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Hawaii Calls
''Hawaii Calls'' was a radio program broadcast live from Waikiki Beach from 1935 through 1975 that reached 750 stations world-wide at the height of its popularity. It featured live Hawaiian music by an 11-piece dance orchestra conducted by Harry Owens, the composer of "Sweet Leilani". The show selected the best musicians and singers, with the purpose of showcasing what authentic Hawaiian music is like when played by native performers, but with one major difference—the lyrics were sung in English and intended for white audiences. Hawaiians called this hybrid with English '' hapa haole'' (half-white) The show was first heard in the U.S. mainland over short wave radio, but by 1952 it was carried over station KGMB in Honolulu. The show had no advertisements but, because of its positive portrayal of Hawaii, it received a subsidy for many years—first from the government of the Territory of Hawaii, and then from the State of Hawaii. It was broadcast each week, usually from the c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territories, nine Minor Outlying Islands, and 326 Indian reservations. The United States is also in free association with three Pacific Island sovereign states: the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. It is the world's third-largest country by both land and total area. It shares land borders with Canada to its north and with Mexico to its south and has maritime borders with the Bahamas, Cuba, Russia, and other nations. With a population of over 333 million, it is the most populous country in the Americas and the third most populous in the world. The national capital of the United States is Washington, D.C. and its most populous city and principal financial center is New York City. Paleo-Americ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Hawaiian Hotel
The Royal Hawaiian Hotel is a beachfront luxury hotel located in Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. It is part of The Luxury Collection brand of Marriott International. One of the first hotels established in Waikiki, the Royal Hawaiian is considered one of the most luxurious and famous hotels in Hawaiian tourism, and in its 95-year history has been host to numerous celebrities and world dignitaries. The bright pink hue of its concrete stucco façade with its Spanish/Moorish styled architecture and prominent location on the wide sandy beach have earned it the alliterative nickname of "The Pink Palace of the Pacific". History With the success of the early efforts by Matson Navigation Company to provide steamer travel to America's wealthiest families en route to Hawaii, a series of resort hotels were built in Honolulu at the start of the twentieth century, including the Moana Hotel (1901) and Honolulu Seaside Hotel, both on Waikiki Beach, and the Alexander Young ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hilo, Hawaii
Hilo () is a census-designated place (CDP) and the largest settlement in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaii. The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. It is the fourth-largest settlement in the state of Hawaii and largest settlement in the state outside of Oahu. Hilo is the county seat of the County of Hawaii and is in the District of South Hilo. The city overlooks Hilo Bay and has views of two shield volcanoes, Mauna Loa, an active volcano, and Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano. Mauna Kea is the site of some of the world's most important ground-based astronomical observatories. The Hilo bay-front has been destroyed by tsunamis twice. The majority of human settlement in Hilo stretches from Hilo Bay to Waiākea-Uka, on the flanks of the volcanoes. Hilo is home to the University of Hawaii at Hilo, ʻImiloa Astronomy Center, as well as the Merrie Monarch Festival, a week-long celebration, including three nights of competition, of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Haleloke Kahauolopua
Haleloke Kahauolopua (1923 – 2004) was a 20th-century Hawaiian singer. She was sometimes billed under just her first name, Haleloke. Biography Kahauolopua was born on February 2, 1923, in Hilo, Hawaii, into a musical family, her mother being active in Hilo music circles. She sang in glee clubs in high school but her studies at the University of Hawaii were cut short by World War II. Kahauolopua was a featured vocalist on the radio show ''Hawaii Calls'', hosted by Webley Edwards, from 1945 to 1950. Kahauolopua then came to the attention of Arthur Godfrey who brought her to New York, where she appeared frequently on his shows, dancing the hula as well as singing, and in a number of Hawaiian extravaganzas staged by Godfrey. In contrast to the typical Hawaiian "ha'i" ( falsetto) voice use by many Hawaiian singers of the time, Kahauolopua sang in a husky alto. Kahauolopua cut a number of records, usually accompanied by Godfrey and his ukulele and the Archie Bleyer Orchestra, an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arthur Lyman
Arthur Lyman (February 2, 1932 – February 24, 2002) was an Hawaiian jazz vibraphone and marimba player. His group popularized a style of faux-Polynesian music during the 1950s and 1960s which later became known as exotica. His albums became favorite stereo-effect demonstration discs during the early days of the stereophonic LP album for their elaborate and colorful percussion, deep bass and 3-dimensional recording soundstage. Lyman was known as "the King of Lounge music." Biography Arthur Lyman was born on the island of Oahu in the U.S. territory of Hawaii, on February 2, 1932. He was the youngest of eight children of a Hawaiian mother and a father of Hawaiian, French, Belgian and Chinese descent. When Arthur's father, a land surveyor, lost his eyesight in an accident on Kauai, the family settled in Makiki, a subdistrict of Honolulu.Liner notes to ''Pearly Shells'' Arthur's father was very strict with him, each day after school locking him in a room with orders to play alo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beverly Noa
Beverly Kauiokanahele Noa (June 14, 1933October 19, 2017) was a Hawaiian hula dancer. Noa was the 1952 winner of the Miss Hawaii contest and was inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame in 2014. Early years and career Beverly Kathleen Rivera was born June 14, 1933, in Los Angeles, California. Her parents were Benny Rivera and Victoria Miller. She was raised in Honolulu and graduated from Farrington High School. Beverly was introduced to hula by her teacher Louise Beamer when she was six years old, and she would later study with the renowned artist ʻIolani Luahine. At age eighteen she was crowned Miss Hawaii 1952 and competed in the 1953 Miss America contest, where she placed in the top ten. She began her career as a featured dancer at the well-known Waikiki bar Don the Beachcomber. Hawaiian tourism expert Robert C. Allen said that Noa "took Hawaiian hula dancing to new levels" and described her as the most popular Island dancer of her time. Noa performed at many of H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Benny Kalama
Benjamin Kapena Kalama (1916 – 1999) was an American singer with a honey-voiced falsetto. He is credited with discovering and nurturing Alfred Apaka, and was part of several groups. Until the day Apaka died, Kalama was coaching and arranging music for him. Biography Kalama was born on June 29, 1916. He was born on the Big Island of Hawai'i. At Kalakaua Intermediate School in 1931, Benny began playing trombone in the band. Upon graduation from McKinley High School where he played in the band, Kalama hooked up with Leonard "Red" Hawk and the Waikikians. Kalama's ability to read music, rather than play by ear, got him hired by the more successful bands. It was Hawk who wrote the lyrics and music to the ubiquitous song ''May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii''. In 1938, Kalama played steel guitar substituting for Sam Kaʻapuni with the Malcolm Beelby Orchestra. Kalama worked with the Don McDiarmid Sr band at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, the Kewalo Inn and La Hula Rhumba on Lulalilo Stre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ed Kenney
Edward Kamanaloha Kenney, Jr. (August 8, 1933 – October 5, 2018) was an American singer and actor from Hawaii best known for the role of "Wang Ta" in the original Broadway production of ''Flower Drum Song.'' In retirement, he lived on the island of Kaua‘i and occasionally made public appearances. Family Born in Honolulu on Oahu to a Hawaiian-Chinese mother and a Swedish-Irish father. He married Judy Bailey and lived on Kauai. Kenney was married to hula dancer Beverly Noa and was the father of Honolulu restaurateur, Edward Kenney, III. Kenney and Noa headlined shows at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and the Halekulani Hotel for years. They reunited for a Honolulu television show on KGMB-TV in the 1980s. Stage credits Broadway * ''13 Daughters'' as Mana, Prince of Hawai‘i (1961) * ''Flower Drum Song'' as Wang Ta (1958–1960) * ''Shangri-La'' as Rimshi (1956) Honolulu Community Theater * Principal "Ali Baba" role during late 1960s in large hit production of ''Kismet'' musical. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hilo Hattie
Hilo Hattie (born Clarissa Haili, October 28, 1901 – December 12, 1979) was a Hawaiian singer, hula dancer, actress and comedian of Native Hawaiian ancestry. Early life and career Hattie was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. She loved to dance the hula and sing in the church choir. She began teaching at Waipahu Elementary School in 1923, entertaining her students with what would become her comedy hula routines. In 1930, she married Theodore Inter. By 1936, she had joined Louise Akeo's Royal Hawaiian Girls Glee Club singing at venues around Oahu. The group got $25 per appearance to distribute among the 25 members. The Don McDiarmid Sr- Johnny Noble song ''When Hilo Hattie Does the Hilo Hop'' became her signature tune. McDiarmid intended the 1935 song to be danced by the typical beautifully smooth hula dancer. But in 1936, while the band was performing as shipboard entertainment on a cruise to Portland, Oregon, the dancer meant to perform it fell ill. Hilo Hattie, who claimed to ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martin Denny
Martin Denny (April 10, 1911 – March 2, 2005) was an American pianist and composer best known as the "father of exotica." In a long career that saw him performing up to 3 weeks prior to his death, he toured the world popularizing his brand of lounge music which included exotic percussion, imaginative rearrangements of popular songs, and original songs that celebrated Tiki culture. Biography Denny was born in New York City and raised in Los Angeles. He studied classical piano and toured South America for four and a half years in the 1930s with the Don Dean Orchestra. This tour began Denny's fascination with Latin rhythms. Denny collected a large number of ethnic instruments from all over the world, which he used to spice up his stage performances. After serving in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II, Denny returned to Los Angeles, in 1945 where he studied piano and composition under Dr. Wesley La Violette and orchestration under Arthur Lange at the Los Angeles Con ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pua Almeida
Pua Almeida (1922–1974) was a Hawaiian steel guitarist, considered a leading performer on that instrument. Almeida (sometimes given as "Alameida") was born in 1922 in Honolulu. His musical start began in the band of his father, John Kameaaloha Almeida. He formed his own big band, "The Sunset Serenaders" and performed at several top venues around Hawaii. He relocated to Southern California in 1947, performing in clubs. As the Hawaiian steel guitar achieved international status in the 1940s, Almeida was recognized as a master of the instrument. In 1958 he began a 16-year association with the Surfrider Hotel. He recorded for American Decca Records in 1966 and for MGM Records. For seventeen years he was commonly featured on the Hawaii Calls ''Hawaii Calls'' was a radio program broadcast live from Waikiki Beach from 1935 through 1975 that reached 750 stations world-wide at the height of its popularity. It featured live Hawaiian music by an 11-piece dance orchestra conduc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jules Ah See
Jules Keliikuihonua Ah See (June 19, 1924 – June 12, 1960) was an American steel guitarist and comedian. He was born in Lahaina, Maui. At the age of two, he would creep out of his bed at night, in order to listen to the adults playing music. His musical career began with Johnny Almeida, when Jules was in his early teenage years. Among those he played for and with are Pua Almeida, Alfred Apaka and Benny Kalama. He was regularly featured as a steel guitarist on the Hawaii Calls ''Hawaii Calls'' was a radio program broadcast live from Waikiki Beach from 1935 through 1975 that reached 750 stations world-wide at the height of its popularity. It featured live Hawaiian music by an 11-piece dance orchestra conducted by Harry ... radio program. His performances included imitations of bird and animal sounds created from his guitar, as well as imitating other players such as Sol Hoʻopiʻi and Andy Iona. He is particularly known for his recording of "No Huhu". Considered a rol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
