Joseph Kekuku: fact or hype

ryome · Post by **ryome** » 9 Nov 1999 9:00 pm

I have been bothered by the Kekuku story ever since I heard. I don't doubt that he was one of the earliest inventors ot eh steel guitar, if not the first. What I am curious about is why there seems to be this recent push to make him the lone founder, or as its icon. This is strange to me because it is not seen as much in other genres, like jazz or blues or rock. Yes, we may recognize early stylists but we don't generally look for a single creator. I am not looking to make trouble, it was on my mind and the No-Peddlers section is a bit slim these days.
Ryan

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 10 Nov 1999 11:51 am

Kekuku was probably the first one to set up a spanish guitar to be played exclusively overhand w/a slide.But don't forget where the idea for doing that came from: 1.Portugese sailors who stopped frequently in Hawaii as part of their trade routes to the Far East in the early 19th century and before.Deductive logic dictates that they probably saw an overhand slide instrument in Chinese waterfront brothels etc. called a Ch'in (a sort of slide koto)and tried to imitate it on spanish guitars.Hawaiians in turn picked it up from them and adapted it as their own(as they did with the 6-string guitar AND the Spanish "Braga" which they re-named the Ukelele or "jumping flea" in Hawaiian). 2.The Japanese version of the Ch'in was called the Yamoto-goto and was equally ancient.In the 1870's there was a large influx of Japanese emigration to Hawaii.With them,came their arts,customs,religions and the Yamoto-goto.Then 10 years later,Kekuku "invented" the steel guitar.All this information(and more)can found in the May 1980 issue of Tom Bradshaw's sorely missed publication - Steel Guitarist,in an article called "Roots of Steel". BTW,there is also a West African instrument which was basically a hunting bow with a resonator made from a hollow gourd attached to it that was played with a bone or smooth stone slide on the bow string.Descendents of slaves in rural Mississippi shanty towns as recently as the 1930's and 40's would string a wire between two nails on a 4x4 front porch pillar and using a bottle for a slide,would gather on the front porch and play pentatonic figures to the 1000 year old Ghanan "Polanga" rhythm and chant the blues etc.And what do they call this instrument? A Bow-Diddly.And how does the Polanga beat go? "shave-and-a-haircut-two-bits" Thus,the roots of the delta blues slide guitar style and by extension,modern electric slide guitar,as well as that music's rhythmic and harmonic structures,are vastly different from those of the Hawaiian/Lap/Pedal guitar. -MJ- [This message was edited by Michael Johnstone on 11-10-99][This message was edited by Michael Johnstone on 11-11-99]

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 10 Nov 1999 6:24 pm

Hi Michael J.

Loved your post. That is the best summation of the Steel Guitar origin and development I have ever read.

It tells so much in so few words. Terrific!

Roy T.

ryome · Post by **ryome** » 10 Nov 1999 7:02 pm

Michael, the history you present does make sense and I have read that myself. What I have trouble with, I think, is the term "inventor." Perhaps if the term "Popularizer," if that's a word, were used instead it would be more accurate. The history of the pedal steel shows how several people were doing the same thing at the same time, which I would be more willing to buy in the case here. I just don't to see only one person given credit to such a rich tradition.

Jim Landers · Post by **Jim Landers** » 10 Nov 1999 7:29 pm

I think Murphy invented it by accident, when he was trying to build a b@#j*. If something can go wrong it will, and it did, but in this case it worked out real well. We ended up with the most beautiful sounding instrument in the world, and all the credit goes to Joe(Kekuku)Murphy. He did indeed invent the steel guitar. It's in the book!!!

Jim

mikey · Post by **mikey** » 10 Nov 1999 9:02 pm

OK...Steel guitar as we know it was,as I recall, originally called HAWAIIAN guitar....so, I figure what the heck, give a Hawaiian credit for the Hawaiian Guitar, which evolved into just Steel guitar, and all its permutations, just a thought, I can live with, and, Oh yeah, Jerry Byrd agrees w/ me!!!
Aloha,
Mike

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 11 Nov 1999 9:46 pm

they probably saw an overhand slide instrument in Chinese waterfront brothels

I knew it! I just knew it! I knew I'd seen it somewhere before! (Ah, yes, the old "overhand slide".)Thanks for the mamories!

[This message was edited by Jim Cohen on 11-11-99]