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This is pertaining to my hānai son, Jason Poole. I call him Iakona. He's been with me for quite some time now. I've always admired this young man. I invited him to join me. I took him in as a son. |
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How did Pittsburgh-born, classically trained singer Jason Poole find himself knee-deep in mud, gutting fish on the remote island of Molokai? |
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Strummin’ in the City (#53)Tuesday, February 21, 2012  Kamaka standard (soprano) 'ukulele and a Honda motorcycle. Cool. (NYC 2.21.12) A lot of folks find it hard to believe that I carry my ‘ukulele with me all the time.But you never know when you might feel like strumming! And as Pops is always quick to advise: E ho’omākaukau. Be prepared. Ah… the life of an urban strummer!(Do you like the ʻukulele in the photo? Check out www.kamakahawaii.com for some of the best ʻukuleles on the planet!) 0 CommentsFinding the Voice: Part 4 – It’s Showtime at the JCCH New Year’s ‘Ohana Festival!Monday, February 20, 2012 In November of 2011, my friend Lisa asked me to come to O’ahu in January to be a part of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi‘s New Year’s ʻOhana Festival. She knew my story and wanted me to come share and sing as part of the festivities. A chance to sing at a major festival in Hawai’i. An opportunity to leave wintery NYC for a few days and head to the warmth of O’ahu. A chance to be seen as a Hawaiian musician in Hawai’i. All of those things made it an easy decision: I HAD TO SHOW UP AND SAY, “YES!” I arranged a trip so that I could be on Oʻahu for the festival and then planned to head to Molokai to spend some time with Pops and the ohana. Once those plans were in place, all sorts of additional opportunities presented themselves–including opportunities to do some press for the festival as well as a chance to sing on Pakele Live! The trip turned out to be the adventure of a lifetime. Here’s the story: *Please click HERE to read Part 1. *Please click HERE to read Part 2. *Please click HERE to read Part 3.  Getting ready to take the stage! (Andy Wang, Lisa Shozuya and Jason - Honolulu, HI 1.8.12) (Photo courtesy of Lisa Shozuya) It’s SHOWTIME! When I arrived at the festival, I was blown away by the crowds that had already gathered. The grounds had been transformed into a true festival site. Ok… so maybe it wasn’t as huge as Woodstock back in 1969. But to my eyes, it certainly felt that way! I took a deep breath as I looked around. I was expected to be able to sing. This was the whole reason I’d scheduled the trip to Hawaiʻi. When I’d tried to vocalize earlier in the day, I was so happy that there was a little more voice than the day before at the KITV studios. But it still wasn’t strong. It was shaky. I didn’t have much of an upper register–my voice was low and gravely. But I needed to trust that a voice would appear. I kept hearing Pops in my mind, “You just get up there and sing. You’re honoring the kūpuna, the elders. Those that came before. You’ll be ok.” I needed to have faith. Mōʻiliʻili Field is known for its baseball diamonds. But I barely recognized it. A covered stage had been erected beside the baseball diamond. A covered seating area had been created for guests to get out of the sun, sit and eat some of the ʻono-licious foods that were available. A whole children’s area had been created with all sorts of games and activities. A section had been set up for the mochi pounding that was to take place. Costumed characters like Hello Kitty roamed the grounds and greeted the guests. It was pretty unbelievable!  With Hello Kitty before the shows! (Andy Wang, Lisa Shozuya and Jason - Honolulu, HI 1.8.12) (Photo courtesy of Lisa Shozuya) I met up with my lifeline, Andy Wang, right outside of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii‘s main offices and we ducked behind closed doors to change into our “show attire” and plan the day. In the offices, we were surrounded by our JCCH friends. Talk about a great welcome! I have been trying to figure out a way to express how they made us feel. The word that keeps coming up is FAMILY–ʻohana–in the truest sense of the word. I don’t know how I could have done it without them–huge smiles and warm hugs and nothing but helpful support. We’d been asked to prepare 3 sets of music, approximately 30 minutes each. We’d decided to create our set list right before we went on. Sounds crazy, right? But there was a method to the madness! Andy and I play music together in NYC and we’re comfortable with each other’s repertoire. I was so excited to have him there with me. We “bounce off of each other”–having fun sharing songs. Trading off lead vocals and harmony. Jamming. Laughing. Telling stories. And let’s face it: it’s always more fun to share the stage and have a blast with your friends! When we selected songs for the first set, we chose songs that we felt comfortable with and songs that we knew the audience would enjoy. (And we picked songs that I could actually sing–the laryngitis was limiting me in a big way!) We figured if we had fun up on the stage, sharing music like we do back in NYC, we’d be able to really share Aloha with the audience. We wanted it to feel structured, but not formal. And that took away a lot of the pressure. When we made our way out to the field, we saw the Royal Hawaiian Band on stage! I was thinking, “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! We’re on the same bill as the Royal Hawaiian Band?! How cool is that?!” And Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono spoke right before we took the stage to sing our first set of music. (To read about the time I’d “crooned for the congresswoman” in NYC, please click HERE.) Andy and I got ourselves situated on stage and plugged our instruments into the DI boxes. (I’m still getting used to being amplified–and all of the hi-tech sound stuff really made me feel like a rock star!) Andy was playing a beautiful guitar–its rich sound complimented the bright sound of the ʻukulele beautifully. Even our instruments were “in sync.” How could we lose, right? The guys that helped us with our sound were really helpful. They made us feel like pros. I took a quick sip of water and looked out at the crowds. And my knees buckled a little bit. What was going to happen? Would I have a voice? You know how folks that skydive talk about that “make it or break it moment” they have right before they jump out of the plane? Well, that’s kind of what this felt like. I’d scheduled this trip and travelled 5,000 miles to sing at this festival. Lisa had believed in me. Denise had taken such good care of me. Friends and family were in the audience. New faces (friends to be?) were sitting in the audience, looking at us. Expecting us to perform. It was now or never. I’d decided to bring my pū, my conch shell trumpet, with me on stage. I wanted to honor the tradition of sounding it/blowing it four times before we began. It was a way to connect to Pops. It was a way to honor an ancient Hawaiian tradition. And it helped to create the mood/space/environment I wanted for the performance. After the fourth blow into the shell, it was ON! I can’t really explain what happens, but when I perform in front of an audience, something just “clicks.” It’s like “plugging in” to some kind cosmic electrical outlet. It’s comfortable. It’s safe. And it’s FUN! Andy and I did two sets on the main stage and then one more set on a smaller stage across the street at the JCCH. Every set seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. The pū was sounded and before I knew it, we were hitting our 30-minute mark and we were wrapping it up. We laughed. We sang. We made good music. We shared a lot of Aloha. Andy was there to sing the lead or play a slack key guitar piece to take some of the pressure off of my voice. He was a touchstone from home, reminding me of why we were there–and helped me to remember not to take it too seriously. We left our egos at the door and honored the songs as best we could. We both approached the day’s performances with a spirit of humility and camaraderie. How can you ask for a better afternoon than that? After one of the sets, I was approached by a young woman who asked if she could interview me for a website. I was totally in the Show Up and Say “YES!” zone, so I did just that. I said, “Yes.” Alyssa made me feel right at home and for some reason, a lot of my camera-shyness disappeared. She did an outstanding job editing the piece and really allowed me to share my story in a way that I was proud of. In a way that allowed me to honor those that have come before. (In the interview, my semi-laryngitic state is really apparent. But it was such fun!) I hope you’ll check out the video below! And a giant MAHALO to Alyssa and the folks at www.hawaii-aloha.com for such a great piece! It was an honor! After we’d finished our last set, I had to head to the airport. There would be no rest for the weary. Molokai was waiting! Once on island, I knew I had to deliver a talk-story/performance. I would be staying down in Hālawa Valley–which is always an adventure! And I needed to find a way to recover and find my voice, again. I’d made it through the first leg of the trip but more was just on the horizon… In less than a week, I would be heading back to Oʻahu to do an episode of Pakele Live! Awesome opportunities continued to present themselves! (And I needed a strong and healthy voice to be able to do what was required of me.) To be continued…1 CommentThe Crooner’s ALOHA FRIDAY TRIVIA CHALLENGE!Friday, February 17, 2012
Aloha kākou! Here’s this week’s question: If the title of this album by Nā Palapalai was in English, it might be called “Pleasant Breezes.” What is the name of the album? A. Nanea B. Ka Pua Hae Hawaiʻi C. Ke ʻAla Beauty D. Makani ʻOluʻolu • Please submit your answer by posting a reply to this entry on the blog. Will YOU be this week’s lucky winner? Good Luck! Aloha Poʻalima! Happy Aloha Friday! **Crooner Update:You guys know your Nā Palapalai albums! Right on! The correct answer is D. Makani ʻOluʻolu! (Don’t you love that album? Every song is a winner! But my favorite is track #9, Lepe ʻUlaʻula. So fun. That opening with the KILLER ʻukulele? Holy Smokes!) And this week’s winner, chosen randomly from all of the correct answers, is… (Drum roll, please…) TINA EGGERT! Congrats, Tina! That makes you an Aloha Friday Trivia Superstar! A giant MAHALO to all of you for playing along this week. Hope you’ll play along next week, too. Have a great weekend, gang! A hui hou… Jason 8 CommentsMolokai CoastlineThursday, February 16, 2012 This afternoon, I was looking through some photos I’d taken of Molokai. When I came across this shot, it took my breath away. Sometimes I miss Molokai so much that it hurts. 4 Comments5 MORE of The Crooner’s Favorite Hawaiian Love Songs (Valentine’s Day 2012 Edition)Wednesday, February 15, 2012 Happy (belated) Valentine’s Day! Hawaiian love songs are my favorite. No contest. No other music can compete when it comes to creating a romantic mood. Maybe the geographic isolation of the Hawaiian islands makes it a fertile ground for romantic thought. Maybe it’s because the composers are surrounded by such natural beauty. Maybe it’s because … Click here to read more… 2 CommentsStrummin’ in the City (#52)Tuesday, February 14, 2012 A lot of folks find it hard to believe that I carry my ‘ukulele with me all the time. But you never know when you might feel like strumming! And as Pops is always quick to advise: E ho’omākaukau. Be prepared. Ah… the life of an urban strummer! (Do you like the ʻukulele in the photo? Check out www.kamakahawaii.com for some … Click here to read more… 2 Comments |
