PHOTO COURTESY MYRNA KAMAE Eddie Kamae

Musical legacy

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By John Berger
jberger@starbulletin.com

Here's a good reason to drive to Kapolei this Friday evening: Eddie Kamae & The Sons of Hawai'i are headlining a free concert at the Kapolei Middle School.

"Last year, I played over there by myself with the kids and this year, I invited my musicians Claybourne Smith (they call him 'Braddah Smitty') and Pekelo Cosma," Kamae said.

It'll be a rare opportunity to catch Kamae in any kind of live performance. It isn't that the man has lost his love of music, but that he's been too busy working on the next three video documentaries in his "Hawaiian Legacy" series to actually take time to play.

But since it's for children, he's making time to play at Kapolei.

"They told me (last year) that it was for children who were going to play ukulele," he said, explaining that it sounded like a good opportunity to talk to the next generation about the importance of education.

PHOTO COURTESY MYRNA KAMAE The Sons of Hawaii are, from left, Braddah Smitty, Eddie Kamae and Pekelo Cosma.

"I told the kids that playing the ukulele is a good way to do something (enjoyable), but education is more important. Go to school! The only way to talk to them, I guess, is when you're playing with them at the same time. I sang some of the songs I like to do and, hopefully, they will follow through with whatever they believe in and love to hear. We can only inspire the young and let them flow the way they want to.

"A lot of things are happening today that change the music, and I guess kids will fall into that area, (but) you will find some that's really interested in traditional things -- at least we know that some of them are."

While the kids in Kapolei may not understand what a big deal it is to have Eddie Kamae headlining a free show, older Hawaiian music lovers don't have to be told about the man's importance. Kamae was barely out of his teens when he hit the island music scene as an innovative ukulele virtuoso who played only non-Hawaiian music and who showed Hawaii the range of the instrument outside its traditional role in Hawaiian music as a rhythm instrument. He then devoted several decades of his life to researching and helping preserve and perpetuate traditional, grassroots Hawaiian music as the leader of the Sons Of Hawai'i.

For over 15 years, Eddie Kamae has focused his energies on producing a series of highly acclaimed documentaries that have helped preserve for future generations the music and the cultural knowledge of the last of the 19th century Hawaiians.

"I'm doing films for the simple reason that it has to be done, especially for the children of Hawaii and the generations to come. Change will come along the way, and if they can just see some of the films about our elders and their lifestyles, they have a chance to go home and talk to their grandfolks about it.

"I can't stop. You feel like you finally got the last one done and, all of a sudden, there's two of three more that just pop up because people suggest things ... I think (my work) is going to just keep on going."

Ohana Night in Kapolei With Eddie Kamae & The Sons of Hawai'i, Saki of the Bulikoko Band, Tiva Tatofi and the Ohana, and the KMS Performing Arts Group Where: Kapolei Middle School, 91-5335 Kapolei Parkway When: 6 p.m. Friday Admission: Free Call: 693-7025, ext. 236

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