Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 7, 1 July 2008 — Living 'Pops' legacy [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Living 'Pops' legacy

īhe Pahinui sons revive a musical tribute to their dad in his hometown l of Waimōnalo By Blaine Fergerstrūm W Ka Wai ūla When kl hō'alu legend Gabby "Pops" Pahinui died in 1980, the City and County of Honolulu looked for a fitting way to memorialize the man who had done so mueh for Hawai'i's culture and people. After allowing the city refuse worker to lie in state in Honolulu Hale, then-mayor Frank F. Fasi moved to name a pavilion in

Waimānalo Beach Park in his remembrance. "Gabby Pahinui Pavilion," at its dedication, heeame home to an impromptu slack key celebration whieh could have gone on "for days," according to Gabby's son, Cyril Pahinui. That impromptu

party was repeated a few times, annually, in remembrance of "Pops." Over time, though, the focus changed from a Pahinui tribute and it grew into the present-day Kī hō'alu Slack Key Festival. The festival outgrew its Waimānalo roots, moving to larger, more central, modern venues with exponentially larger audiences. The brothers Pahinui continued their father's legacy, both together and individually, playing and creating beautiful music. They created numerous albums and bands, eaeh going their separate musical ways. Though separate, eaeh of the sons carried the seeds that their father had sown in their music. You ean still hear Gabby whenever any of the sons plays or sings. Though they all had contracts with different record labels and were members of different groups, sons Bla, Martin and Cyril, united in 1992 to craft an alhum called The Pahinui Bros., after whieh they dispersed, professionally, onee more. Cyril talked about growing up Pahinui: "The experience I had with daddy, when I was young, I used

to go perfonn with him ... get some extra bread - money. He would tell me 'Boy, what you like play? Bass? 'Ukukele? Guitar? I just travel with them. "Me, him and Atta's (Isaacs) son, we would be going around the island and we go play. But I was young boy, I think was about 8 years old, I had to sit on my dad's lap.

But my mom say, 'Daddy, take da boy wit you, yeah?' and my father was like, 'OK son, eome with daddy.' "Why my nioni wanted me to go was because then my father had to eome home!" And when they did get home, "Ma would be, 'OK, where the money?' " She would eheek with the boy to see how mueh money they had made. The brothers Pahinui have received numerous awards for their music. Of note, most recently, brothers Cyril and Martin shared in the glory of the 2007 Hawaiian Music Granmiy for Treasures of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar, whieh they performed on, and Cyril won a 2008 Nā Hōkū Hanohano award for his He'eia alhuni. THE GABBY PAHINUI WAIMĀNALO KANIKAPILA In 2008, the decision was made to resurrect the original tribute to Gabby "Pops" Pahinui at his namesake pavilion in his hometown, Waimānalo. The family, along with Hui Mālama I Ke Kai, announced the return of the "Gabby Pahinui Waimānalo Kanikapila" with an ambitious lineup of dozens of top Hawaiian music entertainers. The three brothers, with their own groups, are scheduled to appear: brother Iames "Bla" Pahinui with his Hukipau band; brother Martin with George Kuo and Aaron Mahi; and brother Cyril, who put together a group called the Pahinui Hawaiian Band. The new band is a takeoff on the old Gabby Pahinui Hawaiian Band and is intended as a tribute to "Pops" and his 'ohana. The lineup will thrill any fan of Hawaiian music, See PAHINUI on page 31

Pictured left to right, Martin Pahinui, Philip Pahinui, Leland 'AHa' lsaacs, Palani Vaughan, Philip "Gabby" Pahinui, James "Bla" Pahinui, . Peter Moon and Cyril Pahinui.

Far left, Gabby and Philip Pahinui. Cyril Pahinui and Peter "Peter Boy" Moon at the 2008 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards. - Photo: Blaine Fergerstrom

Photo of 1968 Hula Records recording-session of the original members of Sunday Mānoa listening to a 'play-back' of one of their 'takes' in the Commercial Recording studio on Cooke Street in Kaka'ako. Seated, I. to r., are James 'Bla' Pahinui, Peter Moon, and Cyril Pahinui, and standing, I. to r., are Palani Vaughan and Albert 'Baby' Kalima, Jr. - Photo: Courtesy ofthe Pahinui 'Ohana

PAHINUI Cūntinuad fram paga 19

and particularly Pahinui Hawaiian music: Cyril Pahinui, Martin Pahinui, grandpa's namesake Gabby Pahinui (Martin's son), Kali

Pahinui, Kunia Galdeira and Peter Moon (Peter Moon's son, also called "Peter Boy"). Cyril talks fondly about his first days as a professional Hawaiian musician when Peter Moon (the father) gave him his break, asking hini to play with the Sunday Mānoa when he was only 17 years old. Moon had previously played with Gabby and the Waimānalo gang. When it eame time to start his own group,

he asked Cyril to be a part of it. Now Cyril is returning the favor through Moon's son, also named Peter (though not a Ir.), asking him to play wkh the Pahinui Hawaiian Band. Moon, who recently turned 18, was terrified at the thought. But through careful grooming, Cyril is encouraging hini to take risks. "The boy ean play," says Cyril, "but he's kind of shy, sometimes. He would only play by hiniself, in his room." Peter

Boy, though unwilling to play for others, had collected all of his father's albums, and had been practicing, daily, in his room. "He could play any song!" from his dad's collection, according to Cyril. Cyril has been taking Peter Boy under his wing, practicing and even doing a eouple of live gigs with him. He is trying to teach Peter Boy to play for a puhlie audience. "Same thing like I'm doing with Peter Boy, you know? I'm not goin' teach you - 1 mean, I goin' teach you if you need help - but I goin' teach you to play with us, you know? Play with people, meeting people, so you goin' break the fear. Because if I tell you, 'Play one solo,' and you go, 'Shame, I no like,' no. There's no time for fear. "Before, when I go 'Peter, take one solo!' he look at me, 'No, no, unele, I no like, please,' basically, da kine, begging me not to take one solo." "When daddy said, 'Son, go take one solo,' man, we was right there, no hesitate, and we waiting for it. "We eome out, we create something right there, on the spot, just like how daddy did it." And that is what he hopes for the young Peter Moon, too, to teach hini, Pahinui style, "just like how daddy did k." With other founding member Palani Vaughan scheduled to appear, it also raises the possibility of a Sunday Mānoa reunion, if even for just a song or two. With the free Aug. 9 show scheduled to start at 9 a.m., Cyril advises with a smile, "You better eome early." The kanikapila is scheduled to run till 6 p.m. For more information on the Gabby Pahinui Waimānalo Kanikapila, eall 722-8575. Email Cyril @ cyril pahinui.com, or see www.gabbypahinui.com. For booth information, contact Hui Mālama I Ke Kai at haunanil @mac.com. L3

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