Helen Desha Beamer
| Helen Desha Beamer | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Helen Kapuailohia Desha |
| Born |
September 8, 1882 Honolulu, Kingdom of Hawaii |
| Died | September 25, 1952 (aged 70) |
| Genres | Hawaiian |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, musician, composer |
| Instruments | Vocals, Piano |
Helen Kapuailohia Desha Beamer (September 8, 1882 – September 25, 1952) was a musician, composer of songs in the Hawaiian language, hula dancer and coloratura soprano of Hawaiian ancestry. Her descendents have also become accomplished artists in the U.S. state of Hawaii. In 1928, her duet of the Ke Kali Nei Au with Sam Kapu Sr. on Columbia Records was the first commercial recording of the Charles E. King composition . She was inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame in 1995.
Helen Kapuailohia Desha was born on September 8, 1882, in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, in the Kingdom of Hawaii. Her parents were George Langhern Desha and Isabella Hale'ala Miller. Her mother and grandmother, Kapuailohiawahine Kanuha Miller, taught hula in secret when the dance was banned. Her grandmother was a notable hakumele, Hawaiian for composer of music. Helen was a graduate of Kamehameha School for Girls, where the school's music director noted her talent as a pianist and as a song composer. Kamehameha Schools was established by the estate of Bernice Pauahi Bishop to provide education for children of Hawaiian ancestry.
She was also the organist at Haili Church in Hilo.
She had a coloratura soprano range and was a recording artist for Columbia Records. In 1928, she and artist Sam Kapu Sr. made the first commercial recording of the "Hawaiian Wedding Song," which had been written by composer Charles E. King as "Ke Kali Nei Au". She was the composer of numerous songs in the Hawaiian language that are still being recorded by contemporary Hawaiian artists.
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