Announcer: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,  and welcome to Pau Hana Years, a weekly program   for the entire community that reflects the art of  making longevity a pleasure, adding meaning and   dignity to the golden years.

Now our special guest  on this week's Pau Hana Years, Charles K.L.

Davis.

(Singing Koni Au I Ka Wai) Hoʻohihi  kahi manaʻo I ka ʻehu kai o Puaʻena   Kai hāwanawana i ka laʻi lā I ka laʻi wale aʻo Koni au, koni au i ka wai, Koni au  i ka wai huʻihuʻi I ka wai aliʻi,   ʻo ke kini lā ʻOlu ai ka nohona o ka laʻi Kiss me my darling hoʻo kaua lā ʻea u kou chance  honi ka ua Auhea wale ana oe ika wau la ʻea   Down by the Puna Wau with me Alia ʻoe e ka ʻehu kai E lelehune nei i ke one  One hanau o ke kupuna la Pu`ili lau li`i o ka uka Koni au, koni au i ka wai, Koni au  i ka wai huʻihuʻi I ka wai aliʻi,   ʻo ke kini lā ʻOlu ai ka nohona o  ka laʻi, ʻOlu ai ka nohona o ka laʻi Announcer:   Now, here’s your host for this  week’s Pau Hana Years, Charles Peck.

Charles K.L.

Davis: Ah, Charles  Peck, how are you my friend?

Charles P: How are you?

CKLD: Fine, fine.

CP: Welcome.

Welcome ladies and  gentlemen to Pau Hana Years,   a very special segment featuring a man who  needs no introduction, Mr. Charles L.K.

Davis.

CKLD: Ah, it’s K.L.

CP: Oh, my goodness!

CKLD: No that’s alright.

No, no,  people make this mistake quite   often.

But I want to tell you,  I'm also very admirous of you.

CP: Oh, thank you.

CKLD: You know, and I, you’re a great,  you’re a man of great talent also.

CP: Well, thank you.

Now what is  the “K L” actually mean, Charles?

CKLD: “K” is Hawaiian—Keonaonalaulani—it  means fragrant leaves of heaven.

CP: Oh my!

CKLD: And “L” is Llewellyn,  the Welsh part of my name.

CP: Uh huh.

CKLD: And that’s why in school, when the  boys couldn’t pronounce Keonaonalaulani,   I was known as Stinky Davis.

CP: Oh!

(laughs) When did  you start singing Charles?

CKLD: At a very young age.

I think probably  my father and mother told me that probably   about the age of two.

I was sort of  singing in pitch and really screaming   and yelling.

And then I used to sing in  church, of course.

And I was organist   at the little Episcopal mission we had then.

There was a choir, too, the voice of one.

And   then went over to the Liliʻuokalani Church and  performed there.

So you see, country boy that... CP: Sure.

CKLD: Started off in choir.

CP: Do you remember the first song you ever sang?

CKLD: I certainly do.

Mrs. Keao  taught me a very lovely song   in grade one about the sandpiper and the plover.

Hone ana ko leo   e ʻulili ē O kahi manu   noho ʻae kai Kiaʻi ma ka lae aʻo kekaha ʻO  ia kai ua lana mālie ʻUlili ē (ʻulili ehehene   ʻulili ahahana) ʻUlili hoʻi (ʻulili ahahana  ʻulili ehehene) ʻUlili holoholo kahakai ē O   ia kai ua lana mālie ʻUlili holoholo  kahakai ē O ia kai ua lana mālie (Instrumental music) Hone ana ko leo e kōlea ē Pehea ʻo Kahiki?

Maika'i  nō ʻO ia ʻāina ʻuluwehiwehi I hui pū ʻia me ke   onaona ʻUlili ē (ʻulili ehehene ʻulili ahahana)  ʻUlili hoʻi (ʻulili ahahana ʻulili ehehene)   ʻUlili holoholo kahakai ē O ia kai ua lana mālie  ʻUlili holoholo kahakai ē O ia kai ua lana mālie (Instrumental music) CP:   That was beautiful, Charles.

CKLD: Thank you.

Thank you.

CP: Shall we sit on the lanai here and chat?

CKLD: Oh, I think so, why not?

Let me just lead the way here.

CP: Meet these nice people here.

CKLD: Oh, absolutely let’s say hello.

Aloha  to you, beautiful people.

So nice to see you.

CP: Welcome.

Welcome.

CKLD: Very nice to have you here.

Thank you,  thank you very much.

Thank you, Charles.

CP: You know, so many people know, of course,  about your career here in the islands,   but I don't think many people know that  you had a big opera career on the mainland.

CKLD: Yes.

CP: How did it all begin?

CKLD: It was really opera concert, a bit of opera,  but mostly concert.

However, I started off by   winning the 1958 Metropolitan Opera auditions,  you know.

And I was the first person from Hawaii   to do it and to win the auditions, you see.

And of  course, that meant that I was with the Katherine   Long School at the Metropolitan Opera studied  there and I didn't do any, I didn't do any live   performances on the Met stage, but I was up with  Sarah Caldwell up in Boston, doing lots of things.

CP: But you did sing at the Met?

CKLD: Oh, certainly, I did sing at the Met yes.

CP: In the finals.

CKLD: In the finals, yes.

CP: That must’ve been a thrill.

CKLD: It certainly was, yes, yes.

CP: Who else was in the finals at that time?

CKLD: Well as a matter of fact, there were four of  us that won first place.

There were three girls.

There was Lillian Messina, who  got married and immediately had   children and got out of the area.

Then  there was, there was Martina Arroyo.

CP: Oh wow, yes Martina.

CKLD: And Grace Bumbry and myself.

CP: Mm, fabulous, fabulous.

CKLD: Yes.

CP: Well, you also sang on  television too at that time.

CKLD: Oh yes, as a matter of fact, Samuel  Chotzinoff, you know, had this wonderful NBC opera   and and so I was, I was engaged to do the part of  Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Cesare Siepi and   my wonderful pal from Juilliard days, Leontyne  Price and we had, we had a wonderful time.

CP: I remember they were so worried that  Siepi wouldn’t be able to sing the English.

CKLD: You know something, he did nobly didn’t he?

CP: He certainly did.

CKLD: Did you see that production?

CP: Oh yes, of course.

Do you have a copy that?

CKLD: No and I’d certainly  love to have a copy of it.

CP: I bet.

You know, I heard you sing in  Hollywood at the Bowl, Hollywood Bowl.

CKLD: Oh my.

Yeah.

Now that that had to be,  that had to be, let me see, either was the   Cole Porter evening with Pembroke Davenport, or  else it was Student Prince with Laurel Hurley.

CP: It was, It was both.

I  heard you do Student Prince also   with my very favorite baritone, Igor Gorin.

CKLD: Oh, with Igor.

Yes, what  a, what a wonderful man, yes.

CP: What about here in Hawaiʻi?

You  sang with the opera here of course.

CKLD: Oh, certainly.

As a matter of fact,  we did the Madame Butterfly here when uh,   they had, they didn’t have opera for a  period here in Hawaiʻi and then stared   off the season with Madame Butterfly.

And we had Irving Guttman, of course.

CP: Oh yes.

CKLD: You know, Mad Irving, we called him.

CP: Yes (laughs).

CKLD: And he immediately saw me in the part of  Pinkerton, and I was supposed to be a blonde.

Immediately, so he sprayed my hair blonde,  barely every night he did the program.

But   the funny scene was at the end of act one, you  know, when you carry Cho-Cho-San into the room.

CP: Yes.

CKLD: The most horrible thing happened to  me because our Cho-Cho-San was a very hefty,   a very large Japanese lady from Japan, who  had studied in Italy.

Her name was Kunie   Imai.

And she came over and she, when she  got all dressed up, I’d have to carry her,   you see, and it was quite a struggle.

So I  was kind of tugging her obi and went through   the wrong pair of shojis and stepped  over Suzuki saying her prayers and it   was a great crash backstage as we all went  down and the curtain fell down on act one.

CP: (Laughs) Well, those things happen.

Well, you  did a lot of concert work, too, on the mainland.

CKLD: Oh, I certainly did.

Yes.

In fact, I loved  concert work.

And I went all of the United States,   Canada and Mexico, and then then with  Sullivan, went on to Europe and and Russia.

CP: And also, Central City, you sang.

CKLD: Oh, yes.

In fact, I think I still have   my gold panning equipment there  in Teller House in the basement.

CP: Gold panning?

CKLD: Oh, I want you to know that I struck  the mother lode when I was up there, you know,   I had a great bag and sack full of gold.

And I  took it to the assay office and when I went back   to pick it up I had a little vial with about  three little specks of gold in it (laughs).

CP: Just think you would have  been well on the top of the world… CKLD: I know, but I had a hell of a  good time panning for it (laughs).

CP: Now tell me, you have a favorite  song, you must have, Charles.

CKLD: Oh yes.

It’s a beautiful Hawaiian  song actually.

And it was Aunty Vickie   Iʻi Rodrigues that uh, told me about it.

It was a great favorite of Prince Jonah   Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, who was our second  Delegate to Congress.

And on many of his   visits around the islands when he’d  take the singing boys with him, why,   he would ask them to do this song.

And it  was a song by David Nape called, Pua Mohala.

CP: Pua Mohala.

CKLD: Which means a fresh blooming flower.

CP: Oh.

CKLD: And there’s a kaona, there’s a hidden,  there’s a little, hidden meaning into the song.

It   tells about a child that grows into adolescence.

And the prince loved this song very much.

CP: Oh my, would you sing it for us?

CKLD: I’d love to, really, thank you.

CP: Please.

Now, we’re going to hear the  great Charles Davis sing, Pua Mohala.

(Singing) Onaona i ka ihu ke honi Ka pua ʻopu u i  mōhala ʻŌmau ʻia iho i ka poli Hoʻopumehana hoʻi   ia loko Liʻa wale aku ka manaʻo ʻO ka neʻe  mai i ke alo I mea naʻu aʻe hoʻomaʻu ai Ka   welina ana me ia pua Hoʻonanea hoʻi ka nohona  Me ka ipo i ke ano ahiahi Ka moani aʻe o ke   ʻala Hoʻoheno i ka puʻuwai Liʻa wale aku ka manaʻo   ʻO ka neʻe mai i ke alo I mea  naʻu aʻe hoʻomaʻu ai Ka welina ana   me ia pua CKLD:   Thank you.

CP: Charles.

CKLD: Isn’t that a lovely song?

CP: Oh that’s absolutely  beautiful, have you recorded it?

CKLD: No, that one I haven’t recorded.

CP: Oh, you really must.

CKLD: Yes, I’m thinking of, about doing that.

CP: You really must do that.

CKLD: I’d like to do an album with  some of my kolohe things on, too,   you know.

So I might put it on with that.

CP: Oh, sure.

CKLD: The serious note in a very funny album.

CP: People would love this, oh sure.

CKLD: Thank you.

Well now, listen, I, you know,  I’m a great admirer of yours, you know, and   you’ve got a hell of a lot of talent yourself and  I’d love to have you sing something, would you?

CP: Oh now, Charley this is your, your... CKLD: Oh no, no but c’mon please do me the favor.

I know the audience would love to hear this and I,   ladies and gentlemen he’s got a  gorgeous voice, would you please?

CP: Alright.

What will we do then?

CKLD: Well now, there’s a number  that you did at Kemoʻo and I love   it very much.

It’s by Vincent Youmans  and it’s called, “Without a Song.” CP: Alright.

CKLD: You feel up to it?

CP: I’ll try.

CKLD: Okay.

(Instrumental music) (Singing) Without a song the day would never  end Without a song the road would never bend   When things go wrong a man ain't  got a friend Without a song That field of corn would never see a  plow That field of corn would be deserted   now A man is born but he's  no good no how Without a song I got my trouble and woe but, sure as I know,   the Jordan will roll I'll get along  as long as a song, strong in my soul I'll never know what makes that grass  so tall I'll never know what makes   the rain to fall I only know there  ain't no love at all Without a song CKLD: Bravo, bravo, bravo.

Boy that’s  marvelous.

I just think that’s perfect.

CP: Oh!

That takes a lot breath, Charles.

You  gotta be in shape to do a number like that.

CKLD: Well you were, you really rang  that note out there, I’ll tell you.

CP: You know, at the farms you do a number  that I just love.

The one about the fishes.

CKLD: Ooh, yeah.

In fact it’s a very  cute little number, why don’t you do it… CP: Teach it to me, teach it to me.

CKLD: Yeah, why don’t you and I do this one.

When  I get to the, to the refrain where I say, “He ʻono   a he ʻono a he ʻono,” you answer by saying “Oh  no!” And even though it sounds like oh no rather   than ʻono, which is the name of the fish, it’ll  be alright, it’s part of the fun of the song.

CP: You’ll have to help me now.

CKLD: Oh no, I will.

And then I want you to.. CP: Oh no, oh no you say.

CKLD: Oh well, that’s what I want you to say.

CP: That’s what you want  me to say.

Who’s on first?

CKLD: Alright, okay.

Here we  go it’s the song of the fish by   Bina Mossman.

Tells about some of the  fish good to eat on our island, okay.

(Singing) Keu a ka ʻono ma ke alopiko  lā Kahi momona piko ka nenue lā Lihaliha   wale ke momoni aku lā ʻO ka ʻōʻio halalē ke kai lā   ʻO ka ʻōpelu e pepenu ana lā He ʻono to  mito hoʻi tau i Tou puʻu te momoni aku He ʻono a he ʻono a he ʻono ʻIʻo nō (Oh no!)

a he ʻono nō (pretty good) (Did I do alright?)

He ʻono a he ʻono a he ʻono  ʻIʻo nō (Oh no) a he ʻono nō Mai piʻikoi ʻoe i ke akule lā A he iʻa ʻāhaʻi i ka   hohonu lā Hoʻi iho ʻoe i kahi ʻanae  lā Me ka manini pūlehu ʻia lā ʻO ke   kole ē ka i`a maka onaona lā He ʻono to  mito hoʻi tau i Tou puʻu te momoni aku He ʻono a he ʻono a he ʻono ʻIʻo  nō (Oh no) a he ʻono nō (laughs) He ʻono a he ʻono a he ʻono  ʻIʻo nō (Oh no) a he ʻono nō Sure make a beef stew heavy on the extra  salad, two scoops rice on a hamburger bun,   hot dog, kim chee, chili pepper  water akule, aku, mahimahi sandwich,   top it all off with the Kikoman Shoyu He ʻono  to mito hoʻi tau i Tou puʻu te momoni aku He ʻono a   he ʻono a he ʻono ʻIʻo nō (Oh no) a he ʻono nō He ʻono a he ʻono a he ʻono  ʻIʻo nō (Oh no) a he ʻono nō Hāʻina ʻia mai ana ka puana lā  A he iʻa ʻāhaʻi i ka hohonu lā   Hoʻi iho ʻoe i kahi ʻanae lā Me ka  manini pūlehu ʻia lā ʻO ke kole ē ka   i`a maka onaona lā He ʻono to mito  hoʻi tau i Tou puʻu te momoni aku He ʻono a he ʻono a he ʻono ʻIʻo  nō (Oh no) a he ʻono nō (laughs) He ʻono a he ʻono a he ʻono  ʻIʻo nō (Oh no) a he ʻono nō CKLD: Bravo!

You marvelous.

You gotta  come over and lead our group at Kemoʻo.

CP: Tell me, Charley what was that,  that interpolation there, what was that?

CKLD: What was that all about?

CP: No, that hamburger and all that in there?

CKLD: Oh, Well I just, listen, somebody sent  that.

It’s a little parody and I think it was,   I think Mano sings it on one of their  recordings, but the parody was sent to me… CP: That’s very good!

CKLD: And I thought I’d just throw  it right in there too, you know.

CP: Now, why do all those  names sound naughty, Charles?

CKLD: Well, it’s not really naughty.

It's not naughty because it just all   the names of fish.

You know, there  are other songs, you know that have… CP: By the way speaking of slightly naughty songs… CKLD: Ahaha CP: You do an old Coward  song that I love very much.

CKLD: Oh yes, yes.

It’s a  great favorite out at Kemoʻo.

CP: Oh, it’s a funny song.

CKLD: Alright, here it is.

It's, it's, it's a  very amusing number called, The End of the News.

CP: Now, he wrote that at a  very bad time, didn’t he, too?

CKLD: Yeah, he wrote it, I  think was during World War Two.

CP: Yes, when they needed a laugh.

CKLD: Yes, and it was from a very unsuccessful  play of his.

But they dug this one out,   and it was all, it's all about all the  disappointments and tragedies that occurred   during during World War Two.

But funny things,  I mean, very amusing, family things.

Here it is, (Singing) We are told very loudly and often To  lift up our hearts, We are told that good humour   will soften Fate's cruelest darts So however bad  our domestic troubles may be We just shake with   amusement and sing with glee.

Heigho, Mum's  had those pains again, Granny's in bed with   her varicose veins again, Everyone's gay because  dear cousin Florrie Was run down on Saturday night   by a lorry, We're so glad, Elsie's miscarriage  occurred on the Wednesday after her marriage,   When Albert fell down all The steps of the  Town Hall He got three bad cuts and a bruise.

We're delighted To be able to say  We're unable to pay Off our debts,   We're excited Because Percy's got mange  And we've run up a bill at the vet's.

Three cheers!

Ernie's got boils again,  Everything's covered in ointment and   oils again, Now he's had seven So God's in  His heaven And that is the end of the news.

Heigho, everything's fearful, We do  wish that Vi was a little more cheerful,   The only result of her last operation Has  been gales of wind at the least provocation.

Now don't laugh, poor Mrs. Mason Was  washing some smalls in the lavatory   basin When that old corroded Gas-heater  exploded And blew her smack into the news.

We're in clover, Uncle George is in  clink For refusing to work for the war,   Now it's over Auntie Maud seems to think  He'll be far better placed than before.

What fun -- dear little Sidney Produced  a spectacular stone in his kidney,   He's had eleven So God's in His heaven  And that is the end of the news.

Heigho, what a catastrophe, Grandfather's  brain is beginning to atrophy, Last Sunday   night after eating an apple He made a  rude noise in the Methodist chapel.

Good   egg!

Dear little Doris Has just been  expelled for assaulting Miss Morris.

Both of her sisters Are covered in  blisters From standing about in the queues.

We've been done in By that mortgage  foreclosure And Father went out on   a blind, He got run in For indecent  exposure And ever so heavily fined.

Heigho hi-diddle-diddle, Aunt Isabel's  shingles have met in the middle,   She's buried in Devon So God's in His  heaven And that is the end of the news CKLD: He’s a master of lyric this man.

CP: Oh, absolutely.

CKLD: Absolute master of lyrics.

CP: What about that marvelous,  I’ve been to a marvelous party… CKLD: Oh, yeah, oh absolute— CP: Do record those, Charles.

CKLD: I should, I should and there’s a few others… CP: Don’t wait too long.

CKLD: There's a perfect one  for the island that he did   called Uncle Harry's not a missionary  anymore and I’ve got to do that one.

CP: Well, speaking of recordings, I have one  here which is, Charles K.L.

Davis At Home.

CKLD: Uh, Charley, I made that  album back about 1967 Oh, that   was when I came back with Patrice Munsel  to the islands here to do My Fair Lady.

CP: Oh yes, uh huh.

Well we have some more  over here.

A big surprise for you come here.

CKLD: Oooh!

CP: There may be some missing CKLD: A collection, eh?

Alright, alright,  well I’ll come over and take a look see.

CP: Here we are.

What are your  favorites besides this one now?

CKLD: Aha!

Well, now I tell you, the favorite of  all is not here.

That's, that's the operatic one.

CP: Oh, well, that's mine too.

CKLD: Yeah.

CP: I have a copy, but I don't have it in  my apartment or I would have brought my… CKLD: Here’s my, here’s  another one of my favorites.

CP: Oh yes, that’s a good one.

And  what about the musical comedy album?

CKLD: Oh, that, yes that Front Row Center,   well I don’t have it.

You can see  there are about six that I don’t have.

CP: Well, you made the Everest  recordings, the ones that CKLD: Those I, I did first.

CP: When did you do those?

CKLD: Those were 1958.

CP: Oh, they are marvelous, the  sound is a tremendous sound.

CKLD: Yes they were, he uh CP: Far ahead of their time.

CKLD: I know.

Oh, you’re right because Belock   was really a sound engineer  and he loved experimenting.

CP: What’s your favorite aria on the aria album?

CKLD: On the aria album?

I don’t know.

I’m rather  impartial.

I think I the, the Che, what is it?

CP: Che Gelida Manina CKLD: (Che Gelida Manina) CP: Bohéme, well you sang Bohéme didn’t you?

CKLD: I did, yes.

With Sarah Caldwell,  it was rather frightening, because she   had rather unique stagings, you know.

And  she had a hammock in the opening scene,   and I was looking out of a skylight, and it  was in English, a very opening line of La   Bohéme is Nei cieli bigi guardo…She had me  saying, From where I’m lying I can see all   the thousands of Paris chimneys smoking.

And  you really couldn’t.

There was just a great   cloud of black that just came right over head,  you couldn’t tell what was going on.

(Laughs) CP: Well, Charles, all good things must come to an   end.

This has been the most enjoyable  period I have ever spent with someone.

CKLD: Well, it’s been mine, too.

CP: You’re so marvelous.

It’s been so much fun.

CKLD: Well, you’re, you’re a wonderful  narrator…thank you, thank you.

CP: But how about, how  about one last parting song.

CKLD: Certainly.

I’d love to do, I’d  love to do Hawai’i Aloha for you.

CP: Oh!

Beautiful.

CKLD: Uh, Charley, why don’t  you come over with me and,   uh, let’s sing this together you know.

You could come on in with the chorus.

CP: Oh, I don’t know about that.

CKLD: This is what I close with at Kemoʻo, too.

Everybody gets up and holds  hands and we all sing it.

(Singing) E Hawaiʻi e kuʻu one  hanau e Kuu home kulaiwi nei Oli   no au i na pono lani ou E Hawaiʻi aloha e E Hauoli e na opio o Hawaiʻi nei Oli e!

Oli e!

Mai   na aheahe makani e pa mai  nei Mau ke aloha no Hawaiʻi E Hauoli e na opio o Hawaiʻi nei Oli e!

Oli e!

Mai   na aheahe makani e pa mai  nei Mau ke aloha no Hawaiʻi CKLD: Aloha!

A hui hou CP: Wonderful, Charles, thank you.

(Instrumental music)