Mama Loa Danced with The Ray Kinney Orchestra and his "Aloha Maids"

                      
 Mama Loa Danced with The Ray Kinney Orchestra.  She was one of his "Aloha Maids."  Several photos of her are featured on album covers and promotional material.

Ray Kinney

(1900-1972)

Ray Kinney enjoyed 57 active years as a singer, composer, recording artist, troubadour, radio and stage performer, orchestra leader and emcee. The impact of his popularization of Hawaiian music, particularly on the U.S. mainland, was immeasurable.

Born in Hilo, of Irish-Hawaiian parents, Ray's musical destiny was predictable early. At fifteen he was a skilled `ukulele player and sang a fine tenor. He was sent to high school in Salt Lake City, along with his six older brothers; his Irish father wanted his sons to be as well-read and educated as he was. It wasn't long before the brothers formed a band and toured the Rocky Mountain States.

In 1920, on the death of his Hawaiian mother, Ray returned to the Islands and to his deeply rooted love for his Hawaiian heritage. Ray Kinney's reputation as a singer gained public attention when Charles E. King selected him as part of the cast of King's opera "Prince of Hawai`i" in 1925. He was chosen to play the lead when the opera toured California in 1926. The path to stardom began.

In 1928 Ray was chosen by band leader Johnny Noble as one of three entertainers to promote Hawai`i as a visitor destination via an hour-long national radio show originating at station KPO in San Francisico. In the same year, Brunswick Record Company contracted Noble, with Ray Kinney as one of the singers, to record 110 singles. All are collectors' items today.

In 1934 singer Kinney joined Harry Owens for his orchestra's opening at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Owens had learned of Ray's talents and had no trouble locating Ray at a Taro factory day job because Ray sang all day while he was working. Owens hired him on the spot.

Ray appeared on the first broadcast of Webley Edwards' "Hawai`i Calls" radio show in 1935, and continued to perform there for many years. In 1936, he was singled out by Decca Records as vocalist with Johnny Noble, to provide a series of Hawaiian records. It sold so well that the contractual relationship lasted for four years resulting in "phenomenal" sales for the record company.

National recognition for Ray Kinney began in 1928 when he went on tour, first to New York, then, for eleven months at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. His reputation as a singer - a "high tenor" with a vocal register that ranged from bass to falsetto with ease - skyrocketed with his four year record of continuous performance in the Hawaiian Room of New York's Hotel Lexington, from 1938 to 1942.

The "Hawaiian boy with an Irish name" scored higher than Rudy Vallee and Guy Lombardo in a popularity poll of American singers taken in New York in 1938. Because of his early training in Hawaiian, he knew the language well and was one of the few Hawaiian singers on the U.S. mainland who took great pains to articulate each sound of the Hawaiian text. During this same period, Ray and his "Aloha Maids" also performed in the Olsen and Johnson Broadway revue "Hellzapoppin'". It was the first time a Hawaiian entertainer had been in a major Broadway production.

Ray Kinney returned briefly to Hawai`i in 1940, discovered Alfred Apaka, and hired him as his vocalist at New York's Lexington Hotel "Hawai`i Room". During WWII, he toured 157 military bases and clubs, and was a favorite of audience members from Hawai`i's 442nd . Unwavering in his support of new Hawaiian talent, leader Kinney took Eddie Kamae with him on tour in 1949, adding him to his Royal Hawaiian Hotel orchestra in 1959.

At the age of 65 when he signed his last contract with RCA, Ray Kinney called it "somewhat of a miracle" that his recording career stretched over nearly forty years, unmatched at the time by any other Hawaiian singer. By his own count, he had made over 598 record sides.

In addition, he had composed many songs, and had a flair for writing English lyrics to old Hawaiian tunes. His trademark song, "Across the Sea", written when he was a young man, was his very first composition. Other well known and still popular songs he wrote are "Not Pau", "Hawaiian Hospitality", "Island Serenade", Kalapaki Bay", "Ululani", and "Leimana."

Ray Kinney was charismatic, and a born musician, dedicated to presenting the music of his Hawai`i. He sang in Hawai`i's best hotels until he died early in 1972, still in possession of the beautiful tenor voice and unique falsetto styling that imprinted Hawaiian music in the United States for all time.

Sources: "Hawaiian Music and Musicians", the Kinney family, and Harry B. Soria, Jr., Hall of Fame Advisory Board archivist

Ray Kinney

Biography  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Kinney was born in Hilo, Hawaii to Irish-Hawaiian parents William & Pilialoha Kinney. At age 15 he and his six brothers were sent to school in Salt Lake City, Utah. Already skilled on the ukulele and with a fine tenor voice, Ray and his brothers formed their own band and began touring the western US. He returned to Hawaii in 1920 upon the death of his mother. Early career Ray was cast in 1925 as the lead in the opera "Prince of Hawaii" by noted Hawai'ian composer Charles E. King. The opera began touring in California in 1926. In 1928 bandleader Johnny Noble chose Kinney among others to appear on his radio show. The show originated from station KPO in San Francisco and was basically an hour long promotion for Hawai'ian tourism. Later that year Brunswick Records signed Noble, with Kinney as one of the singers, to a contract that resulted in 110 singles being issued. Those 78s and the show helped introduce and popularize Hawaiian music in the US mainland and lead to a national tour and then an 11 month engagement at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.. While working in a Taro factory in 1934, Kinney was approached by bandleader Harry Owens to join his orchestra for their opening at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Ray appeared on the premiere broadcast of Webley Edwards' "Hawaii Calls" radio show from the Moana Hotel in July 1935. He regularly appeared on the show for a number of years. Decca Records signed Johnny Noble and His Orchestra, with Kinney as vocalist, to a contract in 1936. The "phenomenal" sales results kept them under contract for four years. Kinney became the first Hawai'ian entertainer to be in a major Broadway production when he and the "Aloha Maids" were cast in the Olsen and Johnson Broadway revue "Hellzapoppin'" in September 1938. The show lasted 1,404 performances and ran until December 1941. 1938 also saw Kinney beat out the likes of RudyVallee and Guy Lombardo in a New York popularity poll of American singers as well as begin a four year stint in the "Hawaiian Room" of New York's Hotel Lexington leading his own orchestra. Alfred Apaka was hired by Kinney in 1940 as his vocalist at the "Hawaiian Room" and was featured on several Kinney recordings.  Kinney's 1941 musical short "Ana Lani"  is frequently mixed up with the 1947 "Hawaiian Hula Song". During the war years, Kinney toured 157 military bases and clubs becoming a favorite of Hawaii's 442nd Regiment. The end of the war saw Kinney return to Hawaii and join Don McDiamid's Orchestra performing at the Kewalo Inn as vocalist and bass fiddle player. In 1949, Kinney discovered Eddie Kanae and took him on tour and finally, in 1959, adding Kamae to the "Royal Hawaiian Hotel Orchestra".  Kinney also composed many songs during his career including "Across the Sea", "Not Pau","Hawaiian Hospitality", "Maile Lau Li`ili`i", "Island Serenade", "Kalapaki Bay", "Ululani", and "Leimana." Later career Ray signed his last recording contract at age 65 with RCA.  Kinney noted it was "somewhat of a miracle" that his recording career had lasted nearly forty years and almost 600 songs. Ray Kinney died on February 1, 1972 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Awards and recognition 2002 Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame Honoree

Mama Loa in Washington DC

Greetings from the Land of Aloha Lisa!

 Just saw your blog and learned of Mama Loa's passing from your writings. I didn't know very much about Mama, though I met her and took this photo of her and one of her daughters at the traveling Vietnam Wall Memorial at the State Capital many years ago. I was also privileged to visit her home and family in Laie, but I really didn't know much of her professional side, but I sure could feel her mana! Love exuded with radiant joy from her.

This first photo also show Dr. Rex Wiegel on crutches, whom I also met that same day. Before I met either of them "officially", I took these two photos. The second one shows Mama Loa offering Rex a flower lei ~ and in the background there is a little boy running! Dr. Rex lost his leg nineteen days before leaving Vietnam. Rex and I visited Mama Loa's house together, must've been in the late 80's / early 90's. Don't remember exactly when. When I took this first picture, I was so surprised to learn that she was a mother of 7! (I just read her obituary and it said 10 children ~ guess I was just short by 3) And her daughter was so lovely as well!

At any rate, looks like Mama Loa brought us together tonight so I just wanted to share these beauty full images of her and her Infinite Presence.  I just returned to the islands in January of '09 after a nearly 10 year absence. Originally moved here in January of '84.

I felt so blessed to know her, even as briefly yet totally merged in spirit. I would love to know more of her and look forward to hearing from you someday in the future. I have a very busy schedule through next Wednesday the 15th, but after that would love to speak on the phone or e-mail anytime before is fine. Please let me know you got these pics and let's be in touch. Do you know her family? Would love to get these pics to them.

With the Spirit and Mana of Mama Loa,

With warm Aloha,

Gail Gail Ellingsong

Always Dancing: A Story about Mama Loa, by Keoni Montes

I was invited to a "special Hawaiian show" for some local dignitaries, at one of Hawaii's cruise ships which was anchored at the Aloha Tower dock. I will not mention the name of the lady who invited me, she is quite well known.

I asked her if I could bring a couple of guests, my wife and Mama Loa. I was given the O.K. When we arrived at the entrance to the ships showroom, there was quite a crowd waiting.

After waiting a few moments, Mama Loa was getting impatient. She told the doorman that she wanted to enter and get a seat as her legs were hurting. She was told that she would have to wait along with the rest of us.

She replied, "You impertinent whipper snapper, do you know I am Hawaiian Royalty! How dare you ask me to wait!" She was quite loud and threatening, I guess, for the doorman ushered us in to calm her down. We were escorted to a table right in front of the stage. The show began, the Hula dancers were great, I could see Mama Loa was enjoying herself.

Then, my friend, the "star of the show" came out and began her special solo number. Right in the middle of her number, Mama Loa arose and began to dance next to "the star". My jaw dropped, the star's jaw dropped but remained calm and performed the rest of her number. I turned red and was expecting my friend to reprimand me, but, she never mentioned the incident. Lucky for me she showed real class. By the way, the crowd loved it, I guess they thought it was part of the show. There was great applause. To this day I laugh at the thought of this surprise. This lovely lady was awesome, I miss her.

Mahalo, Keoni Montes

Thanks for sharing this story, Keoni! Oh, she was so amazing, and full of spunk and class. I miss her too. She taught me to dance the hula. We used to spend hours on the beach dancing, and one time, she showed me how she could make it rain!

All the best,

Lisa

A Beautiful Painting of Hawaii's Mama Loa by Keoni Montes

Ms. Jeffery,
Thoroughly enjoyed reading you blog on Mama Loa. I thought I knew her well, she never mentioned her early adventures to me. Attached is a portrait I painted of her. What a charmer she was!

Mahalo for a great blog!
Aloha, Keoni Montes

Portrait of Hawaii's Mama Loa

Important Links for Hawaii's Mama Loa

A lot of photographs of Mama Loa are featured in this youtube video. She was very young in these photos!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoXY1UfokTk


(She was a dancer in three movies)
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0530823/filmotype

More background:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0530823/bio

Obituary, information about her grave and more photos:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=47804714

Leilani Kalaeloa Mitchell (1922-2009)

'Mama Loa' Gave Isles Iconic Memories
By Mary Adamski Apr 17, 2009
Article from the Honolulu Star Buletin

As young women, Leilani Kalaeloa Mitchell and her sisters were models for artist John Melville Kelly, whose 1940s paintings captured a romantic vision of old Hawaii still seen in prints and posters of his work.

Mitchell invoked the vision of old Hawaii when, in her mature years, she testified frequently at government public hearings and community meetings. Widely known as "Mama Loa," she scolded lawmakers for plans that would change the traditional landscape of Hawaii. Claiming alii lineage, she talked about native Hawaiian values and land rights in the 1960s and 1970s before sovereignty became a movement.

"She was an activist before most people were activists," said son Charles Kaui Amsterdam. "She was a pioneer in the advancement of the Hawaiian kingdom."
Mitchell, 86, died Saturday on Oahu.

She was a singer and dancer in post-World War II Waikiki and performed with the Ray Kinney Orchestra in New York. She strung and sold flower leis on Kalakaua Avenue for many years.

She had a chance to relive the past in 2005 when several images of her, including Kelly's famous painting "Lei Maker," were displayed in a retrospective show of his art at the Honolulu Academy of Arts.

Amsterdam said she was active in campaigns to save the Royal Hawaiian Hotel from demolition more than 30 years ago and to preserve the Waikiki Natatorium, a World War I memorial.

"Anything traditional she wanted to save," said her son. "She embodied the song of old Hawaii."

She was born in Hilo. The family gave her full name as Leilani Hiaa Kalaeloa Kaluhiokalani Kalakauaehu. She was the mother of 10 children. She is survived by sons Charles Kaui Amsterdam and Kauka Nui Loa Price; daughters Leilehua Lani Kane, Kapiolani, Naomi, Esther Louise Apuakehau Garbutt and Carol Ann Mitchell; 23 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Tabernacle, 1560 S. Beretania St. Honolulu, Hawaii. Contributions may be made to the Mama Loa Foundation, 1415 Pensacola St., Apartment 12, Honolulu 96822.