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______________________________________________________
A Tribute to Moe Keale
Retrospective: A Mo`olelo, a
Story of Moe's Life
Wela
ka hao!
Strike while
the iron is hot!
(When opportunity
knocks, answer the door!)
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On December 3,
1939,
Wilfred Nâlani
"Moe" Keale was born to an astonishing life
on the privately
owned island of Ni`ihau.
In
Hawaiian culture, a name is “a precious personal
possession and also a force in its own right.” The
name Wilfred means "determined peacemaker," and his Hawaiian name,
Nâlani, meaning "The Heavens," was
prophetic, as Moe was one to look upward and aim high.
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His bio at the Mountain
Apple site reads: "A full-blooded native Hawaiian, he numbered among a
rare few that share this distinction. His was a cherished
heritage that intimately bound him to the `âina (the
environs) and his ancestors." |
>>
Pictures
of Ni`ihau, "sands of Moe's birth"
Moe was the seventh
child of eight in his family. His father came from Ni`ihau, his
mother, Lydia Manukina, from Kaua'i. His father was a kahuna
(spiritual leader) who imparted to Moe a strong spirituality, a deep reverence for life, and an appreciation of non-materialistic
wealth. As is said, "As the twig is bent,
so grows the tree."
In the 1920s, Moe's father migrated to O`ahu where he met
Moe's mother. There, he landed a job working on the ships at Pearl
Harbor, where he was later badly burned during the December 7 attacks.
A fascinating
account of one of Moe's ancestors was uncovered while researching
Moe's discography. This ancestor's first name was Moses;
perhaps, he was the original "Moe" in the Keale
family? This man's song, Ua
Mau, was included in Moe's "South Seas
Magic" album.
"Moses
W. Kaaneikawahaale Keale, more commonly known as Keale Ta
Kaula (Keale, the prophet) was one of Ni`ihau's most famous
and powerful Christian leaders.
Born in Kalalau, Kaua`i,
about 1828, he was an excellent hunter, not brought up in
the new Christian religion. One day, as he was hunting, he
followed a white goat up a cliff and became stranded on a
ledge. A falling rock hit him, causing him to lose his
balance and tumble into the river called Makani Kahoa. As he
plummeted down the cliff, he called out, "If there
really is a God, He will save me and I shall spend the rest
of my life serving him". His fall was broken by a
pandanus tree and he was pulled from the river by his dog.
Another version varies a little, but the facts, the fall and
rescue by his dog are the same in this story of his
conversion. Keale started his first church in Waimea, Kaua`i
and was led to Ni`ihau where he was greatly loved and
respected as a kahu (Hawaiian priest), and for his gift of prophecy. Many songs
were written in his honor and he in turn wrote many prayers
and hymns for his church that are still used today." ~
Translated by Kâ`eo Kawa`a, huapala.com
Moe came from a
family of heavyweights in the Hawaiian music world and in
the literal sense. Moe's 700-pound grandfather has been credited with
the composition of the Hawaiian classic, Kanaka
Waiwai. In the early 1970s, with Moe singing the vocals, the Sons
of Hawai`i popularized this song that refers to the
Biblical verse where Jesus says it is easier for a camel to
go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to
get into the kingdom of heaven.
Moe
was the maternal uncle of Hawaiian music artist, Israel
"IZ"
Kamakawiwo`ole, and his brother, Skippy. The
Kamakawiwo`ole brothers were
legendary members of the seminal Mâkaha Sons of Ni`ihau. Moe and their
mother, Evangeline Leinani Keale Kamakawiwo'ole of Ni'ihau,
were siblings. In IZ's own (unedited) words from his
autobiography as sent to Auntie Maria of mele.com.:
"Moe Keale
is my uncle he's my moms baby brother; yike's respect big
time..."
Both of Moe's nephews, also giant of men (IZ
once tipped the scales at 757 pounds), made early
departures to the spirit side of life; Israel, at 38 in 1997
and Skippy, at 28 in 1982.
As a boy, Moe
grew up in Pâlolo
Valley on O`ahu. Roots run deep in Hawaiian families.
Because Moe's roots lay on the island of Ni`ihau, he
returned there often. Spending many of his childhood summers
there, he was not only steeped in traditional Hawaiian
culture, but thoroughly immersed in it. For his `ohana
(family or kin group) on Ni`ihau, Hawaiian was the language
of everyday communication and they kept traditional
practices and beliefs intact.
Moe
became a living link to old Hawai`i.
"...when
he was six, Moe first visited Ni`ihau, a journey he
repeated each year during all of his childhood.
"I’ll never forget that first year. We talked
Hawaiian around the house so I wasn’t too shook up about
that part. What really threw me was how happy everybody
was, and how they went out of their way to help each
other. Right then I figured that Heaven must be something
like Ni`ihau....Over there nobody steals you know. If
you need help, people just come, you no need ask...Things
never change much over there. When everything else is
crazy, it’s nice to remember that one place is the
same...When we play the old music, I remember all the
Ni`ihau people, like maybe now I can help pay back all
they gave to me." " ~ Masters
of Hawaiian Music
On
Ni`ihau, he learned
about the `âina -- the land, the sky, the ocean -- and his musical heritage. There, he
was suffused with the island's unique gentleness which was
later to characterize his nahenahe (sweetly
melodious) style of singing.
>>
Moe
describes life on Ni`ihau: Aloha personified
Circa 1970
Moe Keale is one
of Hawai'i's all-time most beloved and respected entertainers, with a
career that spans 40 years of traditional Hawaiian
performing arts.
At the young age of
four, he
learned to play the `ukulele in the Hawaiian way, by
watching. listening, then mimicking and eventually
duplicating what he heard. He felt the energy and the
feeling of the music being played by his kupuna (elders).
Early on, his older brother taught him how to double-strum. He played the
instrument as a boy growing up in Palolo Valley, taking it
to Pâlolo Elementary School and Kaimukî High School and, as
one of the legendary beachboys, to Waikîkî. As a
beachboy, his long hair earned him a
nickname that stuck for years: "Animal."
Moe sang in the
old Hawaiian way -- with his Aloha, his mana
(spiritual power), and with his kupuna (elders) and`aumâkua
(those who came before) who guided him. He played his
`ukulele with heart, with feeling from his na`au
(gut) and through his pu`uwai (heart).
After
graduating from high school in 1958, Moe formed a band, The
Four K's, with dreams of a career in the tourism and
entertainment industries. The band's first engagement was at the old Waikîkî
Tavern.
His
unique and smooth voice and `ukulele mastery kept him working in
various bands, night clubs, and stage shows throughout the
1960s, including gigs at the Tropicana Club in Kailua, Kona
and impromptu appearances at Hofbrau and Honey’s. In 1964 he was
with the famed Puka Puka Otea Tahitian Show at Queen's Surf,
where he learned showmanship and stage presence. This
was followed by solo stints at Trader Vic's and at the
Prince Kûhiô Hotel.
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| Moe came onto
the public scene when, in 1970, Moe was invited by Eddie
Kamae to sing for the Sons of Hawaii. He played a major part in their classic
Folk Songs of Hawaii (1971).
Carl Lindquist wrote the
liner notes for the Sons of Hawaii release back in the early
1970s. He presents a fascinating and excellent
historical account of the early Moe Keale:
>> The
Early Moe
That's Moe. Bottom left. Early
1970s.
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The Sons of
Hawai`i
Back row, from the left: Moe Keale, Eddie Kamae, Dennis Kamakahi;
Front row, from the left: Joe Marshall and David "Feet" Rogers
Thirty-plus years ago,
Moe was not the stately, slenderer man he
became. Back then, he weighed 375 pounds, and had a size 52 waist on a
6-foot frame. In his family, he was considered one of
the smaller guys!
"Toloa
a me ka pu’uwai hâamama o kanaka o Ni`ihau."
"The
men of Ni`ihau grow very tall, and their hearts are very
big."
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Moe
did a little of everything in his life. Versatile is
an understatement in describing him. Not only was he a vocalist, musician, and recording
artist, he was a
professional high-diver in a New York City show called
"Paradise Island" produced by famous
bandleader/impresario Guy Lombardo.
Few
Hawaiian musicians (then, as now) support themselves without
a "day job" that usually has nothing to do with
music. Moe was able to find
work away from the beach as an electrician's
helper, pulling cable at the Hawai`i Film Studios.
He
also worked as a radio
deejay. Once,
when he was a deejay at KCCN in 1983, a listener requested
"Kamehameha Waltz," but Moe couldn't find a copy in the
studio. The story goes that he quickly grabbed a `ukulele and played it himself.
He
got his acting start in 1959 with a role in the Spencer
Tracy feature film "The Devil at Four O'Clock,"
which was followed by a long-run in New York of the stage
production of "Paradise Island." He also had
a film role in "Betrayal."
>>
Check
out Moe's
IMPRESSIVE list of movie and TV appearances
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In 1979, the long-running TV show, Hawaii Five-O,
went out in style in its 12th season with Moe as the
character, Moe "Truck"
Kealoha.
>>
Carol
Keale's Recollections of Her Husband's Hawaii Five-0 Years |
"Another newcomer to Hawaii Five-O this
season is a gigantic Hawaiian named Moe Keale. (He will join
the veteran Herman Wedemeyer as the Hawaiian members of the
team.) Keale comes from a family that is BIG.
He now boasts of being a svelte 275 pounds,
having dieted off 100 pounds. Nevertheless, he is one of the
skinniest of the family: He has two cousins who weigh around
600 each, and he had a 700-pound grandfather. Hawaii, you
remember, is a country that places a value on size and
prizes heaviness as a virtue.
Eight years ago, Moe was a member of the Hawaii Five-O
crew, a grip, handling heavy equipment. They needed a
heavyset Hawaiian to play a bodyguard on one episode that
season and asked him to do the part." ~Photoplay
Magazine
~~~
"Moe Keale's acting
credentials were the opposite of Doug Mossman's. He was working as
an electrician at the Five-O studio when casting director Bob
Busch invited him to audition.
"I told him 'no thanks' and
went back to rigging," Moe said. "He came back again the
next day and asked me to come in and read. I told him no again.The
day after that, an executive came over and said 'Jack Lord wants
to see you.' When I walked into his dressing room., he gave me
that Jack Lord look."
Then he said: 'You will do it.' Hey
-- I did it!" Keale portrayed bad guys until he became Truck
Kealoha for Five-O's final two seasons.
He describes the character as
"an educated Hawaiian, a policeman with some heavy college
degrees."
He credits the Five-O experience
for teaching him discipline. "Jack Lord was strict but
everyone benefited from that. We learned that time is money.
People who worked on Hawaii Five-O do well because Jack taught us,
as actors, to always be prepared. And we had the best-trained
crew. The local guys impressed everyone. They have a terrific
reputation."
A talented musician who began
singing as a youngster, Keale, like Zoulou, worked the beach and
performed at Queen's Surf. He was a member of the "Puka Puka
Otea" Tahitian review. Today the big man with the sweet voice
is the leader of the Moe Keale Band." ~ Ron
Jacobs
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Moe
once said acting came naturally for him. It was, he
said, an extension of
his personality. After Hawai`i Five-0 established him as an
actor of note, Moe's acting career expanded to recurring roles and guest
appearances in television.
He
played a role as a
loveable policeman in "The Little People," which
later became "The Brian Keith Show."
"I'm
a happy-go-lucky person," he said in 1977, when he
played Garfield Kalahani in "Big Hawai'i" shot at
the sprawling Parker Ranch on the island of
Hawai`i.
He also appeared on "Magnum,
P.I." and in such diverse shows as "Sanford and
Son," "The Islander," "Kung Fu,"
"Charlie's Angels," "Pearl," and Donny and Marie Osmond's
"Going Coconuts." He was in "Paradise
Cove" and "Islands in the Stream."
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That's Moe to the far
right in the picture above, with Hawaii Five-0's Jack Lord, Sharon
Farrell, William Smith and Herman Wedemeyer in 1979.
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Photo by
George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Moe Keale pictured with Jack Lord's widow, Marie
Lord, who shared an endearing and enduring relationship with
one another, 1997 |
In
a 1982 interview, Moe lamented the way Hawai'i actors were
being type-casted.
"I
died so many times on those shows. Every time they needed a
big man to die, they called me."
He
pushed for roles that presented Hawaiians in a positive
light.
"Local
guys like myself get some pretty awful roles," Moe
said. "It's work." Of the fact that he was
frequently cast as a "heavy," he said: "I
guess I look mean."
As mean as as a big `ole
teddy bear. Your memorable portrayal as Truck Kealoha
-- an akamai (smart) Hawaiian -- paved the way
for the next generations. You are THE role model!
>> 1997:
Star-Bulletin: 'Hawaii Five-O' begins anew
with support from the old gang
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Always, however, his
first love was Hawaiian music, and it is for this music that he will
be best known. During his entire acting
career, he stayed involved with the music. He had a soulful
voice that created that tingling visceral sensation locals call
"chicken skin."
After two more
albums with the Sons of Hawaii, he left the group, forming Moe Keale & `Ânuenue
(meaning "Rainbow"). The latter group included
Imaikalani Young, Paul Martinez, Mike Ka`awa; they sang an awesome four-part
harmony.
His involvement
with the renaissance of Hawaiian music led to three solo albums;
"South Sea Island Magic," "Aloha Is A Part of Me, A
Part of You," and "Imagine."
>>
Moe's
Discography
In 1997, at the Nâ
Hôkû Hanohano Awards, Moe said:
"One of the great
pleasures in being in our industry over the past two decades has
been to witness the renaissance in Hawaiian music. Not only have
great masters been appreciated again but we've created masters
within our own generation. And there is a healthy stream of young
people coming forward determined to continue the art and artistry
of traditional Hawaiian music." ~about.com
He
himself was a multiple nominee, finalist and winner in many award categories
in the Nâ Hôkû
Hanohano awards. Of his many recorded songs, he was best known for
"Aloha Is ... A Part of Me, a Part of You," for which he
won a Nâ Hôkû Hanohano Award in 1987.
His composition, Lîhau, written with Kîhei de Silva from IMAGINE CD won him yet
another Nâ Hôkû Hanohano Award
in 1997. His album "Aloha Is -- A Part of Me, A Part of
You," includes two of the most requested songs on Hawaiian
radio.
Moe shared his musical talents beyond
the shores of Hawai`i, traveling extensively through the United
States, Europe and Asia. An accomplished singer, he kept busy
entertaining residents and visitors alike at Hawaiian music events
and on cruise ships.
Since
February 1984, Moe shared his warmth and music with
audiences in his Thursday and Sunday performances at the Sheraton-Waikîkî
Hotel , 6
- 8:30 p.m., at the oceanfront pool.
In
recent years, he also was the co-owner of Lomi Shop Va`a (also
known as the "The Lomi Shop")
at Windward
Mall, giving lomi massages by day (he used a combination of
lomilomi and shiatsu) and performing his music at night.
"The
owners of the Lomi Shop Va`a believe you can heal yourself through
Hawaiian music, dance and culture in combination. Maile Tolentino-Lee
and Ka`uhane Lee use a native canoe, the wa'a, to symbolize
the connection between Akua (God or Spirit) and humanity,
between the universe and earth, between time and space, culture and
race. They see the wa'a as a link to a higher power, to
ancestors, to human life itself. They believe it represents the
spiritual and physical balance of one's being, spirit or soul.
The Lomi Shop Va`a owners believe in the
healing power of the kukui nut, standing for light, knowledge and
healing. Specifically, they say, the wax from the nut was used as
a light when touched by a flame (similar to whale oil in the New
England past), and it could, when eaten, help cleanse the body,
since it is a form of laxative.
They use the word Aloha a
lot, emphasizing that "alo" means "front
side" or "face" and "ha" is
"my first breath of life". They go further, suggesting
that the A in Aloha stands for Akaha'i, meaning kindness;
the L for Lokahi, meaning unity; the O for 'Olu'Olu,
meaning agreeable; the H for Ha'aha'a, meaning humility,
and the final A for Ahonui, meaning patience. All these
traits, say the Lomi Shop people, are desirable, are treasured by
Hawaiians and lead to a sense of well-being and wholeness.
At the Lomi Shop Va'a, you can get
a 20-minute foot massage for $20, a seated Lomi massage, or a
one-hour full-session treatment for $75. They also have CDs and
videos in their three Honolulu area locations (Windward Mall,
Kane'ohe and at the Hyatt
Waikîkî
. Contact them at 808/234-LOMI
(same as 234-5664), Web site www.lomi.com."
~Source
Here's
a picture of Moe himself
getting a massage!
In
April, 2001, Moe visited the 'other side' when he suffered a near-fatal heart attack
while working out at 24 Hour Fitness in the Windward City Shopping
Center in Kâne`ohe. He was "clinically dead" for seven minutes. A physician, high school coach and
two off-duty police officers -- who "just happened" to also be working out in the gym
-- resuscitated him.
But before they did, in a vision, he saw his nephew, the late Israel Kamakawiwo`ole,
telling him to go back, that it was not his time yet to die. The
medics felt that if he recovered, there would be significant brain
damage but this proved not to be the case. God had other plans
for Moe.
Photo by DENNIS ODA /
STAR-BULLLETIN
Moe Keale, at home with his wife Carol and his son Nâlani Keale
>> Honolulu
Star-Bulletin: A Second Chance
With a
pacemaker/defibrillator surgically implanted in his chest, his
recovery went well and he soon returned to making music and
working at the Lomi Shop Va`a.
For the next year, he lived with even
more expansive Aloha. Always a bright light, Moe's light shone even
brighter, if that were possible.
"I'm not sure how or what I will do, but
I want to do something for those people who saved my life, something
that will help save other people's lives" he said. That could
be a concert to raise funds to buy Honolulu Police Department
additional defibrillators, or an all-day health/wellness fair and
concert." ~Moe Keale
He then set a one-person standard for
charitable fund-raising in Hawai`i, bringing in some $260,000 for
the American Heart Association. His goal was to have portable
defibrillators strategically position, state-wide, in order to
provide timely response to those stricken with heart failure.
Moe's earth angels, two citizens, the
physician Peter Lee and McKinley High School coach and athletic
director Neal Takamori, and two police officers, Colby Kashimoto and
Randall Rivera, were recognized for their efforts.
>> Honolulu
Star-Bulletin: Moe's 'Angels"Are Awarded
Already a man of Mahalo nui, Moe gained an
even greater
appreciation for life.
"The day I woke up in this hospital room
I wanted the window opened so I could see what I would have missed. It was like seeing blue sky for the
first time; I watched a single bird jumping back and forth on a very
long branch and I remembered thinking that he was happy to be alive
too." ~Moe Keale
On May 29, 2001, Moe was a
presenter at the Nâ Hôkû Hanohano Awards:
"Moe Keale,
back in black and looking healthy as ever, distinguished himself
as the lead-off presenter during the televised part of the
proceedings. Keale nearly died last March after collapsing in a
gym. "Hearing ukulele and harp played together is a
tremendous experience," he told the crowd.
Keale later went
out of his way to intercept `Ane Kanahele & Ohana and
congratulate them as they were going forward to receive a second
Hoku for Na Himeni Ho'omaika'i I Ke Akua.
He also publicly
thanked the police officer who had a portable defibrillator in his
car and Castle Medical Center for keeping him alive. And in a
final reference to his near-death experience, he paid tribute to a
lost friend, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, he told the crowd,
"Israel says hello."" ~Honolulu
Star-Bulletin
On April 15, 2002, he spoke to a group of communications
students and faculty at Hawai`i Pacific University, where his hânai
sister Martha Noyes taught. He discussed his life, his first death the year before,
and the meaning of Aloha.
He told them:
“Aloha means hello,
goodbye, I love you, but it means much more. Aloha is not only a
word to Hawaiians, it is a spiritual thing, something that lives...
What I share with you now, you can share with wherever you came from...The
most important thing about Aloha is it is free, from up there. You
can live with Aloha. It will change your life.” ~Moe Keale
>>
Full Story:
Moe
Keale Inspires Students and Faculty
From the
Honolulu Advertiser:
"Sam Po'omaihealani, a friend
from Keale's days on the beach as a boy (years before he became a
Waikîkî
beach boy), recalled youthful stunts and high jinks, and
pondered the process by which a boy named Wilfred grew into the
teenager known as "Animal" -- and how "Animal"
eventually became "Uncle Moe Keale."
Po'omaihealani spoke of
dropping by the Sheraton-Waikîkî
to visit Keale on Sunday, April 14,
2002. Keale
had played his favorite song without being asked, and they had
talked a bit afterward, catching up on old times.
"He gave me his time
(and) his music," Po'omaihealani said. "That was his gift:
his love of life, his love of family, his love of music. Moe, we
love you, too."
Performing poolside at the
Sheraton Waikiki, Moe reported feeling ill. He was taken to
the hospital. It was a massive coronary attack that resulted
in heart failure. Less than 24 hours later,
Moe Keale was born into Heaven on a Monday at Castle Medical Center, surrounded by
family and friends.
He had lived 62 years on Earth before he was
called Home. All four of his older brothers and two older
sisters die of heart failure before their 60th birthdays. Moe
managed to outlive the men in his family, thanks to his wife Carol
who encouraged him to quit smoking, eat healthier and exercise
regularly.
He is survived by his
wife Carol; son Nâlani; sister Momi Mix; Ni`ihau Ohana; hânai
sisters Martha Noyes, Loke Lyu and Ka`uhane Lee; godson
Kekoaokekoolau Lyu; and nieces and nephews.
Moe
Keale's life was celebrated with song and prayer beginning at 4:30
p.m. Monday at Kawai'ahao Church, where services
were held from 6 to 7 p.m. and friends
called until 9 p.m.
On May 4, 2002, a
musical celebration in remembrance of Moe took place at noon at the
Kuhio Beach Hula Mound. A brief ceremony took place on the beach
at sunset, followed by a scattering of his ashes at sea.
>>
A
Beachboy's Funeral for Moe by Martha H. Noyes, Moe's
hânai sister
Contributions
in Moe Keale's memory may be made to
the Moe Keale Fund of the American Heart Association.
Remembering
Moe Keale: Honors and Tributes
Aloha
Joe's Tribute to Uncle Moe
Ben
Wood, Woodcraft, The Honolulu Star- Bulletin - September 14, 2002:
"The late Moe Keale will be Sheraton Waikiki's first inductee into
its Music Hall of Fame. Moe, who died April 15 at 62, is a fine
choice. The singer-actor-musician had a 40-year career and was one
of the really nice guys in the entertainment industry. The induction
ceremony will be held September 26, 11 a.m. in the hotel lobby,
where his portrait will be unveiled. The Honolulu Skylark will emcee
a program that will include Sheraton Waikiki boss William Hurley and
Moe's widow, Carol, Moe's son, Nalani, Bill Kaiwa, Nalani Olds and
Moe's musicians Mel Amina, Analu Aina and Kalani Kapau will perform."
Wayne
Harada, Honolulu Advertiser:
"It
was an emotional launching when the late Moe Keale's
portrait was formally unveiled in a Sheraton Waikiki homage to
its poolside entertainers. His wife, Carol, spoke; his
son, Nalani, chanted and danced. Music was by Keale's
longtime crew, Analu Aina, Mel Amina and Kalani
Kupau. Keale's badge from his "Hawaii Five-O"
era is among the memorabilia on display in the hotel's Music
Hall of Fame, which also honors Kanilau, Ku'uipo
Kumukahi and kumu hula Karla Akiona. Everyone sang
Keale's "Aloha Is," a chicken-skin moment ..."
Jerry
Pickard at jacklord.net: Hall of Fame
"Anyone
meandering through the main passageways of the Sheraton Waikiki
Hotel, where Moe entertained poolside for many years, will now see
a prominent portrait of him along with a beautiful write-up and
some related memorabilia, including one of his Five-0 badges."
Take a peek of
Moe's picture at the Hall of Fame here.
(Mahalo to Jerry Pickard)
Roy
Sakuma, 2002 `Ukulele Festival:
In
memory and tribute to Hawaii's beloved Moe Keale, presentation to
wife Carol.
American
Institute of Massage Therapists - Hawai`i (AIMT-HI) Tribute Web Page:
"In
tribute to our special friend, AIMT graduate, and renown Hawaiian
entertainer
MOE KEALE who taught all of us to become the SPIRIT OF ALOHA.
We love you...."
Ho'omaka
Hou 2003 (The New Beginning) at the Sheraton Waikîkî: A New
Year's eve celebration, remembrance and tribute to Uncle Moe Keale
was made. Earlier, Moe's image graced the hotel's Christmas card
in 2002.
Danny
Couch: A song on his "Something to Remember CD":
"I
wrote "When Hawaiians Fall" as a tribute to Hawaiian
entertainers who are no longer with us in body, but are with us in
spirit and music. Most of these people are not pure Hawaiian, but
are of mixed ethnic background. I'm not referring to race, but to
the spirit of this place as follows: I chose Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
("Men Who Ride Mountains" & "Somewhere Over The
Rainbow"), Loyal Garner ("Ha'a Hula"), Arthur Lyman
("Yellow Bird"), Gabby Pahinui ("Hi'ilawe"),
Mackey Feary ("Night Bird" & "The Hurt"),
and Moe Keale ("A Part of Me, A Part of You"),
and gave you a hint of the songs that made them famous, and
touched hearts locally, and around the world."
Aloha2Go
Radio Show: Tribute to Moe Keale -- get past the lei
commercial to listen to 12
minutes of Moe singing.
>>
REMEMBERING
UNCLE MOE at the Lomi Shop Va`a
In
2003 the first Moe Keale 'Aloha Is' Award for Community Service was
presented at the annual Nâ Hôkû Hanohano ceremonies, recognizing
outstanding achievement in music in Hawai'i. This award
recognizes the "contributions made by entertainers to the
public's well being amid times of strife."
"An
"Aloha Is" award, honoring the late Moe Keale, will be
launched by the Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts, which will pay
tribute to a tireless community ambassador of aloha who best
exemplifies the spirit of duty and giving as Keale did. Nominations
are made with HARA; the award is announced at the annual gala at the
Sheraton Waikiki's Hawaii Ballroom." ~Honolulu Advertiser.
The
first awardee was Frank de
Lima.
According
to Jerry Pickard, we have a compilation album and a documentary of
Moe's life to look forward to:
"Carol (Moe's wife) has been working on
obtaining the legal rights to her husband's vocal and instrumental
recordings, in part at least to permit the production of a
compilation album. Surviving nephews Michael, Kaimana, Mahealani and
others, would do this project great justice, she believes. As well,
a documentary on his life is in the works, under the auspices of
Eddie Lee." ~ Source
article
On
June 21, 2003,
a Web site was begun to honor Moe's memory,
as well as to perpetuate the legacy of his kupuna who
gave of themselves to Moe
and further the reach of the "ALOHA
Is..."
lesson.
You are here.
|
You
were - and continue to be -- a gift in our lives, Moe.
You are the shining light of Ke Akua, nâ `aumâkua a me nâ kupûna.
Mahalo
â nui for showing us the way.
E Moe, Aloha a hui hou.
|
