Kanikapila: to gather together and. play music.
I grew up around music from the day I was born. Mom worked at Dole Cannery and played music on weekends. She woulld play what was called back then "casual jobs". She was known for her guitar accompaintments and harmonizing. During her 80 years, she played with such notables as Auntie Genoa Keawe, Johnny Almeida and Auntie Ida Keli'i Chun.
Aunty Pua, my mom's twin sister, Uncle Benny Rogers, Myra English, and many others. Sunday jams at Steamboat's in Waikik to Pohaku's on Nimitz, she played them all. No venue was too small or too large for her. She divorced my dad in 1965, after I joined the Army in 1964. Then she went to work at HPD in records. She sent me a picture of her and Tom Selleck when he registered his firearm. Everybody in the office took a picture with him. She also had a job promoting tourism for Hawaiian Air Lines. She traveled the world, and would send me pictures and knick knacks from what ever country she was in.
My most cherished memento was of her holding a koala in Australia during one of her trips. The keepers were surprised that the koala took to mom so quickly. They say that animals can sense what your heart holds, and mom's was always full of aloha, friend or foe alike. She loved our lord and God, and no matter where she was at, at midnight on 31 Dec she would find a closet to pray in. When she had a weekend off, we'd go to tutu's and spend the weekend with her. I learned to play the uke when I was 6, and picked up the guitar, mom's forte, when I was 8.
I learned by watching her and her fellow musicians when they jammed at home or at a club. We'd sit at a piano and sing christian songs, mixed with popular music and I'd try and accompany her on the guitar. She'd tell me what key to play, C, F, 2nd C., the only chords I knew then. She last play with She last played and recorded an album with Kimo Alama Keaulana.
Just before Thanksgiving, I got news from her only living sister, Aunty Maizelette, that my mom only had a short time left as cancer was spreading. 1st week in Dec 2005, I flew back home from Ohio, to be with her. Being the only child she ever born, I wanted to be with her. Between Jan 06 and her passing, I flew back to Ohio a couple times. Her housemate, Jimmy, wasn't doing too good either at the time. I would stay at my cousin Nalani's home in Kaneohe and drove every morning to Kalihi where mom lived. I'd take her to all her medical appts and to She was a member of Halau 'O Wahiika'ahu'ula.
She had all her final wishes taken care of, from the funeral to the burial. She is buried next to Aunty Pua, her twin sister, at Hawaiian Memorial Park. Two of my 4 four sons flew over for her funeral. I often play and sing Mapu Mau Ke'ala in memory of her and her lingering fragrance. I also play and sing a lot of the old hawaiian meles I learned growing up.
About Author
Born and raised in Honolulu in 1945, and now retired and residing in Ohio since 1985. My 2nd wife of 26 years and I live in Huber Hts, Ohio.
