Walter Kolomoku (February 14, 1889 – May 6, 1930) was a Hawaiian steel guitar musician, actor, and recording artist. He has a cameo in

D. W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the na ...

's film ''

The Idol Dancer ''The Idol Dancer'' is a 1920 American silent South Seas drama film produced and directed by D. W. Griffith. It stars Richard Barthelmess and Clarine Seymour in her final film role. Seymour was a young actress Griffith was grooming for stardom ...

''. He recorded Southern Melodies Waltz No. 1 on

Victor Records The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer that operated independently from 1901 until 1929, when it was acquired by the Radio Corporation of America and subsequently operated as a subsidi ...

. He played the

steel guitar A steel guitar ( haw, kīkākila) is any guitar played while moving a steel bar or similar hard object against plucked strings. The bar itself is called a "steel" and is the source of the name "steel guitar". The instrument differs from a conve ...

. His work includes recorded performances as part of the

Hawaiian Quintette Hawaiian may refer to: * Native Hawaiians Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, First Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians) ( haw, kānaka, , , and ), are the indigenous ethnic group of Polynes ...

. He toured with

Ernest Kaʻai Ernest Kaʻai (1881–1962) was considered by many to have been the The Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum foremost ukulele authority of his time and is noted by some as being "Hawaii's Greatest Ukulele Player". Kaʻai, who was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, ...

. He left Honolulu and lived in New York for 20 years. He conducted the Hawaiian Conservatory of Music. He recorded several songs on Victor records. He taught guitar and ukelele via correspondence classes. Musician Bob Dunn took the steel guitar courses as a young man. Kolomoku recorded the album ''Southern Melodies'' in 1928 covering Southern classics on the steel guitar. He married and had a son.

Discography

Aloha Oe ''Aloha'' ( , ) is the Hawaiian word for love, affection, peace, compassion and mercy, that is commonly used as a simple greeting but has a deeper cultural and spiritual significance to native Hawaiians, for whom the term is used to define a ...

" (1911) by Queen

Liliʻuokalani Liliʻuokalani (; Lydia Liliʻu Loloku Walania Kamakaʻeha; September 2, 1838 – November 11, 1917) was the only queen regnant and the last sovereign monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom, ruling from January 29, 1891, until the overthrow of the Haw ...

circa 1878, Edison Blue Amberola Cylinder *" Kaua i ka huahuai" - Hawaiian War Chant (April 18, 1913) Victor 65339 Camden, New Jersey" as part of the Hawaiian Quintette *"Wailana" (1913) as partof the Hawaiian Quintette *''Southern Melodies'' (1928)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kolomoku, Walter 1889 births 1930 deaths 20th-century American conductors (music) Steel guitarists 20th-century American guitarists Musicians from New York City Musicians from Honolulu