Kalama’s Quartet

Virtuosic instrumentation and easy vocal harmonies produced Kalama’s Quartet among Hawaii’s best pre-World Battle II rings. Led by Honolulu-born saxophonist-turned-steel guitarist Mike Hanapi (1898-1959), the group laid the building blocks for all following slack key acoustic guitar groups. Hanapi’s first musical experiences arrived being a jazz saxophonist. Regarding his sibling, he performed on the Chicago Exposition in 1910. Regarding to tale, he first came across the slack crucial approach to metal electric guitar while in Chicago. Before time for Hawaii, Hanapi spent a protracted period in NY. Furthermore to getting vocal schooling at the brand new York Conservatory of Music, he performed using the Paul Specht Orchestra. The root base that grew into Kalama’s Quartet had been planted with a trio that Hanapi shaped in 1926 with ukulele participant William Kalama and harp-guitarist Bob Nawahine. This group documented many singles as the Hanapi Trio. By adding guitarist/vocalist Dave Kaleipua Munson, in past due 1927, the group became Kalama’s Quartet. Although another metal guitarist, Bob Matsu, became a member of in 1928, the name had not been transformed. Kalama’s Quartet became known because of their silken vocal harmonies. With Hanapi alternating between tenor and falsetto, the harmonies had been flushed out by Kalama on tenor, Munson on baritone, and Nawahine on bass. The group continued to be together for a brief period. After documenting several music for OKeh between 1927 and 1931, they finished their documenting profession with four paths documented for Victor in January 1932. Following disbanding of the group, Kalama, Nawahine, Munson, and Matsu faded into obscurity. After documenting a disc under his very own name, Hanapi opened up a musical instructions college in Hawaii in 1938. 2 yrs later, he became a member of the Royal Hawaiian Music group, for whom he performed initial saxophone until his loss of life in 1959.