| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| thumbstruck |
Posted - 05/21/2024 : 11:11:36 AM
Besides the hula show and Strum kanikapila at the festival, I've been asked to do a Slack Key Guiar workshop on Monday afternoon (Memorial Day), a sub for another workshop that cancelled. Questions, comments, ideas, whatever. Should be fun. I've done workshops for years at Folklife. Good venue to trade licks. |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| thumbstruck |
Posted - 06/02/2024 : 1:54:30 PM
Pardon my mispellings...
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| thumbstruck |
Posted - 06/02/2024 : 09:40:22 AM
Taropatch tuning was (and is) known in Latin America. That tuning insprired an American to compose "Spanish Fandango". The Hawaiians did have chants, and a nose flute and rhythm instruments. The Protestand missionaries introduced hymns (himeni) and some harmony singing (most likely shape note, popular in the US at the time). Iberian style harmony (parallel 3rds and 6ths) came with Mexican vaqueros, reinforced in 1870s by Portuguese bringing also what became "ukulele". After the Spanish-American War, Puerto Ricans came in the late 1890s to work cane as well as Filipinos. Both groups had Iberian style harmonies. The mid-1880s saw the birth and developement of the steel guitar. |
| chunky monkey |
Posted - 06/01/2024 : 05:30:27 AM
I wouldn't dismiss nor put much credence in any "legend" of how Slack Key originated. There is no historical evidence that Mexican cowboys had any more impact, possibly none, than did the missionaries, whalers, plantation workers, or anyone else who brought music to Hawai`i.There is no doubt about the influence on the Paniolo culture, but it's disingenuous to think that three vaqueros alone in 1830 could have started this. It's like trying to describe who started the Blues or Bluegrass. It does, however, sound like a pretty good story. Unless, of course, I'm completely wrong. |
| Earl |
Posted - 05/30/2024 : 08:42:04 AM
That is my understanding of the slack-key story too -- Mexican vaqueros brought in to teach ranching to the Hawaiians. But I was unaware of the Canadian connection. Interesting... |
| thumbstruck |
Posted - 05/24/2024 : 08:25:54 AM
True! There were so many kanaka that came to the PNW to work for the Hudson's Bay Co, that to this day, Canadians are called 'Canucks" (Kanaka). In the Channel Islands north of the border between Victoria and Vancouver, BC, there are still folks who identify as Hawaiian. Friday Harbor on Orcas Island in the San Juans, was named for a Hawaiian nicknamed Friday. There were over 50 Hawaiians working at the HBCo post in Victoria, BC. |
| Fran Guidry |
Posted - 05/24/2024 : 05:48:42 AM
As I understand the story, slack key is cowboy music. The paniolo learned cowboying and got their guitars from the vaqueros. The vaqueros were hired in 1832 by Kamehameha III to teach cattle management. The troublesome cattle came from a small herd gifted by George Vancouver to Kamehameha I in 1793. Vancouver was cruising the Northwest in 1792 when he decided to ditch the cold clime and so headed off to Hawai`i.
https://www.nwcouncil.org/reports/columbia-river-history/vancouvergeorge/
https://www.hicattle.org/our-island-industry/history
https://www.sfgate.com/hawaii/article/hawaii-cowboy-paniolo-history-18615187.php
So there's a direct connection between the Seattle area and slack key by way of a few cattle.
Fran |
| thumbstruck |
Posted - 05/23/2024 : 08:28:43 AM
The pipi kaula, pipi stew an' rice, etc. |
| Fran Guidry |
Posted - 05/22/2024 : 07:25:18 AM
It all starts with George Vancouver and a couple of cattle, eh??
Oops, now I read that there were actually 6 cows and 1 bull.
Fran |
