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Reprinted with the permission of the Author:
Just Awesome!!!
E Kanikapila Kakou blasted off its 23rd season with an awesome concert
headlining The Barefoot Natives – Willie K and Eric Gilliom.
The children of Ke Kula Ni’ihau ‘O Kekaha opened the concert. Hula
sister Leilani Kaleiohi greeted Kumu Lopaka Bukoski with a welcome oli
and lei. Chattering with nervousness, the students shared their oli
and kahiko hula numbers with the appreciative audience and their
supportive Ohana who had turned out in full force.
Needless to say, Willie and Eric began their program with high energy
and swept the audience off their feet with their fast-paced
upward-escalating program of Hawaiian, contemporary, comedy,
improvisation, and playing off the audience. I can recall a heady
swirl of Hawaiian favorites, karaoke with Patsy Cline, Japanese,
tear-jerking Irish “Oh Danny Boy”, love song from Eric to his wife,
funny stories, and guitar strumming that had everyone on their feet.
It’s hard to believe it was just two musicians with their acoustic
guitars because it felt like we took a journey around the world and
back in time.
Willie lauded Eric’s exceptional musical talent and his extensive
theatrical background and prodded “the drama queen” to show off his
Shakespearean repertoire. Not one to turn his back on a challenge,
however unexpected, Eric launched into an emotion-charged passage from
“Romeo and Juliet”…Willie’s response to that was “All that talking just
to ask for a date” and contrasted it to the local style approach of
“Eh, Tita…like go out?”
Not knowing that they were geared to one long set in a performance, I
called for an intermission when it was time for “hana hou” and they
gracefully agreed to come back to a second short set so we ended up
with a concert plus bonus. Willie talked about his plans for future
recordings and sang examples of gospel, opera, blues as the audience
hung on to each note.
The audience was persistent to not leave without a “hana hou” and stood
clapping long and hard until Eric and Willie finally came out and
launched into a crowd-pleasing “Kachi-kachi Makawao” … I could see the
entire line of Ni’ihau kids dancing away in the top row. What a nite!
Monday night E Kanikapila Kakou at Island School, supposedly a quiet
little sing-along, turned into yet another standing room only concert
with Willie and Eric. Folks were there two hours early to save their
seats with their sweaters and the crowd kept growing and growing all
evening long.
For the first hour, Eric shared his expertise sitting out on the grass
with the guitarists while Willie took on the lion’s share of ukulele
aficionados inside the main hall. In less than an hour, Willie had the
entire ukulele gang playing in “parts” and even included the early
birds with no instruments to do their part with clapping…and like a
maestro with a baton, he had everyone come in together and it was like
a little instant orchestra…Oh, how thrilling!
Once all the visitors -- a whole contingent from BC, people from snow
country, and our loyal “snowbirds” -- were properly “lei’d” by Aunty
Fran and our volunteer greeters, the music began.
Willie said his Aunty requested opera, so he launched into an aria …
what “shock and awe” on everyone’s faces. It was yet another evening
of fast-paced kaleidoscope of amazing guitar playing, singing every
kind of song while the audience bounced, swayed, and sang along.
One audience request for a Marley song in honor of Bob Marley’s
birthday elicited some unrepeatable remarks from Wiilie and Eric, but
surprisingly, Willie launched into a Marley favorite in its entirety.
After intermission, they invited composer/singer Madeleine Brandli, who
they met at the Kaua'i’ Music Festival last year, to come up and share
her song. She thrilled the audience with her wonderful “Anahola Koa”
while accompanying herself on her baritone ukulele for which the song
was named.
More surprises…Willie invited his beloved caretaker Aunty Arde
Yamashita, who he had last sung with about 35 years ago when he was a
youthful 11 year old, to come up and sing a song. Although she had not
sung for years and years, her full rich voice singing “Sanoe” brought
back wonderful small-kid memories to Willie…he was very definitely
moved by her sharing. It was a chicken skin experience for all.
Willie shared the kind of music fare at the lua’u for visitors and then
launched into the kind of music his family sang when they brought new
friends home to their backyard; when he sang “Hula Makee”, Karuna Thal
had to jump on the stage, sweep away the wires and launch into a
crowd-pleasing hula.
Too soon the “up close and personal” evening ended with everyone on
their feet singing, clapping and boogieing to “Kachi-kachi Makawao”.
Awesome!
Next Monday, we have a rare treat with the Kinimaka Ohana. Kapu
Kinimaka-Alquiza and some members of her double-family of 13 siblings
will be on hand to share their music and their mana’o. 6:00 pm for the
instrumentals and 7:00- 9:00 for everyone else. Island School.
Mahalo to the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the County of Kaua'I for
helping Garden Island Arts Council to “bring Arts to the People and
People to the ARTS” and to Island School for providing the space.
Carol Yotsuda
Just Awesome!!!
E Kanikapila Kakou blasted off its 23rd season with an awesome concert
headlining The Barefoot Natives – Willie K and Eric Gilliom.
The children of Ke Kula Ni’ihau ‘O Kekaha opened the concert. Hula
sister Leilani Kaleiohi greeted Kumu Lopaka Bukoski with a welcome oli
and lei. Chattering with nervousness, the students shared their oli
and kahiko hula numbers with the appreciative audience and their
supportive Ohana who had turned out in full force.
Needless to say, Willie and Eric began their program with high energy
and swept the audience off their feet with their fast-paced
upward-escalating program of Hawaiian, contemporary, comedy,
improvisation, and playing off the audience. I can recall a heady
swirl of Hawaiian favorites, karaoke with Patsy Cline, Japanese,
tear-jerking Irish “Oh Danny Boy”, love song from Eric to his wife,
funny stories, and guitar strumming that had everyone on their feet.
It’s hard to believe it was just two musicians with their acoustic
guitars because it felt like we took a journey around the world and
back in time.
Willie lauded Eric’s exceptional musical talent and his extensive
theatrical background and prodded “the drama queen” to show off his
Shakespearean repertoire. Not one to turn his back on a challenge,
however unexpected, Eric launched into an emotion-charged passage from
“Romeo and Juliet”…Willie’s response to that was “All that talking just
to ask for a date” and contrasted it to the local style approach of
“Eh, Tita…like go out?”
Not knowing that they were geared to one long set in a performance, I
called for an intermission when it was time for “hana hou” and they
gracefully agreed to come back to a second short set so we ended up
with a concert plus bonus. Willie talked about his plans for future
recordings and sang examples of gospel, opera, blues as the audience
hung on to each note.
The audience was persistent to not leave without a “hana hou” and stood
clapping long and hard until Eric and Willie finally came out and
launched into a crowd-pleasing “Kachi-kachi Makawao” … I could see the
entire line of Ni’ihau kids dancing away in the top row. What a nite!
Monday night E Kanikapila Kakou at Island School, supposedly a quiet
little sing-along, turned into yet another standing room only concert
with Willie and Eric. Folks were there two hours early to save their
seats with their sweaters and the crowd kept growing and growing all
evening long.
For the first hour, Eric shared his expertise sitting out on the grass
with the guitarists while Willie took on the lion’s share of ukulele
aficionados inside the main hall. In less than an hour, Willie had the
entire ukulele gang playing in “parts” and even included the early
birds with no instruments to do their part with clapping…and like a
maestro with a baton, he had everyone come in together and it was like
a little instant orchestra…Oh, how thrilling!
Once all the visitors -- a whole contingent from BC, people from snow
country, and our loyal “snowbirds” -- were properly “lei’d” by Aunty
Fran and our volunteer greeters, the music began.
Willie said his Aunty requested opera, so he launched into an aria …
what “shock and awe” on everyone’s faces. It was yet another evening
of fast-paced kaleidoscope of amazing guitar playing, singing every
kind of song while the audience bounced, swayed, and sang along.
One audience request for a Marley song in honor of Bob Marley’s
birthday elicited some unrepeatable remarks from Wiilie and Eric, but
surprisingly, Willie launched into a Marley favorite in its entirety.
After intermission, they invited composer/singer Madeleine Brandli, who
they met at the Kaua'i’ Music Festival last year, to come up and share
her song. She thrilled the audience with her wonderful “Anahola Koa”
while accompanying herself on her baritone ukulele for which the song
was named.
More surprises…Willie invited his beloved caretaker Aunty Arde
Yamashita, who he had last sung with about 35 years ago when he was a
youthful 11 year old, to come up and sing a song. Although she had not
sung for years and years, her full rich voice singing “Sanoe” brought
back wonderful small-kid memories to Willie…he was very definitely
moved by her sharing. It was a chicken skin experience for all.
Willie shared the kind of music fare at the lua’u for visitors and then
launched into the kind of music his family sang when they brought new
friends home to their backyard; when he sang “Hula Makee”, Karuna Thal
had to jump on the stage, sweep away the wires and launch into a
crowd-pleasing hula.
Too soon the “up close and personal” evening ended with everyone on
their feet singing, clapping and boogieing to “Kachi-kachi Makawao”.
Awesome!
Next Monday, we have a rare treat with the Kinimaka Ohana. Kapu
Kinimaka-Alquiza and some members of her double-family of 13 siblings
will be on hand to share their music and their mana’o. 6:00 pm for the
instrumentals and 7:00- 9:00 for everyone else. Island School.
Mahalo to the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the County of Kaua'I for
helping Garden Island Arts Council to “bring Arts to the People and
People to the ARTS” and to Island School for providing the space.
Carol Yotsuda
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