Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 9, 1 September 2010 — KWO happy to help bridge Hawaiʻi, UK [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

KWO happy to help bridge Hawaiʻi, UK

Grass Skirt Records, owned by my good friend Les Cook in the U.K., specialises in reissuing rare vintage Hawaiian music. Three CD albums are currently available, featuring Sam Ku West, Sol Ho'opi'i and Gino Bordin. The next production will bring together the complete recorded output of James Holstein

and Bob Pau'ole (known as the "Genial Hawaiians") and George Sam Ku and the Paradise Islanders, who included Ku, Charles K. Opunui and Spencer Kalaniakea. We would very mueh like to eontact family members of all these musicians with a view to filling out their biographies, and adding to information we already have, for this interesting and worthwhile project. Contact Les Cook at 27 Albion Mill, Wedneshough Green, Hollingworth, Cheshire SK14 8LS, England; e-mail: Les@GrassSkirt. co.uk; or myself at 218 Bannerdale Road, Sheffield S11 9FE, England. KWO kindly published a simi-

lar letter (in 2004) when we were working on the Sam Ku West CD, and enabled contact to be made with descendants and family today, and it would be wonderful if something similar could result from the above notice. Les and I are very anxious to present some of these masterpieces to today's listeners, and there's no doubt that the previous CDs have brought recognition and mueh admiration for the artists

featured. We would love to do the same for Jim and Bob, and George Ku. Extensive and accurate liner notes are a feature of Grass Skirt CDs! I greatly appreciate receiving KWO. It's always of the very greatest interest, and I keep and file every one! John D. Marsden Sheffield, England

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GrassSkirtRecords reissues vintage CDs, like these, I and is looking for family members to provide information on several musicians who will be part of its next endeavor. - Photo: Courtesy of Gmss Skirt Records