______________________________________________________
A Tribute to Moe Keale
His
Colleagues Remember
I
kanaka no `oe ke mâlama i ke kanaka.
You will be
well served when you care for the person who serves you.
Moe
Keale's voice gave me chicken skin. That
hair-raising tingle that is other worldly in a very
nice way. The colleagues that he joins
rejoice. There's IZ smiling with his brother,
Skippy, and slack key legend, Gabby
"Pops" Pahinui, as Moe joins them,
strumming his `ukulele. They
sing in heavenly four-part harmony. The
colleagues he left behind remember him as a " gentle, giving treasure in the Island entertainment
scene."
Dennis
Kamakahi, performed with Moe Keale as a member of
Eddie Kamae's Sons of Hawai'i. Kamakahi
is also a member of Nâ `Ôiwi (The Native Born). |
"Moe
had a great sense of humor. I was the baby of
the group, when I joined the Sons of Hawai`i in 1973, but I had known Moe from
his beach days. He had a neat four-part harmony group."
"In
those early days, he looked like a walking mountain — he
was huge, about 300 pounds — but he had a real big
heart. Big people have big hearts, I guess, and the
thing about him I'll always remember was his outrageous
sense of humor. He always had a story to share, a joke to
tell. And when he sang, he had that pure Ni'ihau voice, that
real sound of Hawai'i."1 |
"When I first met Moe Keale he was playing in the
Taro Patch Lounge in what is now the Miramar Hotel. I was still
attending Kamehameha High School and my buddies, Bruce Spencer,
Danny Akaka Jr, Aaron Mahi, Patrick Asing, and I would sneak on over
and jam with the man nicknamed "Animal".
But far from his intimidating stature at that time
of being 300 lbs and a good surfer to boot, Moe had the heart of
gold and a demeanor of gentleness. It was his love for music and his
love for Hawaii that shined through his soul.
His voice would make even the angels stop and listen
as he sang with that nahenahe voice that only comes from the Island
of Ni'ihau. His laughter was infectious and his jokes and stories
were hilarious. Even his antics onstage when we played together as
the Sons of Hawaii were unforgettable. Like the show at the Lahaina
Civic Center when he actually bent a steel chair while sitting on it
and crashed to the floor. Now I've been in professional music for 32
years, yet I have never seen a spectacle like that that would
actually bring the audience to their feet in a standing ovation. And
the laughter was thunderous.........
It was always laughter.......that's what I
remembered about Moe and of course that angelic voice singing Kanaka
Waiwai, He Punahele No 'Oe, E Ku'u Morning Dew.......The Sunday jam
sessions with the Sons of Hawaii at the old Territorial Tavern and
of course Hawaii 5-0. He even asked Paul Martinez and I to record
with him the main theme for the TV program "Little People"
at the Warner Brothers Studio in Burbank.
But as I sit and reflect, I think what I'll remember
Moe for would be the last time I saw him in Kaua'i last year. Na 'Oiwi
was there to promote our 1st album and after we finished he said to
me........wow.....you guys sound like the old days.....the
Sons......remember those days?
I can never forget, I was the baby of the group at
19 when I was asked to join but I knew one thing, I had an older
brother I could look up to and I'm proud and glad I did....... Aloha
Moe......tell Feets, Joe, Atta, and Gabby we still love them.....and
always remember.....We are the Sons of Hawaii and we are
Hawaiian......
Aloha, Dennis Kamakahi"
Source
|
"This is the
hardest story I've ever had to write. On one of my early
trips to Hawaii - many years ago - Helen and I visited
O`ahu's Ward Warehouse, a shopping center near Waikiki.
It was there that I heard
"real" Hawaiian music...
Moe Keale was more than my
friend; he was my Hawaiian brother.
Aloha JOE®
Read Aloha Joe's touching
remembrance in its entirety here.
|
Aloha
Joe,
Internet 24-Hour
Hawaiian Radio host and
personality with Uncle Moe |
"He
was a beautiful, soulful man, who had a
wonderful way of uniting people around him.
It was always a great feeling to be around
him." |
Keola
Beamer, a longtime singer-composer-musician
who now lives on Maui. |
Roy
Sakuma, organizer of the annual summertime
'Ukulele Festival at Kapi'olani Park, said
that Keale's generosity quickly made him part
of the 'ohana. |
"From
way back, he would always tell me, don't call,
just put my name down. I'm going to be there
every year for you," said Sakuma of
Keale's commitment to share his talent with
the public. "It's a real tribute to Moe
that he wholeheartedly came out for the people
and the kids. He had become tradition, usually
coming on at 12:15 p.m., so we're planning to
play a quiet song at that moment at this
year's festival."1 |
"Moe
was a multi-talented, sweet man. He did
everything right, from beating the Tahitian
drums to acting and singing,
everything."1 |
Don
Ho |
Bill
Kaiwa knew Keale from their "hanabata"
(childhood) days |
"All
our treasures are going, I was with
Moe two Sundays ago. I waited at the
hospital for six hours the first time he had
a heart attack a year ago. He was feeling
fine, looking fine. I am shocked."1 |
1Source:
Honolulu
Advertiser, 4/17/02, Mike Gordon and Wayne Harada
Lots
of photos:
>>
REMEMBERING
UNCLE MOE
When
I received the call about the passing of Moe
Keale, my entire world stopped.
Not
only was Moe a gifted entertainer, he was my
FRIEND. My very first radio interview was
Moe Keale, it was his also.
When
we celebrated our birthday, he was always
the first to entertain. He was the first
presenter at Na Hoku Hanohano for several
years.
Whenever
we did anything, Moe Keale was number
1.
Moe
Keale was my Good Luck Charm and I will miss
him. I Love You Animal . . .
Krash
Kealoha
|
Krash
Kealoha, musician and radio personality |
|