The Song of the Day is:
Gabby Pahinui – “Hi’ilawe”
Recorded in 1961, available on Pure Gabby, released in 1978
The ocean rages fearfully
But my steering is skillfull
Hurry, let us go close to the wharf
I am your new love to be kissed
My flower, my lei, my love for you
Is unforgettable like the muilan flower
Tell the refrain
All eyes are on Hiʻilawe
Traditional
Today is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, and I thought it may be a good idea to listen to some Hawaiian music. This is a small, but distinct genre that has gone underrepresented on this blog. On the mainland, Hawaiian folk music is largely ignored as well. Sure, we know Don Ho and Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (famous for his ukulele-led “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”), and maybe the name Jake Shimabukuro rings a bell for four-stringed virtuoso fans. Elvis had a distinct love for the islands and Jack Johnson, Bruno Mars and (as I just learned last week) Bette Midler all hail from the islands, but they are not traditional artists. So today we are playing a traditionalist, Hawaiian folk singer and slack-key guitarist Gabby Pahinui. Pahinui is a legend in Hawaiian music, who recorded from the 1940’s to his 1980 death. First off, the slack-key guitar is not a specific instrument, it is an open-tuned (usually in G Major) Spanish flamenco-style nylon guitar. Hawaiians developed their own, often leisurely, style of playing that heavily employs hammer-on and pull-off techniques. It’s not uncommon to hear ukuleles and lap steel guitars in this style of music, however they are absent in today’s song. “Hi’ilawe” is named for a waterfall on the big island, and this song has its origin in the late 1800s. Gabby Pahinui first recorded this song in 1946, shortly after World War II ended. It was his very first recording. In the interest of dedicating this song on Pearl Harbor day, I probably should be playing that version, however I picked his 1961 recording because it really shows how clear and fine his singing could be (the recording for the 1946 suffers due to lesser sound equipment). This recording was produced by Dave Guard of the Kingston Trio, but the record wouldn’t widely distributed until 1978. Philip “Gabby” Pahinui was born in a poor part of Honolulu in 1921, decades before the city became a rich tourist destination. He earned his nickname from his habit of wearing gabardine pants and was originally known for playing steel guitar, however his switch to slack-key really bolstered his reputation. He and his backing band the Sons of Hawaii (which outlived him by twelve years) were local legends for most of his career, but in the mid-seventies he recorded a series of albums that is said to have lead the Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance. Sadly, his unhealthy lifestyle ultimately lead to a fatal heart attack in 1980, when he was 59. His son Cyril carried on the family business as one of Hawaii’s most famed traditional musicians until his own death at 68, two years ago.
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1946 version:
Hear Today, Grown Tomorrow 