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Auntie Maria
Ha`aha`a
USA
1918 Posts |
Posted - 09/21/2013 : 08:18:00 AM
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Got my email newsletter from PBS Hawai`i, and this program announcement had me smiling. I'll be watching!!
PBS Hawaii Presents Na Mele: Peter Medeiros Thursday, September 26 at 9:00 pm
NA MELE introduces a talent years in the making. Slack key artist Peter Medeiros, accompanied by guitarist Josh Silva and bass player Nate Stillman, presents a fun evening of traditional slack key. Joining the trio is are the dancers of Pua Ali'i 'Ilima, led by Kumu Hula Vicky and Jeff Kānekaiwilani Takamine. Songs performed include "Ulili E," "He'eia," "Ke Ala O Ka Rose" and "Kananaka."
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Auntie Maria =================== My "Aloha Kaua`i" radio show streams FREE online every Thu & Fri 7-9am (HST) www.kkcr.org - Kaua`i Community Radio "Like" Aloha Kauai on Facebook, for playlists and news/info about island music and musicians!
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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1573 Posts |
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Peter Medeiros
`Olu`olu
546 Posts |
Posted - 09/23/2013 : 9:52:08 PM
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My Na Mele program came from out of the blue. As you know I rarely play in public, but Vernon Chong who had evidently been following my musical path was playing tennis one day with Roy Kimura, PBS producer the new V.P. of Creative Services over at PBS Hawaii, mentioned my name when asked who he would like to see on the program. So voila, I get a one-hour program because of the work I did over the years. I first started teaching in 1972 and I have had many students, and I’m still trying to figure out if Vernon was one of them. I don’t watch PBS or Na Mele very often so I didn’t know what to expect. And it turned out to be a much bigger deal than I had anticipated — magazine covers and article, six or seven weeks of promotion. It was somewhat overwhelming for this state worker and caregiver. As I told Roy “You guy’s must be dragging the bottom of the barrel.” I say this because I am not an entertainer per se. But the idea Roy mentioned was providing a look at the teacher student relationship.
It was fun putting the show together. I asked two former students, Nate Stillman and Josh Silva, if they would be interested in doing this with me. In addition for me, slack key has to go with hula so I asked my colleague Vicky Takamine (who I work with every semester) would she mind if her halau would like to do this with me. None of us were in the professional musician mode but I arranged the music so that the boys and I would at least have a chance. I chose about fifteen songs and we ended up using thirteen. The group did eleven and I ended up doing two on location. We rehearsed about a dozen times throughout the summer — a couple hours of actual playing and a couple hours of talking story and eating over the dinner table. Probably no more than twenty-four hours of rehearsal.
The journey forward to the actual production required a lot of time. Time for learning and practicing, time for the group rehearsals and time for the actual shoots. There were three production shoots with full camera crews; two were remote and the big one in the studio. It would take up the final two weeks of summer.
The first remote shoot was at Papahana Kuaola in the very beautiful Haiku Valley at the back of the ahupua’a of He‘eia, about one mile mauka of my home. Papahana Kuaola is an mālama ʻāina-based non-profit organization and as its PR states connects the area’s past with a sustainable future. Very lush area with taro growing in lo’i. The on camera interview and the opening and closing shots were taken there.
The second location production was in Kapālama at the Pa’i Foundation. This is the home of Vicky’s hula halau Pua Ali’i ‘Ilima. This is where we practiced with the dancers. They were so busy this summer we only got to practice with them once before the shoot. On the evening of the halau shoot, Vicky, Nate and Josh were interviewed. Footage from this rehearsal was also shot.
It was a long studio shoot. We went in to the studio at 7:30 AM. We did the hula segment first and finished hula at about 2:00 PM -- it took approximately four hours and it was only four of the eleven numbers we had to do. They were changing the lighting and the scope of the shots -- we did at least three or four takes per hula. It was worth it though; Vicky’s choreography was outstanding. But by the time we did our segment it was close to three o’clock. I had become hypoglycemic and was losing my voice. Getting through the final seven songs was a challenge, but we finished everything by 6:30. It was a long day.
After the studio, we went out to dinner and our take on this was that it had been a worthwhile journey – but we were somewhat out of our element in the studio, because we had difficulty hearing each other. To control the ambience the studio is dead – sound does not carry very far.
Any way it is what it pau, and there was enough good material to make the production work. I am not a tantada type of guy so it was kind of challenge for me to overcome being in front of the camera. Evidently, this was my once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m okay with it and very fortunate to have been given the chance. The program will be shown again Thanksgiving Day at 8:00 PM. We are also on the PBS Xmas special, which will be shown two weeks later.
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Edited by - Peter Medeiros on 10/26/2013 11:47:03 AM |
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Claudia
Lokahi
USA
152 Posts |
Posted - 10/27/2013 : 04:36:53 AM
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Aloha e Peter,
I saw a couple of still shots from the PBS shoot and I can't wait to see the show! Andy and I play kīhōʻalu for Kumu Vicky's Pua Aliʻi ʻIlima here in New York City. It is very difficult for us mainlanders to see shows from PBS Hawaiʻi, but I hope some way, some how, we can manage it because I would dearly love to hear you play. Mahalo for all that you do, Peter. |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2013 : 04:25:42 AM
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Sounds like a long day. Thanks for sharing your experience with us, Peter. I hope to have an opportunity to see it. |
Andy |
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Peter Medeiros
`Olu`olu
546 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2013 : 08:05:08 AM
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I'll talk to Vicky tomorrow, you guys want the music for the NYC halau? |
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Peter Medeiros
`Olu`olu
546 Posts |
Posted - 11/26/2013 : 11:28:33 PM
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Howzit, the rebroadcast of my PBS Special on KHET will be Thanksgiving day at 8:00 in the evening. Also, KHET Xmas Holiday Special "Songs of Joy" will be shown on Monday evening, December 2 at 7:30. It will feature several terrific artists: Manu Boyd; Hoʻokena with Maila Gibson; Kuana Torres Kahele; Henry Kapono; Nina Kealiiwahamana with Aaron Salā; The Leo Nahenahe Singers; Gail Mack with Gordon Kim; and Peter Medeiros with Nahaniel Stillman and Josh Silva.
They told me that the xmas show would be streamed, but I'm not holding my breath on this one. We'll wait and see. However, they did make a DVD of the Xmas special according to the station which I am anticipating. Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving. Aloha. |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 11/27/2013 : 5:35:42 PM
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Happy Thanksgiving. Wonder if my family will tape it for me? |
Andy |
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Claudia
Lokahi
USA
152 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2013 : 12:56:43 AM
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Thank you Peter, for alerting us to "Songs Of Joy" from PBS Hawaiʻi - they indeed are streaming it online for most of today (Tuesday Dec 3 until 7:30pm Hawaiʻi Time). Your rendition of Silent Night was so beautiful! Mahalo! |
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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1573 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2018 : 1:01:50 PM
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We're in Kailua (yes we lucky) and turned on the TV at just the right moment to catch Peter's Na Mele episode being rebroadcast (yes, plenty lucky!) I hit record so I could savor it, and it's a joy. I found a link but it's not streaming, only a description and air date with none coming up. I wish I could share it, hope you can catch it some day. Sweet playing in a variety of styles, and some saucy hula!
Fran
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E ho`okani pila kakou ma Kaleponi Slack Key Guitar in California - www.kaleponi.com Slack Key on YouTube Homebrewed Music Blog |
Edited by - Fran Guidry on 07/14/2018 1:02:37 PM |
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Kapila Kane
Ha`aha`a
USA
1051 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2018 : 4:26:54 PM
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Super...May I request an "appointment" reminder? or Maybe I'll Put in in my calendar! |
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