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Konabob
`Olu`olu
USA
928 Posts |
 Posted - 07/03/2011 : 09:21:50 AM
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Saturday - Hoʻike Night. The culmination of a weekʻs work. Are we all ready?
During the morning hours, as I went about my chores, I continued to find small groups of my friends working on their songs, but now they have gotten very creative about where they practice. I saw two 2 guitarists wedged between a couple of purple bougainvillea bushes. They didnʻt even look up when I stopped to watch them. In the afternoon, I found the Three Amigos huddled in a dark hallway by the pay phones. It seemed like a strange place to work on a song, but I had to admit that the acoustics were fabulous.
I also noticed that all of the kumu seem to be constantly beaming. Dennis Kamakahi flashes me a huge smile every time I see him. I know he is very proud of his students, and they seem to drink in his self confidence. Kalikoʻs class are answering his questions in Hawaiian now... how did that happen? Dennis Lake stands around like a new father, as his students finish stringing their brand new ʻukulele.
Moana, Robyn, and their classes have worked so hard that the grass under the tent is flattened. Now they are stringing plumeria and fern lei to wear for the eveningʻs performance.
In the afternoon, I walk out to Kalanikai, a large open-air pavilion overlooking Kahaluʻu Beach Park. The snorkelers and surfers are enjoying the beautiful blue sky and warm water. Classes here are finished, and the area is silent except for the soft crash of waves on the rocks. Picking up a few supplies, I head back to the storage room. As I open the door to Ballroom 4, I catch Melindaʻs songwriting class halfway through a song that they have written to express how they feel about being here. I have not heard them sing this song before, so I stop and listen. As the last chord dyed away, I found my self gasping out loud. What the heck? My eyes are full of tears. Everyone is staring at me. $^%& It! They are all laughing at me! Sigh... there is a special award here at Camp for this kind of behavior. The "Wuss Award" they call it, for "mushiness" and being easily moved to tears... I have been nominated. (Note to self: Am going to have to work hard not to win this one...)
The Luau begins. Mai Taiʻs and all the other beverages that entertain adults after a hard day of practice begin to appear. Now the cameras are coming out. OMG, they are wracking up the megapixels! I seriously hope that some of these end up on the Aloha Music Camp Facebook page and website. The 300 or so photos that I have taken will need to be gone through soon. As the sun dips below the horizon, there is a flash of green. Ha! Many people donʻt even know about the phenomenon, but I hear people applauding mother nature, and a few more people now understand the Green Flash. Poke, poi, dark purple sweet potato with toasted coconut, chicken long rice, kalua pig... all the usual suspects are here. What is this? Purple Sweet Potato Cheesecake and Haupia for dessert? Thatʻs it - the diet starts tomorrow.
The tent is glowing beneath the monkeypod trees, and folks in their aloha wear gather. Greg blows the pu (conch shell), and the show begins. Melindaʻs vocal class performs Pua Hone, and calls the author of the song, Rev. Dennis Kamakahi up to present him with a puakenikeni lei. Dennis Lake and Kaponoʻai bring their students up to display 6 brand new ʻukulele, 5 Oeoe (wind gourds) and half a dozen new Ipu Heke. The ipu are given names, and all the instruments are blessed by Kaponoʻai. Madeline turns to Moana and presents her Ipu as a gift. Moana begins weeping unabashedly. (Oh, thank heavens. Another nominee!)
Moanaʻs hula class performs, using kalaʻau (sticks), followed by much more hula from both Robyn and Moanaʻs classes. I live here in Kona and see a lot of hula, but this means so much to me, because I have watched these dancers the whole week. Kaliko invites me to play bass while his ʻOlele class and Beginning ʻUkulele class perform "Puamana", and the local favorite, "I Kona".
Geri Valdriz has done an amazing job of teaching steel guitar. As a man of steel (ha!), I know how steep the learning curve is on this instrument. Yet, as each of the students performs their song, the crowd applauds wildly, and the studentsʻ sense of accomplishment is palpable. They have really become Hawaiian steel guitar players! Awesome! A special nod to Kelly Detweiler from Oklahoma. She was amazing! Geri and Kalikoʻs Intermediate Slack Key and ʻukulele students make a strong showing. The tent is filled with sweet music.
Kaliko and Robyn bring their Intermediate ʻUkulele groups on stage. Miho Hyodo, from Japan, is featured in both of these performances. She loves to sing, and leads the group through several songs.These are not just three chord songs either. Robyn is known for her extensive use of complex chords, so she playfully announces that one of the songs is in "D". Miho pipes up, "No, it is in D6!" Robynʻs intermediate group nails "Yellow Ginger Lei".
Keola and Dennis Kamakahi both presented their their advanced students as the crowd falls silent. Such delicate, beautiful sound - and Claudia Goddardʻs beautiful voice blending with all those strings. Chicken skin time! Kaponoʻaiʻs students accompanied Keolaʻs advanced slack key class with their "wind generating" oeoe during the performance of Keolaʻs song, "Ka Makani ʻUlaʻula" (red wind), about the beautiful red cinder wind that is sometimes seen on the mountain-side of Mauna Kea.
Finally, Melindaʻs Songwriting class takes to the stage to perform their new song, which will be shared with Camp on the website soon. Must not cry. Must not gasp again. I hold my breath and swallow hard. # @ *! Pass the Kleenex.
Aloha,
-Konabob
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Konabob's Walkingbass - http://www.konawalkingbass.com
Taropatch Steel - http://www.konaweb.com/konabob/
YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=Konabob2+Walkingbass |
Edited by - Konabob on 07/04/2011 07:20:05 AM |
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AMC Report - Saturday
