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Crescendo Ignace "Iggy" Jang |
Hawaiian pops is a
unique musical blendGood night and good morning! Cecilio and Kapono are celebrating their 30th anniversary with the Honolulu Symphony Pops this weekend.
"Sailing," "You and Me," "Together," "Night Music," "Sunshine Love," "We're All Alone" ... I bet you can remember what you were doing when you first heard these songs. That's the power of music: It's authentic and stays with you forever, just like the duo's forceful persona.
All of us at the Honolulu Symphony Pops are proud to be part of a unique Hawaiian musical tradition -- the distinctive blend of local music with our symphony. Honolulu is the only city in the world where you can find this blend of musical styles and rhythms, and it's this unique-to-the-islands recipe that makes a concert with C&K and the Honolulu Symphony Pops a fabulous musical experience.
Symphony Pops
With Cecilio and Kapono:In concert: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Place: Blaisdell Concert Hall
Tickets: $20 to $65
Call: 792-2000 or Ticketmaster, 877-750-4400
Artists such as Keali'i Reichel, Na Leo Pilimehana, the Brothers Cazimero, Barry Flanagan and Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom have all performed with the symphony to sold-out audiences. Later this year, Na Leo and the Brothers Caz will perform together in Christmas Pops shows.
I MUST confess that I didn't know much about Hawaiian music before I moved here. Its appeal is instantaneous. From the moment you hear the first few notes of a song, to your first taste of home-grown papaya or fresh poke, to your first evening walk on the beach, Hawaii envelops you with sweet, luscious sounds that always bring a smile. And for the stressed-out visitor who arrives for some R&R, it's got to be relaxing.
After seeing many Hawaiian artists perform, I've learned a great deal. It's not just about the music, the chants and the hula, but about what Hawaii stands for: the value of tradition, the celebration of natural beauty, the respect for others. Hawaiian music has taught me all this.
Nobody embodies these qualities quite like Henry Kapono. Many of you have probably seen Henry perform at his club or perhaps on a mainland tour. But how many of you have watched him before or after he performs?
From strangers coming up to say hello, to old friends sharing a brief reunion, Henry has a smile and gracious greeting for everyone. He truly is the nicest "famous guy" with whom I have performed. The happiness and joy he expresses through his music are infectious. Watching Henry play, you can't help feel how lucky we are to live in Hawaii and be part of this special musical ohana. All of us in the orchestra know he can teach us a lot about musicianship and the art of the craft.
Now, here is something I can teach you: Do you know where pops music comes from? Who developed the idea of combining popular music with a symphony orchestra?
If you said the Boston Pops, you're right. Back in 1881 the founder of the Boston Symphony decided to offer summer concerts of a "lighter kind of music." Originally named Promenade Concerts, the Boston Pops premiered at the old Boston Music Hall. Beer stein-clinking and feet-shuffling became a regular component of these outdoor summer concerts. Sousa's marches and Strauss's waltzes soon became fixtures of the pops repertoire and helped to raise the tradition of pops orchestral concerts to a national institution.
As a composer and arranger, Matt Catingub continues the proud heritage of symphonic pops music by writing toe-tapping, dance-in-your-seats tunes for our orchestra. Who can forget his "Adventures in TV Syndication, Part I," with its exhilarating "Hawaii 5-0" finale? Perhaps you have a few requests for Matt and the orchestra this time around. E-mail us at suggestions@honolulusymphony.com, and we'll see if we can pull some strings for you.
A few years back, a concertgoer did take advantage of Matt's talent and openness. He asked Matt to write and sing a song as a prelude to a marriage proposal. It all happened right in front of thousands of Honolulu Symphony Pops fans. With the orchestra accompanying Matt, the soon-to-be fiancee found herself onstage, unaware of what was going to happen. Then, the boyfriend began his romantic declaration and revealed the ring. Believe me, many of us onstage and in the audience had tears rolling down our cheeks. Who could refuse such an offer under the music's magic spell?
Well, guess what? A few weeks later, one of them broke off the engagement.
You want to know my opinion? The guy didn't kneel down when he proposed. Perhaps it was a bad omen, but with all this preparation, how could he have forgotten this key ingredient to a perfect proposal?
See you this weekend as we bring down the house with C&K!
Ignace "Iggy" Jang is the Honolulu Symphony's concertmaster. His column will appear on the Monday prior to each concert of the season to illuminate works to be performed. E-mail comments and questions to Jang at suggestions@honolulusymphony.com
