ALOHA OE: NEW UKULELE FRIENDS

This is an early group we had back in  the spring when we tried to be getting together. We had a lot of fun but the camera didn't cooperate and the group was missing many familiar faces as a reluctance of members to challenge Covid, and rightly so. This kept up off and on depending on what the status of |Covid19 was until the last morning we had only three turn up. As a result  we shut down for the summer which was not unusual  except the year of the PWC reunion  we always took the summer off and returned in early October. It is our hope we will be able to get back again in late September or early October this year.

But two weeks ago we had an email from a lady in Los Angeles who asked if she and her husband could drop in to one of our jams and play along with us as they were coning to the Island for four or five days the following week. After much discussion there didn't seem to be a way to put anything together, so I offered to pick them up some evening and bring them to the house along with Kelly and Dennis, who she also included in her letter. A response from her  Lydia) told us they would be in Montague area, so such an adventure was probably not going to  take place and we were on and off on getting together all week until Thursday, Kelly came up with the idea of meeting them when they were on their way to the airport on Friday, at The Lucky Bean. in Stratford for coffee. Kelly's suggestion couldn't have worked out better. 

                                                   DANIEL HO   and KELLY GALLOWAY

Daniel and Lydia Ho were their names and most of you ukulele players will recognize Daniel as one of Hawaii's foremost ukulele/guitar/piano  players. He has just designed a most beautiful Tenor Ukulele recently as well as a baritone size guitar, both in hand when they arrived. They are being hand crafted by Pepe Romero and they have a gorgeous sound. We didn't ask the price! I first "ran into" Daniel when we were adding Aloha Oe to our repertoire, DaNIEL PLAYED BEAUTIFULLY AND TIA CARRERE sang       beautifully in several You Tube videos. Look It UP!

Daniel and Lydia were accompanied by their Island hosts that I had a hard time picking up their names but I will refer to them as CK and KC. So in the above photo is Dennis, CK and KC, Daniel Ho, Kelly  and Daniel's wife Lydia Miyashiro -Ho. We spent a wonderful hour with them and of course Daniel demonstrated his instruments, then we all played together,Black Rum and Bueberry pie. Daniel gave the three of us a copy of his latest CD which I imagine Kelly will bring along to the next SMUG. 

Their hosts live and work in Brudenell, and both are involved with music and we might expect to see them at   SMUG or BUGS sometime soon. Daniel and Lydia really enjoyed their week on PEI and they feel they will be returning! TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DANIEL VISIT HIS WEBSITE, DANIELHO.COM AND SEE WHAT A VERSATILE MUSICIAN HE IS