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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
 Posted - 06/28/2004 : 02:17:13 AM
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Although he doesn't play slack key, I wanted to mention that I saw Richard Ho'opi'i (half of the Ho'opi'i Brothers)in concert while on Maui recently. It was at the Tuesday night series at the Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua.
It was my favorite Hawaiian music concert. His falsetto was effortless and nahenahe.
Uncle Richard's voice has lost nothing over the years and he dazzled the crowd song by song, with oldies like "Ekolu Mea Nui", "Pua Lilia" and "Ka Lehua I Mili Ia". Except for his snow white hair, there was no age on his face or in his voice. I ran out of chicken skin after three or four songs. Most of the audience seemed to love the old songs and cheered for more. He accompanied himself on the six-string Kamaka ukulele, and it was truly a night of old-style Hawaiian music. There was likely not a second that he didn't have a big smile on his face and everyone could feel the aloha. His wife, Auntie Ululani, danced to "Kona Moon/Hanalei Moon." He also took requests and sang "Ka Loke" in response.
The Ho'opi'i family lives in nearby Kahakuloa, and I don't think he travels much anymore. If you go to Maui, you'll definitely want to arrange to be at the Tuesday night concert, especially if Uncle Richard is singing.
Uncle Richard explained that his brother Sol is ill with kidney disease, but he asked Sol to give his blessing so he could continue singing. Although there was only one falsetto voice on stage, it was as sweet as Hawaiian music can be.
I felt like I was sitting in the presence of the last of the great falsetto singers. Although there are lots of great singers out there, Uncle Richard's smooth sound and older repertoire harkens back to the pre-WWII days, when falsetto was ingrained in Hawaiian music.
Afterwards I asked him if he could sing falsetto for two concerts in a row like that (6:30 and 8:30 concerts)and he just smiled. "I could sing all night."
Jesse Tinsley
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Julie H
Ha`aha`a
USA
1206 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2004 : 3:57:10 PM
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After the show I told Uncle Richard that my face hurt from smiling at him all during his songs, he just draws you out and you can't help but respond to that sunny face. However, later on in the week when he was scheduled to do a lecture/demo at camp, he cancelled because of a high fever. I was truly worried.
But on our last day on Maui, we went through Ka'ahumanu Mall for a last-minute purchase, and who was there on stage with a keiki hula show? Uncle Richard, smiling and laughing, playing that sweet ukulele and singing with a small band. Unfortunately, when we were finished with our shopping, the show was over and the musicians gone, so we did not get a chance to talk to him...
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