 Uncle
Richard Ho'opi'i is one of Hawai'i's most beloved singers. Best
known as one half of the popular Maui duo, The Ho'opi'i Brothers, he
has been practicing the traditional Hawaiian art of leo ki'eki'e
(falsetto) for most of his life. He and his brother, Solomon (his
life-long singing partner) were recipients of the prestigious National
Endowment of the Arts Folk Heritage Fellowship, America's highest
honor for traditional artists.
Born in the tiny village of Kahakuloa, on Maui's remote Northwest
coast, Uncle Richard grew up immersed in the rural Hawaiian lifestyle
of family, church, taro farming, fishing, and homemade entertainment.
There was no TV, not even much radio, so everyone in the village
helped make the music. "That's what we still do in Kahakuloa every
day," Richard says. "Fame comes and goes, but the music of the village
is always here with us in our hearts and in our memories."
As a child, Richard sang while doing his chores, at church and at
school. "It just came naturally," he says, "You didn't have to think
about it, you just did it." As a teenager, Richard was invited to join
the All Maui Choir, under the direction of the legendary Royal
Hawaiian Band singer Alice Johnson. Slack key guitarist Sonny
Chillingworth provided valuable professional experience by
inviting young Richard to perform with his band on occasion. Kumu hula
also enlisted his aid on a regular basis. "What an honor," he says. "I
wish all the mo'opuna (grandchildren) could get the kind of
opportunities brother Sol and I had growing up. Aunty Alice,
Aunty Emma Sharpe, Uncle Sonny, Aunty Genoa Keawe,
our mom and dad, brothers and sisters. They taught us so much more
than music; it was a whole way of living.
In 1968, Richard and his brother Sol started their own group, The
Ho'onanea Serenaders, which after several years became known as The
Ho'opi'i Brothers. Together they recorded seven albums and performed
widely. Whether at a folk festival in France, a classroom visit to
Kaua'i or a church ho'ike back home on Maui, the feeling and
the focus of the brothers has always remained the same. "We're just
people, the same as anyone else," says Richard. "We're country people,
maka'ainana; family people trying to pass on to our kamali'i
and mo'opuna the culture we knew in the village growing up.".
A 1997 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Folk Heritage
Fellowship, America's highest honor for traditional artists, Uncle
Richard knows that, like all Hawaiian artists, he maintains a rich
cultural legacy. "When you sing Hawaiian music you're not just singing
for yourself," he says. "You're representing the kupuna, who
have guided and inspired you, and all the musicians that came before
and will come after. That's why it's so important to do your best; not
to show off, but to share what the kupuna and Ke Akua
have shared with you."
In the year 2000, Uncle Sol retired from full time performing for
health reasons and to devote more time to his church work. A deacon in
the Kahakuloa Hawaiian church, Uncle Richard also considered retiring
at this point, but his work as a Maui County culture specialist and
the encouragement of family and friends convinced him that he still
has more to share.
Released in 2003, his CD "Ululani" represented a new
journey for Richard as a solo artist. For his first solo project,
Uncle Richard wanted to record a mixture of favorite songs from his
hometown of Kahakuloa on Maui, performed in the old way. The recording
showcases his unique style of singing and firmly establishes Uncle
Richard as a individual performer.
Richard is featured on our compilation CD:
Legends of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar -Live from Maui
which was honored
with the 49th Annual
GRAMMY Award for Best Hawaiian Music Album.
Richard is again featured on our newest compilation CD:
Treasures of Hawaiian Slack Key
Guitar (Daniel Ho Records) which just won
the 50th Annual
GRAMMY Award for Best Hawaiian Music Album.
Uncle Richard last performed in The Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key
Guitar Concert Series at the Napili Kai Beach Resort, Maui on
April 30, 2008.
(Richard previously performed in this concert series on January 2,
2008.
Prior to that, he performed in this series at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua,
Maui on
April 18, 2007, before that on June 28 and March 1, in 2006 and before that, October 5 and July 12,
in 2005, and in 2004 on December 21, August
24, June 15, April 27 and January 13.)
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