce back and fill her memory of him.

The hula is a very creative process.








p.e.a.c.e.
-


"I listened to most of your cd and really liked it. That was 2 weeks and it is still sitting in the player. CD's, just don't get spun much around here. Anyway I really liked it. I was impressed that it made no attempt to be hip hop in the sense that the beats are not hip hop beats. Instead it is original, melodic and listenable. I should have known, you listen to yourself in your writing and record collecting. It shouldn't be a surprise that you listen to yourself in your music as well." - Dan Berkman of Jump Jump Records in Portland, Oregon, commenting on my HOME album

THE HOME OF BOOK-NESS:
http://thisisbooksmusic.wordpress.com
http://twitter.com/thisisjohnbook
http://www.facebook.com/book1

http://starbulletin.com/2003/10/24/features/records.html

p.e.a.c.e.
-


"I listened to most of your cd and really liked it. That was 2 weeks and it is still sitting in the player. CD's, just don't get spun much around here. Anyway I really liked it. I was impressed that it made no attempt to be hip hop in the sense that the beats are not hip hop beats. Instead it is original, melodic and listenable. I should have known, you listen to yourself in your writing and record collecting. It shouldn't be a surprise that you listen to yourself in your music as well." - Dan Berkman of Jump Jump Records in Portland, Oregon, commenting on my HOME album

THE HOME OF BOOK-NESS:
http://thisisbooksmusic.wordpress.com
http://twitter.com/thisisjohnbook
http://www.facebook.com/book1