Ray Kane: Wa’ahila

Ray Kane is one of the few guitarists who can thank fish for his music. At one time, the art of Hawaiian slack key guitar playing was a closely guarded secret, passed on from generation to generation within families — but not to be shared with outsiders.

Although members of Kane’s family had been noted for their musical abilities, it was through Albert Kawelo, a neighbor on the island of Oahu, that he took up the instrument. A nine-year-old Kane would exchange the fish he’d caught for lessons. That was back in the mid-1930s, and for much of the time since, Kane has continued to play and teach and is regarded as one of the finest exponents, staying true to the style of the earlier part of the last century.

“Wa’ahila” refers to a ridge in Honolulu. It’s also the title of and a tune on his second Dancing Cat Records release — a superb 55-minute showcase for his early approach to playing: a strong repetitive bass line on the first and third beats of each measure, matched by accented notes on the second and fourth beats, resulting a delightful rolling effect. Slack key playing captures the sounds and sights of the world at large and Kane is a natural at doing this — the rolling waves, rippling and falling waters, gentle breezes, images of these and more tumble from his guitar.

The album opens with “Keiki Slack Key”. “Keiki” is the Hawaiian word for “child” and the tune recreates an occasion where Kane had seen youngsters at play on the beach. Other tunes are inspired by surfing, canoes, volcanoes, and sunsets.

Nine of the 14 tracks are songs, two featuring his wife, Elodia. The first of these is “Aloha Ka Manini”, a tribute to fish and poi (a sacred Hawaiian food). The arrangement is simple and effective — Ray sings to his own guitar accompaniment while Elodia gently adds color by singing softly in unison. They complement each other to perfection.

The second piece, a duet, might seem a strange choice in that it is one of those Hawaiian songs people love to parody — “Ke Kali Nei Au” (better known in English as “The Hawaiian Wedding Song”). But it should be heard before being dismissed. Kane strums guitar — cool jazz — punctuated by slides and dramatic rolls. And the interplay in the vocals needs to be heard to be believed — his lead with her harmony; the baritone set on the soprano; the echoing of phrases. The song brought them together as a couple and obviously still means much to them.

Ray Kane was in his 70’s when the album was released, and although his voice is no longer at its peak, he has such depth, expression and style, that it’s hard to find any faults in the vocals. Particularly outstanding is “Hilo E”, a song about Hilo on the Big Island. His half-whisper approach is colorful and enticing. Even without knowing the language, you begin to understand the attraction of the place.

Almost inevitably, there is a version of the classic “Hi’ilawe”, strongly influenced by Gabby Pahinui who first popularized the song half a century ago. Perhaps the greatest strength of the song is the fact that so many people can play it today and can still sound fresh, exciting and innovative — this certainly applies to Kane.

Kane adds variety to the sound of the guitar by occasionally bringing in percussive effects to his playing and by using a number of different tunings. Although he favors G Major (Taro Patch) on most of the album, he also plays one song in standard tuning, one in G Wahine, one in C Wahine and two in A Mauna Loa. (Delightful names, perhaps, but each has its own character and dictates the approach to the music). The Mauna Loa tracks are particularly interesting, as the strings, instead of being slackened are actually raised a half note to the key of B flat, resulting in a sparkling effect.

Before releasing this album, Dancing Cat issued another solo album, Punahele. The label has plans for a third. The first two certainly give you the opportunity of listening to a master at work. Ray Kane’s approach to singing and playing ki ho’alu (slack key guitar) is entertaining and deserves attention. Now I’m looking forward to the next release.