Saturday, January 24, 2009

Genoa Keawe





PO’OKELA (Excellence)

"Ahuwale ka po’okela I kāu hana iā ha’i."
Hawaiian Saying


It is through the way you serve others that your greatness will be felt.


"Hele me kahau ‘oli"

Go with Joy


"The best effect of fine persons is felt after we have left their presence."


Ralph Waldo Emerson










Aunty Genoa Keawe and son #11 (bottom picture)

. . . Boats are lovely things, dancing at the end of their lines. The Ala Wai Harbor is a special neighborhood WITHIN a special neighborhood. Our neighbors mean a lot to us, especially the good folks like Captain Dave Silvey, who’s always available to help anyone who needs it. Over 200 folks gathered recently at the Hawaii Yacht Club to wish him a happy 85th Birthday. Papa Al, played his guitar and sang a few of his own compositions. They tell me that I played my flute with the jazz band – but I was having such a good time that I don’t really remember it. What a blow out! Hope I get a cool party like that when I turn 85! Happy Birthday Dave ;-). . . . Which puts me in mind of legend, Aunty Genoa Keawe. Seems to me that the great lady has been passed for about a year. I feel to lucky to have been present at one of her last gigs. We were celebrating her 89th birthday all the month of her last October, leading up to her birthday on the 31st. As I recall, it was one of those free “Na Mele No Na Pua – Music for the Generations” concerts at Embassy Suites Hotel on Beach Walk. Over half the audience were locals, and it turned into a real back yard luau as aunty was joined by her sons, grandchildren, friends, and spontaneous hula dancers from the audience. Even co-host Brickwood’s mom got up and sang, what a talented lady she is! Now we see where her popular son “gets it from!” It was an amazing experience! Just don’t call Aunty’s style “falsetto.” She sings her full range. Proper Hawaiian Falsetto singing (which some say underlies today’s distinctive country music lonesome “twang.”) is the exclusive province of the men, and stems from a cultural time when Hawaiian women didn’t sing in public – so men sang the high wahine parts (like Japanese Kabuki, or Shakespearean Theater). There was good falsetto singing by New Jersey native Bill Wynn who won a recent Falsetto competition and told us that he’s selling his house back east and moving “home” real soon. Of course Mz. Keawe sang her classic hit “Alika” (Alaska) with it’s unbelievably long, long, LONG, held notes. Host Kimo Kahuano told us about when he was just starting out in music, and how “this lady sitting here always treated me, a kid, with true respect. I never forgot that, and if we can’t treat our kids and each other with that kind of Aloha, we aint never going to get anywhere good.” This veteran performer and MC had tears in his eyes and his voice as he said this. You could have heard a lei drop to the floor. Then Aunty sang for us the first song she ever recorded (on 49th State Records), “My Hawaiian Souvenirs: A photograph, a calabash, a paper lei – these are my Hawaiian souvenirs. . . When I’m old and gray. . . “ Now there wasn’t a dry eye in the house; and no one wanted it to end, even Aunty Genoa at the curtain call of a two hour show; so we spontaneously sang “Hawaii Aloha” all holding hands, then “God Bless America,” and finally “Happy Birthday.” I noticed a white dove fluttering in place just above the party, just like the Holy Spirit in a stained glass window. At the end, Aunty shouted out happily: “I’m proud to be 89!” What a special day for us all! Just the sort of magic that can be found around most any corner. . . when you’re walking in Waikiki. . . Aloha! Cloudia

18 comments:

claude said...

I would like very well to arrive at Hawaï by a cruisesheep after a lon trip on the sea. I would like to listen to Hawaïan music.
I like to listen to creole Music. Everytime we go to Martinique Island we bought some CD.
Aloha Cloudia !

Sepiru Chris said...

I can imagine the atmosphere; I wish I new the music.

Junosmom said...

Cloudia, may we all be so celebrated.

So, how did you get the name Cloudia? Did "June" go away? I'm not finished reading yet, so maybe I will find out.

Brother Tobias said...

'They tell me that I played my flute with the jazz band – but I was having such a good time that I don’t really remember it.'

Go Cloudia - You've just climbed further up my fantasy dinner guest list!

Genoa Keawe sounded a great lady. (Where does the name 'Genoa' come from?...I only associate it with fighting unruly yards of terylene on a plunging forepeak!)

Anonymous said...

I love that song - My Hawaiian Souvenirs. When I hear it, I feel nostalgic.

Anonymous said...

This put a big smile on my face! wonderful about the celebration. And the falsetto singing interests me, too. Lovely people and culture!

Charles Gramlich said...

I'm so glad Auntie had fun. Would love to hear that music.

Feisty Crone said...

Wish I knew the music also.

Junosmom said...

Cloudia: I am reading the book and showing to my husband, and I look on the back and it says Fiction/Visionary so now I think OH! Duh! You are not June? I was reading it as non-fiction. So - forget my question before.

I have an idea about sharing your book. I will relay later.

nonizamboni said...

lovely tribute to Aunty. And that white dove. . .magical and uplifting--thanks
have a great weekend, Cloudia!

Eric S. said...

Wonderful memories of a special birthday party. The nice thing about memories, is you have them for life, and they only get better.

Aloha Cloudia

Barbara Martin said...

The photos, the quotes and the post about Aunty Genoa Keawe were all wonderful. It sounds like she's lived a full life, which is how we would like our lives to be.

Akelamalu said...

I can almost hear Aunty from the description you give. :)

Cloudia said...

Claude: What wonderful words! Bonjour mon ami!

Chris: You can hear Honolulu Hawaiian Music on the web. Check out KINE. Gung Hee Fat Choy!!

Junosmom: So the "Fiction" label didn't fool ya? It is largely autobiographical. Kimo the dog is REAL. Thanks for riding along in da taxi with me.

Brother T: You know more about "Genoa" than I do. I never heard where she got her name. You do love good music and are close to (are one?) musicians. I too would enjoy dinner with you and yours!

GiGi: It really is moving. Thanks, Dear.

Deborah: Glad my words could convey the excitement and joy we all felt that day.

Charles: You can listen to Hawaiian on the Web too. I'm sure her "Alika" will show up. It honors Alaska statehood and it's a classic!

Aloha, GRAN: I was afraid you'd frozen solid!

Noni: Thanks. It really was something.

Eric S: Why, you are right!

Barbara: You go to the real point, as usual.

Ake: What a cool thing to say! You rock, Gal!
Aloha Friends!!

Anonymous said...

So nice to see this tribute to such a special lady. In the 1970s I drove from the North Shore every Friday night to see her band play at the Aloha Grill in downtown Honolulu.
It's kind of difficult to describe the cultural gap that existed then, but I sat by myself, a young long haired hippie surfer, for many weeks engrossed of the magic of the music, then drive over an hour back home.
It is hard to describe how I felt watching her sing to the locals who obviously had known the band members for years and who would occasionally break into a hula next to their table, but I still felt privileged to know that such a place existed.
During the breaks the band members would visit with their friends in the audience and one day Genoa stopped by my table, and flashing her famous glowing smile asked me (more or less) what I was doing there. When I introduced myself and said where I lived she was shocked and called the other members over to meet me. They couldn't believe that some haole kid would go through all that trouble to see them, while I couldn't believe that much talent only performed one night a week to maybe 30 people at most.
Sadly, a few years later the band had finished playing for the night and while standing in front of the restaurant a stray bullet from a gunfight struck the guitarist Pua Rogers, killing her.
I can't tell you how much I miss those nights. I did see her one more time a few years ago when she performed for the opening of the Best Buy store. Seeing and hearing her once again touched me deeply. Aloha, Auntie.

Fida said...

What a Lady! Those are the kind of memories to strive for!

Cloudia said...

Danny: Thanks so very much for sharing your wonderful memories. I wanted to send you a nice e-mail, but couldn't, as you signed in as annonymous. E Komo Mai! Please come visit us again!

Fida: Welcome back, my friend!

Unknown said...

hi i in desperate need to find out information about the Alvarado-Adolpho Family reunion... anyone with information please contact me!

d_adolpho06@yahoo.com