Hawaii Calls

Infobox Radio Show
show_name = Hawaii Calls

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imagesize = 200px
caption = Photograph of a "Hawaii Calls" show that was broadcast from the Moana Hotel during World War II.
other_names =
format = Hawaiian music
runtime = 30 min
country = United States
language = English, Hawaiian
home_station =
syndicates =
television =
starring = Webley Edwards
creator =
writer =
director =
producer =
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narrated =
record_location = Moana Hotel, Waikiki, Hawaii
first_aired = July 3 1935
last_aired = August 16 1975
num_series =
num_episodes = 2083
audio_format =
opentheme =
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website =
podcast =

"Hawaii Calls" was a radio program that ran from 1935 through 1975 that featured live Hawaiian music. It was broadcast each week from the courtyard of the Moana Hotel on Waikiki Beach and was hosted by Webley Edwards. The first show reached the West Coast of the continental United States through shortwave radio. At its height, it was heard on over 750 stations around the world. However, when it went off the air in 1975, only 10 stations were airing the show. Because of its positive portrayal of Hawaii, the show received a subsidy for many years -- first from the government of the Territory of Hawaii, and then from the State of Hawaii. The termination of the subsidy was one of the reasons that the show went off the air. [See: Kanahele, George S., "Hawaiian Music and Musicians: An Illustrated History"]

Hawaii Calls is credited with making many Hawaiian performers household names across the US and around the world. Among the regulars of Hawaii Calls were Alfred Apaka, Haunani Kahalewai and Pua Almeida. Other well known performers such as Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman also made appearances. Each show opened with the sounds of the pounding surf and the enthusiastic bounding voice of Webley Edwards proclaiming "The sound of the waves on the beach at Waikiki.."

During the height of the shows popularity (50's and into the late 60's/early 70's) Webley Edwards served the role of producer of numerous records, released on the Capitol Records label, under the title of "Webley Edwards present Hawaii Calls." The albums contained typical renditions of hawaiian classic songs. In addition to the many "Hawaii Calls" albums, many of the stars of "Hawaii Calls" released solo albums and enjoyed quite properous careers. Sadly today, none of the "Hawaii Calls" releases are still in print or available on compact disc. However, there are a few compact discs compilations released by Hula Records, the feature songs from some of the classic radio shows and include Edwards' colorful banter.

In 1992 another program used the name for a one year run in another Waikiki hotel but failed to attracted enough financial support to continue.

Listen to

* [http://www.angelfire.com/ky2/cumberlandgapbc/491229HawaiiCalls.mp3 "Hawaii Calls" (December 29, 1949)]
* [http://www.hularecords.com/radio/ "Hawaii Calls radio show archives streamed. A different show each week"]

Discography

;LPs
* "Hawaii Calls", Capitol Records T-470, 1956
* "Hawaii Calls At Twilight", Capitol Records T-586, 1957
* "Favorite Instrumentals of the Islands", Capitol Records T-715, 1957
* "Waikiki", Capitol Records T772, 1957
* "Island Paradise", Capitol Records ST-1229, 1957
* "Hawaiian Shores", Capitol Records T0904, 1958
* "Hula Island Favorites", Capitol Records T-987, 1958
* "Fire Goddess", Capitol Records ST-1033, 1959
* "Hawaiian Strings", Capitol Records ST-1152, 1959
* "Hawaii Calls Greatest Hits", Capitol Records ST-1339, 1960
* "Let's Sing With Hawaii Calls", Capitol Records ST-1518, 1961
* "Exotic Instrumentals", Capitol Records ST-1409, 1961
* "Stars of Hawaii Calls", Capitol Records ST-1627. 1961
* "A Merry Hawaiian Christmas", Capitol Records ST-1781, 1961
* "Hawaii Calls Show", Capitol Records ST-1699, 1962 (live show recording)
* "Romantic Instrumentals", Capitol Records ST-1987, 1964
* "Waikiki After Dark", Capitol Records ST-2315, 1965
* "Hawaii Today", Capitol Records ST-2449, 1966
* "Best From the Beach at Waikiki", Capitol Records ST-2573, 1967
* "More Hawaii Calls Greatest Hits", Capitol Records ST-2736
* "Blue Skies Old Hawaii", Capitol Records ST-2782, release year unknown
* "Soft Hawaiian Guitars", Capitol Records ST-2917, release year unknown
* "The Hawaii Calls Deluxe 2-LP Set", Capitol Records ST-2182, release year unknown (3-LP set is actually a repackaging of "Favorite Instrumentals", Alfred Apaka's album "Golden Voice of the Islands" and "Hawaii Calls Greatest Hits")
* "Best of Hawaii Calls", Capitol Records ST1-141, release year unknown

;Compact Discs
* "Blue Hawaii" Hula Records HCS-924A
* "Hawaii's Greatest Hits, Vol. I", Hawaii Calls, Inc. HCS-921A
* "Hawaii's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2", Hawaii Calls, Inc. HCS-922A
* "Hawaiian Wedding Song", Hawaii Calls, Inc. HCS-923A
* "A Merry Hawaiian Christmas", Hawaii Calls, Inc. HCS-925
* "Hawaii Calls Greatest Hits", Hawaii Calls, Inc. HCS-927 (the best selections from "Hawaii's Greatest Hits Volumes I & II")
* "Memories of Hawaii Calls", Hawaii Calls, Inc. HCS-928
* "Memories of Hawaii Calls Vol. II", Hawaii Calls, Inc. HCS-930
* "The Land of Aloha", Hawaii Calls, Inc. HCS-920
* "Hawaii Calls: The All-Time Favorites From the Famous Radio Program", Cema Special Markets CDL-57608, 1991

Notes

References

*cite book|author=Kanahele, George S.|title= Hawaiian Music and Musicians : An Illustrated History|location=Honolulu|publisher=University Press of Hawaii|year=1979|isbn=082480578X
*cite book|title=The Hawaiian Steel Guitar and Its Great Hawaiian Musicians |author=Ruymar, Lorene |year=1996 |location=Anaheim Hills, CA |publisher=Centerstream Publishing |isbn=1574240218 |pages=p.171

External links

* [http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/150/sesq3edwardshawaiicalls Article on "Hawaii Calls"] in The Honolulu Advertiser