Gabby Pahinui "King of the Slack Key Guitar"

Philip Kunia Pahinui "Gabby" (1921-1980) was a Hawaiian musician, son of Charles Kapono Kahahawai. He was Hanaied to Emily (Wife) and Philip (Pahinui Ohana). He was known as "Pops" in respects he was everyones pops with his humble with a big heart to all people in Hawaii. When he was being booked he would often over book himself to show he cared by jamming away with a chill attitude where he would demonstrate his kindness through and through. He had made sure it was all about coming as you are all the time and would want people to express themself. Gabby grew up in Kaka'ako Honolulu (1920s) where he would sell newspapers and shining shoes to support his struggling family and play with Ah Fan as kids. Gabby use to hang out by the pier and would dive for coins with his hair having water roll off, which made people call him "Gabardine Hair" that would later on change to "Gabby". 

Food was also shown consideration as he went and use to soak loafs of bread with wine and if he knew he was going eat an animal he wanted to make sure they would go peacefully all drunk and relaxed. This would be done with numerous animals that were being prepared to cook, for example, when he needed a pig for a party he was going to he fed that pig the wine soaked bread at a piggery to make sure it got so wasted that it would fall a sleep before cooking. His friends would go on to carry the pig out and place it gently in the imu (earthen oven) for kalua pig.

Kahahawai Ohana: Born Charles Kapono Kahahawai Jr (Kahahawai Ohana), Hawaiian, Portuguese, German, he was born from a midwife. His birth father Charles Kahahawai was the brother of Joseph “Joe” Kahahawai (Massie Trial) where the family faced tragedy and hardships afterwards like coping with the loss of Gabbys mother. Siblings include: Madaline Kapono Kahahawai (sister), and Clifford kapono (brother), Dorothy Hanaialii (sister) changed their last names after the killing.

Putting Food on the Table: Gabby would work for the City & County of Honolulu where he started in the Road Crew. An accident had happened and he would end up dricing with the Trash Collectors in the Opala Trucks (Trash Trucks) where he would whistle in the morning while crashing metal could be heard until they finished their route and headed over to the dump where the incinerator was. Gabby could be found finishing a few hours early and spent much of the time playing music and drinking beer that was at times left out for the workers. He would end up playing volleyball and fall for Emily who he married and had ten children with along with three miscarriages with avoiding collecting welfare. The Family would end up moving to Waimanalo where Gabby would continue playing for venues and with many bands as he matured and would meet his friends to grind, and suck em up, and then they would sleep over: Mahi Beamer, Sonny Chillingsworth, Eddie Kamae, Don Ho, and Kui Lee.

Legendary: The Legendary status comes for a variety of reasons like his teachings to hundreds in Slack Key Guitar and traditions of Open-Kanakapila where he would be able to make everything smooth out socially and have a learning approach and make better feel to everything he did. He was known for Kiho'alu Finger Picking (Gabby Style) where he had a particular Slack Key Tuning that made the playing that was unique for modern and traditional, since he wanted interest from the next generation. Gabby was self-taught and played by ear with the bass at ten and then moved to steel guitar with musical influences from big band and jazz. He would do Hawaiian vocal, slack key, steel guitar, and let people see his playing. As he introduced more and more people by playing in a welcoming environment the power of hearing the music would help ingrain the wonderful power of song by making it fun and engaging with language that keiki really wanted to learn because it was so good for them, but not because their parents wanted them to learn, or forced upon them the music. In the 1970s some even would call him the one who fathered the Musicians of that time through his teachings during the Hawaiian Renaissance and was active in it.

Gabby's Legacy: Emily Pahinui bought Gabby his first guitar and started to get into it when he heard Sol Ho'opi'i, Eddie Bush, and the Biltmore Trio. He would learned slack key guitar from Herman Kane father of Ray Kane. Gabby started playing backup guitar for Charley "Tiny" Brown where he stayed with him learning steel guitar and eventually would go off on his own to play in Waikiki and Clubs all across Honolulu. He would join Andy Cummings and the Hawaiian Serenaders where he would learn melodies and song arrangement for elders and young folk to enjoy regardless of age. In 1946, Gabby made his first recording Hi'ilawa (Bell Records Label) that inspired many local musicians and would be a marker of the sound in what people would call "Traditional Hawaiian Renaissance Music" that marked the era along many others who would have their own messages of cultural and historiacl significance. Gabby is most known for "Hula Medley" (1947) recognized from the U.S. National Recording Registry (2011). He was named a "Living Treasure of Hawaii" by the Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Mission and a Na Hoku Hanohano Award for his music from albume "Pure Gabby".

Traditions of Neighborhood Kanakapila in Waimanalo: He had said that students have to teach dem selves by watching any time of day or night, watching isn't teaching dem, they have to get use to and do what they see and they pick em up. They going hear the songs and they going know if something sounds right or not with how it feels with feeling the music. Explaining that the music lives and it lives all the time with the people who play it and the people who teach themselves live the music and the way it plays on again anywhere it makes people feel a way, because the music is alive with the Aloha spirit. Every time the family would get together they would be doing a Kanakapila Jam Session (playing music) with singing, hula dancing, and eating to have everyone involved in the magical weekends and it was every weekend. There would be tables that were pointed inward so that people would be able to facing each other and not look away with making sure things had flowed with observance and thoughts with relaxation in keeping things as they were and to take it better without bothering anyone, which you could tell just from the increased skills needed to play each song. He would want people to know a person would not need to be skilled to play a instrument and to just get it in their hands. The idea of people can play a instrument just because and the more you watch and try the easier it is to be comfortable by just playing it just because and not to overthink it with being really good or showing off but its all about coming together for the family and the community.

The composition of instruments that he was skilled in was: Guitar, Steel Guitar, and more.