basilh
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Posted 5 Mar 2009 12:31 pm You realy SHOULD subscribe to Aloha Dream |
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http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/posting.php?mode=quote&p=100062
From the February 2006 edition of Aloha Dream
DID YOU KNOW..........
HAWAIIAN MUSIC ON EARLY BBC RADIO.
John Marsden.
Thinking about Felix Mendelssohn in connection with yet another article request some three or four years ago, I began to wonder about his radio broadcasts. We all know there were many, and the Serenaders also appeared on early post-war television, but just how often were they heard, and when? I decided to find out, and so began my radio project, which is still ongoing. As back issues of the “Radio Times” are unavailable in Sheffield libraries, I’ve had to work through the daily papers, especially the “Times”, noting all programmes of Hawaiian or Polynesian interest. After covering Felix’s period, I decided to continue back to the very beginning of broadcasting in this country, and then work forward to the present. Eventually I’ll get all the results typed up and made available, but meanwhile I thought “Aloha Dream” readers might be interested to know about some of the earliest programmes and performers.
The BBC was formed in October 1922, and radio licenses {10 shillings per annum} were issued in November. The “Radio Times” first appeared in September 1923. but programmes began to be listed in the newspapers from January, though not every day and just for a few hours in the evening. Early studios opened in London, Birmingham, Newcastle, Manchester, Cardiff and Glasgow. On February 12th. there was the first broadcast from a theatre - “Cinderella” at the London Hippodrome.
The first Hawaiian programme came from the Manchester studio on Friday, April 13th {!} 1923, 9.20pm-10.00pm on 385 metres, and was by Bertie Howard’s Hawaiian Guitars. While this seems to have been the group’s sole appearance, Mr. S.A. Golden was playing Hawaiian Guitar in a varied musical Programme from London on Monday May 14th. Begining at 7.30pm, it also included Miss Guelda Dulay{soprano}, Mr Victor Courtney {entertainer} and an unnamed orchestra. Listings at this time often include the titles of pieces played, plus composers and arrangers. Mr Golden was joined by Miss Rhoda Freedman {ukulele} on June 16th.
On Tuesday, July 24th 1923, the intriguingly named Anglo-Hawaiian players made the first of a dozen or so appearances, while regular orchestras and jazz bands were including in their repertoires such songs as “Hawaiian Rainbow”
,”Honolulu Blues” and “Hawaiian Eyes.
On May 5th 1924, Messrs A. & L. Aggasild {Hawaiian Guitar Duets} made their first broadcast from Aberdeen on 495 metres in a wide -ranging musical programme , contributing “Mo-Na-Lu” {A Hulu Dance - sic! } ,Moonlight Melody”
“Pallekiko Blues” {sic!} and “Waltz Song” {One Two Three Four} . From Glasgow in the same month {3rd. 16th. 19th. and 31st.}, Capt. R.W. Campbell talked about “A Cruise to the South Sea Islands”, while on the 23rd. children in the London area were treated to “A Trip Round the World: Honolulu”.
On Sept. 12th. 1924, Miss Greta Scott’s Hawaiian Quartet broadcast from Liverpool, and on the 26th., Mr. Frederick W. Warrender {pianist} played “Na Lei O Hawaii”, Kamehameha Waltz”,”Pua Carnation”, “My Dear Hawaii”, “The King’s Serenade” and “Aloha Oe” in the Nottingham studio.
The Anglo-Hawaiian Players were in Bournemouth on Jan. 19th 1925, when they featured in a programme entitled “An Hour in Honolulu”. On Jan. 30th, from the same studio, Mr. A.F. Cramer participated with other performers and the Wireless Orchestra in a two hour musical feature, playing “Pua Carnation”, “Eastern Idyll”, “Reverie” and “Momi Waltz”. Mr. Cramer arranged most of these pieces for Clifford Essex, who also sold a tutor which he co-authored. He appeared in BMG concerts, and died in 1931, aged 66.
On March 5th 1925, the Anglo-Hawaiian Players were in Newcastle, presenting “A Night in Hawaii” {7.35-9.30p.m.}, and they repeated the show in Manchester on March 7th. A full listing of the songs is provided by the “Times”.
A particularly interesting programme is listed for April 1st. 1925, from Belfast. Commencing at 7.30p.m, a two-hour extravaganza entitled “April Folly” includes amongst the performers the Keech Brothers and “Kekuku” {Songs with the Banjulele, Banjo and Hawaiian Steel Guitar}.
Among the pieces they played were “Hawaiian Hula Melody”, “The Rosary”, “My California”, “My Hilo Girl”, “One two three four “ and “Follow the Swallow”.
Joseph Kekuku, of course, is credited by many with inventing the steel guitar, and he had come to England with the Bird of Paradise show. He broadcast again from London on July 16th, 8.00-9.00p.m, in “Way Down South” - the Southern Trio in Negro Spirituals and syncopated songs; Kekuku in Hawaiian Steel Guitar solos, accompanied by Danglada. I found one further broadcast, also from London, on Monday Sept.21st, 1925, 9.45p.m.-10.00- Kel and Alvin Keech, assisted by Kekuku with his Hawaiian Guitar. He is always billed by his surname alone.
Another pioneer, Segis Luvaun, is also just billed by his surname. He broadcast from London on November 7th 1925. Luvaun was an all-round entertainer, singing and playing both ukulele and steel guitar. The “Times” actually lists a broadcast by him from Sheffield on Aug.4th. 1926 - considerably before my time of course! {Oh yes John we believe you, honest} but our two local papers give a different billing, so perhaps there was a last minute cancellation . Luvaun was surely one of the most travelled early Hawaiian performers. He is believed to have been born outside Honolulu, and toured many of the larger U.S. cities before coming to London, where he was recorded in August 1916. He sometimes used the pseudonym “Juan Akoni”.
In 1919-20 he travelled to Scandinavia and then to Germay. He was back in England by the autumn of 1925, where in addition to broadcasting he recorded on Winner.
My friend George Carver of Newark recalls seeing Luvaun in Skegness in 1927, walking around and playing his guitar, which hung from a strap around his neck. No money was taken, and he appeared to be advertising performances at a hotel or theatre, It sounded beautiful, and George remembers him playing “Somewhere in Honolulu” and Hawaiian Rainbow”. Luvaun was back in Berlin by March 1928.
Many other names crop up in 1920’s broadcasts, and there was also plenty for ukulele fans. Public interest was clearly at a high level, and continued to be so during the following decades. I’ve found it extremely interesting to discover so many names, some familiar and some new , {as Frank would say, new to us for quite a while , sorry John carry on.} - and would love to know more about these early players, few of whom are represented on record. My earliest BMG is the October 1929 issue. Does anyone have older ones? I’m sure they would give coverage to some of these players. They are part of the history of our music, and deserve to be documented and remembered.
And how about other countries? My good friend Gerrit Venema tells me that the first Hawaiian music programme in Holland was on Friday, March 20th 1925, and featured the Dutch Hawaiian Kwartet, led by Chris Vos. There were other programmes on Sept. 22nd and Nov. 17th. I think it would be very interesting to pursue this research, which seems never to have been tackled before.
© John Marsden.2003
Anytime Harlequin or any other major company want info on a compilation, John is the man they use for the sleeve notes, and contents source.
Baz
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