Rudy Wairata and the Minstrals

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 9 Mar 2001 7:09 am

Anyone familiar with Rudy Wairata and the Minstrals? There's one song of his on one of the Masters of the Hawaiian Steel Guitar albums that is awesome. I did a search and the only thing I can find in terms of music in print is a cassette called "Sweet Sweet Steel Guitar Series No. 3". I inquired about it and it's a special order item, and they have no information on the song list etc.

Anyone familiar with him, tunings etc?

Thanks

-Bill

John Tipka · Post by **John Tipka** » 9 Mar 2001 9:54 am

Aloha Bill,
Rudy Wairata, the Indonesian who earned the reputation of being the greatest steel guitar player ever to play in all Europe, plays marches like he is shooting a machine gun. Awesome speed with superb timing and intonation. The play list on the Maple cassette "Lovely Hula Girl" CMA-1003 is as follows: Honolulu March, The Royal Hawaiian Hula, Be Mine Sweetheart Be Mine, Ticklin' The Strings, Orange Grove In California, Uluhua Wale Au, Kohala March, Lovely Hula Girl, Sapphire Of The Tropics, Kaiwahu March, Kolopa, and Na`li`i.

Aloha no,

John

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 9 Mar 2001 10:05 am

Thanks John!

"Ticklin the Strings" is the one that I heard and really caught my ear and made me want to hear more from him.

I'll start looking around for that cassette. Please let me know if you have anymore info on how to obtain it.

Thanks

-Bill

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 9 Mar 2001 1:11 pm

Hi Bill,
according to John Marsden, Rudy's capable of playing "Ticklin the Strings" live and BLINDFOLD and I believe him.
A Great player of non pedal guitar ,well worth getting ANY of his recordings and studying his approach.
Again , according to John Marsden Rudy's tunings varied , he's familiar with all the popular ones and favoured the ones used by most of the Dutch players. A6-C#m7-E13 etc
If you want to know what SPECIFIC tuning he used on a paticular recording, let me know, I am in touch daily with John Marsden who would have probably the largest collection of "Hawaiian" Guitar related recordings in this part of the world and would have the definitive answer to the tuning questions etc.

------------------

Steel players do it without fretting

http://homepage.tinet.ie/~basilhenriques/

http://www.stax-a-trax.com/

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 9 Mar 2001 2:16 pm

Thanks Basil.

I've contacted one outfit that may be able to get me the cassette John referred to, but there is some question as to whether it is still in print or not.

-Bill

PS I'll take you up on that generous offer to ask John Marsden about what tuning Rudi
used on "Ticklin the Strings"!

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 9 Mar 2001 7:21 pm

Ed Mayer was the bass player for Rudy on that album. Ed played many of those tunes including "Tickling the Strings" every bit as well as Rudy at my house in West Palm Beach in the early 1990's. He had just moved there from Hawaii to work on the V.A hospital being built. He then moved to Baltimore and I lost touch with him. He was a member of HSGA and contributed many photos of his extensive steel guitar collection to Lorene Ruymar's book. She might know how to contact him. He put a E13 (tuned down a step I believe) tuning on my Rick Silver to play the Rudy stuff. [This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 09 March 2001 at 08:06 PM.][This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 10 March 2001 at 05:56 AM.]

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 10 Mar 2001 9:27 pm

Hey guys..I am sure you are all aware Rudi Wairata is no longer with us. I only mention this because you speak of him in the "present" tense. Anyway, he WAS one super picker and influenced many steel players, especially those in Holland, towards his style which can still be heard today on many of the newer recordings.

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 11 Mar 2001 6:26 am

The definative answer to the tuning for "Tickling the Strings" is E13 (Tuned down to D).

I Have since been talking to John Marsden who informed me That John Birch's record collection is up for sale, and there are three albums (Vinyl) of Rudy, On the Gemini label. They are GM 2020, GM 2023 and GM 5036.
These are Dutch albums of Rudy and the "Mena Moeria Minstrals"
Priced @ £5 each. If you're interested I suggest that you contact
Pat Cox
89 Elizabeth House
40 Berryfield Road
Walmley
Sutton Coldfield
West Midlands
B76 2UZ
U.K.

G.A. Venema whose e-mail is gerrit.a@wxs.nl can probably tell you the track listings before you decide, BUT, as a list of John Birch's record collection has been circulated to most of the "Hawaiian" clubs, I suggest that you do it sooner rather than later.

BTW Rudy died on July 15th 1981 after a series of strokes. He was just 48 years old.
I met him whilst touring Germany with the Waikiki Islanders in '66 and at that time he was playing a twin eight with A6 and E13 (Tuned down to D).
If you need anymore info John Marsden said it would be OK to post his 'phone# and address.
John Marsden,
218 Bannerdale Road,
Sheffield S11 9FE
U.K.
'phone int+44-114-255-1907
Baz.[This message was edited by basilh on 11 March 2001 at 06:27 AM.]

Chris Sheffield · Post by **Chris Sheffield** » 13 Mar 2001 5:49 am

Rudy Wairata,came to the Netherlands in the Fifties, and lived here. He was an outstanding non-pedal player. He actually got well knowed as a Hawaian-gitarist in the best Hawaian band we ever had in Europe THE KILIMA HAWAINS, it was in that band that he became famous. Here is the latest C.D. from that band that came out in 1992. "The Kilima Hawaiins "(Brought out by ARCADE CD nr.01782061- compiled in association with SONY Music. There are 25 numbers on it!