| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| thumbstruck |
Posted - 04/12/2011 : 3:19:49 PM
Despite the news about the Grammies (how come Grampies are overlooked?) and the ignorance (both the intentional and the birthright kinds) of the populace in general, Why play / enjoy Hawaiian music? Obvious answer: It makes me feel good. My blood pressure goes way down when I play ki ho'alu. I feel connected to the folks that taught me tunes, tunings, etc and get to know and jam with some pretty talented folks. Us guys get ony good fun! Any other feelings, ideas, etc? |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| cmdrpiffle |
Posted - 05/14/2011 : 11:17:51 AM
It's always resonated in the soul to me. Don't claim to do it any justice, but I love the way my body and mind slow down to a healthy and centering rhythm when I play.
Cheers! |
| walterotter |
Posted - 05/04/2011 : 1:05:47 PM
we had a picnic on Sunday by a stream below the church meadow of Gilbert White's Selborne in the shires, we tuned down our ukes to a taropatch tuning and picked some simple graceful songs as the sunday evening church bells chimed we felt like missionaries home from Hawaii with a pot of gold from somewhere over the rainbow. Hawaiin music casts a kind of buddhist calm upon the waters of life and all the frentic pace of the nah nah world finds no foothold and drifts away. If Huck Finn had ever made it to Hawaii he would have felt the same way too . . .
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Mike |
| slipry1 |
Posted - 04/15/2011 : 09:52:12 AM
quote:
Originally posted by wcerto
That had to be a wonderful experience, Jack. I wonder if anyone wen video it?
unfortunately, I didn't see a single camera. We do it again next week! btw, the Keawes are SO gratious! |
| markwitz |
Posted - 04/15/2011 : 02:29:11 AM
quote:
Originally posted by slipry1
One of the reasons I play Hawaiian music is for nights like tonight. I went to the Moana Terrace (wearing my Islanders aloha shirt to match Alan and Gary) st the Waikiki Mariott and sat in on the second set with the Kewae family and Alan Akaka. We started with Alan and me doing steel duets ("Blue Hawaiian Moonlight", "Ke Aloha" and "In A Hula Heaven", the last one with me playing on the B11 neck and Alan on C6). Then Alan sat down, and I played steel with the Keawes until the last 2 numbers when Alan came up to close the show. What a night for me! I know I need to sleep, but I'm too wired!
  ..... |
| wcerto |
Posted - 04/15/2011 : 01:33:31 AM
That had to be a wonderful experience, Jack. I wonder if anyone wen video it? |
| slipry1 |
Posted - 04/14/2011 : 11:31:10 PM
One of the reasons I play Hawaiian music is for nights like tonight. I went to the Moana Terrace (wearing my Islanders aloha shirt to match Alan and Gary) st the Waikiki Mariott and sat in on the second set with the Kewae family and Alan Akaka. We started with Alan and me doing steel duets ("Blue Hawaiian Moonlight", "Ke Aloha" and "In A Hula Heaven", the last one with me playing on the B11 neck and Alan on C6). Then Alan sat down, and I played steel with the Keawes until the last 2 numbers when Alan came up to close the show. What a night for me! I know I need to sleep, but I'm too wired! |
| Allen M Cary |
Posted - 04/14/2011 : 09:49:41 AM
Thirty some years ago, when I moved from Bluegrass Country (the actual place, Lexington Ky) to California, my brother in law had just moved back from Hawaii. With him came the Beamers' first albums. This was the most incredible, beautiful music I had ever heard. I said, I gotta learn me some of that! After all these years of workshops, books, videos and camps I have learned a lot more than just beautiful music. I have gotten to feel how the Aloha has to come from your heart and out of your fingers or it isn't Hawaiian music. The Aloha--that's the thing. And if I can just transmit a little of it to others through my playing, it is a truely wonderful thing.
Aloha kakou,
Allen |
| thumbstruck |
Posted - 04/13/2011 : 4:27:05 PM
Music that sounds good in the kitchen or the backporch will endure. It's not "sexy" and the suits find it difficult to cash in on, but it's still enobling and family / friend oriented. Tell the great Hank Haller (a mensch in the best sense of the word) to wear steel toed shoes next time (Oh, there won't be a next time. Their loss.) |
| wcerto |
Posted - 04/13/2011 : 11:19:22 AM
Eh, Kory - I remember my friend Hank Haller was nominated for a polka Grammy some years back for his song "Thank You Dear and Give Her Roses". He didn't win, but he went to the whoop-de-do in California and got stepped on by some guy who was in a group called Simply Red. |
| thumbstruck |
Posted - 04/13/2011 : 08:41:17 AM
Music is communication not a commodity. To paraphrase, "Grammies? We don't need no stinkin' Grammies!" (no ill will intended, Retro- Hans and I didn't even know that there was a polka category that could be deleted - it never stopped us from gigging). I play da music because of the connection to others and for centering myself. I feel for those that would have to come in contact with me if I wasn't able to play music. Like Duke said, it reaches back in time to others who played. As an old Cajun man told the great fiddler Dewey Balfa, "People can die but a song shouldn't die." |
| Trev |
Posted - 04/13/2011 : 12:16:39 AM
The reasons why I enjoy Hawaiian music, and play a little are really the same reasons that I play any or enjoy any music. On a superficial level, I like the sound that it makes. This is fundamentally why I play anything. I love the sound of certain music so much that I want to make it as well.
Music has been called a language, and it is a truism to say it conveys emotions.
When I heard Slack key for the first time, a couple of things were immediately apparent. Firstly it was incredibly beautiful. Secondly, I’d not heard anything quite like it before. There are stylistic phrasings, like vamps/turnarounds that do not occur in other styles. So it was not only beautiful but interesting. However, there were also components that were fairly familiar – the acoustic guitar, the open tunings, the fingerstyle, the alternating bass, the use of major scales.
Like other styles I’ve had a go at playing, the motivation was the same - ‘Wouldn’t it be great if I could make this kind of sound?’
Without making the story too long, I was so fascinated I travelled to Hawaii to try and learn a bit more about the style. It was to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and now I’ve been three times! Along the way I’ve also learnt a bit about the culture, I’ve learnt about Aloha, (which up to then I thought was just the word for ‘hello’) I’ve met some amazing people and I’ve made some really good friends.
So now it’s not just about the sounds themselves, it’s about memories, associations – particular emotions connected with particular events -in short it’s personal.
I am not a Hawaiian musician, nor do I wish to self identify as such. I do, however self identify as a musician, and sharing music and laughter with people is something I do just about every day. I try not to take this for granted, but when it’s part of my daily existence, it’s easy to come to accept it as normal.
The chance to play with people from other cultures, is always hugely exciting and a great honour, as far as I’m concerned. I’ve always had an interest in American music, so playing with Americans is particularly special. But for the last six to seven years, I’ve been introduced to Hawaiian music, and learning from, and playing music with, Hawaiians has been something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.
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| sirduke58 |
Posted - 04/12/2011 : 9:42:47 PM
quote:
originally posted by guitarded
Braddah Duke, no need be all Hawaiian music eedah. Unko Paul can be yeehawing away on his "5 Pounds of Possum" while Kory stay munching on his flutefish pupu. Somehow it always comes back to food.
True dat Bruddah Ed but Hawaiian music was da common ground dat wen make us all cross paths.......But no can ahgue dat it always comes back to kau kau...Paul's fi' pown wattah rat o'a Kory's bakalau it's all good..........Sumtin smell good, wat you get on da stove Bruddah Ed? No tell me das da wirl famous boil peanuts Make me miss da old Honolulu Stadium boil peanuts, Chinatown kine junk nomo' feelin' eat doze ones |
| noeau |
Posted - 04/12/2011 : 9:20:24 PM
Grew up with music in Hawai'i. It wasn't only Hawaiian music. But Hawaiian music was always special because I am Hawaiian. I felt special that we had our own music when almost everything else was gone. The music encouraged me to learn the language and by doing that I learned a lot about the culture and history. The bonds that are created because of our musicianship is just one of the many benefits that keep me coming back for more. |
| slipry1 |
Posted - 04/12/2011 : 5:35:32 PM
oh - IMHO, Hawaiian music is absolutely blissful, and my main instrument, the steel guitar, was invented in Hawaii, and it continues to be the sound that identifies music as Hawaiian to the malahinis all over the world.
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| slipry1 |
Posted - 04/12/2011 : 5:33:14 PM
quote:
Originally posted by sirduke58
Eh Wanda
Because of Hawaian music I made lifelong friendships with all those you mentioned above plus you & Paul, Ed, Glenn, Kory, Jack, Al, Peter Medeiros, Ozzie, Zack, Ledward, Aunty Lei, Fran, Ramon etc etc etc.......Priceless!!! Not to mention all the good folks I got acquainted with here on TP.....Factor in all the YouTubers yikes!!!!....Pretty damn awesome fringe benefits
Garanz, braddah! How would hopeless haoles like me ever get the feel for Hawaiian ways? Even though I get a lot of help from Hawaiians in Seattle, how would I ever have caught on to pidgen? Jes' one big ohana, yeah? |
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