Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 5, 1 May 2000 — Irmgard Aluli to be celebrated at gala [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Irmgard Aluli to be celebrated at gala

Encore to a musical performance tkat kas transcended generations

by Paula Durbin ĪHE HAWAI'I Allianee for Arts Education celebrates singer-composer Irmgard Farden Aluli with its Alfred Preis Award honoring a lifetime commitment to the arts. On tap for the festivities at the gala soiree at the Hawai'i Theatre June 3 wiU be Nā Leo Pilimehana, Tau Dance Theater, Olana Ai's hālau and Puamana, the hugely popular vocal group Aluli founded with her two daughters and nieee in 1980 - after she had been in the music business more than half a century. At 88, Aluli has been showcased in concert and on television and her decorations are legion. She has received, among other recognition, Nā Hōkū Hanohano's lifetime achievement in music award and the govemor's award for distinguished contributions to culture and the arts; she has been declared kama'āina of the year and a living treasure. Through it all, she has shown an astonishing level of humihty while facing the attentien lavished on her. "I'm always grateful," she said, "but I just wonder how I get to be considered so mueh. There are many other good composers." Be that as it may, few composers anywhere have have been as productive. How many songs in the Hawaiian repertoire are Aluli's? "More than 200," she answered. "I know they say 400 but some I haven't counted because I might have given them away and never claimed them again." Among those she does elaim is "£ Maliu Mai ," her personal favorite. The ninth of 13 children, Aluli grew up surrounded by music in the Lahaina home she would immortalize in "Puamana ," one of her earliest and most beloved songs. "It was a happy life and

my father provided well for us. Mother and Dad had great love for music. Musicians eame to our home and performed. And we took part in performances, even as young children," she recalled. "My sister married a classical pianist so they would play duo piano. We were exposed to island music, church ^jSi music, popular music, classi- J||

eal music." Boarding at St. Andrews Priory in Honolulu meant a hiatus in her music education, and at the University of l Hawai'i she J majored in M home eeonom- M& ics. While she fl. never left her music, it was- j^Ē n't until after she married | Attomey . ' NaniAluli, Athat she dis- , | covered she could make a .. ,< living from it. \ .£ By then she \ '£ had six children r to raise. "I found \ I could work * evenings," she said. "I don't think my husband was too pleased at first."

Through her sister Emma, Aluli met Mary Kawena Pūku'i with whom she enjoyed an especially pro- N* 'a ductive partnership. "I guess I started with one song and from there I

developed more and more because she was so kind, so gentle, so dear to work with," Aluh recalled. "I would suggest something and then she would write words and I would write

;ongs. bometimes I would j N . sit

with her or I would do it on the phone. I think 'īhe Boyfrom Laupahoehoe was done all on the phone." |f Aluli has a regret, it's that she did not grow up speaking Hawaiian. "I have a great love for the language. My dad was so well versed in it, but I'm not. And I feel a loss. I wish I could express myself more. If I only knew Hawaiian, I know I would have written many more Hawaiian songs," she k sa^- \ As for today's Hawaiian music, "A lot of it is quite different in tempo. ; \ There's more influence by outside |t , \ types of music. Younger people tend \ toward a mixture. You can't fight k \ progress. But I would say, always j>. . \ try to keep the Hawaiian feeling in y * \ the music. Give it that island feel- \ ing of good harmony and sweet|pL ness. You ean deviate but keep K» ' the Hawaiian flavor," she 8Rt- advised. ■

I Editor's note: Those wishing to l see Irmgard Farden Aluli honored reserve tickets by calling the v / Hawai'iTheatre at 528-0506. v ■ J HAAE advises that tickets go on •%.yj sale May 2 at $10 for members. Non-members may join HAAE for ,1*/ $15 and then purchase single or mulSJ tiple tickets for $10 eaeh. The general / ticket sale begins May 9 at $25 and $35. Curtain is at 7:30.

PHOĪO COURTESY: ALULI 'OHANA