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Old man, Old Hawaii - Kelena - 01-27-2008
I was reading the “Hawaii Super Ferry – Good or Bad?” thread and was thinking about what life was like in the island before the advent of the SuperFerry. Then I thought why stop there? Let’s go back – way back. What was life like before regularly scheduled trans-Pacific jet service began to Hawaii in the 1960’s? Or even further back…..what was life like before the Second World War? Or the First World War?
Of course, it was a living Hell.
What really started me thinking about all this was seeing and hearing Bill Tapia last night. Bill Tapia is a musician who was born in Honolulu on January 1, 1908. Mathematicians will note well that Bill turned 100 on January 1, 2008. One Hundred Years Old. Older than you or me. And yet he was the featured performer at the closing of an exhibit on the ukulele sponsored by the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California, just ten miles from my California home. I went with there my friend, Monica, who owns the lot across from me in Hawaiian Paradise Park. We are both scheming over our transition to Hawai’i and welcome any reminder of the island.
The Museum arranged for an amazing array of ukulele musicians who played in a wide variety of styles from Tin-Pan Alley, to Tiki Lounge. One musician who really brought the islands to us was Joe Souza. Joe is a luthier who lives in Kaneohe, Oahu, who also performs. Joe is generously proportioned and handsome. He brought his wife, Kristen with him.
Joe explained that he was a fan of a style of music best exemplified by Gabby Pahinui, who often sang in type of male falsetto called <<ha’i>>. I forget what song by Gabby he sang, as the only song I know by Gabby is <<Hilawe>>. Joe sang the first chorus in Hawaiian using a normal voice. In the meantime, his lovely wife Kristen took the stage in a skin tight orange leotard and began doing the hula --there on an unadorned stage, in a large conference room, in front of beige curtains in a museum in California on a cold January night. Then Joe executed a key change that kicked the song up a notch and began singing in the classic male Hawaiian falsetto style. I sat forward in my chair as this sound brought all of the images I have ever collected of the islands rushing into the room, into my mind, and then into my heart. Magically, the room was transformed through the simple mechanism of a haole woman who had completely mastered the hula, her big boy husband who had mastered his own little instrument and through the immortal words of an ancient Hawaiian mele.
My friend, Monica and I spontaneously burst into tears at the same time.
The museum spared no expense on air fare and so Joe was followed by a guy who confessed that everything he learned about the ukulele was “East of the Mississippi”. He was good, in a gimmicky, tongue in cheek Tin Pan Alley kind of way.
There was an intermission and I introduced myself to fellow Punatic Andy, who is building a house in Leilani Estates. He lives in Santa Cruz and heads up the ukulele club there. I told Andy that I heard Leilani was gorgeous and he said "the whole area is gorgeous!!". I didn't disagree. (By the way, Andy will be on island Wednesday, so please say "hi").
Intermission ended and them came Bill. I had never heard of Bill Tapia before last night, but I will never forget him. He was escorted to the stage by Pat Palika Enos, whose father headed a popular hotel band on Oahu long ago. Bill used to play in Pat’s father’s band. And in the true “ohana” spirit, Pat took Bill in, and so Bill is now living with Pat and his wife in Huntington Beach, California.
Bill was wearing white-striped crimson pants, a cream-colored blazer, spats, and brass collar studs. His ukulele was deep red. Before he even plucked a note he commanded attention. At last he began to play in a very jazzy style, graced with Hawaiian vamps and very, very retro.
If you have never seen an one-hundred year old man play an instrument better than you can, all I can tell you is that it is an experience.
Between songs, he told us about how he came to play the ukulele. Seems that when he was about 8 years old in 1918 (First World War), there was a kanikapila (musical get together) on his street every single night. Hawaiians, Portuguese and others would come out in the street and entertain each other by playing music. Apparently, there was no Oceanic cable in 1918. One night, the ukulele player left his axe unattended while on break. Bill picked it up and someone taught him the C, F and G chords. He took it from there. He used to be a driver for one of the Honolulu hotels. He would drive the guests to incredible lookout points and then play guitar or ukulele for them. That was in the 1930’s.
People talk about watching their life passing before their eyes. Listening to Bill Tapia was like watching the previous century, and part of this one, pass before your eyes and ears.
As I looked at and listened to this spectacular display –this walking,talking, joke-cracking, ukulele playing museum piece, I wondered to myself “What was life like before the SuperFerry? Before Wal-Mart and Costco? Before Kona was Kalifornicated, before free trade and plenty of cheap Chinese goods, before Ice, before the screaming little frog, before Matson, before the United States turned Oahu into a military base in an effort to keep Japan in check, before the ships and innocent young crewmen in Pearl Harbor were sent to a warm, but watery, grave, before the flappers and before the first World War --a war that took place in a world beyond the islands. Back when people gathered in the street in the evening to play music, to drink and blaspheme non-Christian gods and gathered in little grass shacks to whisper “ke aloha ku‘uipo” to one another.
What must life have been like before the SuperFerry, before frequent interisland flights, before the islands were civilized?
I don't really know, but Bill Tapia probably knows.
It must have been simply awful. A living hell.
Bill closed with “Young at heart”.
Long live the SuperFerry. But may Bill Tapia live even longer.
RE: Old man, Old Hawaii - Rob Tucker - 01-27-2008
Wish I could find some good Gabby Pahinui CDs. Hard to locate.
When I was a kid my family was still using horses on the farm. Life before the SuperFerry or WWI or before the Civil War wasn't hell. Life before the Super Ferry was just life. It's own set of pleasures and pains different from today.
Once I wondered how I would like life on an island. Then I realized I often spent six or more months at a time within a hundred miles of where I lived anyway. So, in effect, I was living on an island of my own choice.
No big deal.
Wish I was at that concert though. Sounds great.
RE: Old man, Old Hawaii - David M - 01-27-2008
Thank you Glen for sharing that wonderful experience.
I too wonder, what was life like like before...
David
Ninole Resident
RE: Old man, Old Hawaii - Guest - 01-28-2008
Considering it was less then a few months ago... I wouldn't say life has changed that much. The islands got divided by this mess.... UH Football brought us back together[
]More risks of alien species being transported amongst the islands I would say is probably what has happened since the SF has arrived.
-----------------
Coming home soon!
RE: Old man, Old Hawaii - Carey - 01-28-2008
Glen, Sorry, but this may detour your thread. Couldn't keep from adding it though.
Cyril Pahinui, son of Gabby, will be teaching 2 courses this spring at UH-H; a slack Key guitar & a Hawaiian Music appreciation course will be offered through UH-Hilo Continueing Ed & Community Service on 6 Tuesdays this Feb. & March. Hubby signed up for the Hawaiian music appreciation course. Link: http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/news/press/view/625
(Just another reason you have to move here SOON!)
RE: Old man, Old Hawaii - jdirgo - 01-28-2008
Andy's going to be here on Wednesday? I have to dig up his number and say "hi".
John Dirgo, R, ABR, e-PRO
Aloha Coast Realty, LLC
808-987-9243 cell
http://www.alohacoastrealty.com
RE: Old man, Old Hawaii - Bob Orts - 01-28-2008
When did the SuperFerry start runs to the Big Island? I thought this is the time before the SuperFerry.
RE: Old man, Old Hawaii - Kelena - 01-28-2008
Bob: Didn't say the SuperFerry was operating on the Big Island. It is operating, however. That is, when the ocean it crosses is navigable. The SuperFerry is carrying paying passengers between the islands. But really, my submission has little to do with the SuperFerry and a lot to do with the price of progress. While listening and watching Bill Tapia, it was easy to imagine the islands of 100 years ago.
Yeah, John, Andy is coming --the Andy who has the land in Leilani and who runs the Santa Cruz ukulele club. He is just a really nice guy. I met his lovely wife as well. Andy ran the show last night, I was very engaging. He will be a wonderful addition to the island and, I believe, will revive the musical scene in Puna.
Carey: The mention of the course by Cyril ties right into what I'm talking about: The rich musical heritage of the islands. I am so sorry I'm going to miss that.
RE: Old man, Old Hawaii - Hotzcatz - 01-28-2008
There was an interisland ferry 100 years ago. The Kiluea, wasn't it? A sailing schooner or some such? Lots of folks went between islands as deck cargo more or less from how the stories go. Sailing between Oahu and Lanai or Molokai would take about ten to sixteen hours, I'd guess since it is generally upwind. About half that back if there's a tailwind. Between Maui/Lanai/Molokai is an easy trip. Between Maui and Hawaii is the Alenuihaha Channel which eats boats.
RE: Old man, Old Hawaii - Kelena - 01-29-2008
Okay. I give up. I've changed my title to reflect what I was really thinking about...what life was like in Hawaii a hundred years ago...