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Topic: Steel Guitarists in Hawaii |
Kay Das
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 9 Jul 2014 7:46 am |
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In my travels I am sometimes asked about the public performers in Hawaii ... Here is my (hopefully incomplete) list, so am asking for help.
Qualification:
- resident in Hawaii
- currently active: public performances and/or recording
Here is my list of current steel guitar royalty (no particular order)
1. Alan Akaka (O'ahu)
2. Casey Olsen (O'ahu)
3. Bobby Ingano (O'ahu)
4. Jeff Au Hoy (O'ahu)
5. Ed Punua (Kauai)
6. Ken Emerson (Maui)
7. Eddie Palama (O'ahu)
8. Owana Salazar (Maui)
9. Steve Cheney (O'ahu)
10. Paul Kim (O'ahu)
Kay |
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Billy Easton
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 9 Jul 2014 10:01 am
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A few years ago I ran into Ernie (Can't remember his last name) playing in the airport terminal with a rhythm guitarist in Kauai.....Nice man and he even let me play a few tunes on his guitar for the folks passing by. He later sent me a CD he had, but I am not at home and cannot put my hands on it.
Billy Easton
_________________
Billy & Meriul Easton
Nashville, TN |
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Martin Curnan
From:
Lihue, Kauai
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Posted 9 Jul 2014 10:18 am Kauai
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| It is Ernest Palmeira. He is still playing with Charlie Fu. Another player from Kauai is Herman Paleka he used to back up Genoa Keawe on her visits to Kauai |
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John Troutman
From:
Washington, DC
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Norman Markowitz
From:
Santa Cruz, California
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Posted 9 Jul 2014 10:40 am
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Geronimo Valdriz (Maui)
Dwight Takamoto (Hawai'i)
Greg Sardinha (O'ahu)
Kamaka Tom (O'ahu)
Timi Abrigo (O'ahu) |
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Wally Pfeifer
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 9 Jul 2014 10:55 am
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How about Derrick Mau? He is great and gets better and better everytime I see him. He plays with Eddie at the Ko'olau Golf Course.
 Wally Pfeifer |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 9 Jul 2014 11:03 am
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| Any of you old timers remember a guy named Tommy Au who used to play an ancient Frypan at the Mormon theme park up by Laie? |
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Dana Blodgett
From:
California, USA
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Posted 9 Jul 2014 11:51 am
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Don't forget Addison Ching (O'ahu),Joel Katz(Maui)and Kona Bob(Big Is.)Additionally consider Jack Aldrich(Wa.)who plays out there frequently also.
_________________
Dana Blodgett
From Los Osos,Ca.
'74 ShoBud 6140 3+4, Martins HD28,D-12-28, D-15,'65 Gibson LG-1, '77 Gibson Les Paul special dbl cut p-90's, Les Paul Special p-100's,Les paul Special Hybrid(maple top) hbkr's,'68 Fender Strat reissue, Fender Squire Jazz bass,Epi mandolin,Epi Wilshire '66 reissue, Kamaka Concert uke, 70's Kamaka Soprano Uke, Fender Super amp, Ampeg ba112 bass amp,60's harmony banjo,'00 Gibson SG Supreme |
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Martin Curnan
From:
Lihue, Kauai
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Posted 9 Jul 2014 1:37 pm
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| Nephi Brown (Kona) |
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Kay Das
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 10 Jul 2014 3:57 am
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How could I have forgotten Greg Sardinha, one of the very best! I must have brain damage. Will update list when I have more time (list: resident in Hawaii and currently performing/recording).
Kay ( traveling) |
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George Piburn
From:
The Land of Enchantment New Mexico
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Chris Templeton
From:
The Green Mountain State
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Pat Moore
From:
Virginia USA
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Posted 10 Jul 2014 5:58 pm John Kamoe
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Hi ya'll,
I'm trying to find my friend John Kamoe. He's from Hawaii, but was living outside of Vancouver, B.C. last time I saw him. He has a son named Johnny who is a monster singer/frontman.
John took the lapsteel around the world during his nautical service days, and introduced it to many islands. Great Hawaiian player!
I would really like to get back in touch.
Thanks, Pat
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Wally Pfeifer
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 10 Jul 2014 9:09 pm
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John Kamoe Fatiaki was not from Hawaii. He was from a small island in the South Pacific,- the name of which I can't recall. He had moved to BC, Canada several years ago and had played steel with his nephew on the cruise ships. I had become acquainted with him at the HSGA Conventions in Joliet IL and Honolulu HI. Very good player of all string instruments. I have lost track of him but Lorene or Art Ruymar of Vancouver, Canada would probably know where he is now.
Wally Pfeifer |
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Wally Pfeifer
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 10 Jul 2014 9:09 pm
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John Kamoe Fatiaki was not from Hawaii. He was from a small island in the South Pacific,- the name of which I can't recall. He had moved to BC, Canada several years ago and had played steel with his nephew on the cruise ships. I had become acquainted with him at the HSGA Conventions in Joliet IL and Honolulu HI. Very good player of all string instruments. I have lost track of him but Lorene or Art Ruymar of Vancouver, Canada would probably know where he is now.
Wally Pfeifer |
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Derrick Mau
From:
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 11 Jul 2014 3:15 am
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| Kamoe is from Fiji. |
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Pat Moore
From:
Virginia USA
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Posted 11 Jul 2014 3:41 am
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Thanks for the replies. Apologies that I was wrong about where he is from. I met him while playing on ships in Hawaii. I was in contact with him when his wife passed away, and stayed in touch for quite a while. Then the phone was disconnected and haven't heard from him or Johnny. Just concerned about my friends.
Thx, Pat |
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Tony Lombardo
From:
Alabama, USA
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Posted 11 Jul 2014 6:48 am
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| I've been going through this list via YouTube since I first saw this list. After hearing most of these great artists, my favorites are still the three with which I was the most familiar before I saw the list: Jeff, Derrick, and Greg. |
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Kay Das
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 11 Jul 2014 7:21 am
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Thanks, the list of resident steel guitar artistes has grown to 21. Here is a revised list with no rankings but a bias at the top towards volume of work by the artiste in promoting the steel guitar locally via live performances and recordings, per my knowledge. I have also added Wayne Shishido as I have known him to perform regularly at the House Without a Key.
If anyone has violent objections, please present a case. The order based on volume of work gets murkier after the first few, and so does my knowledge of the artiste as I have not had the fortune to watch or listen to them all, so do not pay too much attention to order. Remember, this is not intended to be a quality or style ranking, just a list of artistes.
Hopefully the list will encourage all to step and promote the steel guitar in Hawaii to the maximum of their abilities via performances and recordings. Twenty-one performers in all of Hawaii is not a big number at all!
Some queries in square brackets.
- Alan Akaka (O'ahu)
- Greg Sardinha (O'ahu)
- Casey Olsen (O'ahu)
- Bobby Ingano (O'ahu)
- Ken Emerson (Kauai) [ is Ken still performing in the islands?]
- Jeff Au Hoy (O'ahu)
- Steve Cheney (O'ahu)
- Henry Allen ( Maui) [is Henry still performing?]
- Ed Punua (Kauai)
- Eddie Palama (O'ahu)
- Paul Kim (O'ahu)
- Timi Abrigo (O'ahu)
- Wayne Shishido (O'ahu)
- Isaac Akuna (O'ahu)
- Owana Salazar (Maui)
- Derrick Mau (O'ahu)
- Joel Katz ( Maui)
- Geronimo Valdriz (Maui)
- Nephi Brown (Hawai'i)
- Bob Kona ( Hawai'i)
- Dwight Takamoto (Hawai'i) |
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Jack Aldrich
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 11 Jul 2014 8:04 am
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Kay - Henry Allen is currently playing on cruise ships out of Honolulu, mainly standard guitar, but sometimes steel.
_________________
Jack Aldrich
Carter & ShoBud D10's
D8 & T8 Stringmaster
Rickenbacher B6
3 Resonator guitars
Asher Alan Akaka Special SN 6
Canopus D8 |
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Wally Pfeifer
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 11 Jul 2014 2:42 pm
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Kamaka Tom is another Hawaiian steel player.
 Wally Pfeifer |
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Norman Markowitz
From:
Santa Cruz, California
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Posted 15 Jul 2014 6:38 am
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There is another guy that plays steel guitar on O'ahu. We saw him sit in at Honey's with Mike Kaawa and his group. I remember them saying he was a Honolulu Fire Captain??? This goes back a few years.
Just remembered his name...Ron Johnson...Plays a Rick frypan. |
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Derrick Mau
From:
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 15 Jul 2014 9:45 am
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Aloha Norm,
Yes, that Ron Johnson. He is currently retired.
He plays a Jerry Byrd Frypan, but last I seen and talked to him, he has purchased a pedal steel and is interested in learning that. He does jam sessions once a month at the Kualoa Ranch. |
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Derrick Mau
From:
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 15 Jul 2014 9:51 am
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Iaukea Bright from the Big Island also plays.
Last seen him playing at the Kona Airport.
His steel playing very similar to Gabby. |
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Roger Shackelton
From:
MINNESOTA (deceased)
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Posted 15 Jul 2014 9:17 pm Old Style Hawaiian Steel Guitar playing By Kamoe Fatiaki
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Old Style Hawaiian Steel Guitar playing
Here's some sweet Steel playing by John Kamoe Fatiaki of Vancouver. B.C.
Uploaded on Jan 12, 2011
Just some Sunday jamming of old style steel guitar playing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uegyeSRxX6o
ROGER |
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