Cyril Pahinui

Hawaiian Kī Hōʻalu Slack Key Guitar Master

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12. Moku Kia Kahi

https://cyrilpahinui.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/10/12-Moku-Kia-Kahi.m4a

12. Moku Kia Kahi (The One Masted Schooner) (Lydia Bray)—instrumental on 6-string guitar, in D Major Tuning (D-A-D-F#-A-D), played in the keys of D minor, D Major, and B minor.

Another ship song, “Moku Kia Kahi” asks a fast one-masted schooner where it is headed and reminds it to anchor carefully, with again another meaning implied.

For this odyssey journey, Cyril starts in the key of D minor, then alternates between the keys of D Major and B minor, ending in B minor. With so many Hawaiian songs in major keys, the use of the minor key adds an impressionistic shading, again with a nice Latin tinge.

Gabby performed a less elaborate, more up-tempo version of “Moku Kia Kahi” with the legendary Sons of Hawai’i on their 1962 album Music of Old Hawai‘i, creating the drama with syncopation, dramatic instrumental breaks and unison vocals. Sonny Chillingworth recorded a duet version in a more conventional slack-key style with singer Leina‘ala Haili for her first album, Na Ka Oi (Mahalo MSCD 2015).

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