Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 5, 1 May 2005 — Concert celebrates Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame's 10th year [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Concert celebrates Hawaiian Music

Hall of Fame's 10th year

By Derek Ferrar On June 7, the Hawaiian Music Hall of fame will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a concert at the Hawai'i Theatre featuring the Hall of Fame's only two living inductees - Kahauanu Lake and Aunty Genoa Keawe - as well as a host of other distinguished performers, including Gaye and Mahi Beamer, Nina Keali'iwahamana, the Kamehameha Alumni Glee Club, Emma Veary, Pa'ahana and more. The Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame began 10 years ago as an effort to preserve classic Hawaiian music in the face of changing contemporary tastes. "The whole idea was to perpetuate the Hawaiian music of yesteryear, because things are different today," says Lake, the legendary Hawaiian singer and arranger who heads the Hall of Fame's selection committee. "This is the beautiful music that went around the world and made Hawai'i famous." For the moment, the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame remains a "cyber museum," whieh ean be viewed online at hawaiimusicmuseum.org. A search is on to secure funding for a physical brick-and-mortar home, but

in the meantime the organization has created beautiful koa-framed traveling displays with photos and biographies of inductees. Several of the displays are currently on view at Windward Community College's Paliku Theatre, and the Lyman House Museum in Hilo. The Hallof Fame's guiding patrons are Nā Lani 'Eha - the four royal siblings, all composers in their own right, who are credited with revitalizing Hawaiian music in the second half of the 1800s: King Kalākaua, Queen Lili'uokalani, Princess Miriam Likelike and Prince William Leleiohoku. Honorees among the Hall of Fame's ranks include such luminaries as Joseph Kekuku, Charles E. King, Helen Desha Beamer, Lena Machado, Alfred Apaka, Sol Ho'opi'i, Sonny Cunha, Ray Kinney, John Kameaaloha Almeida, The Royal Hawaiian Band, Gabby Pahinui and many others. According to Hall of Fame literature, honorees are chosen because they have been "instrumental in creating and perpetuating Hawai'i's unique musical 'voice.' Some have created a sea change in music style; some have composed songs that express the essence of aloha. Others, over more than a century of

our islands' history, have tuned the ears of the world to Hawaiian music through incomparable vocalization and instrumental performance." Since the passing of Irmgard Aluli, Lake and Aunty Genoa remain the only living inductees. When asked why so few living artists have been inducted, Lake, affectionately known as to many Unele K, explains that there is still a lot of catching up to do. "I tell them just to ho'omanawanui - be patient," he laughs. In fact, Lake objected strenuously, but to no avail, when he himself was inducted without his knowledge last year by his fellow advisory committee members. "I have to admit, I was little embarrassed to get in," he says. "But they just said, 'too bad, you don't get to vote this time.'" In addition to the Hall of Fame's websites and displays, the organization also partners with the Hawai'i Youth Opera Chorus to present a Hawaiian music education program for 4th and

5th graders in Hawai'i's puhlie schools. Called E Mele Kākou (let's all sing), the six-week program, whieh focuses on the compositions of Nā Lani 'Ehā, is available only to public schools that do not offer regular music education. "The program is a wonderful way to fill a real need at these schools," says Hall of Fame President Kimo Stone. "And through the music of the royal composers, the kids are exposed to Hawaiian music, language and culture all at the same time." Upon completion of the program, the students usually perform several songs with the Royal Hawaiian Band at one of the band's regular Friday concerts. Tickets for the Hawaiian Hall of Fame 10th Anniversary Concert are $20-$25 and are available from the Hawai'i Theatre box office, at 5280506. Pre-show music will be provided by Pa'ahana beginning at 7 p.m. There will also be a post-show 'meet the artist' session, with music by Paul Martinez and Nā Hōkūpā. n

Kahauanu Lake, a Hall of Fame honoree, will heaelline the anniversary concert.

Photo: Courtesy of the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame