Hawaiian Steel Appeal to 2 Waikiki Hotels - Their Responses

Don Kona Woods · From: Hawaiian Kama'aina

I addressed what for many of us is a growing concern with respect to Hawaiian Steel Guitar in Hawaiian Hotels – I appealed to two well known hotels - the Halekulani and the Moana Surfrider - about the situation.

The following is my e-mail appeal with the responses from the hotels. Read and comment. Mahalo nui.

If you want more background on this post see Kay Das original thread on “A Splendid Ho’olau’lea.

MY E-MAIL TO THE HALEKULANI

My wife and I started coming regularly to Hawaii in 1985 and have come every other year since 1985. Every visit to Hawaii always included coming to the Halekulani because of its tradition of classic Hawaiian music featuring the Hawaiian Steel guitar. Most evenings on our vacations, we came to the Halekulani primarily because we heard traditional Hawaiian music with the steel guitar, which reminded us of the days when we heard the Hawaii Calls radio program. For tourists, Hawaiian music has always been associated with the sound of the Hawaiian steel guitar and classic hula dancing.

On our last visit to Hawaii in April and May, 2009, we embarked on our normal pattern of coming to the Halekulani. However, we discovered that the Halekulani had made a decision which affected us.
The first evening we strolled to the House Without A Key to listen to the Hawaiian steel guitar with hula dancing only to find a group playing without the Hawaiian steel guitar. We began to inquire only to hear further bad news that the Halekulani was giving up on keeping the tradition of Hawaiian music going with the Hawaiian steel guitar. We heard a couple of reasons for that decision - the economy and an entertainment agency was now making the decisions about providing entertainment leaving out the steel guitar. This seemed implausible to us.

We would like you to reconsider what you are doing with regard to the tradition of the Hawaiian music which featured the Hawaiian steel guitar and classic hula dancing that helped establish the Halekulani as a place of tradition. It seems that the history of Hawaiian music with steel guitar is either not understood or is completely being disregarded. Where this seems to be heading, if not changed, is not good for you or good for us as tourists.

Aloha,
Don and Joan Woods

An Email Response from Gerald Glennon
General Manager-Halekulani
2199 Kalia Road
Honolulu, Hawaii 96815
Phone: (808) 923-2311
Direct: (808) 931-5001
Website: http://www.Halekulani.com

Dear Mr. Woods:
Thank you for taking the time to write regarding your impressions of the entertainment specifically at House Without A Key at Halekulani. I appreciate knowing how you feel about our musical offering. As you are well aware; music, hula, Hawaiian entertainment and culture have been celebrated at this location for going on 100 years. When guests and patrons alike consider where to spend an evening of song and music on the beach in Waikiki, they think of House With A Key.
Over the many years we have provided this entertainment, steel guitar has often been a part of the repertoire. Of late, for whatever reason, proper steel performers have been difficult to schedule. This has nothing to do with the economy or the fact that we have chosen to work with one of the foremost talent representatives on Oahu. It is also not a deliberate effort on our part to eliminate the steel guitar.
That said, I have shared your comments with our Director of Food & Beverage who approves the entertainment at Halekulani as well as our talent representative. We are looking into opportunities relative to this. At such time as we can work this aspect of Hawaiian music into our performances, we are happy to do so.
Again, I appreciate your e-mail. I will certainly review opportunities in this regard.

MY EMAIL TO ERIK BERGER OF THE MOANA SURFRIDER
My wife and I first came to Hawaii in 1975 and stayed in the Moana Surfrider Hotel. We fell in love with the Hawaiian music which featured the Hawaiian steel guitar as it was played at the Moana Banyan Tree Courtyard. In 1985 after an interval of ten years, we started coming to Hawaii every other year primarily for the relaxation and to hear live Hawaiian music with steel guitar. Every visit to the Islands always included coming to the Moana because of its tradition of classic Hawaiian music featuring the Hawaiian Steel guitar. During the last few years we have noticed a trend at the Moana of not featuring Hawaiian music with the Hawaiian steel guitar.

On our last visit to Hawaii in April and May, 2009, we embarked on our normal pattern of coming to the Moana to hear traditional Hawaiian music. We discovered that the management of the Moana had made a decision which would greatly affect us. The bad news was that the Moana had now engaged an Entertainment Agency as a booking agent which would discontinue the long tradition of Hawaiian music featuring the Hawaiian steel guitar. .

We would like you to reconsider what you are doing with regard to the tradition of the Hawaiian music which featured the Hawaiian steel guitar and classic hula dancing that helped establish the Moana as a place for traditional Hawaiian music. It seems that the history of Hawaiian music with steel guitar is either not understood or is completely being disregarded. Where this seems to be heading, if not changed, is not good for you or good for us as tourists.

Aloha,
Don and Joan Woods

Response from Brian Hunnings, Director of Outlets Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach
2365 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii 96815
Tel 808.923.2817 fax 808.237.2508 mobile 808.284.8433

Aloha Mr. Woods and mahalo for the e-mail. It is encouraging to me to see such passion and devotion for the Hawaiian steel guitar. I could not agree with you more that in today’s world it is harder and harder to find good Hawaiian steel entertainers. Sadly there are not many that can compare to the greats of yesteryear like Sol Hoopii, Jerry Byrd or the Kila Brothers. Your email is unfortunately true, the Moana Surfrider, for over a decade actually, has not had a regularly featured Hawaiian steel guitarist, but that was not for lack of trying. The existing pool of talented steel guitarists available here on Oahu who are not under contract to other hotels or traveling on cruise ships is slim to almost none. The good ones (Pa’ahana, Po’okela and the Island Serenades) all have multi-year contracts with hotels and if we could steal them away we would in a heart beat. In the interim we are forced to feature the occasional guest artist from the mainland or neighbor islands to bring that true Hawaii feel to the Moana. I apologize that during your recent visit we did not have a Hawaiian steel guitarist performing with our ukulele, bass and guitar player. The Moana Surfrider is one of the few hotels here in Oahu that still features traditional Hawaiian music and hula nightly, seven days a week from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. with “drop in” artists from neighbor isles. It is a testament to the Moana’s commitment to our host culture that these entertainers still “drop in” and perform for our guests. We are ever grateful that they love and cherish and wish to perpetuate the tradition of the Moana as being a home to Hawaiian music. Perpetuating and nurturing the culture and history of these cherished islands we are lucky to call home is of utmost importance to all of us who work at the Moana Surfrider. We view ourselves as stewards to preserving what makes these islands unique and ensuring it is here for generations of children to come.
On a side note, I have to say that I enjoy reading your posts on the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Associations Website (www.hsga.org) and perhaps on your next visit to Honolulu for the 2011 Biennial Convention here on our Island of Oahu, I will get a chance to meet you in person and hopefully by then we will have secured a full time steel guitarist. I will keep you posted of our search efforts. I wish you the warmest aloha and please do not hesitate to contact me.
Malama pono, a hui hou!

My Appeal to You: I believe some assistance from those of you reading this would bear some weight on this situation. Would you mind helping by contacting or corresponding with the following hotels. I plan to contact all of the hotels. The contact person should be the general manager for the hotel. The following information is from a post by Ron Whitfield.
Here's the address/info for -
The Halekulani - 2199 Kalia Rd., Honolulu, HI 96815 Ph. # 808-923-2311 gerald.glennon@halekulani.com

Moana-Surfrider - 2365 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815 Ph. # - 808-922-3111 erik.berger@westin.com

Royal Hawaiian - 2259 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815 Ph. # 808-923-7311

Hilton Hawaiian Village - 2003 Kalia Rd., Honolulu, HI 96815 Ph. # 888-875-4535

Ron says, “Anyone involved with steel guitar should be jumping on this bandwagon every way possible to get the word in their faces that this worsening situation is completely unacceptable.”
Do you have any advice? What are your thoughts?

Aloha, Smile

Don

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Don......thanks for taking the lead and initiating the first step in this promotional movement. A BIG THANKS too, to Ron for his input.

FRANKLY, I'm amazed by the warm reception your letters received. KEEP UP the great work!

I plan to get my letters out this week.

Derrick Mau · From: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

The GM's are correct. Even if they embrace the thought of bring the steel guitar back, there is a lack of steel guitarist available in Hawaii, especially players that can perform on that level.

This doesn't mean that steel guitar is dying in Hawaii . . . it just means that it will be harder to find steel guitar on the tourist doorstep(Waikiki). You'd now have to rent a car and know where to go.

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

Seems like there's a wonderful opportunity here for a budding steel guitarist to turn up on their doorstep, steel in hand, and demonstrate his talents. This could be his opening to move to Hawaii and start a new career. Cool

Andy Barlo · From: Schererville, Indiana, USA * R.I.P.

Derrick Mau · From: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Hi Andy,

What I mean is steel players that are competent enough to jump in with any group and backup a singer for 2 or 3 hours. All the players you listed are capable, but we are only a small handful.

We all have other commitments too in our lives such as full time jobs, and for most of us, families to deal with. We work our performances around our tough schedules and we selectively choose what gigs we want, and what gigs we don't want to play.

They are many big opportunies that we keep our schedules open for or give precedence to; such as trips to Japan, weddings, private parties, special concerts, the Merrie Monarch, and workshops and festivals. I'm busy all the time. I'm sure the others are too. Smile

Po'okela is Greg Sardinha's group. He has a big commitment at the airport for 5 or 6 days a week.
Last I heard, he has one day at the Halekulani.

Pa'ahana plays at the Halekulani 2 nights a week.
Kaipo Kukahiko used to do the steel work for them, but now plays rhythm guitar so they can get that Kahauanu Lake Trio sound. They sound great.

I just happened to talk to one of the musician's at the Moana Hotel a few days ago and asked them the same question about being contracted. They said they are not bounded by any any contract to play exclusively for a particular hotel. He also plays 2 nights a week at the Halekulani and with other venues outside of the hotel business; so what the hotel GM said was incorrect.

Aloha,

D Smile

Bill Leff · From: Santa Cruz, CA, USA

Maybe it's time to move to Hawaii and start playing steel gigs. One problem though ... I'm obviously not Hawaiian and I'm sure that looking Hawaiian is a prerequisite to getting those gigs.

I actually did something similar back in the 70s but that time it was to play bass. For some reason, they needed bass players on Maui so I bought a used Fender Jazz bass and worked pretty steady over there for awhile playing funk and jazz. No Hawaiian prerequisite was required.

The good news is that I am actually playing Hawaiian steel these days backing up an *actual* Hawaiian singer/uke player named Kalae Miles here in Santa Cruz, CA and playing hulas, originals, and of course the obligatory "Somewhere over the Rainbow". I'm playing my Rick B6 on an old stand and couldn't be happier!

For those in the area, we are playing this Saturday night in Scotts Valley, CA at Jia Tellas restaurant

http://www.jiatellas.com

Here's a link to Kalae's CD:

http://www.mele.com/music/artist/kalae+miles/ho%60opono/

Sorry for hijacking a great thread...

Bill

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Derrick Mau · From: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Especially with gas at $2.90 and soaring.
That budding musician won't be sticking around for very long. Oh Well

If playing steel guitar in hotel's was a way to fame and fortune, don't you think those positions would already be occupied??

Management doesn't care whether or nor Hawaiian music is played with or without a steel, or with or without a ukulele for that matter.

All they want is music entertainment for their guest.

Warren Slavin · From: Southampton, PA, 18966. USA

Don and Ron and all -- Well said ! !

I also think that what brought many of us to the Hawaiian Steel Guitar and Hawaii where it all began was (1) The "Hawaii Calls Radio Program" (2) The many "Webley Edwards Hawaii Calls Records" (3) The many "Hawaiian Steel Guitar Virtuosos" ie, David Keli'i, Dick & Lani McIntire, Andy Iona, Jules Ah See, The Rogers Family, Walter Wailehua, Eddie Bush, Bobby Nichols, Gabby Pahinui, Sol Bright, Danny Stewart, Joe Costino, Jerry Byrd, Sam Koki, Ernie & Freddie Taveras, Jake Kaleikoa, Sol Ho'opi'i, Barney Isaacs, Hal Aloma, M K Moke and many more.

I'm sure many of the Hotel Restaurant and Banquet manaagers never heard of the above musicians -- they probably want to keep their jobs by hiring what the younger generation wants to hear and make the Cash Register Ring for their boss to hear.

I will contact the Hotels via e-mail also within a week and particularly bring to the attention of the Moana Surfrider Manager how I and many other service personnel enjoyed the Islands during WWII and sat under the Banyan Tree listening to Al "Kealoha" Perry and His Singing Surfriders with the "Great" David Keli'i on Steel Guitar.

If we keep this up we might WIN ONE.

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

Do you remember the "British Invasion" of 1965 ? A bunch of second-class British musicians trying to play American music and sell it back to Americans !

What would it take to start off an Hawaiian Invasion ? It's only the whimsical fashions of the public plus a lot of publicity. Rolling Eyes

Jim Strawser · From: Montana, USA

I also sat under the Banyan Tree at the Moana Hotel in the early 60's while stationed on Oahu with the U S Navy. It dismays me that commercialization has seemed to force the Steel Guitar out of Tradition Hawaiiian Music in the Islands? Woe is me! Sheds a tear!!!
_________________
"Steel players are like fine wine, we get better with age"

Don Kona Woods · From: Hawaiian Kama'aina

Jim,
Why not express your feelings to the hotels. The addresses are just above.

Warren,
I dont see much of the younger generation at the Halekulani, Moana Surfrider, and Royal Hawaiian, but
I do see more of the older generation.

I believe the HSGA board is preparing a response to these hotels as a result of my communication and the hotel management responses to my communication.

This may get wild before it is over. Stayed tuned.

Aloha, Smile

Don

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