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Eddie Kamae, Cultural Renaissance leader,
Biography released
One of Hawaii's "living treasures" is the subject
of a new biography
to be released in November 2004. "Hawaiian
Son: The Life and Music of Eddie Kamae" tells the
story of an extraordinary musician and pioneering
filmmaker.
The book was written by award-winning novelist
James D. Houston, working in close collaboration with
Kamae, and was designed by Barbara Pope of
Honolulu-based Ai Pohaku Press. The 250-page
volume includes more than 60 photographs, drawings and
album covers that help to chart the high points of an
influential career that has spanned more than half a
century. The clothbound book, which has a suggested
retail price of $24.99, will be available in stores
throughout Hawaii
by early
November.
As a young man in the late l940s, Kamae developed
a jazz picking style that forever changed the status of
the ukulele. He became its reigning virtuoso. For 20
years the legendary band he founded with Gabby Pahinui,
The Sons of Hawai'i, played a leading role in the
Hawaiian cultural renaissance. By the mid-1970s Kamae
himself had become a folk-hero, known for his
instrumental genius and for a vigorous singing style
that carries the spirit of an ancient vocal tradition
into the late 20th century.
During the l980s, while continuing to perform,
arrange, and lead the band, Kamae launched a second
career as a filmmaker, once again proving to be a
cultural pioneer. In documentaries such as "Listen
to the Forest
" and "Words,
Earth and Aloha," he found a filmic voice that speaks
from deep within his own island world.
Kamae's personal journey illuminates the
struggles and successes of the Cultural Renaissance he
helped initiate in Hawai'i
. "Hawaiian Son"
is a Polynesian odyssey, measured by the many teachers
Kamae, now 77, has met along the way, from Mary Kawena
Pukui and Pilahi Paki, to Iolani Luahine, Sam Li'a
Kalainaina, and Big
Island
medicine man
"Papa" Henry Auwae. Dancers and singers, storytellers,
healers, and elders have guided him in his long quest to
find the sources of a rich tradition and thus to find
himself.
Kamae's 20-year partnership with
Houston
goes back to
1984, when they met and began to develop what would
become Kamae's first film, "Li'a: The Legacy of a
Hawaiian Man." Since then
Houston
has served as
writer for all seven cultural documentaries in Kamae's
Hawaiian Legacy Series.
Houston
, of
California
, has also
published seven novels, most recently "Snow Mountain
Passage," named one of The Year's Best Books by the Los
Angeles Times and the Washington Post. Among his
several nonfiction works are "In the Ring of Fire:
A Pacific Basin Journey" and "Farewell To
Manzanar," now a standard work in schools and colleges
across the country, co-authored with his wife, Jeanne
Wakatsuki Houston.
As Houston
observes in
the book's foreword, "
Hawaii
's unique and
inescapable geography has made it a trans-Pacific
crossroads, a center for trade, travel and military
strategy. For Hawaiians, as for so many native
peoples around the world, it has meant a complex
struggle for cultural definition and survival.
Eddie Kamae is among those who - by pursuing his
own singular path - found a way to reclaim his heritage
and in so doing, inspire others. He came of age at
a time when Hawaiians had been made to feel like
second-class citizens in their own homeland, when the
use of their native language had been prohibited in
schools and public offices. Today, with honors
heaped around him, he is recognized as 'A Living
Treasure of Hawai'i.'"
The Mountain Apple Company is distributing the
book along with a companion DVD titled, "The History of
the Sons of Hawaii." Later in
November Kamae and Houston will be visiting selected
stores for readings and signings, accompanied by members
of The Sons of Hawai'i.
The Mountain Apple Company is involved in
virtually every facet of the music and entertainment
industry, including publishing, producing, recording,
distributing, and staging performances for scores of
Island
musicians and
entertainers. One of Hawaii's most successful record
companies and music and video distributors, the company
is branching out to book distribution with the release
of "Hawaiian Son: The Life and Times of Eddie Kamae."
For more information, visit http://www.mountainapplecompany.com/.
Together
Hawaiian musician and filmmaker Eddie Kamae and his
wife, Myrna, have been making recordings since the1960s
and documentaries since 1978. The creation of The
Hawaiian Legacy Foundation, a non-profit corporation,
enables them to continue making documentaries for the
children of Hawai'i
. The mission
of the foundation is to document, preserve, and
perpetuate the cultural heritage of
Hawai'i
through film
and video, educational programs, community outreach and
archival work. All proceeds from the book go to
the Foundation to help preserve authentic Hawaiian
culture.
Hawai`i
Craftsmen Annual
Statewide Juried Exhibition Oct.
9
Hawai`i
Craftsmenıs 37th Annual Statewide
Exhibition will be returning
to the Honolulu Academyıs Art Center at
Linekona. The exhibit runs
from October 9 through October 31, 2004 at
the
Academy
Art
Center
at Linekona, with an
opening reception on Friday, October
8 from 5:30 to 7:30
pm. Gallery
hours are Tue. - Sat. 10-4:30 and Sun
1-5.
Kevin
Wallace, this yearıs juror,
will present a free slide lecture at
the
Honolulu Academy of Arts
Theater. Monday October 4
at 6:30
pm with a
reception beginning at 5:30
pm . Please call 596-8128 for
further information.
Selected works by Mike
Lee, Rick Mills and Sam
Rosen will be included in the exhibition this
year
to further set an example of
museum quality craft art in our state.
CELEBRATE THE
ARTS! Alliance
Awards
2004
FEATURES THE
THREE TENORS OF HAWAI‘I Oct. 16
Robert Cazimero, Les Ceballos and Aaron Sala as
the Three Tenors of Hawai‘i headline the Celebrate the
ARTS! Alliance
Awards 2004 at
the Hawai‘i Theatre on October 16 at 7:30pm
. Tickets
are $20 for Members of the
Alliance
, $35 for Adult
tickets and $8 for Children. Tickets are available
in person at the Hawai‘i Theatre Box Office
( 1130 Bethel
St ) or charge by
phone at 528-0506 or online at http://www.hawaiitheatre.com/.
As the annual the fundraiser for Hawai‘i
Alliance
for Arts
Education, Celebrate the ARTS! Alliance Awards 2004 will
be an inspirational evening featuring Hawai‘i’s best
performing artists and showcasing talented youth.
Sharing the stage will be Pupukahi I Ke Alo O Na Pua of
Mid-Pacific Institute, Kumu Hula Michael Casupang,
Hawai‘i Youth Opera Chorus, children from Princess
Ka‘ iulani
School
and accompanist
Bebe Freitas. Elizabeth Lindsey Buyers will be the
evening’s host. Ten schools will be recognized for
arts excellence.
Chamber Music Hawaii to perform with acclaimed
pianist Jon Nakamatsu
Monday, November 15,
2004 7:30PM
Doris Duke Theatre, Honolulu
Academy of Arts
Chamber Music Hawaii will present
a special concert featuring world-renowned pianist Jon
Nakamatsu along with members of the Galliard String
Quartet and the Spring Wind Quintet. The program
will feature Schuman's Piano Quintet and Poulenc's
Sextet for Piano and Winds.
A Gold Medalist in
the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano
Competition, Jon Nakamatsu is a favorite with Hawaii
audiences having performed with the Honolulu Symphony,
toured the neighbor islands and given many solo
recitals. This concert will provide an opportunity
for Honolulu to hear him in collaboration with Hawaii's
own professional musicians in an intimate chamber music
setting.
Honolulu Brass
Quintet to Perform Brass Classics
Monday,
November 22, 2004 7:30PM
Paliku Theatre,
Windward Community College
Monday, November 29,
2004 7:30PM
Doris Duke Theatre, Honolulu
Academy of Arts
Chamber Music Hawaii presents the
Honolulu Brass Quintet in a program of brass
classics. The concert will include selections like
the romantic and lyrical Quintet by Russian
composer Victor Ewald, Stephen Foster's popular Folk
Songs, selections from The American Brass Band
Journal and the virtusosic Variations on the
Carnival of Venice.
The members of the
Honolulu Brass Quintet are Mark Schubert and Ken Hafner,
trumpets; Wade Butin, horn; James Decker, trombone; and
David Saltzman, tuba. All are full-time musicians
in the Honolulu Symphony performing for thousands of
symphony patrons and students yearly and teaching many
of Hawaii's young brass
players.
HAWAI‘I YOUTH
SYMPHONY PERFORMS WITH
KAPENA AND
GABE BALTAZAR FOR BENEFIT
The Hawai‘i Youth Symphony I, the most exciting
student orchestra in the state, will headline with Nā
Hōkū award-winning Kapena and internationally-famous
alto saxophonist Gabe Baltazar at He Makana O Nā
Mele,
the 7th annual benefit concert for the Hawai‘i Youth
Symphony Association (HYSA). The event takes place
Sunday, November 28, 2004, 4:30 - 9:00
p.m. at the Hilton
Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom. The spectacular
evening will begin with a silent auction at
4:30
p.m. , a luau-style
buffet dinner at 5:30
p.m. , and conclude
with a greatly anticipated concert conducted by Maestro
Henry Miyamura. Sponsor tables of 10 are available
for $2,500, $1,500, $850. Tables are also
available for $700, preferred individual seats for $150
and individual seats for $75. Contact the HYSA
office at 941-9706 for reservations.
Henry Miyamura, HYSA’s Artistic Director for 20
years, has created a marvelous program which will blend
classical music with jazz and contemporary Hawaiian
melodies. Comprised of 93 performers from O‘ahu
and Maui
, the Youth
Symphony I includes some of the state’s finest young
musicians. Performing with the Youth Symphony will
be island-favorite’s: Kapena. Band Leader Kelly
Boy’s son (also named Kapena) is a full-fledged band
member and a Youth Symphony alum. Gabe Baltazar, a
50-year veteran of the music industry, will also join
the program. Mr. Baltazar first gained celebrity
status with the Stan Kenton Orchestra as lead alto
saxophonist during the 1960’s. KGMB 9 Anchor Jade
Moon will be the mistress of ceremonies for this
incredible event.
The Hawai‘i Youth Symphony Association, one of
the country’s largest youth symphonies, is Hawai‘i’s
only statewide youth orchestra program. Since 1964, HYSA
has helped children ages 7-18 to develop and showcase
their musical skills. HYSA operates three full
symphonic orchestras and four string orchestras during
the traditional academic year, serving more than 400
students from absolute beginners to the most
accomplished Hawai‘i Youth Symphony I musicians.
It also offers summer programs for an additional 200
students. Education and concert performance are
both key elements of the program.
PETER ROWAN TO
PLAY
Kapono’s,
Sunday, November 28th
EVENT:
TWANG JAM
DATE:
Sunday,
November 28, 2004
TIME:
Concert from
2:00-6:00
PM
LOCATION:
Kapono’s at Aloha Tower
Marketplace, Honolulu
TICKETS:
$10 at the
door
MILITARY
DISCOUNT: All active-duty military
personnel with valid military ID plus
ONE
guest will be admitted FREE to
Twang Jam.
Children under
12 free.
Our very special
guest will be PETER ROWAN, one of the only
musicians on the planet who worked in bands with both
Bill Monroe (the Father of Bluegrass) and Jerry Garcia
of the Grateful Dead. Peter is a magical entertainer,
and a songwriting genius!
Twang Jam is a
series of four traditional and bluegrass music
"mini-festivals" that take place at Kapono's at Aloha
Tower Marketplace. November’s
event, the last in the series, will include a
performance by a
legend of bluegrass!
PLEASE CALL
479-7177
Fourth
Annual Korean Festival,
January 15, 2005 at
Kapiolani
Park
The Hawaii Korean Chamber of Commerce will
celebrate Korean culture at its fourth annual Korean
Festival scheduled for Saturday, January 15, 2005 from
9
a.m. to
6
p.m. at
Kapiolani
Park
in
Waikiki
. Experience
Korea
's many
sights, sounds, and flavors. The event theme is "See,
Taste, Listen Korea." There will be something for
everyone including food by
Hawaii
's best Korean
restaurants, live entertainment including
traditional
and contemporary Korean music and dance,
and cooking demonstrations.
The Festival will also feature a cultural booth
filled with Korean make-and-take arts and crafts
including calligraphy, masks, traditional Korean costume
dress-ups with picture-taking, and many cultural
exhibits. There will also be Korean products and grocery
items for sale.
Information: Call 808-275-3011
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