| Aloha!!! | Welcome to the first installment of the Mele Ukulele quarterly newsletter.
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| Mele Ukulele is a club of musicians in and around the San Francisco Bay
area who feature the ukulele as a solo or accompanying instrument through art, music and
dance. We welcome any ukulele enthusiast to become a member and join in the fun.
For info about lessons, performances and group activities please explore our
website or email Hiram Bell at hikabe@aol.com. Our Web Site: http://www.freeranger.com/hbell |
In fact, the group did an excellent job when they took the stage in their debut performance at the San Mateo County Fair on Sunday, August 16 in the Fiesta Hall and then again in Cypress Hall. In spite of the noisy Fiesta Hall and after some nervous jitters the group settled down to a warm and receptive audience.
Hiram Bell came on to introduce the group with a solo piece he wrote called ‘Palolo Ragtime’ followed by an aborted ‘Noho Pai Pai’. "I was nervous and started the song too fast. When I came to the pani (improv) I couldn’t do it so I ended it. That’s showbiz brah."
John Kuntz and Chris Jeffries joined Hiram to do ‘Guava Jam’ and ‘Opihi Moi Moi’. When asked if he was aware that ‘Guava Jam’ sounded like an almost exact copy of the Kaau Crater Boys version he said, "So!" Opihi Moi Moi is a slack key ukulele version of Ledward Kaapana’s rendition.
Jaqui Kuntz joined the group for ‘The Maui Trestle’, a piece about the noon train hauling sugar cane through the pineapple fields. It featured Hiram on harmonica, John on uke, Chris on guitar and Jaqui on percussion. Although not your typical, tropical genre, it livened up and attracted more of a crowd towards the stage.
The next piece was composed by Walter Hyatt and is called ‘Aloha’. Kit Bell and Aurora Garcia joined Jaqui to sing harmony while Chris was the featured singer of this sweet tune.
The last piece was a Carlos Santana tune called ‘Samba Pati’. Arranged by Hiram, it featured him on uke, John and Chris on guitars and Jaqui on percussion. After mingling with the audience, the group rushed down to Cypress Hall where they did a more laid back performance in a better acoustic setting.
Much Aloha and Mahalo to all who helped us to bring our show to the fair.
A special thanks to San Mateo County Fair staff members RebeccaWeathers/Special Events Coordinator, and Darlene Harney/Director of the Fine Arts Exhibit. Extreme mahalos to John and Jaqui Kuntz, Chris Jeffries, Aurora Garcia and Kit Bell for sharing their wonderful talents with the people of San Mateo.....
HBell writer/editor