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kuulei88
Akahai
USA
75 Posts |
 Posted - 07/14/2006 : 11:11:01 AM
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This song has a long and colorful history. It was written by Prince Leleiohoku, younger brother of Kalakaua & Lili'uokalani. Yes, it was a love song, titled "Kaua I Ka Huahua'i" (We two in the spray).
1. Sonny Cunha published it in sheet music form in 1902.
2. Johnny Noble arranged it uptempo and renamed it Hawaiian War Chant sometime in the late 1920s or early 1930s.
3. Andy Iona did one of the earliest recordings prior to Tommy Dorsey around 1934.
4. Johnny Noble published sheet music in 1935 titled Hawaiian War chant, with new English lyrics. HOWEVER, if you look at the so-called bastardized Hawaiian lyrics, you will see that the lyrics actually are the Hawaiian lyrics, but with sound shifts (k becomes t etc) and with bastardizing syllabification.
5. Tommy Dorsey's hit in 1939 showed up by him & his orchestra in the Eleanor Powell film "Ship Ahoy."
6. Following Tommy Dorsey's hit, everybody and his/her grandmother recorded the song. There are ragtime versions, swing bands, marching bands--Univ. of Hawaii band plays it as a touchdown song; in my years in the band, we went through two different arrangements of it.
7. Check out recordings by John Almeida & Genoa Keawe for 49th State Records. They do the original tune, all verses, and original lyrics. REcorded in early 1950s.
8. In the 1970s Palani Vaughan did a slow moody recording of the original lyrics, with the pre-Brothers-Caz Sunday Manoa.
9. In the 1990s, a NY deejay did a "Hawaiian War Chant Orgy" where he played some 200 arrangements nonstop. He sent out certificates to listeners who claimed to listen to the whole thing. Ron Jacobs wrote about it all in Honolulu magazine.
There's limitless more trivia. Even more misunderstanding. After all, love songs don't all have to be slow, eh? Think about it . . .
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amy k |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2006 : 1:37:48 PM
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Thanks for the history of that song. Very interesting.
Jesse Tinsley |
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Peter Medeiros
`Olu`olu
546 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2006 : 8:20:42 PM
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`Ano`ai Amy,
When I saw your user name Ku`ulei88 I was just wondering if it was you. Good to see you on taropatch now. As you may know I'm rehersing with your nephew Nate. At Thursday's rehersal he mentioned that you were also known online as Ku`ulei -- small world. Your mana`o -- your unique insights and knowledge -- will be greatly appreciated by the members of this forum, I think you will learn that they are a good bunch and pretty open minded. Anyway glad your a part of the TP family.
Laters PM
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kuulei88
Akahai
USA
75 Posts |
Posted - 07/18/2006 : 8:21:41 PM
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aloha e Peter,
I've enjoyed your thoughtful posts here for awhile now. I'm really more of a lurker, happy to track what's on folks' minds. Nate has really blossomed as a bassist and singer. He's living the dreams I had many many moons ago, of immersing myself in playing Hawaiian music.
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amy k |
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slackkeymike
Lokahi
440 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2006 : 7:20:53 PM
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Didn't Kealii Reichel do this on one of his CDs? Well, whatever, it was quite amazing. And, it was probably traditionaly named (knowing his style).
MIke |
Aloha, Mike |
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