Keola Beamer ties together rich history of famous family

Keola Beamer, one of Hawai‘i’s most prolific singers-composers, is exploring a new form of expression: writing a book, a collection of short stories about his life and others in his famous family.

Keola Beamer just released his self-produced CD “Island Born.”

No wonder; the Beamer ‘ohana is rich with characters past and present, their stories tied together with the songs and music of several generations. And there are a few dark corners to explore, as well.

"I enjoy this method of expression," said Beamer, 50, while sitting for an interview on a Maui morning at a time when he’d normally be writing.

"For me, morning is the most creative time of day," he said. "Before the phone rings. Before the interruptions. I get up at 4, go for a walk. Everything is so lovely. I start my day as the greenery of the world starts to build up, blossom."

These are happy but frantic times for Beamer, who just launched his own record label, ‘Ohe Records, and released "Island Born," a self-produced CD that enabled the veteran entertainer to return to song styles with which he grew up. The album also is nudging Beamer back into the concert limelight; he’s on a state tour, pausing in Honolulu Friday at the Leeward Community College Theatre.

But Beamer is maintaining his ties with Dancing Cat Records, which has included his work in its popular Slack Key Master series, producing for national and local music fans his growing catalogue of ki ho‘alu instrumentals and a few Hawaiian vocals.

"George Winston (owner of Dancing Cat Records) and I have a wonderful relationship going back 20-something years," Beamer said. "I signed with his label in 1990 for six recordings; I’ve done four of them. I’ve always had that option to do outside projects, and ‘Island Born’ is the first.

"George favors the solo slack key presentation. I was kinda feeling the need to branch out and do more things, with friends. Work with other artists. Do more vocals."

Full name: Keola Maikalani Beamer Birth date: Feb. 18, 1951 Birthplace: Honolulu High school: Kamehameha, Class of 1969 College: Goddard College in Plainfield, Va. (attended two years); also, University of Hawai‘i First gig: Territorial Tavern, early ’70s Favorite pastime: Reading a book in the shade of a tree Hit parade: “Honolulu City Lights,” “Mr. Sun Cho Lee” (lyrics only) Notable ’n’ quotable: “There’s no magic in how I write my music. Sometimes, the lyrics come first, sometimes the music. Mostly, I have to apply the ‘okole to chair and stay there.”

The new release, he said, "makes me feel so blessed to be Hawaiian and living in the most beautiful spot on the planet Earth (his home is in Lahaina). I wake up feeling grateful; the first word I utter is ‘mahalo.’ To say thank you, by gosh, for being so fortunate to be Island born. And proud of it."

Winston speaks warmly of his relationship with Beamer. "Keola was the first slack key guitarist I studied, after I heard him in 1974, on his great album, ‘Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar in the Real Old Style,’" Winston said.

He began writing to Beamer and they’ve since become friends.

"Keola creates beautiful arrangements of classic and traditional Hawaiian pieces, and his own originals — both instrumental and vocal pieces — are all in his own unique and evocative style," Winston said. "Keola is one of the great guitarists, arrangers and composers for guitar and for Hawaiian songs."

Beamer is the first son of Hawaiiana expert and kupuna Nona Beamer, a respected resource in Island music, dance, language and life.

He is, or was, half of the duo of Keola and Kapono Beamer, which recorded and popularized the now-classic anthem "Honolulu City Lights," although career differences set them on separate paths years ago.

He is the composer of a string of other Island tunes, including the Honolulu Boy Choir’s signature, "This Is Our Island Home."

He also has been a groundbreaking Island artist on Winston’s Dancing Cat label, personally influencing the musician to shape that label’s mission of recording the wondrous Hawaiian musical artistry in all its forms, from slack key to falsetto singing.

Aching for home

Beamer has been a creative force off stage as well, producing a highly successful Hawaiian revue at the old Maui Surf (now the Westin Maui) before an ownership change halted the show. He and his mother also served as consultants to Maui Myth and Magic for its multimedia "‘Ulalena" show in Lahaina.

"He’s a very creative producer," said Tom Moffatt, a deejay, promoter and recording executive. "If the Maui Surf was not sold, I think the show, the last in which Keola performed, would still be running."

Moffatt’s label was the one that released Beamer’s signature tune, "Honolulu City Lights." "It was one of the most memorable moments," Moffatt said. "We were talking about recording an album with Kapono, when Keola called me and said excitedly, ‘I got a song.’ I went to his home on ‘Alewa Heights and, when I heard it, I knew it was special."

"I loved it when I wrote it, when it was being born," Beamer recalled. "The universality of the theme is what touches most people. It’s that kind of sharing (of emotions) is what makes it all wonderful."

Beamer said that he still aches for home whenever he travels; that was a key element of "Honolulu City Lights," a sentiment shared by most Islanders who leave here, if only for short period.

Beamer finds himself away from home more than he’d like. "Touring is part of my life now," he said. "But travel is hard. What makes it all worthwhile is the deep connection my music has made with the listeners. I am gratified and amazed how the music helps people in a time of need, lifting spirits, comforting when some have been in hospice.

‘Keep the aloha alive’

"It reminds me I have a responsibility in my journey to keep the aloha alive. I’ve now made the change from being the young guitar guy to the more accepted guitar player I am; there is now a certain reverence whenever I arrive on the scene. I guess I am becoming a kupuna, but I don’t feel worthy."

Still, he’s starting to accept that kupuna role as he speaks to his younger students. "There’s the weight of experience that I carry around, as well as the family heritage," he said.

Besides mom Nona’s legacy of music — her "PÂp Hinuhinu" hula has been a longstanding favorite — the family’s riches also include a calabash of songs written by Keola and Kapono’s great grandmother, Helen Desha Beamer, whose compositions include such classics as "Kimo Hula," "Keawaiki," "Kawohikukapulani" and "Lei O Ha‘ena."

Being a Beamer, Beamer said, means chronicling the memories of a Hawaiian-style life in Kamuela, on the Big Island, where the family once lived. "I fondly remember waking up to the aura of family music; sweet ‘ukulele sounds on a Sunday morning, mixed in with the rustle of the Sunday newspaper."

He has been together with Moana, the hula dancer he married a couple of years ago, for 15 years; they have no children. It was his second time at the altar, and he has taken seriously lessons learned in his previous relationship.

"The mistake in my first marriage was that I didn’t include her in a lot of things I did," he said. "The second time around, I vowed to myself to include Moana in whatever I did ,and it’s had a remarkable effect. To enjoy all the things twice as much and being able to share. Oh, we have little fights, but for the most part, traveling and sharing have been important in our relationship."

Bassist John Kolivas, 39, who played bass on "Island Born," first worked with Beamer in 1980 when Keola and Kapono headlined what then was the Ocean Showroom of the Cinerama Reef Hotel (now the Outrigger Reef Hotel). He’s back to providing live bass accompaniment on Beamer’s current CD tour.

Mother an inspiration

"He’s always had strong family times," Kolivas said. "And he’s very organized — something I always knew but learned during the course of recording with him. He’s matured in his playing and his singing; and he’s a lot more relaxed now. He’s not only creative, but the music is emotional to him; it’s all part of his being."

Beamer holds his mother in high regard; the two produced "The Golden Lehua and Other Stories of the Beamer Family," a music-and-storytelling recording released in 1996.

"She is a true Hawaiian. Her inner strength has been an inspiration to me," he said. "Her mysticism, her understanding of Hawaiian culture is far deeper than I can ever aspire. She operates at a higher level of spirituality we all strive for. She’s managing well, experiencing her senior years; at 76, she’s coming into the sunset a little bit. But she’s still feisty, which is a good sign."

In turn, Auntie Nona, who lives in Puna, hops from one of her son’s concerts to the next. "I love his compositions, that dream guitar quality of his," she said, gushing a bit. "His songs have so much sweetness and heart and a lot of honesty. So much spirituality and philosophy, too. And his humor — what a wonderful surprise."

Many generations to thank

Nona said that music has been as natural as breathing in the Beamer household. "We always looked behind us. There are so many generations to thank, to draw from. My grandmother was very kind about answering questions; we would always learn just by asking. I would admonish all kupuna to listen to children and answer questions. It’s very simple when you have answers."

She followed Keola to his Kaua‘i and Hilo gigs last week and will be at his upcoming Maui and Honolulu concerts, too. "I do the opening chant — and a little one at the closing," she said. "But I get to sit and watch the shows, too."

But there are rifts elsewhere in the Beamer ‘ohana that Keola Beamer seldom discusses. Among these is his relationship with his father, Odell Steppe. Because his dad abandoned the family when he was young, Beamer rarely talks about him.

Brother reunion likely

"He left us before my brother was born," he said. "And he’s still alive and living in California. There was such a long period of absence and when we were busy, enjoying early success, we sort of half-heartedly tried to see him. What happened was unfortunate but we have to play that card. For me, it is not a big issue now. When I was a youngster, it was. But I’ve made my peace with him."

Then there’s that cloud surrounding Kapono.

"I would say a reunion is never completely out of the question but highly unlikely," Beamer said. "We’re both just kinda having too much fun (working apart) and people assume something terrible happened. We kinda just got tired of working together. Nothing horrible. Just a change of direction as individuals."

Said Kapono: "We’re really different people now — that story is finished. Promoters keep asking, but we’re two different people now and we rarely speak. But I’m hoping for a reconciliation someday."

But whether or not the two ever take the stage together again, the Beamer name will continue to to be identified with music that expresses the soul of Hawai‘i.

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