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Kapila Kane
Ha`aha`a
USA
1051 Posts |
 Posted - 09/14/2016 : 9:48:40 PM
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So one of the positive memories that watching a you tube of "Wahine 'Ilikea" with Dennis and David Kamakahi stirs up:
at a workshop session at the 2015 workshop, David spoke of how his dad prepared him ed for a symphony "pops" concert while they were on a plane to the west coast (slight memory slips possible here, (slight deviations of the original story?), but this is a part of what I remember of the stories I remember David telling that day--so I'm sticking to it!)
David is a great player, but had not done real music reading at that time...but Dennis had significant skill in reading music when needed.
and his dad was under the gun to prepare them and play this symphony gig on the west coast. One time when Dennis was home from his playing travels, he had "discovered" this new, young, great player living under the same roof--so they started to work more as a duo as David came of age.
On the plane, they would work through talking through the score and reviewed the scores, with Dennis having David memorize HOW the score move and flowed in and out of their parts..."what happens next?" etc.
They not only pulled it off, but developed a great love for playing together.
These are the "talk story" stories that are heart-warming, and give insight into how great players got there and had now legendary experiences...almost forms a little movie in our minds as the story is told.
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Edited by - Kapila Kane on 09/20/2016 1:52:50 PM |
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Lawrence
Ha`aha`a
USA
1597 Posts |
Posted - 09/15/2016 : 07:21:39 AM
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Nice Story!...
I do really miss Dennis.
I did a 3 hour/week radio show for the last 8 weeks, and needless to say I played lots of his stuff.
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Mahope Kākou...
...El Lorenzo de Ondas Sonoras |
Edited by - Lawrence on 09/15/2016 07:24:25 AM |
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chunky monkey
Ha`aha`a
USA
1003 Posts |
Posted - 09/19/2016 : 12:06:18 PM
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| Yep, Uncle Dennis was a treasure. Mary and I had the honor of hosting Dennis and David, and a host of others, at our home in San Diego about a half dozen times between 2003 and 2005. I have lots of memories: Dennis showing us how to make mojitos (he brought the booze and ingredients); going leather coat shopping at the National Ciy leather factor; sharing his cigars on our patios; telling stories about Iz, Moe Keale, Gabby, and his 4X4 truck; and all of the spooky ghost stories that he had experienced in old theaters. When he performed here he always dedicated "Kokee" to Mary (her favorite). We think about him every day. |
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Kapila Kane
Ha`aha`a
USA
1051 Posts |
Posted - 09/20/2016 : 11:33:52 PM
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Chunky Monkey, I'd be interested in some of those ghost stories in old theaters? Wonder if the Aloha Angel on the Big Island has any? Or stories about IZ, Moe , etc...
The first time I stumbled over to Dennis holding court, and talking story was under the sprawling Mango at at the Mauian, before they re-landscaped it. Billed as 'advanced slack key guitar, it was nothing but story. Once I settled in and turned off "workshop attitude". it became clear that this was a great mango tree meetup...and stories were afoot.
Also ran into him in laundry room at Napili Kai, light, polite,cordial and while both of us were folding and task driven, I wished we'd triggered some deeper stories --tales of family, song creation , or any of the topics Dennis could bring to the table.
If you think of a older one from the Dennis, Mo, Iz files...please pass us a morsel-- I'm listening.
David now has stepped up and brings great stories to the table/workshops, and they're good ones. |
Edited by - Kapila Kane on 09/20/2016 11:40:44 PM |
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chunky monkey
Ha`aha`a
USA
1003 Posts |
Posted - 09/21/2016 : 07:35:41 AM
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Gordon and everyone who knew Uncle Dennis, I've seldom shared these stories, but since this thread started, it seems like a good time to relate them.
Where to start? Some of you will remember that during 2002 - 2006 I was involved in doing Slack Key shows in San Diego and Las Vegas with Don Narup (his TP login was Ianui - Don passed away in 2008). We did about 10 shows during that time and they involved many performers, but regularly had Uncle Dennis and Cyril Pahinui and what was billed as the Next Generation (Patrick Landeza, David K, Keoki Kahumoku and Herb Ohta Jr). They always stayed with me in San Diego and with Don after he moved to Las Vegas in 2005.
Sometime in 2003 or 2004, Patrick Landeza got a workshop/concert gig at Whittier College that included the Next Generation and Dennis and Cyril. There may have been others (I can't remember all of the details). Two days of ukulele and slack instruction but as you discerned, mostly talk story. Anyway, during one workshop that Dennis was doing in the main theater (maybe a song writing thing), he stopped talking, went through a long pause, looking around the stage. Everyone was curious about what was going on. (I can't remember the exact sequence, although he described it to me at the time; I wasn't in this workshop). He asked the theater manager about any possible spirits in the theater that they knew of. Of course, there was some kind of well known spirit that had been in the theater for decades. Dennis described his experience and it was spot on with what history had said about this entity. I've always been pretty much a skeptic about this stuff, but when Uncle Dennis told stories I believed them. There are probably some old time TPers who were there and can expand on the event.
There was another time, and I can't remember where we were (maybe Las Vegas; Don and his wife Linda and Mary and I were regular groupies and often traveled to see these guys perform when they were in California. We were in a hotel with the group and they started talking about how they had encountered a mean-spirited ghost in one of the rooms that they shared. Keoki actually had some marks on his chest that the spirit had supposedly made the previous night. Again, sounds like hokum at this point, but at the time these guys were all spooked. Enough to change rooms and they all started sucking on Hawaiian salt that they always had with them (supposed to ward off evil spirits).
Early on in my slack key experience (maybe 2005), I had a dream in which Dennis Pavao visited me and gave me lyrics to a song called "Take Some Time to Live". I awoke and wrote them down as best as I could remember. I've never considered myself to be an experienced musician and at the time I knew little about Hawaiian music. At some point (later on in the year), I was with Uncle Dennis in Las Vegas and discussed all of this with him and showed him the lyrics. He accepted what I had to say without question and told me that I was lucky and that some day, I would get the melody to go with them. Hasn't happened yet and I look at those lyrics all of the time. Again, sounds like misaligned brain signals, but now that I know more about Hawaiian music and culture, I'm closer to understanding.
Anyway, we had a lot of memorable times during those slack key show years and I think about them regularly. Some of us only get a brief look at greatness. We got to be part of it for at least a while. |
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neeej
`Olu`olu
USA
643 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2016 : 06:09:27 AM
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| Another source of some of those stories is Patrick Landeza himself. He knows a lot of Uncle Dennis' spooky experiences and has actually been involved in some of them. He's also met a couple of ghosts at my house: my cat and my friend Susy. |
--Jean S |
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Kapila Kane
Ha`aha`a
USA
1051 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2016 : 11:43:20 AM
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I like the Ghost Story tangent of this thread!
While I also don't usually get too overboard in tales of old hotels and such, its kinda interesting and food for soulful thought.
I actually Stayed at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park,
they gave me a room for playing, but had to go back in off-season to use my comp.
Only room was off in the far end of the west wing, and was being remodeled, with tarps, no carpet, and stripped down furnishings.
And, NOBODY staying in that section but me!
But nothing appeared or occurred that I remember...and I stayed awake a long time.
I think the lack of activity might be this: If there are ghosts and one comes back, even with the beauty of Estes Park mountains, I'd STILL CHOOSE HAWAII to go haunt!
It's warmer, without being TOO WARM, if you know what I mean!
Anyway, if there's any LIFE left in this old Taropatch, this would be a good Halloween month line of story.
But I hope your stories are better than mine....Not even a ghost in mine.
And if it's a story from a friend, Dennis K (or one from Patrick's collection or anyone here in the patch)
I say "BRING EM ON!" |
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Talking story of Dennis K...
