______________________________________________________
A Tribute to Moe Keale
His Fans
Remember
He
kêhau ho`oma`ema`e ke Aloha.
Love is like
a cleansing dew.
Moe touched
hearts wherever he went in the world. Tributes
come in many forms. For a San Franciscan, an
expatriate in Manila , a Southern Californian, a
Minnesota transplant, a tribute to Moe came in the
form of an eloquent, heartfelt
editorial.
Mahalo to
the Honolulu Star-Bulletin who published them in
April, 2002. We did not feel quite so alone in
our grief. The originals may be found here.
Aloha, Moe ...
Keale
was rooted in spirit of Hawai`i
My wife, whom Moe
Keale affectionately dubbed "Hula Hair Pattie," and I
always regarded our visits to his poolside bandstand
at the Sheraton as the most important reason we visited Hawaii.
Whenever I requested something offbeat, like Beethoven's "Fur
Elise" or a blues tune, he always obliged.
Once, during a
break, he painstakingly dictated to me the chords to
his version of "The Hospital Song," one of
my wife's favorites. One of the most compelling
things about his act at the Sheraton was his
thorough knowledge of the background, setting and
intention of each song, which he always presented
before treating people with his smooth, emotive
voice and melodic, rich `ukulele stylings.
Moe was deeply
affected by the plight of his people. You could see
it in his eyes and his reverence for the songs, the
places and the spirit of Hawai`i. Most of all, you
could see it in his restlessness in private moments,
his muted dissatisfaction with the world.
I am
griefstricken by his passing, mostly because of his
cat-like restlessness in a world that seems
determined to forget that all of us are continually
hurting under the yoke of our compromises with a
homogenized, deadening culture. When he snuck
"Ain't Nobody's Business" in the middle of
a tourist-oriented set, I heard the entire world's
longing for Aloha.
Love forever to
Moe and his family and friends.
John McFadden
San Francisco
His music was loved
through the decades
I had the privilege of knowing Moe Keale in the
1970s and early '80s, before I left Hawaii and moved
to Asia where I remain -- now 20 years on -- but I
still call Hawaii home.
Moe was Aloha. He taught me to forgive, he helped
me to love my brothers and sisters from the heart
and he always made time to share. His music was
passionate yet soothing, his talent unquestionable.
Although I never saw Moe after 1981, his music
and his Aloha stayed with me...I am honored to have
known such a man. I am absolutely sure there are
many more like me with whom he shared his gift.
Moe always will be remembered with heartfelt
Aloha.
Richard W. Riley
Manila
Moe spread his aloha to
California college
Moe at The Shannon
Photo, courtesy of Aloha
Joe
It is with great sadness that I learned of Moe
Keale's death. As manager of the Shannon
Center at Whittier College, I was privileged to
know Moe and to have presented him on multiple
occasions. His last performance here, on March 23,
2002 was full of the special spirit of Aloha that
always surrounded him. He looked good, his voice was
stronger than ever, and his sense of humor was
unbeatable.
On Friday, March 22, 2002, Moe and his son,
Nâlani, provided two outreach programs to local
elementary school children in Whittier. These two
programs were the most powerful and moving of all
the programs that we have presented. Their history,
stories, songs and dance helped our children
understand more about the Hawaiian culture, while at
the same time providing an insight on their own
heritage (most of the children are of Hispanic
descent, and the cultural history is similar).
Moe was a man who gave us a philosophy that he
lived by every day -- the spirit of Aloha. Thank
you, all Hawaiians, for living Aloha. Thank you,
Moe, for sharing Aloha. We will do our best, here in
Whittier, to carry on with that spirit. Aloha, Moe.
Photo, courtesy of Aloha
Joe
David C. Palmer
Whittier, Calif.
Keale's music gave
listeners chicken skin
I was shocked to learn that Moe Keale passed away. I
frequently made sure to see him and his trio play at
the Sheraton Waikîkî whenever my wife and I came
home on vacation and to visit family.
His music will live forever on his CDs in my
collection. His songs just give me chicken skin when
I listen to them. I can feel the true meaning of
Aloha in his songs.
He will be sorely missed, but, as his nephew
said, he was full of Aloha.
Clayton Lum
Coon Rapids, Minn.
© 2002 Honolulu
Star-Bulletin
http://starbulletin.com
From the newsgroups:
The last time I saw you
was about 4 months ago at the Sheraton Waikiki. You were playing
poolside with Mel and Kalani, and looked like you were in perfect
health. Little did I know.
I introduced you to my
girlfriend Ashley, who was extremely shy to meet you. You kissed her
on the cheek, gave her a hug, and made her feel so comfortable. You
looked so healthy and so engergetic - so happy. I hugged you and
asked how you were. You said you were fine.
I walked you to the
elevator and that was the last time that I saw you. There was so
much that I wanted to tell you - so much that I wanted to show you.
I thought you would live forever. You seemed so
"immortal".
I remember a little more
than 7 years ago, I came to Duke's and introduced you to my son.
That was a happy day for me. I sure wish I had the chance to
introduce you to my daughter, and I'll be kicking myself for the
rest of my life for that.
Time and time again, I
wanted to come visit you and be with you and talk with you and have
fun with you, but I was either too shy at the time or too
hardheaded. I now regret every time that my mom told me to go visit
you and I would tell her "Soon, mom. Soon."....please
forgive me.
I love you with
all my heart. I've loved you since the day I was born. I've never
stopped loving you and I never will stop loving you. I will never
stop thinking of you. You will be in my heart forever. You are a
part of me and I am a part of you.
Love always, Hoku
Boy
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