Post #3317 by woofmutt on Thu, Jul 4, 2002 1:52 PM

In George S. Kanahele's "Hawaiian Music and Musicians" I came across information about the "Hawaii Calls" radio show. As it's been mentioned here before in discussions of music and the information didn't seem to be anywhere Google could find it I summarized and transcribed for your enlightenment. The text below is taken from the book, except parenthesis. (If you're not familiar with "Hawaii Calls"...It was a weekly Hawaiian music radio show broadcast live from Hawaii, that's detailed below. The show is most known to the likes of us for the numerous albums it put out which can be found at junk shops, etc. The albums usually feature a mix of various "Hawaii Calls" regulars. Albums that are most easily found generally have that mid-century Hawaiian sound, sort of slicked up traditional. It's excellent music for the Tiki bar or backyard luau. The albums are worth picking up if your find them, or check out what's available on CD at hawaiicalls.com)

Webley Edwards got the idea for ("Hawaii Calls") while meeting in San Francisco with a group of radio executives in 1935. They had been listening to a broadcast of a group of musicians...playing what was purported to be Hawaiian music. Edwards remarked that the music was "Jazzed up" and not truly island music. When one of the group asked if Edwards could send them some genuine Hawaiian music, direct from the islands, he agreed and was offered a two-week trial period and the use of the groups' local 20 sation network.

Edwards returned to Honolulu (and) on the afternoon of Saturday July 3, 1935, under the banyan tree in the courtyard of the Moana Hotel, the first "Hawaii Calls" program was beamed to the West Coast via shortwave.

No commercials were associated with the program, Edwards had to seek financial support from other sources. Since "Hawaii Calls" was promoting Hawaii as a tourist destination, Edwards went to the Territorial Legislature for support...A bill was introduced in 1936 providing $30,000 annually for the program. When the subsidy was terminated in 1972 it (was) $115,000.

For Edwards, the object was to present live Hawaiian music performed by island musicians in an island setting. To achieve a sense of spontaneity, as he once put it, "We rehearsed to sound unrehearsed." He insisted that a certain percentage of English language or hapa haole songs be sung on the program.

A problem Edwards encountered early on was finding enough songs to sing. His solution- a search for new music- led ultimately to his amassing the world's largest collection of Hawaiian music. In 1937...He had 100 songs...In 1965 he had more than 3000. Several hit songs made their debuts on the program, among them "Lovely Hula Hands","Beyond the Reef", and "Sweet Leilani".

Edwards...Described the purpose of "Hawaii Calls":"to give an accurate, faithful, and authentic presentation of the music of the islands." (But) Edwards and the whole "Hawaii Calls" program were criticized for not being authentic enough. Among the severest critics was (traditional Hawaiian music composer) Charles E. King who accused Edwards...Of "murdering" Hawaiian music. He protested the "pepping up" of songs that were meant to be sung in their original slower tempos. In later years "Hawaii Calls" music was often described as too slow and old fashioned.

The last years of "Hawaii Calls" were traumatic. Webley Edwards suffered a crippling heart attack in 1972. He had hoped to (continue producing the show) but already 70 years of age and unable to speak he relinquished all ties with the program. (Later that year) the Hawaii Visitors Bureau disclosed that it was ending its financial support of "Hawaii Calls". (Attempst to find other support for the show and to launch a "Hawii Calls" TV show failed). On August 16, 1975, program number 2083 was broadcast from the Cinerama Reef Hotel in Waikiki. It was the last.

At its peak in 1952 "Hawaii Calls" was broadcast on 750 stations (around the world). When the last program was given, only 9 stations plus the (Hawaiian) KCCN aired the broadcast. (Webley Edwards died in 1975.)

(The sounds of the surf heard at the beginning of "Hawaii Calls"...And on some of the "Hawaii Calls" records...originated when people wrote the show after its first broadcasts claiming they could hear the waves at Waikiki.) What they actually heard was the alternating characteristics of shortwave radio. So a microphone was placed near the water to pick up the real ocean waves, which were then blended with the soft melody of David Kelii's steel guitar.

[ Edited by: woofmutt on 2002-07-04 14:01 ]

[ Edited by: woofmutt on 2002-07-06 03:36 ]