Hawaiian Steel at the Honolulu International Airport

Jeff Au Hoy · Post by **Jeff Au Hoy** » 2 Mar 2007 5:02 pm

Just before flying out of Honolulu around noon yesterday, I ran into a pleasant surprise just past the security checkpoint... beautiful Hawaiian music played in the classic style... not coming out of the overhead speakers but... LIVE! The trio consisted of Greg Sardinha on steel, Zanuck Lindsey on archtop guitar, and an upright bass player (whose name escapes me). All sang vocals. Just wonderful music... and LIVE! I spoke with Greg briefly during one of the breaks and he said they play five days a week there. Things are looking great!

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 2 Mar 2007 5:09 pm

That's great to hear Jeff. Sounds of the 40s at the airport!!

BILL

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 2 Mar 2007 6:07 pm

Thanks Jeff for sharing this bit of great news!

There couldn't be a better location for introducing the public to the steel guitar and/or Hawaiian music. At least there is one smart person in the transportation business!

We should ALL send a big THANK YOU to that person!
Who was it JEFF?

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 3 Mar 2007 1:33 am

Jeff what great news!! Reminds me of when I first came into Honolulu on the Lurline many yrs ago. Thanks for the post. I hope this is a paying job for Greg and the boys. CC

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 3 Mar 2007 9:27 pm

I don't know how anyone else feels but for a location like that, I'd do it for free, providing I didn't have to give up the day job to do it. But hopefully, they are getting paid for their talents.

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 3 Mar 2007 11:05 pm

Speaking of doing it for free, I had that pleasure! On 4 occasions, Harris Kaleikini, (now deceased) leader and r/guitar, his brother Jacob, bass, and two lovely ladies who sang and played ukuleles, plus a very attractive young wahine doing the hula entertained arriving and departing tourists. The jet noise became a bit overwhelming at times, however I had a ball playing steel with the group. Folks would stop and listen, especially the arrivals who were not rushing to catch a flight. The group was paid via the AFM fund...(I was just sitting in).
It's a sad thing about the airlines in that they NEVER play Hawaiian music on in-flight headsets. I often wonder why ?

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 4 Mar 2007 7:44 am

Maybe a month or six weeks ago the Star-Bulleton ran an artcle on the decline in tourism and they were looking for answers. I wrote a letter to the editor after contacting my friends and associates over the world and the overwhelming reason why they were disappointed in HI and would not return was the lack of haw and hapahaole music or they did not know where to find it. They all said "a lack of pure smaltz". When tourists visit any where they don't want what they get back home. They don't want to go to italy and hear acid rock. They want to hear beautiful Italian music etc. I told in my letter for them to put more Hawaiian, hapahaole acts out on the streets and in the clubs and they would be giving the tourists what they want when in Hawaii. Of course its not only music but tourist see Hawaii as palm trees, girls, and steel guitars and for thr tourist bureau to use handouts so tell people where the "smaltz" is playing. They probably ignored my letter but then again that may be a partial reason why AFM is having Greg to play at the airport. As Andy Iona said" don't geev em what they have in their own backyard" cc

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 4 Mar 2007 8:24 am

This is encouraging news for fans of hapahaole and trad haw.

Sometimes what you find is truly serendipity. When I went to Honolulu about 16 years ago for my niece's wedding... she was teaching at U of H at the time... we stayed at the Halekulani Hotel. I asked at the front desk where I might find some traditional music, and she had a puzzled look on her face, like she just didn't know.

So I went to the bar for a little drinky, "the House Without A Key," and to my surprise, there was Hiram Olsen, Casey Olsen, and Kalani Fernandes playing by the wall, with Barney Isaacs sitting in!! I identified myself as a steel player and we had a great conversation. Barney even asked me if I'd like to sit in, which I wisely and respectfully declined.

. They were there all weekend and I truly felt "aloha" from those guys.

Don Kona Woods · Post by **Don Kona Woods** » 4 Mar 2007 4:44 pm

Thanks for the head's up, Jeff.

I shall be looking just past the security checkpoint... when I arrive on April 22 for the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Assn Convention for a nice chicken skin experience.

When I first arrived in Honolulu in 1961, you were greeted by musicians and a nice lei. The atmosphere was there then, maybe someone noticed it was missing and decided to do something about it.

Aloha,

Don

Kay Das · Post by **Kay Das** » 4 Mar 2007 5:33 pm

On my first visit to Hawaii I remember asking at the airport where I could hear some steel guitar and met with zilch responses.....

...24 years later... what a great way to introduce the sound of steel guitar to the young rappers, hip-hopsters and other debutants stepping off the plane at Honolulu...!

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 4 Mar 2007 5:39 pm

It's nice to hear there is music in the "atmosphere"
I hear they tore out that historic stage at the Moana banyan courtyard. What a bunch of bottom-line dumb asses.

If they can figure a way to extricate a few more bucks from the tourists, they will tear down anything.
I hear they are changing the table area near the veranda or something like that. More tables= more over-priced booz.

Kay Das · Post by **Kay Das** » 4 Mar 2007 5:53 pm

[quote="Bill Creller"]
I hear they tore out that historic stage at the Moana banyan courtyard. What a bunch of bottom-line dumb asses.

That is a great pity, if true.

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 4 Mar 2007 6:11 pm

On my first trip to Hawaii in 2001 the airport's sound system was playing Jerry Byrd's recording of "Sand" the moment I stepped off the plane.

Don Kona Woods · Post by **Don Kona Woods** » 4 Mar 2007 11:45 pm

I hear they tore out that historic stage at the Moana banyan courtyard

Now they have crossed the line and gone too far!!

That is enough to promote some serious protests. Bring your signs

Don (My usual sign off missing, I am not in an aloha spirit right now)

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 5 Mar 2007 6:09 am

Great....

So now when people visit Hawaii they can eat at Wendy's, watch MTV on their hotel television, listen to Hip-Hop music in the bars, buy a t-shirt at Old Navy and shop at Walmart.

Don't want to make the tourists "uncomfortable" with anything regional, foreign or the worst... unfamiliar. Don't want them to leave their comfort zones. Don't want to expose them to anything new.

Todd Weger · Post by **Todd Weger** » 5 Mar 2007 9:57 am

Jeff Au Hoy wrote:Just before flying out of Honolulu around noon yesterday, I ran into a pleasant surprise just past the security checkpoint... beautiful Hawaiian music played in the classic style... not coming out of the overhead speakers but... LIVE! The trio consisted of Greg Sardinha on steel, Zanuck Lindsey on archtop guitar, and an upright bass player (whose name escapes me). All sang vocals. Just wonderful music... and LIVE! I spoke with Greg briefly during one of the breaks and he said they play five days a week there. Things are looking great!

Too cool...

Hey Jeff, were they doing it real old-school, without P.A., singing acoutically, and just maybe a small steel amp, with archtop & bass acoustic? Or, if they had a small P.A., what did they use? Was their live sound being fed into the airport sound system, or restricted to just in their immediate vicinity? That sounds like a nice (and fun) gig.

T

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 5 Mar 2007 12:03 pm

I really like Waikiki, and hanging out there. The music scene is always changing, but hey, where else can you find that kind of weather!!

There are people I always enjoy seeing at convention year and even the off-year in May.

I don't get around the states much, but Hawaii is probably no different than going to other tourist places where they love your money.

We are all devoted to steel guitar in Hawaii, but we are certainly a minority, so we just have to enjoy what there is available.

The up-side is, we have Jeff Au Hoy at the Halekulani, to enjoy his excellent playing.

Dave Zielinski · Post by **Dave Zielinski** » 5 Mar 2007 12:21 pm

That is really cool.
reminds me of my first trip to the bahamas. There was a great welcoming when we arrived at the airport, including a band playing live steel drums, and bahamian music.

No steel guitar, but cool nonetheless.

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 5 Mar 2007 12:25 pm

Sheeeesh...you guys are all out in left field ! Haven't you realized that tourists only come to Waikiki to visit the HARD ROCK CAFE, or hadn't you heard ? Gads, what a sad situation to learn of the Moana Hotel Lanai demolision where Hawai'i Calls history all came about. I think in all fairness, they should also demolish the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Monarch Room where, some 15 years ago we actually enjoyed Sunday afternoon tea dances with live music and entertainment. Long before that, great (Hawaiian) orchestras such as Moxey Whitney, Harry Owens, et al, were on stage. They could easily convert the Monarch Room into a fast food Rock hamburger joint and make some real bucks!

Kay Das · Post by **Kay Das** » 5 Mar 2007 4:32 pm

Sad to hear of the demise of the stage at the Moana, should really be preserved as a national heritage along with the Banyan tree. Could it be that they are merely refurbishing it? It has seen a lot of wear and tear. Can anyone in SGF who lives close verify?

A crumb of solace to hear that steel guitar music, live and/or piped, is played at the airport..." Music hath charms to soothe a savage b[r]east, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak" as
William Congreve wrote....and I am sure he meant especially steel guitar music...

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 5 Mar 2007 6:08 pm

The Hawaii Calls show used at least a few stage settings during it's run.
All are LONG gone, but they have a new one now, and it's a beaut!

The tree is still there, with it's load of forever crappin' birds.

Derrick Mau · Post by **Derrick Mau** » 6 Mar 2007 2:54 am

Could it be that they are merely refurbishing it?

Kay, currently there is no stage as Bill Creller says. The two foot, half-moon wooden stage was taken down almost two months ago. A new, and smaller one will be built somewhere in the courtyard after the Banyan Veranda widening project is complete. Management has yet to deceide on a permanent spot and are currently experimenting with different locations.

The wooden veranda floor will extended out about 20 feet into the courtyard making more room for the dining restaurant.
The musicians are currently playing on the courtyard tile floor where the stage used to be, and will be moved again once construction begins.

How do I know all this? I work for the Moana Hotel, and right there in the courtyard.

Kay Das · Post by **Kay Das** » 6 Mar 2007 9:41 am

Thanks, Derrick. With you there on board, steel guitar at the Moana will surely continue to live on! I look forward to meeting you again next time I have the opportunity to visit.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 6 Mar 2007 6:59 pm

Kay, are you going there in April/May for the convention??

Kay Das · Post by **Kay Das** » 6 Mar 2007 8:19 pm

bill,

a few uncertainties at the time of writing.. but i am very much hoping to..

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Hawaiian Steel at the Honolulu International Airport

Hawaiian Steel at the Honolulu International Airport

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