HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0111.040 2010-2012 Lloyd Taira
Testimony regarding Comm. 111.22 Memorandum #6 from Brenda J. Ford
following are excerpts from Wikipedia entry I created for the Hawaii County Band
http: / /en.wikipedia.org /wiki /Hawaii County Band
Hawaii County Band
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Hawai ?i County Band is a municipal band founded in 1883. It is the second oldest professional musical organization in the State
of Hawaii. Only the Royal Hawaiian Band, founded in 1836, is older.
The band is composed of approximately 40 part-time musicians and a full -time director and is part of the Parks and Recreation Department
of the County of Hawai ?i. The band performs for free at ceremonies, festivals, parades, dedications and many other public events throughout
Hawai ?i Island (known locallal as "the Big Island "). The band performs a monthly concert at Mo ?oheau Park in downtown Hilo.
History
The Hawai ?i County Band was founded in 1883 by two brothers from Portugal, Joaquin and Jules Carvalho. They emigrated from the
Azores and made a living as barbers in Hilo, on the island of Hawai ?i. The brothers would close their barbershop, perform at scheduled
concerts and go back to cutting hair afterwards. Joaquin was the conductor and Jules played the cornet.[1]
The band survived the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893 and the period of the Republic of Hawaii (1894- 1898). It was
absorbed by the newly created County of Hawai ?i during the territorial period (1898 - 1959). It was known as the Hilo Band (or the
Hilo Portuguese Band). After the creation of the county system in the Territory of Hawaii in 1900 it officially became the Hawai ?i
County Band in 1905.[2][3]
After Joaquin died in 1924, the band had several directors. Urban Carvalho, son of co- founder Jules Carvalho,led the band from 1943
to 1963.[4] Frank Vierra went on to become the director of the Royal Hawaiian Band.
Directors
There have been 12 directors of the band:
Joaquin Carvalho (1883 -1924) Paul Tallett (1924 -1925)
Frank Vierra (1925 -1933) Frank Wrigley (1933 -1938)
Gabriel Wela (1938 -1943) Urban Carvalho (1943 -1963)
Andres Baclig (1963 -1974) Armando Mendoza (1974 -1981 / 1983 -1984)
John Hursey (1981 -1983) David Lorch (1984 -1993)
Wayne Kawakami (1993 -2001) Paul Arceo (2001— present)
Unlike the Royal Hawaiian Band, the Hawai ?i County Band is not a full -time band. Except for the band director, the musicians in the
Hawai ?i County band are employed by County of Hawai ?i Department of Parks and Recreation on a part-time basis. Some members have
been with the band for many years. One exceptional trombonist in his eighties has been with the band continuously for over 60 years.
The uniform for the Hawai ?i County Band is a red and white aloha shirt. Cross - striped fabric patterns, similar to those of Scottish kilts,
were imported from England in the late 1800s as uniforms for the workers on the sugar plantations in Hawaii and are still popular
apparel among the locals in Hawaii.
Monthly concerts are at the Mo ?oheau Park bandstand in downtown Hilo, usually on the second Saturday of each month at noon. The
Mo ?oheau Park Bandstand is a historic structure dating back to 1904, though some accounts claim the bandstand is even older, making
it the performing home of the band for at least 106 years. It is also the center for cultural events, political rallies and other downtown
Hilo events.
Current Events
In February 2010, the Hawai ?i County Mayor Billy Kenoi announced he was eliminating the Hawai ?i County Band to help balance the
county budget. If the proposed budget is accepted by the Hawaii County Council, it will effectively put and end to the Hawai ?i County
Band as an organization.[5]
As of March 2010, a decision on the band's budget has not been made. A final decision by the County Council and Mayor was expected by
mid -May 2010. �r f L� Q
Comm No.
Ref. To o' tih4' /
Ref. Dote MAY 18 2011
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Older photo of the Hawaii County Band po s sibly c 1900 -1920