:John Kameaaloha Almeida

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = John Kameaaloha Almeida

| image = John Kameaaloha Almeida.jpg

| caption =

| image_size =

| birth_name = John Celestino Almeida Jr.

| alias = Johnny Kameaaloha Almeida

| birth_date = {{birth date|1897|11|28|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Pauoa Valley, Oahu, Republic of Hawaii

| death_date = {{death date and age|mf=yes|1985|10|09|1897|11|28}}

| death_place = Honolulu, Hawaii

| origin =

| instrument = Vocals, ukulele, mandolin, guitar, steel guitar, violin, banjo, bass saxophone, piano

| genre = Hawaiian

| occupation = Singer, musician

| years_active = 1901–1985

| label = Brunswick Records
Hawaiian Transcription Productions
49th State Records
Waikiki Records
Hana Ola

| associated_acts =

| website =

| current_members =

| past_members =

}}

John Kameaaloha Almeida (November 28, 1897 – October 9, 1985) was a blind musician and songwriter from Oahu, Hawaii.

His 1930s radio program on Hawaii radio station KGU earned him the sobriquet "The Dean of Hawaiian Music".{{Cite web | title=John Kameaaloha Almeida | publisher=Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame | url=http://www.digitaldna.co.jp/hawaiianmusichalloffame/hmhof/honorees/1998/almeida.htmll | access-date=May 16, 2010 | archive-date=February 19, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219180026/http://www.digitaldna.co.jp/hawaiianmusichalloffame/hmhof/honorees/1998/almeida.html | url-status=dead }} Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame By the time of his death he had composed hundreds of meles that have today become Hawaiian music standards.

Family life

Almeida was born John Celestino Almeida Jr. in the Pauoa Valley on the island of Oʻahu in the then-Republic of Hawaii. His father was Portuguese contract laborer John Celestino Almeida Sr.; his mother was Honolulu lei seller Julia Kamaka Almeida. On December 25, 1900, John's sister Annie was born. John Sr. soon deserted the family and returned to Portugal. Julia and the children moved to Wai'anae, where they eventually moved in with Paulo Kameaaloha, who became hānai father to both children.{{Cite web | title=Hanai Relationships | publisher= Hawaiian Roots| url=http://www.hawaiian-roots.com/researchproblems2.htm | access-date=May 16, 2010}} Hānai is the Hawaiian tradition of fostering, or unofficial adoption, where one family gives a child to another family to raise.{{cite news |title=Native blood and custom clash |last=Staton |first=Ron |newspaper=Honolulu Star Bulletin |date=August 24, 2003 |url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/2003/08/24/news/story5.html}} John carried his hānai name Kameaaloha for the rest of his life, becoming John Kameaaloha Almeida. Paulo and Julia added sister Martha to the family in 1904. Conversations in the Kameaaloha home were held exclusively in Hawaiian, giving young Johnny the advantage of being bilingual at an early age.

Around the time of his birth his mother was gathering the maile shrub for making leis, she did not have time to wash off the poisonous sap which led to his early blindness. As Johnny's vision worsened, his musical ability grew with his accomplishments on his beloved 'ukulele, which he discovered at the age of four. By then, he was already active in church choir. Paulo taught Johnny ancient chants and traditional songs. John was totally blind by the age of 10. His mother's doctor diagnosed the "probable" cause as maile sap on her hands at the time of John's birth. Advances over the past century in knowledge of childhood vision loss indicate a more likely cause to be congenital blindness.{{Cite web | title=Johnny Almeida | author=Soria Jr, Harry B | publisher=Junketboy Digital, LLC | url=http://digital.thinkindie.com/search/release.php?release_id=27257 | access-date=May 16, 2010 | archive-date=July 16, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716114705/http://digital.thinkindie.com/search/release.php?release_id=27257 | url-status=dead }} Junketboy Digital, LLC

On September 3, 1919, John Almeida married his first wife Elizabeth. Hawaiian musician Wenonah became Almeida's second and fourth wife. Doris Booker from California was his third wife, and Janet became the fifth.

Musical career

The Òwai'anae Star Glee was started by Almeida at age 15, and evolved into "Johnny Almeida's Hawaiians," performing at community functions as word spread of Almeida's talents. He performed at Queen Liliuokalani's funeral in 1917, in the Royal Throne Room of Iolani Palace as Hawaii's last monarch lay in state, and then again during the services at Kawaiahaʻo Church.{{Cite web| title=Queen Liluokalani | Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center| url=http://www.qlcc.org/queen.htm| access-date=May 16, 2010| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727192638/http://www.qlcc.org/queen.htm| archive-date=July 27, 2011| df=mdy-all}} He performed for Prince Jonah Kalaniana'ole, Princess Abigail Kawananakoa and Princess Elizabeth as his audience began to grow.

Almeida began to spread his performances to neighboring islands.{{Cite web | title=JAlmeida|author=Todaro, Tony | publisher= Square One | url=http://www.squareone.org/Hapa/johnk.html | access-date=May 16, 2010}} By the age of 25, he had mastered additional musical instruments, including the steel guitar, violin, banjo, bass, saxophone, and piano. He was the chief musician on Matson Lines ships from 1922 to 1927, sailing between Hawai'i and the West Coast. He was a regular performer on the Hawaii Calls radio show.

He is credited with composing over 300 songs, including "Iesu Me Ke Kanaka Waiwai," "Tuberose Hula" and "Green Rose Hula."{{cite book|last1=Kanahele|first1=George|title=Hawaiian Music & Musicians|date=2012|publisher=Mutual Publishing|location=Honolulu|isbn=978-1-56647-967-7|pages=14–17}}

Influence on other musicians

Almeida and his wife Elizabeth took his sister Annie's son, Charleston Puaonaona, into their home as their hānai son. The nephew took the name Pua Almeida and became John Almeida's first musical protege. Under John's tutelage, Pua became a legendary Hawaiian performer in his own right.{{Cite web | title=Pua Almeida|author=Todaro, Tony | publisher= Square One | url=http://www.squareone.org/Hapa/pua.html | access-date=May 16, 2010}}

Aunty Genoa Keawe dates her first professional association with Almeida to 1946, when he issued an on-air invitation at radio station KULA for anyone who could sing, to come to the studio and go on air.{{cite book | last1 =Grant| first1 =Kim |last2=Bendure |first2=Glenda |last3=Clark | first3=Michael | last4=Friary | first4=Ned |last5=Connor | first5=Gorry | last6=Yamamoto | first6=Luci |page=137 | title =Lonely Planet Hawaii| publisher=Lonely Planet Publications | year =2005 | isbn =978-1-74059-871-2}} From that meeting, Almeida began to mentor her and encourage her to sing Hawaiian songs.{{Cite web | title=A Hawaiian Musical Treasure: Genoa Keawe | author=Coleman, Audrey | publisher=FolkWorks | url=http://www.folkworks.org/content/view/19/106/ | access-date=May 16, 2010 | archive-date=July 25, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725024651/http://www.folkworks.org/content/view/19/106/ | url-status=dead }} Her first recorded song for 49th State Records was Almeida's composition Maile Swing, which became an immediate hit for her.

Almeida was also instrumental in launching the careers of falsetto virtuosos Joe Keawe{{Cite web | title=Joe Keawe |publisher= MELE.COM | url=http://www.mele.com/music/artist/joe+keawe/hawaii%60s+falsetto+returns/ | access-date=May 16, 2010}} and Bill Ali'iloa Lincoln,{{cite book | last1 =Berninobis| first1 =Floyd |last2=Berninobis |first2=Shari Iolani Floyd |page=14 | title =The Spirit of Hula: Photos and Stories from Around the World| publisher=Bess Press | year =2004 | isbn =978-1-57306-223-7}} known as "Hawaii's Falsetto Poet",{{cite news |title=Hawaii's Falsetto Poet |last=Berger |first=John |newspaper=Honolulu Star Bulletin|date=December 27, 2007 |url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/2007/12/21/features/records.html}} as well as Hawaii steel guitar legends Billy Hew Len{{cite book | last =Rumay| first =Lorene | title =Hawaiian Steel Guitar| publisher=Centerstream Publications | year =1996 | isbn =978-1-57424-021-4}} and David Keli'i.{{Cite web | title=David Keli'i |publisher= Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame | url=http://www.hawaiimusicmuseum.org/forum/posts.php?catg=1&page=4&topic=1002 | access-date=October 16, 2010}}

On December 13, 1971, these protégés and other performers honored Almeida with a testimonial at the Coral Ballroom of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel.

Death

On October 9, 1985, Almeida died of arteriosclerosis. He is buried at Hawaiian Memorial Park.{{cite news|title=John Almeida, Hawaiian Music Composer, Dies|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20449167/john_almeida_obit/|access-date=May 28, 2018|work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin at Newspapers.com|date=October 11, 1985|page=35}}{{Free access}}

Discography

John Kameaaloha Almeida (2003) CD (Hana Ola Records){{cite book|title=John Kameaaloha Almeida|publisher=Cord International/Hana-Ola Records|date=2003|oclc=52644083}}
"Mauna Loa" (date unknown) with Myrtle K. Hilo And Joe Keawe's Harmony Hawaiians on 49th State Hawaii record company{{cite web|title=Myrtle K. Hilo With John K. Almeida* And Joe Keawe's Harmony Hawaiians / Joe Keawe With John K. Almeida And His Hawaiians* - Mauna Loa / Kauai Medley|url=https://www.discogs.com/Myrtle-K-Hilo-With-John-K-Almeida-And-Joe-Keawes-Harmony-Hawaiians-Joe-Keawe-With-John-K-Almeida-And/release/5233685|website=Discogs|date=April 11, 2015 |access-date=May 28, 2018}}

John Almeida Hawaiians instrumental ensemble

Recording session with Victor April 7, 1935{{cite web|title=John Almeida Hawaiians (Musical group) - Discography of American Historical Recordings|url=http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/talent/detail/138613/John_Almeida_Hawaiians_Musical_group|website=DAHR|publisher=UC Santa Barbara|access-date=May 28, 2018}}; {{cite web|title=John Almeida (leader) - Discography of American Historical Recordings|url=http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/talent/detail/138698/Almeida_John_leader|website=DAHR|publisher=UC Santa Barbara|access-date=May 28, 2018}}; {{cite web|title=John Almeida (composer) - Discography of American Historical Recordings|url=http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/talent/detail/135736/Almeida_John_composer|website=DAHR|publisher=UC Santa Barbara|access-date=May 28, 2018}}; {{cite web|title=John Almeida (arranger) - Discography of American Historical Recordings|url=http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/talent/detail/138669/Almeida_John_arranger|website=DAHR|publisher=UC Santa Barbara|access-date=May 28, 2018}}