“HAWAII -HEART-THROB-HO”!!

By Desmond Kelly ‘the Star of eLanka’

I have mentioned it several times in my “writings”, my love of MUSIC is very Catholic. I cannot think of anything nicer, more soothing to the mind or calming to the nerves than good music.

Many of my friends think that (old Des.) has always been a “Country” singer & entertainer, but this is not so, folks. True, my “forte” has been Country Music, but I have “entertained” my friends in various other languages too, including Sinhalese, “Singlish”a combination of Sinhalese & English and , believe it or not, in “Cuban” as well.

Many of my Sri Lankan “fans” will quite probably remember that AFTER Donavan Andree, the most popular & BIGGEST “Showman” in Ceylon during the 40’s & 50’s & until he passed-on, there came another, in the form of one Mubahrak Thaha, the owner of another big “Night-club” named The “Atlanta”. Following in Donavan’s footsteps, Mubahrak began “bringing-in” top “Shows” & Entertainers from around the World to entertain us & two of these were Arsenio Alexander& his very attractive Spainsh Partner/dancer Manuela Sanchez , who dreamed up a show simply called “Myombe”, which, according to Arsenio, was a brand new concept that would “rock the house”!!

Myombe was the stage-story of a couple of fiery dancers who met, fell in love & then got caught up in the sordid mystique of “black-magic”, & the sacrificing of animals to some imaginary deity, Much more about this show will feature in my “auto-biog” that I will finish (hopefully) for eLanka, BUT, it was in this show that my “Semitones” & “yours truly” had to learn, rehearse & perform songs in pure “Cuban”. Anyway, as they say, that is another story.

Getting back to HAWAIIAN MUSIC, which is a special love of mine, also, simply because, Who is the person “out there” who would not LOVE to go to sunny Hawaii, put their feet up at some magnificent beach over there, feel the sea-breeze in their hair,listen to some Ukeleles being played , while beautiful Hawaiian maidens do the “hula” to equally beautiful Hawaiian music ?.

Personally, I can think of nothing better, especially if the music comes from Donald Tai Loy Ho, who was born in Honolulu, Hawaii U.S. on August 13th, 1930 & died , aged 76 on April 14, 2007 in the Land he loved, Waikiki Hawaii . My dear readers everywhere, while so MUCH rubbish is going on, all around the World, at the moment & I can think of NOTHING BETTER than GOOD MUSIC to ease your nerves, I ask you to sit back, at home, get comfortable and listen to DON HO. This superb singer who does remind us about another great, BING CROSBY, in his tonal quality, will bring back memories of “much better times”, especially of your “younger days”. He has certainly done this for me.

He was indeed a “heart-throb” for thousands of females who loved his music. No “Bachelor of Music”or anything of that sort. Simply, as we used to say in “Singlish” , he is a superb, natural ” Barima-Baritone” who, while he was alive, sang his songs, played his “Uke” & entertained folks in the best possible way. R.I.P.Donald Ho, I have a lot of your songs & enjoy them all. Here’s hoping that the readers of e’Lanka & the Lanka Times will somehow, have the same pleasure.