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Hawaiian Son: The Life and Music of Eddie Kamae
One of Hawaii’s “living treasures” is the subject of this biography, Hawaiian The Life and Music of Eddie Kamae.
It celebrates the personal journey of an extraordinary musician and pioneering filmmaker, Eddie Kamae. The book was written by award-winning author James D. Houston (1933–2009) in close collaboration with Kamae, and was designed by Barbara Pope of Honolulu-based ‘Ai Pohaku Press. The 260-page book includes more than 60 historical photographs, drawings and album covers that help to chart the high points of an influential career that has spanned more than half a century.
As a young man in the late 1940s, Kamae developed a jazz picking style that forever changed the status of the ukulele. He became its reigning virtuoso. For 20 years the legendary band he founded with Gabby Pahinui, The Sons of Hawaii, played a leading role in the Hawaiian cultural renaissance. By the mid 1970s Kamae himself had become a folk-hero, known for his instrumental genius and for a vigorous singing style that carries the spirit of an ancient vocal tradition into the 21st century.
During the 1980s, while continuing to perform, arrange, and lead the band, Kamae launched a second career as a filmmaker, once again proving to be a cultural pioneer. In documentaries such as Listen to the Forest and Words, Earth & Aloha he found a filmic voice that speaks from deep within his own island world.
Kamae’s personal journey is measured by the many teachers Kamae, now 85, has met along the way, from Mary Kawena Pukui and Pilahi Paki, to ‘Iolani Luahine, San Li‘a Kalainaina, and “Papa” Henry Auwae. Dancers and singers, storytellers, healers, and elders have guided him in his long quest to find the sources of a rich tradition and thus to find himself.
It celebrates the personal journey of an extraordinary musician and pioneering filmmaker, Eddie Kamae. The book was written by award-winning author James D. Houston (1933–2009) in close collaboration with Kamae, and was designed by Barbara Pope of Honolulu-based ‘Ai Pohaku Press. The 260-page book includes more than 60 historical photographs, drawings and album covers that help to chart the high points of an influential career that has spanned more than half a century.
As a young man in the late 1940s, Kamae developed a jazz picking style that forever changed the status of the ukulele. He became its reigning virtuoso. For 20 years the legendary band he founded with Gabby Pahinui, The Sons of Hawaii, played a leading role in the Hawaiian cultural renaissance. By the mid 1970s Kamae himself had become a folk-hero, known for his instrumental genius and for a vigorous singing style that carries the spirit of an ancient vocal tradition into the 21st century.
During the 1980s, while continuing to perform, arrange, and lead the band, Kamae launched a second career as a filmmaker, once again proving to be a cultural pioneer. In documentaries such as Listen to the Forest and Words, Earth & Aloha he found a filmic voice that speaks from deep within his own island world.
Kamae’s personal journey is measured by the many teachers Kamae, now 85, has met along the way, from Mary Kawena Pukui and Pilahi Paki, to ‘Iolani Luahine, San Li‘a Kalainaina, and “Papa” Henry Auwae. Dancers and singers, storytellers, healers, and elders have guided him in his long quest to find the sources of a rich tradition and thus to find himself.
- GenresMusicNonfictionBiography
Hardcover
First published November 1, 2004
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About the author
James D. Houston
42 books18 followersJames Houston is the author of 8 novels and several nonfiction books. His work includes Snow Mountain Passage and Farewell to Manzanar.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 6, 2018
Perhaps I am too much a local but I was moved by this book. The story of Eddie Kamae and his work to revive Hawaiian music and culture is unforgettable, especially to one who grew up when Hawaiian was not respected. I learned a great deal about what makes Hawaii unique and worth remembering. It may be overrun by tourists but in some hearts the beautiful music, dance and people still beat true. Thank you Eddie and Myrna Kamae for your work.
July 24, 2019
An excellent book on the history of Hawaiian music and the story of Eddie Kamae.
April 2, 2024
Great insight into Hawaiian music history.
October 28, 2016
A must read for those who love Hawaiian culture.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews