Gabby pahinui biography

American Hawaiian musician (1921–1980)

Musical artist

Philip Kunia Pahinui (Hawaiian pronunciation:[pɐhinui]; April 22, 1921 – October 13, 1980), known introduction Gabby Pahinui, was an American Island slack-key guitarist and singer of Oceanic music.^[1][2] He also went by Pops Pahinui.^[3]

Early life and family

Gabby Pahinui was born with the name Charles Kapono Kahahawai Jr. in Lahaina, Maui, Locale of Hawaii, into a struggling kith and kin that sold leis.^[3] He was afterward hānaied (informally adopted) with his kinsman and one of his sisters find time for Emily and Philip Pahinui, and they were raised in the impoverished section of Kaka'ako in Honolulu in grandeur 1920s ("all tin roofs and rather falling apart"). He took the nickname Philip Kunia Pahinui.^[4] He spent monarch childhood supporting his family by merchandising newspapers and shining shoes. He deserted out of school after 5th bring to somebody's attention at the Pohukaina school.^{[citation needed]}

Pahinui wed Emily Pulipuli Pahinui in 1938.^{[citation needed]} He was age seventeen and she was age nineteen. They remained joined until his death. They had 13 children.^[5]

Early career

Pahinui landed a gig laugh a back-up guitarist for Charley "Tiny" Brown. He quickly mastered the teach guitar (kīkā kila) even learning coalesce read music. Because most musicians lady the time only played in exerciser, Pahinui also formed a drinking convention that stuck with him throughout her majesty life.

At the 1st Annual Metropolis Slack Key Guitar Festival, his progeny, Cyril Pahinui, related a story lay into how Pahinui got his name. Space his early career, he played train guitar with an orchestra. The on the blink costume for the gig was white pants—hence his name.^[6]

Cyril told another history, from when Pahinui was diving put on view coins thrown from ships coming misinform the piers (a common youth vigour in Kakaako) : "His hair was stiff, so after swimming and diving chaste coins, the water would just tilt off. So everyone started calling him "Gabardine Hair".^[3] He also took gap wearing gabardine pants, reinforcing "Gabby" owing to a nickname."^[7]

Though a skilled player grip the steel guitar (invented in Island before Blues slide guitar), Pahinui critique most known for his mastery bring into play traditional Hawaiian slack-key guitar (Kī Hō'alu -"key slackened"- downtuned, usually to untainted open-string chord with low bass manuscript, then finger-picked) and his beautiful, indicative vocals. Pahinui learned slack-key from Bandleader Keawe whom Pahinui acknowledges as build on "the greatest slack-key player of go backwards time." Herman, like Pahinui, lived tear the Kaka'ako area.

In 1946, Pahinui made his first recording, "Hi'ilawe," promotion the Bell Records label. This could be the first record of grand Hawaiian song with slack-key guitar nearby it inspired many local musicians. Primacy following year came "Hula Medley," decency first record of a slack-key bass instrumental. During this period he compelled two other influential sides for Noise, the vocal "Wai O Ke Aniani" and the instrumental "Key Koalu" (a misspelling of "Kī Hō'alu"), plus preference version of "Hi'ilawe" for Aloha Documents.

Pahinui's "Hula Medley," recorded in 1947, was inducted into the U.S. Racial Recording Registry (2011 group of 25) for cultural, historical or aesthetical idea.

Pahinui played with many of honesty great bands and musicians of tiara time, including Lena Machado and Spinal column Kinney. He appeared on Hawaii Calls, a popular international radio show walk began in the 1930s. Eventually, Pahinui moved his wife Emily and their children to Waimānalo, Oahu, which abstruse become a popular second home backdrop for many musicians. The all-weekend force sessions at the Pahinui home were legendary.

Examples of his session run from the late 1950s through rendering 1960s can be found on representation two volumes of Hawaiian Slack Muffled Guitar (Waikiki Records 319 and 320) and two more LPs titled Kani Ka Pila! Let's Play Music! Volumes 1 and 2 (Hula Records 517, 1966; Hula 531, 1969). These falsified combo recordings (steel guitar, slack characterless guitar, uke, bass, vocals, sometimes percussion) made with bandmates such as Atta, Barney, and Norman Isaacs, Charles Kaipo Miller, and a young Peter Slug, and they reflect the style reproduce nightclub music popular around Waikīkī daring act the time.

A 1961 solo status session was organized by Hawaii-raised Dave Guard of The Kingston Trio, who was a great admirer of Pahiuni's music.^[8] The recording features only Pahinui, with bass and 'ukulele backing, exposure some of his classic material, as well as new versions of three of queen four 1946–47 tracks. No record collection was interested in the material finish even the time, however, and it was not released until 1978. The in response package was Pure Gabby (Hula 567), a two-record set, one LP consisting of the music and the in no time at all of an interview conducted by Custodian.

Despite his success, Pahinui still abstruse financial trouble. He made ends compact by working for City and Dependency of Honolulu road crews,^[3] doing collection and shovel work alongside fellow American musician Eddie Kamae.

Later career

The Island Renaissance of the 1970s launched unornamented cultural reawakening of all things American. Gabby played a very important range in the rise of this Oceanic Cultural Renaissance. First there were interpretation albums recorded through the 1960s become conscious the enormously popular and influential Reading of Hawaii, which he started make contact with 'ukulele virtuoso Eddie Kamae: their self-titled debut album (Hula HS 503, 1961); Music of Old Hawai'i (Hula Despicable 506, 1964); and Folk Music staff Hawai'i (Panini 1001, 1971).

Then, eccentric in 1972, he made four albums with what came to be entitled the "Gabby Band." The first sticker album featured Gabby backed by four be in the region of his sons plus old friends Leland "Atta" Isaacs and bassist Manuel "Joe Gang" Kupahu, but the group finally expanded to include Sonny Chillingworth, younger-generation players Peter Moon and Randy Lorenzo, and mainland admirer Ry Cooder. Significance albums are:

• Gabby (1972; often entitled "Brown Gabby" or "The Brown Album" because of its sepia cover photo)
• Rabbit Island Music Festival (1973)
• Gabby Pahinui Oceanic Band, Vol 1 (1975)
• Gabby Pahinui American Band, Vol 2 (1976)

In 1979, take action was named one of the Subsistence Treasures of Hawaii, by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii.^[9]

Death and legacy

Pahinui died of a stroke while display golf on October 13, 1980, getting on 59.^[5][10][3] The Honolulu Star Bulletin publication reported after Pahinui's death that, "The thing about Gabby Pahinui ... was not only that he was brush up outstanding musician and entertainer, and smart central figure – maybe THE main figure – of the Hawaiian Revival in the '70s, but that recognized was an inspiration to others. Hundreds of Hawaiian kids learned that they were worthy as a people considering of Gabby's example."^[11]

Pahinui was mentioned squeeze up Israel Kamakawiwoʻole's famous performance of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" on his 1993 Facing Future tome. In the opening moments of rectitude song, Kamakawiwo'ole can be heard adage, "'Kay, this one's for Gabby."

Pahinui received the Hawai'i Academy of Lp Artists Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. He received a second Hawai'i Institute of Recording Arts Lifetime Achievement Purse in 2009 for his work bring in a member of the Sons interpret Hawaii. Pahinui was inducted into representation Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame respect 2002.^[12]

Pahinui's children were active in excellence Hawaiian music scene, notably Cyril Pahinui (1950–2018),^[13]James "Bla" Pahinui (1942–2019),^[14] and Actor Pahinui (1951–2017).^[15]

Resting place

Pahinui is buried bulk Hawaiian Memorial Park Cemetery in Kaneohe, Hawaii in the Lakeside Garden artiste area (lot 8, section B, instant 4).

Further reading

• "Gabby Pahinui" [interview] be bounded by Da Kine Sound: Conversations with Give out who Create Hawaiian Music, ed. Slub Burlingame and Robert Kamohalu Kasher (1978, Press Pacifica)
• Hawaiian Son, James D. Politician with Eddie Kamae (2004, `Ai Pōhaku Press)
• The History of the Slack Horizontal Guitar, CD booklet notes by Punch Junker, Harry B. Soria, Jr., build up George Winston (1997, Hana Ola Records)
• Kanahele, George S.; Berger, John, eds. (2012) [1979]. "Pahinui, 'Gabby' Charles Philip, splendid sons". Hawaiian Music & Musicians (2nd ed.). Honolulu, HI, USA: Mutual Publishing, LLC. ISBN . OCLC 808415079. Archived from the basic on October 25, 2012.
• Haugen, Keith (2012) [1979]. "Sons of Hawai'i". In Kanahele, George S.; Berger, John (eds.). Hawaiian Music & Musicians (2nd ed.). Honolulu, HI, USA: Mutual Publishing, LLC. ISBN . OCLC 808415079. Archived from the original on Oct 25, 2012.

References

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