Photos: Courtesy of Genoa Keawe Records

Reflections on two island musical legends

By Liza Simon | KWO staff

Genoa Keawe and Raymond Kane were like the heaven and earth of sweet Hawaiian music. She lifted us with soaring falsetto, while he returned us to our roots with slack key playing and a full-bodied voice; she lit up stages with consummate dignity, while he would bring down the house with his rumbling kolohe ways. They were fundamentally alike in many ways, with their capacity for sharing and infusing their music with aloha. This is their legacy, as described by a few OHA staff and friends, who gathered to talk story about their personal remembrances of Aunty Genoa and Uncle Ray. KWO's Liza Simon was there to record the mana'o meant as a tribute to two great Hawaiian musical giants.

Aunty Genoa Keawe performs for Kamehameha Schools Kapālama summer performing arts students in 2002. Keawe answered the students' questions, told stories about her childhood and offered advice. - Photo: Blaine Fergerstrom

Genoa Keawe / 1925–2008

Hau'oli Akaka
OHA Education Hale Director,
Hawaiian music artist and entertainer

Some years ago I was emceeing John Kaimikaua's concert series and on the billboard was Aunty Genoa Keawe. So a few days before the concert, we all got together and we went to breakfast. While we were at the table waiting for the food, Aunty started giving us a lesson in how to hold that note in Alika. She was giving us breathing lessons and nobody could hold that note as long as her no matter how hard we tried. She was encouraging even though we sounded terrible. (Laughter.)

I remember my 4-year-old son was in the studio the first time he heard Aunty's sound and he was just crooning. He grew up to love that sound. I mean how many young teenagers are there who want to go special to the Marriott just to hear Aunty? And Aunty would call him up to play steel guitar. She brought people to love Hawaiian music by including them.

Haunani Apoliona
OHA Chairperson
Hawaiian music recording artist and entertainer

At Aloha Grill back in my college days, she would end the evening with either Peaceful World or Johnny Mathis' One God. And that brings into play her faith and the discipline of her being able to hold that note for so long. She had a gift and she nurtured it.

And there is another side to her. Out of her 12 children, only three survivors. So nine passed and something like that is so very difficult for the parent. But she always persevered and used self-sufficiency. Her philosophy was go to work, get ahead and do it right with ethics and honesty! Raymond Kane was the same way. Just hard-working. There they would be, just ordinary people in Like Like Drive Inn after a night of work.

Jerry Santos
Founding member of Olomana
Hawaiian music recording artist and entertainer

Aunty Genoa for me was such a great example because of her music portraying who she was on an everyday basis. At 89, she thought nothing of picking up her 'ukulele and coming down to the Hilton and sitting in. When I think of myself as a musician, I think what a great example she set. If you love music, it is timeless and you are never too old to go and share it.

Being around her made for a lifelong quest to hear more songs. An example: One night I was on the stage and singing Pua Carnation and she waved her finger at me like don't stop now and then she went into Green Carnation. I knew it existed but didn't really know the song at the time. It was all woven together though in quite a nice medley.

Jay Junker
Ethnomusicologist
University of Hawai'i music instructor

Sometimes at Aunty Genoa's concerts, the intermissions were as long as the sets because everyone wanted to come up and give their aloha. She always wanted to talk to everybody. She never cut anybody off. For her, if the intermission has got to go long, it goes long.

I remember how one night Aunty Genoa and Aunty Violet are closing the show and they get a standing ovation just for walking out. Aunty Genoa walks up to the microphone and goes, “Yes, don't we look great!” and then she waits until the laughter dies down and she adds: “And we dye our hair!” (Laughter.)

Kama Hopkins
OHA Board of Trustees staff
Hawaiian music recording artist and entertainer
Grand-nephew of Genoa Keawe and distant realtive of Raymond Kane

I knew her basically from the time I was born 34 years ago. To play music with her as her grand-nephew was fun because she really loved her family. Anytime someone wanted to dance hula or play music with her, she was very supportive. Now this doesn't mean she always said, “Good job!” Right on stage, she looked at me and said, you're not singing it right! (Laughter.)

Photo: Courtesy of Dancing Cat Records

Raymond Kane / 1918–2008

Jay Junker
Ethnomusicologist
University of Hawai'i music instructor

Raymond Kane was the slack key ambassador. Some of the best slack key players never recorded and never wanted to record and would hide if they knew you were listening to them. Uncle Raymond took slack key to the hedges and highways. He taught people. He'd turn down paid gigs to go do a school show.

At one point Raymond actually sold his guitar. He had really bad emphysema and was told once he would not survive the night. Then he had a vision that night of someone telling him, I am saving you for bigger things. And he lived and the next thing you know here comes all these people who want him to perform again. (Music producer) George Winston sought him out to record him after hearing him for the first time while driving down the road listening to a cut from My Nānākuli on the radio. Music was his oxygen. Like Aunty Genoa, he was so committed to what he did. It was never how much money. It was what is the cause? And the cause was that he loved to teach and share slack key with anyone who was willing to listen and learn.

Kama Hopkins
OHA Board of Trustees staff
Hawaiian music recording artist and entertainer
Grand-nephew of Genoa Keawe and distant realtive of Raymond Kane

He loved to talk about his many music students. What he did say about himself is he didn't mind what other people called “simple music” because to him simple was beautiful. And it's true. Sometimes when we musicians try to get too fancy, we lose the fluidity of the song. The feeling is more important than the fancy tricks. The man could sing. He had a big bellowing voice. He kept things at the deep end, and he sounded so authentic like he was straight out of 1901.

Haunani Apoliona
OHA Chairperson
Hawaiian music recording artist and entertainer

I got to know Ray Kane as a result of touring with Dancing Cat (recording label) and being with him at the Washington, D.C., Folk Life Festival. He was a man who loved life and had his gems of wisdom: “I rest my case!” “Say no more!” It was your kupuna talking. (Laughter.) Elodia (Kane's wife) brought grace to that burly man. We learned when we traveled with him that he would tune his guitar to his voice. As a result, if you just want to jump in and play, your guitar is out of tune. But he stuck to what he did best.