Kaleponi

One of my favorite places in Kailua is Na Pohaku o Hauwahine, an area rich in myth and history, a state park preserve, and a vegetation restoration project area. I’ve visited often, even shot a video there some years ago. This time I went to celebrate the `ilima, flower of `Oahu, with a song about the blossom and the children of the island, Na Pua Lei `Ilima. (more…)

Mele Mei is an annual event that celebrates Hawaiian music, hula, and culture with a whirlwind of events across the state. Several hotels host performances and one of our favorite spots, the House Without a Key at the gorgeous Halekulani Hotel, presented Ledward Kaapana and Mike Kaawa in a lunch time show on May 25. I managed to set one of my cameras in a good position to catch some of the action and was rewarded with a couple of sweet clips. (more…)

The history of steel guitar as I understand it goes back to Joseph Kekuku, a slack key guitarist who picked up a metal bolt and used it to stop the strings in lieu of pressing the strings to the fretboard. This new technique allowed a very pronounced and vocal vibrato along with smooth transitions from note to note, and the kika kila or steel guitar became one of the most recognized voices in Hawaiian music. (more…)

One of the most gorgeous locations in a beautiful place, Makapu`u is the eastern most point of O`ahu. A lighthouse stands high up the mountainside, with a popular trail leading from the Kalanianaole Highway to the summit. On the northern side at the foot of the cliff is a popular surfing beach and the lovely expanse of Makapu`u Beach Park. With Pat La`a and Ledward Kaapana, we set up cameras and guitars on the rocks above the beach and recorded a few songs with this magnificent scenery in the background. (more…)

We found a new spot for our stay in Hawai`i and our time there was enchanting. So appropriate because the name of the subdivision is Enchanted Lake, the haole name given to Ka `Elepulu, the Moist Blackness, as the Hawaiians called this once productive wetlands and pond. Our hosts are situated on the stream that connects the pond to the ocean, on those brief occasions when the mouth down at Kailua Beach Park is dredged and the waters of the lake and ocean mingle for a while.

We found our view of the stream to deliver constant delights. Fish splashed and schooled, water birds swam and swooped, paddlers and kayaks and stand up boarders cruised by along with fishing boats and party barges. (more…)

Ledward plays a regular gig at the Kona Brewing Company restaurant in Hawai`i Kai. When he’s on the island he’s almost certain to perform at KBC on Sunday from at least 6 PM to at least 8 PM and usually a little extra on both ends. Fans come from all over the state of Hawai`i, the mainland, the whole world to see this master of hawaiian slack key and `ukulele perform. I recorded the show a few weeks ago and caught Led performing magic on the slack key guitar and the `ukulele. (more…)

Our visits to Hawai`i bring an opportunity to get together with Ledward Kaapana and shoot some videos that feature the local scenery and lifestyle. With our buddy Pat La`a scouting locations and operating one of the cameras I think we’ve done some of my all time favorite clips. (more…)

Funny how a song comes and goes through our lives. I don’t know when I first heard Grandfather’s Clock but it was a long time ago. I remember when I rediscovered the song, it came back on the Tone Poems CD with David Grisman and Tony Rice, a CD enjoyed for hours.

But the real jolt hit me when I found the song on Leonard Kwan’s Slack Key LP. Although that album was common in Hawai`i it was hard to find in California, and I remember losing out on a number of Ebay auctions before finally winning a scratched and worn copy of the record for over $30. Still I felt like I had gotten my money’s worth when I heard a slack key version of Grandfather’s Clock in Leonard’s unique style. After months of work I developed my own arrangement inspired by Uncle Leonard’s and I’ve played it ever since. (more…)

Auntie Maiki Aiu (Lake) contributed so much through her teaching of hula and culture. She also composed a classic Hawaiian song, Aloha Kaua`i, a love song to an island. I’ve been carrying the tune around in my head for quite a while, probably from hearing Mike Kaawa at Honey’s in Kane`ohe. I even used the opening lines as an intro to my Hanalei Moon video. But as it turned cold here in Walnut Creek I found myself playing the song often, trying to draw a little warmth from the story of the mokihana, the maile, and the warm friendships found on the Garden Isle. (more…)

I’ve gotten a lot of fun out of exploring the paths and trails in our neighborhood. I’m always on the lookout for interesting settings to use in my video shoots, like this magnificent live oak where Ledward Kaapana and I played Aloha Ia No O Maui. I recently headed in a new direction and found myself walking along a creek running through nearby Pleasant Hill. I was surprised to find a very old truck chassis lying in the bamboo and bushes growing on the creekside. One thought popped into my head instantly – what a perfect place to shoot a video of Holoholo Ka`a! (more…)