Helen Desha Beamer
The madame
By John Berger
of isle music
Special to the Star-BulletinHELEN Desha Beamer left Hawaii a double musical legacy: her songs and her family. Her songs defined an era and became Hawaiian standards. Her family has continued the musical tradition.
Born Helen Kapuailohia Desha in Honolulu in 1882, she spoke fluent Hawaiian, taught herself musical notation, and was known for her beautiful voice. She married Peter Carl Beamer and raised five children in a spacious family home on the banks of the Wailuku River in Hilo.
Most prominent these days among her descendants are her grandson, Mahi Beamer, who remembers "growing up under her piano;" and great-grandsons, Keola and Kapono Beamer, who enjoy international success as solo artists.
Beamer is best known for her skill at writing songs honoring family friends or special events.
"She would write songs about everyday simple events, but her use of the language set to this exquisite music, made them memorable. The music just poured out of her," Mahi recalls.
She wrote quickly and usually without revisions, but her songs were not simple. Keola says the complexity of her music defined a more sophisticated style of Hawaiian music.
Kapono recorded an instrumental album of her songs last year and says her use of melody and harmony is key to their listenability. "They're unusual harmonically but very smooth sounding on the ears."
