Gabby Pahinui
Encyclopedia
Charles Philip "Gabby" or "Pops" Pahinui (April 22, 1921 - October 13, 1980) was a slack-key guitar
ist.
Gabby was born Charles Kapono Kahahawaii Jr. and later hānai-ed into the Pahinui family as Charles Philip Pahinui and raised in the Kaka'ako area of Honolulu
in the 1920s. It was impoverished at the time, very much resembling a shanty-town
with small cluttered buildings and tin roofs falling apart. He spent his childhood supporting his family by selling newspapers and shining shoes. He dropped out of school after 5th grade at Pokukaina School.
without ever learning to read music. Because most musicians of the time only played in bars, Gabby also formed a drinking habit that stuck with him throughout his life.
Though a master of the steel guitar, Gabby is most known for his mastery of the slack-key guitar. Gabby learned slack-key from Herman Keawe whom Gabby acknowledges as being "the greatest slack-key player of all time." Herman, like Gabby, lived in the Kaka'ako area.
Gabby married Emily at age 17 in 1938. They had ten children, four daughters and six sons.
In 1946, Gabby made his first recording, "Hi`ilawe," for the Bell Records label. This may be the first record of a Hawaiian song with slack-key guitar. The following year came "Hula Medley," the first record of a slack-key guitar instrumental. During this period he made two other influential sides for Bell, the vocal "Wai O Ke Aniani" and the instrumental "Key Koalu" (a misspelling of "Kī Hō`alu," the Hawaiian term for "slack key"), plus another version of "Hi`ilawe" for Aloha Records.
Gabby played with many of the great bands and musicians of his time, including Andy Cummings, Lena Machado, and Ray Kinney
. He also appeared on Hawaii Calls
, a popular international radio show that began in the 1930s. Eventually, Gabby moved Emily and the children to Waimanalo, which had become a popular second home location for many musicians. The all-weekend jam sessions at the Pahinui home were legendary.
Examples of his session work from the late 1950s through the 1960s can be found on the two volumes of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar (Waikiki Records 319 and 320) and two more LPs titled Kani Ka Pila! Let's Play Music! Volumes 1 and 2 (Hula Records 517, 1966; Hula 531, 1969). These are combo recordings (steel guitar, slack key guitar, uke, bass, vocals, sometimes percussion) made with bandmates such as Atta, Barney, and Norman Isaacs, Charles Kaipo Miller, and a young Peter Moon, and they reflect the style of nightclub music popular around Waikīkī at the time.
A 1961 solo session organized by Dave Guard
of the Kingston Trio features just Gabby, with bass and `ukulele backing, doing some of his classic material, including new versions of three of his four 1946-47 tracks. No record company was interested in the material, however, and it was not released until 1978. The final package was Pure Gabby (Hula 567), a two-record set, one LP consisting of the music and the second of an interview conducted by Guard.
With his success, Gabby still had financial trouble. He made ends meet by working for City and County of Honolulu road crews, doing pick and shovel work.
of the '70s launched a cultural reawakening of all things Hawaii
an. Gabby played an important part in the rise of this Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance. First there were the albums recorded through the 1960s with the enormously popular and influential Sons of Hawaii
, which he started with `ukulele virtuoso Eddie Kamae
: their self-titled debut album (Hula HS 503, 1961); Music of Old Hawai`i (Hula HS 506, 1964); and Folk Music of Hawai`i (Panini 1001, 1971).
Then, starting in 1972, he made four albums with what came to be called the "Gabby Band." The first album featured Gabby backed by four of his sons plus old friends Leland "Atta" Isaacs
and bassist Manuel "Joe Gang" Kuhapu, but the group eventually expanded to include Sonny Chillingworth
, younger-generation players Peter Moon
and Randy Lorenzo, and mainland admirer Ry Cooder
. The albums are:
As he enjoyed his new success in the '70s, his life-long drinking and a bad road crew accident left his health failing. He retired from road work but took up teaching in the City and County's cultural programs. He died in 1980 at the age of 59.
The Honolulu Star Bulletin Newspaper stated about Pahinui "The thing about Gabby Pahinui," says DeSoto Brown, a Hawaiian cultural-history expert whose brother worked with Pahinui, "was not only that he was an outstanding musician and entertainer, and a central figure -- maybe THE central figure -- of the Hawaiian Renaissance in the '70s, but that he was an inspiration to others. Thousands of Hawaiian kids learned that they were worthy as a people because of Gabby's example."
Gabby was memorialized in Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
's performance of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" on his 1993 Facing Future album. In the opening moments of the song, Israel can be heard saying, "'Kay, dis one's fo' Gabby."
Pahinui was inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame in 2002.
Gabby's children are active in the Hawaiian music scene, notably Cyril Pahinui, Bla Pahinui and Martin Pahinui, all of whom played on the Gabby Band recordings and have since become professional musicians. (Philip, who played on the first two "Gabby Band" albums, chose not to pursue music professionally.)
Slack-key guitar
Slack-key guitar is a fingerstyle genre of guitar music that originated in Hawaii. Its name refers to its characteristic open tunings: the English term is a translation of the Hawaiian kī hōalu, which means "loosen the [tuning] key"...
ist.
Gabby was born Charles Kapono Kahahawaii Jr. and later hānai-ed into the Pahinui family as Charles Philip Pahinui and raised in the Kaka'ako area of Honolulu
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
in the 1920s. It was impoverished at the time, very much resembling a shanty-town
Shanty town
A shanty town is a slum settlement of impoverished people who live in improvised dwellings made from scrap materials: often plywood, corrugated metal and sheets of plastic...
with small cluttered buildings and tin roofs falling apart. He spent his childhood supporting his family by selling newspapers and shining shoes. He dropped out of school after 5th grade at Pokukaina School.
Early career
Gabby landed a gig as a back-up guitarist for Charley 'Tiny' Brown. He quickly mastered the steel guitarSteel guitar
Steel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
without ever learning to read music. Because most musicians of the time only played in bars, Gabby also formed a drinking habit that stuck with him throughout his life.
Though a master of the steel guitar, Gabby is most known for his mastery of the slack-key guitar. Gabby learned slack-key from Herman Keawe whom Gabby acknowledges as being "the greatest slack-key player of all time." Herman, like Gabby, lived in the Kaka'ako area.
Gabby married Emily at age 17 in 1938. They had ten children, four daughters and six sons.
In 1946, Gabby made his first recording, "Hi`ilawe," for the Bell Records label. This may be the first record of a Hawaiian song with slack-key guitar. The following year came "Hula Medley," the first record of a slack-key guitar instrumental. During this period he made two other influential sides for Bell, the vocal "Wai O Ke Aniani" and the instrumental "Key Koalu" (a misspelling of "Kī Hō`alu," the Hawaiian term for "slack key"), plus another version of "Hi`ilawe" for Aloha Records.
Gabby played with many of the great bands and musicians of his time, including Andy Cummings, Lena Machado, and Ray Kinney
Ray Kinney
Ray Kinney was a singer, musician, composer, orchestra leader and performer on radio, stage and screen.-Biography:...
. He also appeared on Hawaii Calls
Hawaii Calls
Hawaii Calls was a radio program that ran from 1935 through 1975 that featured live Hawaiian music conducted by Harry Owens, the composer of "Sweet Leilani"...
, a popular international radio show that began in the 1930s. Eventually, Gabby moved Emily and the children to Waimanalo, which had become a popular second home location for many musicians. The all-weekend jam sessions at the Pahinui home were legendary.
Examples of his session work from the late 1950s through the 1960s can be found on the two volumes of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar (Waikiki Records 319 and 320) and two more LPs titled Kani Ka Pila! Let's Play Music! Volumes 1 and 2 (Hula Records 517, 1966; Hula 531, 1969). These are combo recordings (steel guitar, slack key guitar, uke, bass, vocals, sometimes percussion) made with bandmates such as Atta, Barney, and Norman Isaacs, Charles Kaipo Miller, and a young Peter Moon, and they reflect the style of nightclub music popular around Waikīkī at the time.
A 1961 solo session organized by Dave Guard
Dave Guard
Donald David "Dave" Guard was an American folk singer, songwriter, arranger and recording artist. Along with Nick Reynolds and Bob Shane, he was one of the founding members of The Kingston Trio.Guard was educated in Honolulu, Hawaii, at Punahou School in what was then the pre-statehood U.S....
of the Kingston Trio features just Gabby, with bass and `ukulele backing, doing some of his classic material, including new versions of three of his four 1946-47 tracks. No record company was interested in the material, however, and it was not released until 1978. The final package was Pure Gabby (Hula 567), a two-record set, one LP consisting of the music and the second of an interview conducted by Guard.
With his success, Gabby still had financial trouble. He made ends meet by working for City and County of Honolulu road crews, doing pick and shovel work.
Later career
The Hawaiian RenaissanceHawaiian Renaissance
The First and Second Hawaiian Renaissance was the Hawaiian resurgence of a distinct cultural identity that draws upon traditional kānaka maoli culture, with a significant divergence from the tourism-based "culture" which Hawaii was previously known for worldwide .-First Hawaiian...
of the '70s launched a cultural reawakening of all things Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an. Gabby played an important part in the rise of this Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance. First there were the albums recorded through the 1960s with the enormously popular and influential Sons of Hawaii
Sons of Hawaii
The Sons of Hawaii was a Hawaiian musical group that popular to mainstream audiences from the 1960s through the 1990s.-History:In 1960 they opened at the Sandbox in Honolulu and were soon the highest paid Hawaiian group in the Islands...
, which he started with `ukulele virtuoso Eddie Kamae
Eddie Kamae
Eddie Kamae is one of the founding members of Sons of Hawaii. He is a 'ukulele virtuoso, singer, composer, film producer and primary proponent of theHawaiian Cultural Renaissance.-Biography:...
: their self-titled debut album (Hula HS 503, 1961); Music of Old Hawai`i (Hula HS 506, 1964); and Folk Music of Hawai`i (Panini 1001, 1971).
Then, starting in 1972, he made four albums with what came to be called the "Gabby Band." The first album featured Gabby backed by four of his sons plus old friends Leland "Atta" Isaacs
Leland Isaacs Sr.
Leland "Atta" Isaacs, Sr. was a Hawaiian slack-key composer known for his C major Tuning , and for his work with Gabby Pahinui.-External links:* http://www.dancingcat.com/skbook1-history.php...
and bassist Manuel "Joe Gang" Kuhapu, but the group eventually expanded to include Sonny Chillingworth
Sonny Chillingworth
Edwin Bradfield Liloa Chillingworth, Jr., known as Sonny Chillingworth, was an American guitarist. Widely influential in Hawaiian music, he played slack-key guitar and is widely regarded as one of the most influential slack key guitarists in history.-Life:Chillingworth was born in Oahu in Hawaii,...
, younger-generation players Peter Moon
Peter Moon (musician)
Peter Moon is a ʻukulele and guitar player.-Career:Peter Moon was born on the island of Oʻahu to Wook and Shay-Yung Moon. From the late 1950s through the 1960s, he gained musical inspiration, insight, and knowledge; playing as a Maile Serenader with Gabby "Pops" Pahinui in the 1960s. Later, in...
and Randy Lorenzo, and mainland admirer Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder
Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing...
. The albums are:
- Gabby (1972; often called "Brown Gabby" or "The Brown Album" because of its sepia cover photo)
- Rabbit Island Music Festival (1973)
- Gabby Pahinui Hawaiian Band, Vol 1 (1975)
- Gabby Pahinui Hawaiian Band, Vol 2 (1976)
As he enjoyed his new success in the '70s, his life-long drinking and a bad road crew accident left his health failing. He retired from road work but took up teaching in the City and County's cultural programs. He died in 1980 at the age of 59.
The Honolulu Star Bulletin Newspaper stated about Pahinui "The thing about Gabby Pahinui," says DeSoto Brown, a Hawaiian cultural-history expert whose brother worked with Pahinui, "was not only that he was an outstanding musician and entertainer, and a central figure -- maybe THE central figure -- of the Hawaiian Renaissance in the '70s, but that he was an inspiration to others. Thousands of Hawaiian kids learned that they were worthy as a people because of Gabby's example."
Gabby was memorialized in Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Israel "IZ" Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole was a Hawaiian musician.He became famous outside Hawaii when his album Facing Future was released in 1993...
's performance of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" on his 1993 Facing Future album. In the opening moments of the song, Israel can be heard saying, "'Kay, dis one's fo' Gabby."
Pahinui was inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame in 2002.
Gabby's children are active in the Hawaiian music scene, notably Cyril Pahinui, Bla Pahinui and Martin Pahinui, all of whom played on the Gabby Band recordings and have since become professional musicians. (Philip, who played on the first two "Gabby Band" albums, chose not to pursue music professionally.)