This week on Pakele Live! with Tony Solis we have the Fitch Brothers, Doug and Brad!
A performing musician since age 8, Doug was raised in a rural Rocky Mountain area in a family of accomplished professional and amateur folk musicians. “I was brought up on acoustic music and spending time outdoors. Hawaiian music speaks to me because it’s an acoustic tradition that reflects its people and their natural surroundings. It paints a beautiful sonic picture that relies on heart and soul for interpretation. I’ve been very fortunate to be a student of several of the best slack-key players and I feel strongly that those styles should be preserved. Yet, as a singer/songwriter, I draw from my own experiences and that also seems to resonate with others.”
Fitch was a nominee for the 2009 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards (slack key guitar category) and 2009 Hawaii Music Awards (Folk Music category). He has studied Hawaiian slack-key guitar intensively with several masters, including Ledward Kaapana, and is also a recipient of a grant from the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts in support of his ongoing study of the genre, also known as “ki ho’alu.” Whether playing traditional, popular, or original compositions, Fitch’s performances reflect enthusiasm and creativity as well his respect for his teachers and the traditions of the music.
Sports fans may remember Doug from his days as a professional bicycle racer when he became the first bicyclist to appear on the Wheaties cereal box in 1988. He was a member of the U.S. National Cycling Team during the 1980s, and became the U.S. National Champion in 1986. He won the Visalia Cycling Classic, the infamous Pikes Peak Hill Climb, and the Tour of Peru. After retiring from racing, he completed his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Denver.
Doug recently released his second solo album, “Kaponokaulike." In contrast to his previous albums, which feature his original vocal, guitar and 'ukulele compositions, here Doug is paying homage to some of the now-departed greats of slack key guitar. He has selected some seldom-heard songs, tunings, and expressions of timing in order to help preserve and perpetuate them. Though he plays these authentic Hawaiian songs in the traditional ki ho'alu style, he does not attempt to imitate the original artists. Each song is presented with Doug's own interpretation, caught at the moment of recording.
Singer, songwriter and guitarist Brad Fitch has been playing professionally since he was 15 years old. He was a founding member of Fitch and Chips, a country/western dance band that performed throughout the West during the early 1980s. He has also been part of several other performing and recording acts throughout the years, including Black Canyon Express, The Elktones and The TropiCowboy Band. Brad also performs with singer/songwriter Kathy Fitch as a popular folk and western duo.
As a soloist, Brad has led campfire sing-along programs throughout Estes Park for many years, where he was dubbed Cowboy Brad. During the winter months he performs as a member of the Arizona Opry. He has received acclaim as a cowboy performer as well as a folk singer/songwriter and John Denver tribute artist. Though he may be best known for his Colorado campfire concerts, Brad has performed for audiences of up to 30,000. A veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, listeners will find Brad's love of the sea in many of the songs he has written. He was invited to perform cowboy music for the President of the United States during his 2001 visit to Colorado and has recorded 14 albums, featuring his original music. He performs approximately 300 concerts each year.
Doug and Brad recently released a duet album entitled “Fitch Brothers Live in Hawaii,” which contains original folk music reflecting their roots in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. This acoustic live album showcases the brothers’ harmonies and the influences of John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot & Hawaiian Slack key guitar
Join host Tony Solis for Pakele Live! Thursday, May 10 from 6:30-8:30pm HST at the Willows Restaurant (901 Hausten St., Honolulu). Those who are unable to attend can watch the live stream at our NEW site: http://new.livestream.com/pakele
Admission is free and all ages are welcome. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. (Doors open at 5:30. Validated valet parking is $3.) Guests may choose from the full nightly buffet ($34.95) or a family-style a la carte menu. Happy hour drink specials are also available:
Happy Hour Drink Specials 5:30-7:30pm
$4 Draft beers, House Wines & Pinnacle Vodka Specialties
$5 Specialty cocktails
Family Style Pupus 5:30-8:30pm
$6 Chili garlic edamame
$11 Willows house salad
$12 Honey garlic chicken wings or garlic fried rice
$13 Chicken katsu
$15 Dashi braised pork belly
$16 Pulehu boneless short ribs
Ahi poke (market price)
Note: If you watch online, don’t forget to email the show at pakele @ lava.net and let us know you’re watching! Mention your name and where you’re located - city, state – or country, if outside the U.S.!
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The Fitch Brothers (Pakele Live)
Posted - 05/10/2012 : 12:39:26 AM
