Pua Almeida (1922–1974) was a Hawaiian steel guitarist, considered a leading performer on that instrument.
Almeida (sometimes given as "Alameida") was born in 1922 in Honolulu. [1] His musical start began in the band of his father, John Kameaaloha Almeida. [1] He formed his own big band, "The Sunset Serenaders" and performed at several top venues around Hawaii. [1] He relocated to Southern California in 1947, performing in clubs. [1] As the Hawaiian steel guitar achieved international status in the 1940s, Almeida was recognized as a master of the instrument. [2] In 1958 he began a 16-year association with the Surfrider Hotel. [1]
He recorded for American Decca Records in 1966 [3] and for MGM Records. [4] For seventeen years he was commonly featured on the Hawaii Calls radio program. [1] [5]
Pua suffered from poor heart health, and died in 1974. [5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Ruymar, Lorene (1996). The Hawaiian Steel Guitar and its Great Hawaiian Musicians. Anaheim Hills, California: Centerstream Publishing. p. 81. ISBN 1-57424-021-8.
- ^ Love, J.W.; Kaeppler, Adrienne, eds. (2017). The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: Australia and the Pacific Islands. Routledge. p. 618. ISBN 9781351544320.
- ^ Ruppli, Michel (1996). The Decca Labels: The California sessions. Greenwood Press. p. 859. ISBN 9780313299841.
- ^ Ruppli, Michel (1998). The MGM Labels: Additional recordings. Greenwood Press. p. 562. ISBN 9780313307805.
- ^ a b Todaro, Tony. "Pua Almeida". Square One. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
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