Hawaii's Favorite Singing Star Haunani Webley Edwards Signed Autograph Vinyl LP Capitol Records T1700 Monarch Room Royal Hawaiian Hotel 1964.
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This rare vinyl lp has hand signed signatures of Haunani and Webley Edwards and was autographed in Waikiki, Hawaii during the height of the sixties, where Haunani Kahalewai performed live every night at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, where she was a star and producer of a Polynesian Extravaganza and was billed as "Hawaii's First Lady of Song". And that she certainly was. Hers is, in fact, one of the finest voices to come out of the Pacific Islands in modern times, with a range so wide - low alto to high soprano - that old Hawaiians speak of her in awe as "One Gifted with the Two Voices."
When the lights dimmed in the Monarch Room, and Haunani began her songs, the listener was struck with the equally great range of her emotional gifts. Haunani could be vibrant and romantic, bold and spirited, dreamy and tender. But the word that describes her best is mana - a Hawaiian term meaning "miraculous power, deep-in-the-soul-spirit." This rare quality Haunani possessed in full measure, and it was the compelling secret of her magic.
An evening with Haunani crackled with excitement. Bathed in a warm pink spotlight, she resembled a stately, regal beauty from Hawaii's period of monarchy. But at any moment, pahu drums erupted into a thunderous pagan beat, and Haunani's voice poured forth with earthy power and abandon, as she lead her singers and dancers through the fast, exciting rhythms of a wild South Seas hula or old Hawaiian chant.
As if from nowhere, a chorus would materialize behind her, and Haunani would sing a haunting ballad of forsaken love. The listener was intrigued to find that the demure young ladies in the chorus were the same hula maids - Leilani, Keaha, Lupa, Kanani, Kaui, and Lahela - and the fiery solo dancer Mate Ng, who, moments before, were swaying seductively in ti-leaf skirts. The male choristers were the drummers. And directing the group was the graceful, talented Nina Kealiiwahamana, Haunani's close friend, who, like Haunani, was a singing star of the "Hawaii Calls" Radio Show, produced and hosted by the legendary Webley Edwards.
To mainlanders visiting the islands, a trip to the Monarch Room to hear Haunani was a "must-see event." But it is also notable that, every evening, a sizable portion of her audience is made up of Kamaaina - local residents who knew where to find the best in Hawaiian music and, accordingly, return regularly and often to hear Haunani's enchanting voice.
In this album, Haunani performs just as she did on any single evening in the Monarch Room. She sings in many moods and several languages - of moonbeams and starlight, romantic adventure and tropical love, old songs with a thousand good memories, and newer songs with the charm of the tropics in them. And, as the record plays and your hear her singing, she weaves a familiar spell of nostalgic Island enchantment that mainlanders and Hawaiians alike have come to expect from one great entertainer alone - the incomparable HAUNANI!
Click here to listen to an actual recording from this LP using my USB-PC compatible turntable:
Side One - Song 1: Some Enchanted Evening
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