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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
 Posted - 02/25/2011 : 12:06:25 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Retro
quote:
Originally posted by wcerto
... couldn't that type of "bridge" introduce other people to a more in-depth love and study of Hawaiian music?
And now we come full circle to Bill's point that started this thread - the unwillingness of many people to accept that Tia Carrere's Grammy-winning CD may yet serve that purpose for someone; and we may never know that it has done so.
Someone once said "everyone has a purpose in this world, if only to serve as a bad example for everyone else". |
keaka |
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basilking
Lokahi
125 Posts |
Posted - 02/25/2011 : 9:30:46 PM
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`A`ohe pau ka `ike i ka hâlau ho`okâhi.
(All knowledge is not taught in one school.)
Lovely wisdom.
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Bau
Lokahi
USA
226 Posts |
Posted - 02/26/2011 : 12:53:39 AM
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@ russel thats an interesting quote thanks
@ wanda that looks like a lovely book, thankss for posting the info |
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Falsetto2002
Akahai
USA
66 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2011 : 10:16:24 PM
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Bill,
What would Aunty Genoa Keawe say?
So, no give up. Its about A.L.O.H.A.
A - AKAHAI: meaning kindness to be expressed with tenderness
L - LOKAHI: meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony
O - OLUOLU: meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness
H - HA'AHA'A: meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty
A - AHONUI: meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance
In my 45 years of Hawaiian music, it has taken me many years to get to where I am at now. Mahalo nui loa to my direct kupuna and mahalo to the kupuna around me. Without their ALOHA I would not have won FBS 9th Annual Falsetto Contest nor would I have been able to release my new CD "Hula Pa`ina." So, no give in and keep going for you ALOHA will shine.
Me kealoha pumehana
Keep it PONO!!!!
Being Pono is a way of living. Let us all live PONO! |
Leo Ki'eki'e
Kalei |
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hwnmusiclives
`Olu`olu
USA
580 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2011 : 01:27:47 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Falsetto2002
Bill,
What would Aunty Genoa Keawe say?
My brother, permit me to quote her:
"The foundation of all Hawaiian music is great love. If you are glowing with love, then you are playing and singing the songs right."
- Genoa Keawe, Chicken Soup from the Soul of Hawai'i
"A lot of people say, 'Oh, the haoles are no good, they don't know anything about the music.' But I don't believe that. It's your presentation of the Hawaiian songs [that matters]."
- Genoa Keawe, Da Kine Sound
As for what she has said to you or me personally, only we know, now, don't we? I do not play the my-kumu-is-bigger-than-your-kumu game.
Thanks for your aloha, Gary.
- Bill
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ypochris
Lokahi
USA
398 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2011 : 11:59:20 AM
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I come late to this discussion, and not to address the Grammys, but rather what I see as the heart of the original post.
I came to Hawai'i when I was fourteen, moving to what is arguably the heart of traditional Hawai'i, Waipi'o Valley. I experienced the full spectrum of treatment any haole could receive, from being adopted as a hanai son by Jackie Kaholoa'a and spending much time learning cultural wisdom from my neighbor Robert Kahele, to having someone spewing spittle into my face screaming "It's been a long time since I killed me one f***ing haole"; getting beat up in a park on the other side of the island just because I was a haole by teenagers who didn't even realize I was their neighbor and had lived in their father's house, sharing a luau there with them; and having random strangers swinging a baseball bat at my head from a speeding car, luckily just nicking an ear as I ducked.
But, I just lived my life, doing the things that drew me, moving from the subsistance living Jackie taught me to taro farming. Gradually neighbors became friends, and even enemies became friends. Always, though, excpt from some of the Hawaiian kupuna, I felt a barrier due to the fact that I was seen as haole. Eventually I came to realize that this reflected these people's own insecurity- it seemed that the pure Hawaiians always accepted me for who I was, the part Hawaiians came to accept me, and those with no Hawaiian blood always saw me as an invader, trying to be more Hawaiian than me because their skin was browner.
This is how I saw it, anyway, when after thirty years I moved to the mainland so my wife could attend medical school. That is when I came to realize how much aloha Hawai'i really had. Over here, the blacks don't like me because I'm white; the Latinos don't like you because you are white; the Native Americans don't like me because I look white, even though I was raised as a Native American, the whites don't like me because I'm not a Christian or because I don't dress like they do or because I choose to drive a ratty car or because I am a landlord or because I'm an environmentalist or because I hunt or because I'm not Republican or because I support property rights or because I'm a Native American, depending on how they see you. And generally, they never know who I am at all, because they don't look up, don't look you in the eye, never greet a stranger, don't want to know their neighbors, and are all only interested in how much money they can make so I wouldn't want to meet them anyway.
Let me tell you, I'd take the overt racism of Hawai'i over the subtle predjudice here any day. In Hawai'i the Hawaiians and Samoans and Japanese and Haoles and Portugese and Phillipinos and everyone else all make fun of each other, then share foods and culture and language before marrying each other. It's not at all bad, and so much better than it was in the early '70s when I came!
So play on, and ignore the haters. Who cares what they think? Good people are everywhere in Hawai'i. |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2174 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2011 : 4:38:37 PM
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| Eh, Chris, well said. Good people are all over. Why is "common sense" so uncommon? |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2011 : 6:42:40 PM
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Because it's easier to object than to be objective.
(That's one of my favorite Koryisms, btw.) |
Edited by - Retro on 03/04/2011 7:41:31 PM |
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Doug Fitch
Akahai
USA
80 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2011 : 9:29:28 PM
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Anyone who thinks its foolish for a Haole to play slack should take that issue up with my teachers past and present. Also, the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts who pays for my lessons these past couple of years. I have had great privileges and been shafted plenty. Life is never fair so all we can do is just learn to deal with it.
We (me included!) need to remember that we can take joy in simply savoring life, enjoying music, honoring the past and preserving those arts, while venturing into new creative outlets. Mostly, we must strive to enjoy one another. Life is short. |
Doug Fitch
fitchdoug @ yahoo.com
www.dougfitchmusic.com
http://youtube.com/user/dougfitchmusic |
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Doug Fitch
Akahai
USA
80 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2011 : 9:40:49 PM
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| One last quip: While I am strongly dedicated to perpetuating older traditional forms of kiho'alu I also love new creative expression and song writing is a passion of mine. Isn't it interesting that I never hear anyone complain about how Iz played John Denver's gigantic international hit "Country Roads". Iz utterly altered the lyrics! As a native Coloradoan now in Hawai'i, I feel kinda of proud of both of those artists as a result! (so there... nah nah nah nah doo-doo!) Aloha, Doug |
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Falsetto2002
Akahai
USA
66 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2011 : 10:32:15 PM
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Good debate.
But as for me, I went through the phase of I no going play Hawaiian music anymore. When I did not play, I was miserable and I knew that this GODDESS given talent was going to waist. If I did not use it to spread the aloha and touch as many as I could with Hawaiian music, then it could be easily taken away.
Hawaiian music is a part of me and I am energized and happy when I make music for all. Though winning a Grammy would be awesome and increase CD sales, but more important is the ability to make music and share my loaned gift. Its about Hawaii and bringing more people to the islands through mele. If they travel, yay for us and tourist dollars.
My tut said when she was alive, "if you no get now, maybe you getem later." "For its in the timing of the universe and Akua." "Not ours...hers/his." That's what she would say.
So, with this said; Bill, I send you much aloha on your temporary state of execution (not making music). Welcome back when you are ready to kani again.
Me kealoha pumehana
me...lol |
Leo Ki'eki'e
Kalei |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2011 : 08:23:54 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Falsetto2002
...and share my loaned gift.
There's a point that should ring true with each and every one of us fortunate enough to have been lent a piece of that gift. Thanks, Kalei. |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2011 : 10:00:30 AM
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| Right on, as usual, Gary! When I was playing bass in a country band in LA in the 70's, a drunk came up and said to the lead guitarist "I wish I could play like you". My pal said "No you don't!", and I got ready for a beef, but he added, "What you want is for the Blue Fairy to come down, and **ding** make you a guitaist. I was a little, fat, loudmouthed kid with no friends who sat in his bedroom and played guitar [he had grown out of that condition by then] because I had no friends." The drunk said, "You're right!", and walked away. So - I agree with Kalai: there's a Goddess who comes to some of us and plants the spark in our heads. This can happen any time in your life. I really enjoy watching a kid with "the spark". They can't pass an instrument without picking it up and trying it. |
keaka |
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Bill Campbell
Akahai
USA
90 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2011 : 3:32:24 PM
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I think the thrust of the original post on this thread was not about 'playing slack key guitar' but rather about 'having one's slack key guitar playing accepted', by whomever. I spent a lot of time on Kauai. I learned to play Hawaiian slack key guitar by listening to every Dancing Cat CD available at the time, taking weekly lessons from Hal Kinnaman, and practicing all day long every day (between beers, whale watching and trips to the beach). I was encouraged by many of my Hawaiian musician friends to make a slack key CD. I did that. I sent preview copies to many people whose judgment I trusted, including George Winston, Eddie Kamae, and Ozzie Kotani. They all were very encouraging, approving, and praising of my music, and wishing me the best. So, after I made the CD, I came to Kauai in 2002 to promote it, and I had arranged to have lots of gigs during that period, including interviews with Cindy Combs and others on radio. But, throughout all the gigs, even though I met many people from all parts of the world, and many people attended my performances (and bought CDs), I couldn't help but notice the absence of EVERYONE who I thought to be my friends. Not even my guru Hal Kinnaman could find the time to come to even one of my performances. I began to wonder why. But, I never thought that it might be because of envy, jealousy, or something similar.
Until.... I discovered this website, through the invitation of Craig Patchett. I began to post comments that I thought to be enlightening, informative comments, like you can't always be sure that the tuning given in the CD liner notes is accurate (even on one of the songs on my own CD), but the barrage of vitriol and bitterness in the comments of those who responded to my posts was overwhelming. I then realized that many people on this board aren't really happy about hearing about anyone else's successes. So, I stopped posting. Well, I did send tablature for several Christmas carols a few years ago, and you can check the succeeding comments to find out how many voiced appreciation for any of them. Not very many.
However, unlike Bill, I have not stopped playing slack key guitar. In fact, I still do it for money. I enjoy playing, and I enjoy the money and the impact that my music seems to make on my audiences. But, like Bill, I have stopped sharing any of that with Taropatch.net, because I detected the same animosity that Bill so eloquently described in the original post, and I don't like to offend folks, get their anger up, or engage in confrontational discussions.
So, Bill. Don't quit playing slack key guitar. Just stop making posts on this board or trying to play the music in venues where you feel that it isn't wanted. Trust me, there any too many places where your music will be enjoyed for you to worry about the ones that make you feel the way you felt at the time you posted your comment.
I was sitting at the computer a while ago, looking through old Bookmarks, and I came across this one, so I decided to 'look in'. If I have offended anyone, I am sorry. |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2011 : 5:40:28 PM
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| E BC. I may have downloaded your tabs and if I did not say it then I say it now. Thank you. |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
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My Love Affair With Hawaiian Music Is Over
