Jules wouldn’t take up the steel guitar until he was 13 years old in 1937, but he learned quickly and was soon able to mimic such steel guitar legends as Sol Ho`opi`i, Dick McIntire, Andy Iona, Tommy Castro, Jake Keli`ikoa, and David Keli`i. Jules would eventually also take up the pedal steel guitar – often considered anathema in Hawaiian music, but his approach with the instrument was tasteful and restrained and uniquely Hawaiian. After a…
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Celebrating the centennial of a steel guitar master… …
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Mourning the passing of a Hawaiian music legend… …
Read MoreTommy Castro – Forgotten Steel Guitar Wizard There is no question that the signature sound of Hawaiian music for the last more than a century since its invention has been the steel guitar. Anyone can recognize the steel guitar when heard. But while the steel guitar defines Hawaiian music for many generations, very few outside of Hawai`i can name a steel guitarist. This is why I hesitate to refer to any particular steel guitarist as “legendary.” If…
Read MoreHal Aloma was born Harold David Alama on January 8, 1908. He attended Kalihi-Waena School and McKinley High School in Honolulu before dashing off to the mainland and New York City where he became extremely popular for his modernized hybrid of Hawaiian music. A composer, singer, and eventually band leader, Hal Aloma was first and foremost a steel guitar player with a style like no other. Upon his arrival in New York City, he started…
Read MoreEvery year about this time I reexamine Billy Hew Len’s life and music – not only in honor of his January 18th birthday, but because he was one of the most recorded and most sought after sidemen in the history of Hawaiian music. His story is also an inspirational one – a tale of triumph over adversity. As a student of the steel guitar myself, I listen to Billy Hew Len for endless hours, and…
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Photo Credit: William Johnson for the Bucks County Courier Times Kuleana: The Ho`olohe Hou Radio Story I call you “my friend.” But I haven’t responded to your phone call, text message, or email in weeks. Maybe months. You wonder what I do with my time. Every morning at 4am I wake up and write about Hawaiian music. Because everyday there is something new to celebrate about the history of Hawaiian music and its legendary artists….
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In 1948 Alvin Isaacs won First Prize in the Aloha Festivals Song Contest with his composition “A World of Happy Days.” This is but one of the many reasons why “Papa” Alvin was often referred to as “The Ambassador of Good Cheer.” That same year tobacco heiress and philanthropist Doris Duke absolutely fell in love with Alvin Isaacs’ composition “Nalani.” She threw a party At Shangri La, her mansion on five acres overlooking the Pacific…
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Forgotten songs and forgotten artists on a forgotten medium… …
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