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Simmo303
Aloha
United Kingdom
6 Posts |
 Posted - 02/24/2007 : 06:45:19 AM
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Difficult question but my vote (today) goes to Punahele by Ray Kane.
Closely followed by Pohakuloa by Moses Kahumoku. Then there's Ua also by Moses K and can I really omit Ke'ala's Mele By the late, great, Leonard Kwan? These, to me, typify what Ki Ho'alu is all about. I could die happy listening to these.
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Fingerpickin
Lokahi
117 Posts |
Posted - 02/24/2007 : 11:03:42 AM
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Simmo,
I suppose my favorite piece would be "Kuu Kika Kahiko" (this old guitar) by Ozzie.
I have learned almost half of this song, and I can honestly say this has been the most difficult song I have worked on in 20 years of guitar playing. Part of the problem is the new tuning...C Moana Loa, which requires you to play bass with your thumb on the THIRD string, a very new concept to me, and the open/closed postitions are different from TP which is messing with my mind. I can't wait till I put it all together, I think that this is a big step in my slack key journey. Good luck learning Punahele! I haven't tried that one yet, but its on the list!
-Lance |
"Hey Lance, try watch." -Ozzie |
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Reid
Ha`aha`a
Andorra
1526 Posts |
Posted - 02/25/2007 : 05:31:16 AM
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There are so many wonderful slack key pieces that Sarah and I love that it is almost impossible to make a single choice or even a long list of choices that have been listed here in another thread (and in which neither Sarah nor I took part because of the difficulty - you should probably search for that thread, if you are interested in the topic). But, if you held a gun to my head, Yes, Simmo, my vote would go for Punahele. (Maybe we should have categories, "instrumental", "vocal", etc. like NARAS and get into the issue as in other current threads - NOT). Punahele - the long version that is on Uncle Ray's Dancing Cat album - was the absolute first slack key song that really grabbed Sarah and me and made us change our lives 10 or 12 years ago. It has the subtle complexity of the best Baroque music that we were listening to way back then. A week or so after we first heard it, Sarah came out of her lab (she always had music playing while she worked, then) and said, "Telemann is boring." Never looked back. And, Sarah has been able to play the full version for several years, and performed it at the Blue Marlin in Maui a few years ago (immediately after she had sung "The tongue twisting "Toad Song", backed up by Don Kauli`a, Boy and Trevor as the toads :-) and caused an uproar.
I must say that lots of other songs grab us by the throat, too. And it often depends on how they are sung and played. One that we will never forget is Makee Ailana played and sung by Dennis in concert at Symphony Space in NYC a dozen years ago. Normally it is a kind of an upbeat love song. But Dennis performed it as a lament about the "development" and destruction of cherished parts of the Islands. Truly a grabber.
...Reid
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 02/27/2007 : 06:57:02 AM
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This takes me back to the other topic... you know you're a slacker when...
...asked what your favorite piece is and you say all of them.
I seem to cycle through lots of the Dancing Cat recordings. Sadly, despite knowing Atta Isaacs by reputation, I know little about his music.
Sometimes I like music that I can play. I am not sure if that is a compliment or insult to the musicians who wrote the music.  |
Andy |
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Reid
Ha`aha`a
Andorra
1526 Posts |
Posted - 02/27/2007 : 09:38:51 AM
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It is a compliment Andy. It's the other way around. If you didn't like it, you wouldn't play it. And you play everything so well that anyone would be pleased. The same with us. Since you can't do everything, we choose what we like best. Everyone does, even if they don't think about it.
And, about Atta, except for a very few recordings, he was most often heard in a group -mostly Gabby's. Ask Russell about how hard it is to find things out about him, and what Russell did find out about him. Too bad, he was great.
...Reid |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2007 : 3:22:02 PM
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| My personal current favorite is Drizzle (Water is Wide album) by Mark Nelson. NOt sure if anyone else would call it slack key, but it is the most beautiful song I've heard in a long time. |
Karl
Frozen North |
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cpatch
Ahonui
USA
2187 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2007 : 4:11:08 PM
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| I've always been fond of Pua Sadinia (especially Makana's version) and Ray Kane's live version of La Paloma ("jus' two strings, up and down!"). |
Craig
My goal is to be able to play as well as people think I can. |
Edited by - cpatch on 02/28/2007 4:11:56 PM |
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Simmo303
Aloha
United Kingdom
6 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2007 : 01:31:27 AM
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Salomila and New Opihi Moemoe in duet by Led and Leonard on 'Black Sand'.
Stunning, gorgeous, beautiful, divine, brilliant, wonderful, marvellous, heavenly - words fail me. |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2007 : 01:48:53 AM
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| I love Cyril's "Kaulana Kawaihae" and any of Led's "Radio Hula". |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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mike2jb
Lokahi
USA
213 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2007 : 06:33:24 AM
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Favorite to hear? Today I'm all mellow so I'm back in love with Led's medley of Ka Makani Ka`ili Aloha/Pua Tuberose. Tomorrow, who knows?
Favorite to play? `Ulupalakua. It's often recorded as a pretty fast piece, but my beginner fingers can only reach the chords slowly--and I kinda like it that way. If you like this one fast, have a listen to Ata Damasco's vocal. Good for getting the blood pumping in the morning. |
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2007 : 09:42:22 AM
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Mike,
One of the things I enjoy about this style, is that you can play songs at different tempi, to different results, and they all cal sound beautiful. Well, assuming you can decently play what you are trying to play. That's not the case in a lot of other styles. |
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mike2jb
Lokahi
USA
213 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2007 : 10:14:55 AM
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quote:
Well, assuming you can decently play what you are trying to play.
Yeah, well there's that. I'm still following the "sing what you can't play, hum what you can't sing" method. Works fine when I'm alone.  There's progress every day though, so I can still hope.
And, yes, it's amazing how a tempo change can affect the entire mood of a piece in this style of playing. |
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cpatch
Ahonui
USA
2187 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2007 : 10:40:40 AM
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A tempo change can affect the entire mood of pieces in virtually any style of playing. Check out "Nights in White Satin" by The Dickies if you don't believe me.  |
Craig
My goal is to be able to play as well as people think I can. |
Edited by - cpatch on 03/01/2007 10:41:00 AM |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2007 : 12:20:53 PM
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This week I am tuned in to "Pua Lililehua". The melody caught my attention first, then when I saw it was written for Maiki Lake (Mapuana DeSilva's kumu), I started doing more research. It has a lovely, haunting melody and beautiful, poetic lyrics.
Pua Lililehua C G d g b d' (C Wahine) from Sonny Solo
Lyrics copied from www.huapala.org
`Auhea wale ana `oe
E ka pua lïlïlehua
A he `ipo ho`ohenoheno
E ho`ohihi 'ai no ka mana`o
Iä `oe e `imi ana
I nä nani o ka `aina
Eia nö la`au ma`a nei
E kali ana i kou ho`i mai
E `alawa mai ho`i `oe
I nei mau maka onaona
He mau maka po`ina `ole
E kapalili ai ko pu`uwai
Hilo pa`a ia ke aloha
I ka lino hilo pa walu
`A`ohe mea e hemo `ai
Me au `oe a mau loa
Ha`ina mai ka puana
E ka pua lili lehua
A he `ipo ho`ohenoheno
E ho`ohihi ai no ka mana`o
This is to you
O sage blossom
A cherished sweetheart
That attracts the mind
While you go seeking
Among the beauties of the land
Right here I remain
Waiting for your return
Glance quickly this way
At these inviting eyes
These unforgettable eyes
That make my heart tremble
Love is bound fast
With an eight strand lei
There is nothing to separate
You from me forever
This story is told for you
O sage blossom
A cherished sweetheart
That attracts the mind
Source: Copyright Melway ASCAP - Composed by Kahauanu Lake for his wife Ma'iki, the lililehua is the red sage brush flower. It is also the name of the wind and rain in Palolo Valley, and the name of a maiden who resided in the valley that was courted by a mo`o.
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Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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