Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 3, 1 Malaki 2003 — The 'Dean of Hawaiian Music' continues to teach [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The 'Dean of Hawaiian Music' continues to teach

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By Manu Boyd For generations, Hawaiians have quipped that "even Johnny Almeida could've seen that" in scenarios where something was obvious and clear. Perhaps not knowing exactly who they are referring to, they poke fun at the master composer/musician/teacher who, by age 10, was completely blind. But for Almeida, his handicap heightened his remaining senses, making him perhaps the most prolific of composers of the 20th century. John Celestino Almeida Jr. was born in 1897 to Hawaiian lei-seller Julia Kamaka and Portuguese father John who immigrated to the Kingdom of Hawai'i from Madeira, Portugal. It is said that while his mother was gathering maile in Pauoa valley, she unexpectedly gave birth to John, and perhaps her contact with the infant with her maile sap covered hands led to her child's eventual blindness, though unlikely.

At the turn of the century.

John Sr. left his family ant returned to Portugal leaving

John and newborn sister Annii fatherless. The family eventually moved from Pauoa to

Wai'anae where the children were raised as hānai of Paulo Kameaaloha, Julia's eom-

panion who hailed fron Kona. John would assume Paulo's name Kameaaloha," and was

raised exclusively speaking Hawaiian at home. Schooled in English, John Kameaaloha Almeida

would become a master of both

languages, preferring, however, to compose in the native language of his mother and hānai. Throughout his 88-year life, Almeida's

comoositions numbered more than 200. Among

his best known mele are "Iesū me ke Kanaka Waiwai" better known

as "Kanaka Waiwai," "Noho Paipai" (the rocking chair hula),

" Pānini Pua Kea" for the white flowered cactus, "Kiss Me Love" "Roselani

' Blossoms" and " Green Rose Hula." The recently released anthology of John K.

1 Almeida's work is an invaluable treasure. Not only does it capture the voice and spirit of an outstanding artist and

his associates, including a

youthful Genoa Keawe whom he mentored, the project proSee JOHN K. ALMEIDA on page 17

JOHN KAMEAALOHA ALMEIDA from poge 1 1

vides accuracy of pronunciation and meiodic lmes that over time have morphed. To Ulustrate this, Almeida's performance of "Green Rose Hula " gives a different melody and chord structure in the second measure of the four measure verse than we hear today. Additionally, the second line of verse one, "no ka u'i kau i ka wēkiu," is phrased in a way that is more suited to the Hawaiian ear. Lyrics and transIations for eaeh song give insight to the world of the composer, particularly his passion for women who he compares to an array of iragrani biossoms. Five times married himself, Almeida sureiy ailudes lo many more wahine than the string oi" "Mrs. Aimeidas he loveo dearly. In the last selection on the CD, the lyrics to Edward Nainoa's " Ua Noho

Au a Kupa " are uttered by Almeida before his musical performance at a Ka Leo Hawai'i Hawaiian language radio program in 1972. His voice and pronunciation is "nahenahe wale I ka pepeialo" - soft and pleasant to the hear. Ho'omaika'i nui - congratulations to producer Harry Soria Jr. of "Territorial Airwaves" and translator Keola Donaghy of Ka Haka 'Ula O Ke'elikōlani ColIege of Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo. The anthology " John Kameaaloha Almeiāa" is a must have CD for anyone and everyone who has a vested interest in the well-being ot Hawanan music and huia today. ■