I just got back from Waikiki, and you can’t come away from there not hearing about Duke Kahanamoku. There’s a big statue of him there next to the beach. He was a legendary surfer from the early 20th century. Maybe the most famous surfer ever. Anyway,  while I was there I found a Sol Hoopii record on ebay with a  song about Duke that I didn’t know existed! What Luck! So I’ll share that with you below (as well as the B side of that record and another record I bought from the same seller).

Incidentally, no one there seemed to know Sol Hoopii or play his style of music there at all. No compilations at the record shops. No bands (that I saw down in the tourist areas anyway) playing Hot jazz at all. I wish there were more bands at the hotels etc playing 1930s style hawaiian music rather than the newer easy-listening singer-songwriter style… maybe that’s just what the tourists want now. Well, EXCEPT I did find a great radio show, Territorial Airwaves, that does play a LOT of the great old historical Hawaiian music from the 78 era. You can listen to Territorial Airwaves online from anywhere at anytime here! (it’s also broadcast on all Hawaiian Airlines flights). They did a whole show about Sol Hoopii (where he played the Duke Kahanamoku track and gave a little more context than I have here) and released a nice collection of his music on CD a while back which you should buy. It contains a very nice biography of Sol in it.

So here’s 2 78 records from Sol Hoopii and His Novelty Quartet:

Duke Kahanamoku

Opelu (Feast Song)

Orange Grove In California

Ten Tiny Toes – One Baby Nose (That’s all I’m Living For)

Here’s a couple very nice Sol Ho’opi’i records on Brunswick. I Like You is probably Sol Ho’opi’i’s most famous record.

I Like You b/w Drifting and Dreaming (Brunswick 6787) 1933

Don’t Stop Loving Me b/w An Orange Grove in California (Brunswick 6752) 1933

Also Here is a video of my cat Tiny listening to An Orange Grove in California played on my windup RCA Victrola

Another oldie from Sol Ho’opi’i and His Novelty Quartet

 Kolo Pa  b/w My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua Hawaii

Brunswick 6704, 1933

This old Brunswick record sounds quite different played on my 1920s RCA Victor suitcase phonograph. You lose some low bass but you also lose a lot of the hiss. check out both versions here (first electrical modern turntable, second acoustic phonograph):

Seems to be a Hawaiian take on Back In Hackensack, New Jersey. Which I’ll upload here for comparison. This version is by Benson Orchestra Of Chicago. (from the compilation Dancing The Devil Away – 1920’s Dance Bands Vol. 2 – released By Stephen Worth a few years ago.. but it doesn’t seem to be available anymore..)

Back In Hackensack, New Jersey

Sol Hoopii and His Novelty Quartette perform King Kamehameha b/w The Lei Vendor

1934, 78rpm  record, Brunswick #6873, (160), (112)

Sol Hoopii is my favorite artist from this period. This record is rather worn.. but this is a nice couple tracks that don’t appear on any compilations I know of.