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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
 Posted - 04/01/2007 : 09:50:18 AM
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Why is Don Ho not highly regarded as a musician? Or is it just not highly regarded as a Hawaiian musician? Is it because he plays music for the malihini? I thought I read somewhere that he used to Jam with Sonny Chillingworth. Do the kama`aina feel this way about him? Is it not "cool" to listen to his music?
Every thing I read about slack key or traditional Hawaiian music tells you "Hawaiian music is not Don Ho." Or, "There is more to Hawaiian music than Don Ho." Is it similar to what mainlanders think about Barry Manilow?
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Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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islandboo
Lokahi
USA
237 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2007 : 10:02:15 AM
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I don't know that he is not highly regarded as a musician in Hawai'i - I like to think those comments are directed at malihini whose only knowledge of Hawaiian music is "Tiny Bubbles". Sort of a comment by which to make people aware that there is more going on with Hawaiian music than just that one song.
BTW, Don Ho was recently honored by 'Aha Punana Leo:
quote:
Each year, the non-profit organization names a “Ne’epapa I Ke O Mau” (Moving Forward Together) honoree at a dinner-celebration of the Hawaiian language.
Entertainer Don Ho is the 2006 honoree, announces `Aha Punana Leo president-founder Kauanoe Kamana.
“Don Ho has dedicated his life to sharing the uniqueness of Hawaii’s culture, language and heritage through his tireless work as an entertainer over the past 40-plus years,” she says. “His work as an ambassador for our island home and his desire to continually hold onto, promote and uplift our culture was critical through a time when being Hawaiian may not have been too popular.”
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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2007 : 04:36:07 AM
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i don't think his music would be thought of as slack key, but everything i've heard describes him as an accomplished performer. i saw him once, and loved it.
aloha,
keith |
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Russell Letson
`Olu`olu
USA
504 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2007 : 06:27:50 AM
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Don Ho started his career playing in a band that included Sonny at a bar called Honey's, owned by Ho's mom. (Larry Miller posted a reminiscence about this period about a year ago.) When Ho moved on to play Waikiki, Sonny decided not to go along. Ho was one of the many musicians who came to Sonny's funeral at the Honolulu Hale.
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hikabe
Lokahi
USA
358 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2007 : 10:10:39 AM
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Don Ho is a fine musician but considered a sell-out by many local people in Hawaii because of his appeal to tourist who don't understand Hawaiian words and can relate to the songs Don performs. Because he didn't do much traditional Hawaiian music, like Sons of Hawaii or Iz, he had a hard time drawing local Hawaiian audiences. He is a good musician on the uke and piano. I wouldn't say he is accomplished on either or that he could play like Jake or Liberace, but he knew enough to accompany his singing. That is his forte, singing and charming the audience and giving a show that will provide fun memories of Hawaii for tourist.
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Stay Tuned... |
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cpatch
Ahonui
USA
2187 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2007 : 11:32:50 AM
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It probably doesn't help (or maybe it does) that his daughter Hoku could give Britney Spears a run for her money in the pop arena, both in terms of talent (her first album went platinum) and looks (and sanity):
www.myspace.com/hokuho
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoku_Ho
Don has lamented that as a teenager his daughter was drawing bigger crowds than he did at the height of his career! |
Craig
My goal is to be able to play as well as people think I can. |
Edited by - cpatch on 04/02/2007 11:42:31 AM |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2007 : 11:56:46 AM
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| Hard to raise youngunz...they usually learn what you teach them by example. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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basilking
Lokahi
124 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2007 : 12:23:12 PM
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| RIP Don Ho, passed away yesterday. Certainly not my favorite Hawaiian artist[just as Liberace's not my favorite Haole artist...] but a legend nonetheless. |
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hwnmusiclives
`Olu`olu
USA
580 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2007 : 03:39:38 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Russell Letson
Don Ho started his career playing in a band that included Sonny at a bar called Honey's, owned by Ho's mom. (Larry Miller posted a reminiscence about this period about a year ago.) When Ho moved on to play Waikiki, Sonny decided not to go along. Ho was one of the many musicians who came to Sonny's funeral at the Honolulu Hale.
I am just catching up on old posts and found this one particularly interesting in light of Ho's recent passing and the article about him in the recent "Hawaii Magazine."
Even Don Ho did not consider himself a musician. He considered himself a showman. As in any other business, success is due in large part to pulling together a team of people who are talented in their own right AND who work well together. Ho did that in Waikiki with the Aliis, but before that he did that at Honey's. Performing at Honey's for Ho was an accident. Dad made him do it because dad thought that live music would bring a better crowd than the jukebox and make the crowd part of the Honey's family. It was the earliest form of karaoke, only with a live band. Don started by himself with the organ, plunking out chords. But then he started to pull talented individuals together like Tony Bee on `ukulele, Sonny Chillingworth on slack key guitar, Kui and Nani Lee, bassist/singer Gary Aiko (one of Genoa Keawe's many sons), and a young unknown singer named Marlene Sai.
There is one live recording floating around out there on vinyl called "Waikiki Swings" which was a bootleg of an evening at Honey's. And I also have a bootleg cut of Gary Aiko singing at Honey's with Ho and the gang. But I think the best tribute to the Honey's days is Marlene Sai's first album, "Kainoa," on which Sonny Chillingworth contributed guitar and Don Ho played the organ on one or two cuts. However, as personnel were not listed on "Kainoa," few knew that was Sonny's guitar or Don's organ playing.
Although not on the Hawaii historic register or noted on any of the tours, for those interested in seeing the last building that was home to Honey's, it is the stone building on Kamehameha Highway in Kane`ohe on the corner across from Windward Mall and has for a long time now been the Times Coffee Shop. |
Join me for the history of Hawaiian music and its musicians at Ho`olohe Hou at www.hoolohehou.org. |
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Momi
Lokahi
402 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2007 : 06:45:41 AM
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| Sorry Bill - the site is correct - at the corner of Kamehameha Highway and Haiku Road - but the building that used to house Honey's is long gone. Honey's stood empty for many years before it was demolished. A Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor then took over that spot (a popular spot when I went to King Intermediate) before it too went out of business. But the music at the new Honey's at Ko`olau Golf Course carries on the legacy of wonderful music. |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2007 : 07:43:51 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by hwnmusiclives
it is the stone building on Kamehameha Highway in Kane`ohe on the corner across from Windward Mall and has for a long time now been the Times Coffee Shop.
quote:
Originally posted by Momi
but the building that used to house Honey's is long gone. Honey's stood empty for many years before it was demolished. A Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor then took over that spot ... before it too went out of business.
Within the past dozen years, I recall that at least three businesses have been in that later building. The current resident, Times Coffee Shop - before that, Ko`olau Ranch House (opened Valentine's Day 1997) - before that, I think it was Smitty's Pancake House. East Side Restaurant was in there at one point, too, wasn't it? |
Edited by - Retro on 07/28/2007 07:49:16 AM |
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hwnmusiclives
`Olu`olu
USA
580 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2007 : 07:58:28 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Momi
Sorry Bill - the site is correct - at the corner of Kamehameha Highway and Haiku Road - but the building that used to house Honey's is long gone. Honey's stood empty for many years before it was demolished. A Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor then took over that spot (a popular spot when I went to King Intermediate) before it too went out of business. But the music at the new Honey's at Ko`olau Golf Course carries on the legacy of wonderful music.
Bummer. A local told me that, too. Thanks for setting me straight. |
Join me for the history of Hawaiian music and its musicians at Ho`olohe Hou at www.hoolohehou.org. |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2007 : 09:51:21 AM
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| The new Honey's at the golf course is very nice....good grub (great dessert -- bread pudding...I am ashamed to say I had two of them, it was so good --bad for diabetic like me though). But the music was the crowning glory. Mike, Ocean and Paulie...and GUke and Fran Guidry and Mika ele, etc., what a wonderful afternoon. And I'll never forget the tutu who did hula and the tutu who sang her song....so nice. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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hwnmusiclives
`Olu`olu
USA
580 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2007 : 10:05:58 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by wcerto
The new Honey's at the golf course is very nice....good grub (great dessert -- bread pudding...I am ashamed to say I had two of them, it was so good --bad for diabetic like me though). But the music was the crowning glory. Mike, Ocean and Paulie...and GUke and Fran Guidry and Mika ele, etc., what a wonderful afternoon. And I'll never forget the tutu who did hula and the tutu who sang her song....so nice.
AND this seems to be the new hangout for legends of Hawaiian entertainment. On any given Sunday at Honey's I have run into Bill Kaiwa, Marlene Sai, and Melveen Leed among others. Don't forget Eddie Kamae who often leads the house band. |
Join me for the history of Hawaiian music and its musicians at Ho`olohe Hou at www.hoolohehou.org. |
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brooklyn
Aloha
USA
30 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2007 : 08:15:14 AM
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So if Don Ho is not highly regarded...why did the amazing Nathan Aweau play bass for Don's house band for more than a decade? 
Nathan is in HAPA and has released some of my favorite solo CD's.
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2007 : 09:08:03 AM
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We were in Honolulu during the Don Ho Memorial, when his ashes were put to rest in the ocean. The sheer number of people who came to see and participate seems to indicate that among Hawaiians Uncle Don was very well regarded. Some of his songs were not traditional, I don't know if any could be called slack key, but got the impression he was as good an ambassador for Hawaiian culture as could have been wished for. Here on the North Coast, , when Hawaiian music is mentioned, Don Ho is all that anyone is aware of. And even at that, it's really only Tiny Bubbles. Mention ukulele, and most people under 50 only know Tiny Tim. I think it's not so much he wasn't highly regarded, more that Hawaiian music just isn't well known here.People in some parts of the 48 have more knowledge of other music and culture than the mainstream that's spoonfed by broadcast radio. I hope web radio can help to change that, but the situation with the royalties issue could eliminate the small stations who broadcast less-than-mainstream styles. The big companies would have us all listen to the same thing- whatever they determine popular to be.
I'll get off my soapbox, sorry if I got long winded.
Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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