- Title: WALES: BRECON BEACONS HOLDS ANNUAL HAWAIIAN GUITAR CONVENTION
- Date: 20th August 2000
- Summary: BRECON, WALES, UNITED KINGDOM (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS GVS OF BRECON BEACONS (UNDERLAYED WITH WELSH MALE VOICE CHOIRS MUSIC) (4 SHOTS) 0.20 2. CLOSE UP POSTER FOR HAWAIIAN GUITARISTS CONVENTION IN BRECON 0.22 3. SMV PEOPLE EAT ICE CREAMS AS HAWAIIAN MUSIC PLAYS OUT OF VISION. 0.26 4. PERFORMANCE AT HAWAIIAN STEEL GUITAR CONVENTION 5. SMV PEOPLE WATCHING PERFORMANCE 0.36 6. CLOSE UP POSTER ADVERTISING HAWAIIAN EVENT 0.38 7. SMV PEOPLE WATCHING 0.42 8. VARIOUS, HAWAIIAN MUSIC AND DANCER , PAN INTO WOMAN SINGING 0.55 9. C/U OF GLITTER BALL ROTATING 1.04 10. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALDYTH FLETCHER SAYING: "This weekend is the Hawaiian Steel Convention for not only people from England, Ireland and Wales but we have people from Texas here and Canada and we meet at least twice a year here and it's really a get-together for everyone who is interested in Hawaiian music, Hawaiian culture (We're trying to keep it alive) Yes, it's lovely. People who are only just starting to learn to play can all come along and have a chance to do it, and it's great." 1.37 11. VARIOUS, ALDYTH PERFORMING HULA DANCE TO HUSBAND NORMAN'S GUITAR PLAYING (10 SHOTS) 2.26 12. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALDYTH FLETCHER SAYING: "You tell the story with your hands and as far as movements are concerned, you make it more interesting to watch but it is really telling stories. The Hawaiians speak and sing about their beautiful land, their 'aina' as they call it the flowers, their Kings and Queens way gone. Waterfalls you know, any subject, they will make a song and you dance and express this and it really is beautiful to do, it's the most interpretive dance in the world really, the Hula" 3.01 13. SMV BERYL BLOOD SINGING WITH MUSICIANS (3 SHOTS) 3.20 14. SMV , PEOPLE WATCHING 3.24 15. VARIOUS, GLITTER BALL SPINNING 3.26 16. CLOSE UP HAND TAPPING TABLE 3.28 17. SMV COUPLE WATCHING 3.30 18. WIDE OF PERFORMANCE 3.40 19. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) Pat Jones saying: This is not the ideal place for it because as you know it's a little off the beaten track so those people who come here must really want to come but it is a beautiful area so a lot of them are combining it with a holiday and quite a lot of them do play but they're not going to play in public." 3.56 20. CLOSE UP ELVIS POSTER. 4.05 21. VARIOUS, MUSICIAN PLAYS INSTRUMENT. (2 SHOTS) 4.22 22. SLV REAR SHOT OF DANCER. 4.26 23. CLOSE UP BANNER WITH ALOHA 4.28 24. SMV WOMAN SITTING BY HAWAIIAN POSTER 4.34 25. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) BERYL BLOOD COMPERE AND SINGER SAYING: "You notice that the majority of people that are interested in Hawaiian music are not, dare I say, very young. You do not think that it's all part of a thing of romance, palm trees pacific skies, you hear about all these things and when this music is played well, it is absolutely beautiful and it goes with the picture and I think it's a romantic image that people have got in here and I can only think that's what does it." 5.07 26. VARIOUS, OF AUDIENCE DANCING WHILST MUSICIANS PLAY ( 3 SHOTS) 5.25 27. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) TEXAN ERNIE COKER SAYING: "It will never see the popularity that it enjoyed in the days of Dick McIntryre and Sol Hoopii and in the early days of Bing Crosby and people doing all the Hawaiian recordings and what have you but it is here to stay." 5.45 28. SCU ,MAN SAYING (VOXPOP) (English) "There's nothing like it is there? Hawaiian music, nice and relaxing, what more can you ask for?" 5.52 29. VARIOUS, AUDIENCE DANCING 6.02 30. GVS OF BRECON TOWN CENTRE WITH AMERICAN FLAGS HANGING OUT WINDOWS, STREET SCENES (2 SHOTS) 6.13 31. VARIOUS BRECON BEACONS SCENERY (2 SHOTS) 6.23 32. SKY (OUT ON ECHOED MUSIC). 6.32 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 4th September 2000 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BRECON, WALES, UNITED KINGDOM
- City:
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVAEVAQ0ZAKGHWHIC8QT92EBMX54
- Story Text: When they think of Wales, most people conjure up
images of wild, dramatic landscapes, coal mines and Welsh
male voice choirs, but a small market town in the Brecon
Beacons has broken with tradition and once a year it opens
its doors and ears to the unique sound of Hawaiian Steel
Guitars.
Nestled beneath the Brecon Beacons National Park in
Wales, lies the historical town of Brecon, a crossroads for
thousands of ramblers attracted to the surrounding hills
each year.
It's also the home town of Pat Jones, the mastermind of
the annual Hawaiian Steel Guitar Convention. Following the
death of her late musician husband Arthur, a passionate fan
of Hawaiian music, Pat decided to organise an annual
convention in his memory.
Aldyth and Norman Fletcher from Norfolk are one couple
who really enjoy getting into the Aloha spirit.
Norman, a self-taught Hawaiian Steel guitarist, became
fascinated with the instrument while serving with the RAF in
Penang during the 2nd World War. Unable to buy a guitar on
his return to the UK, Norman decided to make his very own
and has been a well-respected enthusiast ever since.
His second wife Aldyth, whom he met through the Hawaiian
Steel Guitar club is a trained ballet dancer. She first
visited Hawaii in 1978 having 'fallen in love' with Hawaiian
music as a little girl. At each event, she sports
traditional dress and as an accomplished Hula dancer,
accompanies the musicians while they play.
"It's the most beautiful interpretative dance in the
world, you tell the story with your hands and as far as
movements are concerned, you make it more interesting to
watch but it is really telling stories," she said.
Since its heyday in the '30s, '40s and '50s, Hawaiian
music's popularity has waned. The rock and pop movement in
the '60s, almost killed the following off when teenagers
turned their backs on big band music.
But thanks to Pat Jones and her dedication to the music,
lovers of Hawaiian steel guitar music have traveled from all
over the world to attend the Brecon convention since 1994.
"This is not the ideal place for it because as you know
it's a little off the beaten track so those people who come
here must really want to come but it is a beautiful area so
a lot of them are combining it with a holiday and quite a
lot of them do play but they're not going to play in
public," Jones said.
For many of the musicians, the 2-day event is often the
only opportunity they have in the year to perform in front
of an audience. But to travel the long distances that most
do to attend the Brecon convention, there must be a secret
appeal.
Beryl Blood, compere and singer at the event explains
why she thinks it still attracts a lot of people.
"You notice that the majority of people that are
interested in Hawaiian music are not, dare I say, very
young. You do not think that it's all part of a thing of
romance, palm trees pacific skies, you hear about all these
things and when this music is played well, it is absolutely
beautiful and it goes with the picture and I think it's a
romantic image that people have got in here and I can only
think that's what does it," she said.
The Aloha spirit cameraderie and the lilt of the
music is said to be a magical attraction but with numbers of
players dwindling, what of the future for Hawaiian steel
guitar music? Is it set to die out?
Ernie Coker who traveled all the way from Texas to attend
the convention, doesn't believe so.
"It will never see the popularity that it enjoyed in the
days of Dick McIntryre and Sol Hoopii and in the early days
of Bing Crosby and people doing all the Hawaiian recordings
and what have you but it is here to stay."
With annual Hawaiian Steel Guitar conventions held in
Hawaii, Winchester, Indiana and Brecon, Wales it's unlikely
that the instrument will become a musical dinosaur in the
short run.
And inspite of the thousands of miles stretching between
Hawaii and Wales, Hawaiian music can expect a warm welcome
in the Welsh hillsides for many years to come.
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