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 ''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 ...

'', hosted by Webley Edwards, from 1945 to 1950. Kahauolopua then came to the attention of

Arthur Godfrey Arthur Morton Godfrey (August 31, 1903 – March 16, 1983) was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer who was sometimes introduced by his nickname The Old Redhead. At the peak of his success, in the early-to-mid 1950s, Godf ...

who brought her to New York, where she appeared frequently on his shows, dancing the

hula Hula () is a Hawaiian dance form accompanied by chant (oli) or song ( mele). It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Native Hawaiians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visua ...

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 The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings. The tone and volume of the instrumen ...

and the

Archie Bleyer Archibald Martin Bleyer (June 12, 1909 – March 20, 1989) was an American song arranger, bandleader, and record company executive. Early life Bleyer was born in the Corona section of the New York City borough of Queens. His father was a well-kn ...

Orchestra, and sometimes by The Mariners vocal group. She was the only Hawaiian musician on her album ''Hawaiian Blossoms''. Godfrey became infamous for peremptorily firing employees, such as

Julius LaRosa Julius La Rosa (January 2, 1930 – May 12, 2016) was an American traditional popular music singer, who worked in both radio and television beginning in the 1950s. Early years La Rosa was born of Italian-immigrant parents in the Brooklyn borough ...

, fired on the air, and in April 1955 he fired Kahauolopua (along with

Marion Marlowe Marion Marlowe (born Marion Townsend; March 7, 1929 – March 24, 2012)
- accessed March 27, 2012 was an American si ...

, The Mariners, and three writers). This occasioned some criticism in the press. Kahauolopua then retired from show business at a fairly young age, to the small rural town of

Union City, Indiana Union City is a city in Wayne Township, Randolph County, Indiana, United States. , the city had a population of 3,584. Union City was a stop along the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, a forerunner of the Pennsylvania Rai ...

to live with her friends the Paul Keck family. She died in her adopted town on December 16, 2004.

Discography

Singles

*"Ke Kal Nei Au (Wedding Song Of Hawaii) / Lovely Hula Hands" ( Columbia CO 46446) *"Lei Aloha / White Ginger Blossoms" *"The Haole Hula" (1950, Presto) *"Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula"

Albums

*''Hawaiian Blossoms'' (with Arthur Godfrey; 1951, Columbia CL 6190) ;Compilations *''Christmas With Arthur Godfrey and All The Little Godfreys'' (1953, Columbia B-348; Kahauolopua sings

Mele Kalikimaka "" () is a Hawaiian-themed Christmas song written in 1949 by R. Alex Anderson. The song takes its title from the Hawaiian phrase , meaning "Merry Christmas". One of the earliest recordings of this song was by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sis ...

) *''Al Kealoha Perry & His Singing Surfriders: Aloha, Hula Hawaiian Style'' (1996, Hana Ola Records. Perry was musical director of Hawaii Calls 1937–1967, and all the artists on this record were from that show. Kahauolopua (billed as "Haleloke") sings "Alekoki", "Kolopa", and "Pua O Ka Makahala") *''My Isle of Golden Dreams'' (2003; Kahauolopua (billed as "Haleloke") sings "Pua O Ka Makahala")

References

External links

"Haleloke est morte"
appreciation and reminiscences of Haleloke Kahauolopua * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kahauolopua, Haleloke 1923 births 2004 deaths People from Hilo, Hawaii Native Hawaiian musicians 20th-century American singers People from Union City, Indiana 20th-century American women singers 21st-century American women