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Julie H
Ha`aha`a
USA
1206 Posts |
 Posted - 10/10/2002 : 1:33:36 PM
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Oh, OK, I'll jump in on this one!
In 1973 I learned how to sail on a 60 foot cutter, and we sailed around Maui! Enough to make my hair curl, hurling through the Alinuihaha Channel! Also had a tough time trying to get into Hana harbor and had to heave to overnight in stormy seas. That same trip I met a gorgeous Hawaiian man from Makena. Started listening to all that gorgeous Hawaiian music. Saw the bombing of Kahoolawe firsthand and became incensed...
Shortly after, (that one didn't work out) I started dating an F4 Jet fighter pilot on Oahu. We went to concerts and had great fun everytime I was there on Oahu. I looked like a local girl and I got to see firsthand the awful problems with the resentment for the haoles, etc, etc... An interesting learning experience. I started listening to Gabby, Cecilio and Kapono, of course Keola, and Olomana. Hawai'i was a very different place then. Still dirt roads going to Makena, you could still drive through Ulupalakua ranch. I met a musical group of kamaainas in Kahului and joined them on their trip to Honolulu on the Hydrofoil ferry. We danced and sang and they forced me to drink cocktails. Hoooooo!
Many, many years later, I am still listening to that soothing music while my son is trying to play heavy metal on his drums in the living room. Auwe! But now I'm actually trying to play it! Started with the uke, trying the guitar too. Since I've listened to so many of the melodies over the years, they seem to come easily. But I still have so much more to learn. Wish I could turn back the clock so I would have more time left in my life to enjoy all of this! Aloha, Julie |
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aplenty
Akahai
62 Posts |
Posted - 10/11/2002 : 04:32:54 AM
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Aloha Dusty (and Sheila)!
And what Dusty doesn't say is that he has come a long way in his learning slack key... he's been doing guest spots at our concerts during visits to Kauai. And I'm sure his guitars are much happier making music than sitting in the closet. Keep on pickin'! We've got something new for you to try on that beautiful Kauai ukulele... slack key ukulele version of Ki Ho'alu Hanalei. That's how it was originally written!
Share our aloha with Pete and his wife when you see them. We only got to talk to them for a brief time.
E Ola Mau Ki Ho'alu!
Sandy |
Aloha nui,
Sandy & Doug |
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donkaulia
Lokahi
249 Posts |
Posted - 10/12/2002 : 10:46:11 PM
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Howzit Kevin,
Thanks for inviting me at the Waihee Church Slack Key Jam with you, Hal, Bill, Ed...Joe & his wife and the couple from Kihei.
Uncle Sol's Birthday jam was great too!
Here's my email: kauliad001 @ hawaii.rr.com
Aloha & Mahalo,
Don Kauli'a |
donkaulia |
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slackkey
Lokahi
USA
280 Posts |
Posted - 10/13/2002 : 01:37:04 AM
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Aloha My Bruddah's!
Yes.....today was a really great day for Kiho'alu! My Bruddah's Kevin! Don! Ed! Hal! Joe Wife and Friends. Like our past gatherings have been, the feeling, the mood have had the same effect on me.....MAGICAL! And to have also been able to help Uncle Sol celebrate his Birthday up in "Kepaniwai" (Iao Valley)with song as well as Slack Key, was that much more inspirational, and sweet....."Sarah! Reid! Andy! Keith! Popoki and Kawika! Wish you all could have been with us! Our Uncle Sol's face lit up so bright! His eyes became the size of half dollar coins when he saw us coming.....Ahhhh....we had so much fun! And the kau! kau! Auwe! Was some ono! But to "kanikajammapila" with Uncle, was priceless........
Uncle Sol turned 72 years young! But when you look at him, he no look that old! Anyways, we really had a wonderfully great time Jamm'n Hawaiian Slack Key Style at "Kepaniwai" with our Birthday Uncle. I especially enjoyed playing "Kamakani Ka Ili Aloha" for him....So until next time.......God Bless, Good Health and Prosperity! But above all else....You know! No fo-get to JUS'PRESS!!!!!! Love you all! A Hui Hou!
slackkey Bill
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 10/13/2002 : 9:43:45 PM
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Aloha all,
Please send Uncle Sol our belated Happy Birthday wishes from the east coast!!! Glad to hear you all had a MAGICAL time. |
Andy |
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slackkey
Lokahi
USA
280 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2002 : 5:04:21 PM
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Here's My Story!
I was still in Elementary School, and one real "kolohe kid"!  But as the saying goes.....music calms the savage beast? Well, not that I was a really bad kid, just always getting into mischief .
Anyways, one day I was listening to some really sweet sounding guitar music. Instrumental! I never knew what Slack Key was, or was ever told about it by my Parents.
Well, I was at home and going through some really old velvet LP's. You know, 33 and 78 speed? During the old days, what our Parents had in the living-room were Stereo Phonographs. The types that could play several albums by stacking them upon eachother.
Just so happen, one of them had a black and white album jacket. It said...Leonard Kwan/Raymond Kane IN STEREO. This was produced by Tradewinds Records.....Ah hah! Most of you remember which one i'm refering too right?
The first song on side 1 was non other than "OPIHI MOEMOE". This one song got stuck in my head. The next day, my Mom tells me were going to my Aunt's house to meet one of my older cousin's friends from Kwajalin (spelling) Down-under as it was refered by name.
While on our way the next day to upper Paia, I kept on hearing it play in my head. We finally reached 10 minutes later. There in the my Aunt's living room was my cousin's friend from down-under! He was playing my Uncles very early old version of a Epiphone (spelling) electric guitar.
The music that he was playing sounded familiar.....Like that album! When he stopped, I ask him if he knew how to play one that I liked alot. I began humming the tune to him, and like a true musician, he knew exactly which one and played it for me......It sounded like the very same way that I was so familiar with.
But as soon as my love for what now I knew as Slack Key, began.....it ended. But I do remember trying to pick-up my Uncle's guitar (still tuned slack key) And trying play how my Cousin'd friend did. Picture this.....me....very young and small-fry, trying to hold the guitar? It was a kodak moment.
To make this long story short, my intrest turned to my father's old Martin Standard Ukulele. Mom taught me how with the basics. After that as I kept playing it, I began to pick-up more and more by just listenning. Eith-Grade came and went....I was still playing the ukulele. All the way through High School, until I went overseas with the U.S. Army.(West Berlin Germany) When the Wall was still up....
While there, myself and a whole bunch of Hawaiians, would just jam, drink and PARTAY! Then there were Hawaiian Clubs, consisting of top Brass Officers, Non Commissioned Officers and Privates along with their Ohana's! We'd attend Luaus all over Germany!
The conclusion.....It wasn't until I came home in 1977 that the desire for Slack Key came back again. My 1st tuning Taro Patch, and that I figured out by listening to Olomana's Ku'u Home O Kahalu'u. My Final accomplishment came when I joined Ohana Brown (Kevin) and the rest of my "Kiho'alu Brothers and Sisters" these days in 2002 and before.
Sorry! Didn't mean to go on and on! Oh well...(now that's a deep subject) A Hui Hou!
slackkey Bill |
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ohanabrown
Lokahi
281 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2002 : 6:46:00 PM
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Aloha Slack key Ohanas
"Bruddah" Bill, I enjoyed your story. Man! yours went way back to your keiki days, Wow!
It is so interesting how everyones story are almost alike.
It was the SOUND! that everyone heard for the first time that caught there ears. Reminds me of
George Winstons first encounter with ki ho'alu.
If im not mistaken he was driving down sana monica while fliping the stations he heard
this music that caught his ears.
Pulled over the side used his cell phone made a call to the radio station,asked them who was playing that music. They said it was some kine of hawaiian music called slack key. The artist name is Raymond Kane.
Long story short, Dancing Cat was formed.
And because of George Winston it is now being heard all over the world. Mahalo to those artist for sharing there slack key so we can enjoy this unique soothing music.
Malama Pono!
Kevin
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Kevin K. Brown |
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slackkey
Lokahi
USA
280 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2002 : 10:50:43 PM
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Andy! I did it again! I entered my reply twice thinking it did not catch the 1st. Can you eliminate one of them? Mahalo! "Hello Lynnette!"
Bil (slackkey) |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2002 : 11:10:27 PM
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Aloha Bill,
All fixed. I'm enjoying all the stories. Kevin's right, there is a common thread to all the stories... It was the SOUND! |
Andy |
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Sarah
`Olu`olu
571 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2002 : 9:58:19 PM
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Aloha kakou,
Yes, it was the sound -- the moving, lyrical or the heartfelt happy, sound, or that sound that reminds me of the soothing roll of waves. Reid and I heard recordings first, in 1997, which captivated us, but hearing slack key "live" for the first time, as Uncle Sol played and sang for us in person at the Bailey house, well... ua kulu na waimaka.
The thing that amazes me, and I find it ironic too, is that while I never played guitar before, one of my sisters had deposited her guitar on our back porch some 3 months earlier. She had decided she was not going to be using it any more. So what happened was that, on the one hand, I had this guitar sitting at home, doing nothing since I didn't know how to play it; and on the other, I discovered this compelling, expressive, and moving music, and while we listened to Uncle Sol explain about the tunings and the alternating bass, I got it into my head that maybe I could try it myself on that guitar sitting at home! And, I did. My first, baby-step, slack key guitar endeavor (July 1997) was to pick out a slack key "Hau'oli La Hanau" for Reid After that, I sent away by mail for books and tapes that I could find on the internet (Ron Loo, Ozzie Kotani, Leonard Kwan, Keola Beamer, you know the names....) and listened to CDs.
Then, I found myself entranced by the lyrics I would hear, and I just *needed* to know what these lovely songs were saying. This pushed me to learn yet more Hawaiian language, and to learn to sing some lyrics. I find the poetry is another dimension of the beauty and emotion of the music.
So... that's my small kine story!
aloha,
Sarah
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ohanabrown
Lokahi
281 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2002 : 03:15:25 AM
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Aloha Sarah,
Was it 97' that we last saw you and Reid?
I can't believe it's been that long.
I enjoyed your story, Jus like the others who also shared there special storys with everyone.
I kinda remember when we were at waihee,Sitting around the fire with Reid and everyone else,We were working on the vamp in the taro patch tune.
And now, your really playing,singing,and speaking the language, Wow! Im so happy for you and Reid.I hope that we can get together again real soon!As Bill would say,To Kanikajamapila.
Please give my aloha to Reid.... And to the Taro Patch Ohana's, Mahalo again for sharing your treasured storys! Until next time Sarah Malama Pono! A Hui Hou!
Ke Akua Pu.
Kevin
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Kevin K. Brown |
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Sarah
`Olu`olu
571 Posts |
Posted - 10/18/2002 : 4:21:30 PM
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Aloha e Kevin,
You're right, it hasn't been that long ('97). That must have been the *first* time we met you. Then we met again when when I already could play a little and you loaned me your beach guitar--I thank you again for that! I was able to work out a little arrangement for Pua Mikinolia during that time! I think that was also the visit when we had that wonderful cookout at Waihe'e Beach Park (I'll never forget that!). And remember that time you demonstrated how Ikaika stood on the car, chasing wild pigs? You had us rolling on the floor laughing. And then we met you again another time at the Aquarium, where you gave me my first experience behind a microphone ( where I kept hitting my hat on the mike -- auwe!). And of course there were those jams at the gazebo, each time Reid and I visited. So, I think maybe it was 1999 we last saw you -- too long!
You know, the trouble with learning Hawaiian in Connecticut is that there is no one to practice speaking with. But I read and listen and do what I can! I remember when Mr. Meyer was at the gazebo jam one time, and your CD was just out on Pepeiao records. Reid asked me in a whisper what pepeiao meant, and I told him "Ear" -- which was kinda cool for a recording label. Mr. Meyer leaned over and asked me, "What did you say?" And I told him what Reid had asked and what I'd said, and he nodded once and said, "That's one meaning." I always remember that comment of his -- it kind of opened my eyes.
Kevin, it's so great to have you on taropatch.net! Andy has made life better for lots of folks! (E Andy, Mahalo once again!)
e malama pono i kou ola kino!
me ke aloha,
Sarah
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richard
Aloha
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - 11/18/2002 : 3:26:09 PM
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Great topic, and with amazingly common threads.
In 1962 I was working briefly on Oahu (age 24) and I wandered onto Waikiki beach one night near the old Reef hotel. There was the most beautiful instrumental music I had ever heard. I was a banjo player at the time (more about that later), and the teenager playing ki ho'alo gave me the standard answers: It's called slack key, it's a vanishing, almost lost local style, and no, you can't take lessons because it has to be taught by an elder relative.
I kept playing banjo for the next 30 years (BTW, the 5-string banjo tuned to taro patch, finger-picked in some styles, and supports a continuous thumb-played dominate drone note).
I finally found Leonard's book and Keola's first book thanks to a dear friend who used Keola's book in high school, kind of gave up the banjo and slowed down the tempo of my playing in keeping with my age and 'cause I learned what nahenahe meant.
Thanks, all of you, for making this transition possible. Books, records, teachers, workshops, friends, web sites, and especially Mia, who lets me play for her Hawaiian-theme garden parties :)
Richard |
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