Kona Kitchen, a Hawaiian style restaurant in North Seattle, hosts a once a month kanikapila — or jam session. It’s at a funny time of day — nine to noon, that’s right, in the morning — but there’s still a decent showing. Yesterday morning (September 12) there were 12 or 16 musicians there. There were a few guitars, a bass, a lap steel and a couple of ukuleles.
The folks who show up at Kona Kitchen play a lot of traditional tunes or songs written in Native Hawaiian. I like to go because I can’t really read along with the words so I have to listen to figure out the patterns in the music. Most of the tunes are fairly simple three chord numbers, easy enough to strum along to once you’ve got the key and can hear the changes. I lurk on the edges, look over shoulders at music books, or try to train an eye on some other uke player’s fingers in order to keep up, but I never even pretend to sing along, no can do.
I went hunting for some kind of etiquette advice about what, exactly, you’re supposed to do as the newbie at the jam, but not much turned up. Maybe there’s a song book that everyone uses, maybe now and then everyone goes rogue. Maybe there’s a leader or maybe it’s just the player that starts the song. Maybe they ask the new kid what she wants to play — that song about the seaweed, what’s it called? — or maybe you have to shout something out. Maybe you need to throw in a couple of bucks or maybe it’s just a show up and play thing. Eyes and ears open, that seems to be the trick. Oh, and tuning up. That’s good too.
I’ve yet to attend a kanikapila in the islands — but a little judicious searching turns up this event in Kona. The Ukulele Underground has a regional get together section on the forum. Kona Web has a calendar that includes some jam listings if you’re on the Big Island. Honolulu on the Cheap mentions uke lessons at the Windward Mall this fall. I couldn’t find a definitive resource — I’d probably just ask at the nearest music store — that’d be a real music store, not a place selling cheap lacquer souvenir ukes — to find out if there’s a jam where outsiders are welcome.
I walked away from the Saturday morning jam with the tune from Ipo Lei Momi stuck in my head. There are worse ways to preoccupy your brain than filling it with a racy little Hawaiian song.
Pam, I think your music store suggestion is spot on.
Konabob probably has this up on Konaweb, but we’ve spent some wonderful evenings with the Mele ‘Ohana group. They used to meet in Sam Rosen’s garage in Holualoa, but have since moved to the Keauhou Shopping Center (Weds nights, 6-8 pm). They typically use “the blue book” (He Mele Aloha; it’s on Amazon), plus invite participants to bring songs/music to share with the group (most often hapa haole). They’ll typically work their way around the circle, giving each player a chance to choose a song, though no pressure if the player doesn’t know. Visitors are always welcome, as are observers. All levels welcome.
The Abrigo ‘Ohana also has an open monthly kani ka pila in Haleiwa on O‘ahu, though I’ve not been to that one.
I hope that you’ll manage to get to a kani ka pila in the islands someday — it’s great fun, and a wonderful way to meet some lovely people.