Discover Nikkei Logo

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1370/

"Song for Anna"

And in 72, I went to Japan to the Yamaha Music Festival which was made up of composers from all over the world, yeah.  And Andre Popp who wrote “Love is Blue” was there and he won.  And this guy introduced me to him and I went to his room and played the ukulele.  I played Debussy, or something classical, Clair de Lune, or something like that, and he was impressed.  And he asked me what the range was on a ukulele, and he said you come to Paris in April.  Let’s make an album together.  Bingo!

He wrote it for me.  It says on the sheet music, “Mon Ami, Herb Ohta."

[Play music]

And then that song, “Song for Anna,” when we came back, I brought it through customs and everything.  I said I buck-shotted that thing on a cassette tape to all the major labels in the United States.  They all turned me down.  They said we cannot sell something like this, not in the Rock Era that we have.  You know, it’s quiet, classical music, sort of.

So I just released it locally here and it become number one in Hawaii on all the rock stations.  Now how they did that was the program director played that early in the morning when people were going to work and somehow it just caught on, and then when A&M heard it, Herb Alpert them, they said they want itso I just released it locally here and it become number one in Hawaii on all the rock stations.  Now how they did that was the program director played that early in the morning when people were going to work and somehow it just caught on, and then when A&M heard it, Herb Alpert them, they said they want it.

And it became a hit in San Francisco.  It became a hit in Seattle.  And, boom, all of a sudden, in volume they were selling 700 records a day.  Well, of course, they were all the 45s, yeah, but still then it became number one on KILT, one of the top rock stations out of Houston, Texas. 

[Play music]


Hawai'i music musical instruments musicians ukulele United States

Date: August 2012

Location: Hawai`i, US

Interviewer: John Esaki

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

78-years-old, is known by ukulele fans in Japan and around the world as "Ohta-san." Ohta-san is a master ukulele player who learned to play the instrument from his mother in the pre-World War II era in Honolulu. He played a major role in popularizing the ukulele in the 1960s and 70s, expanding the repertoire of the instrument beyond Hawai`ian songs to include international pop and jazz. In his interview, Ohta-san vividly demonstrates his stylistic development by playing excerpts from songs that were significant to his career. (June 2014)

George Ariyoshi
en
ja
es
pt
George Ariyoshi

Decision to run for governor

(b.1926) Democratic politician and three-term Governor of Hawai'i

en
ja
es
pt
George Ariyoshi
en
ja
es
pt
George Ariyoshi

Being fair

(b.1926) Democratic politician and three-term Governor of Hawai'i

en
ja
es
pt
George Ariyoshi
en
ja
es
pt
George Ariyoshi

Role of Hawaii internationally

(b.1926) Democratic politician and three-term Governor of Hawai'i

en
ja
es
pt
Jean Hayashi Ariyoshi
en
ja
es
pt
Jean Hayashi Ariyoshi

Working in the pineapple fields

Former First Lady of Hawai'i

en
ja
es
pt
Jean Hayashi Ariyoshi
en
ja
es
pt
Jean Hayashi Ariyoshi

Tree planting

Former First Lady of Hawai'i

en
ja
es
pt
Kazuo Funai
en
ja
es
pt
Kazuo Funai

Buying violin (Japanese)

(1900-2005) Issei businessman

en
ja
es
pt
Barbara Kawakami
en
ja
es
pt
Barbara Kawakami

Going back to Hawaii

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

en
ja
es
pt
Barbara Kawakami
en
ja
es
pt
Barbara Kawakami

1920 labor strike

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

en
ja
es
pt
Barbara Kawakami
en
ja
es
pt
Barbara Kawakami

Bombing of Pearl Harbor

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

en
ja
es
pt
Barbara Kawakami
en
ja
es
pt
Barbara Kawakami

Helping soldiers

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

en
ja
es
pt
Ann K. Nakamura
en
ja
es
pt
Ann K. Nakamura

Image of Americans

Sansei from Hawaii living in Japan. Teacher and businesswoman.

en
ja
es
pt
Seiichi Tanaka
en
ja
es
pt
Seiichi Tanaka

Soukou Bayashi: Dedicated to the Issei (Japanese)

(b.1943) Shin-issei grand master of taiko; founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1968.

en
ja
es
pt
Seiichi Tanaka
en
ja
es
pt
Seiichi Tanaka

Taiko philosophy (Japanese)

(b.1943) Shin-issei grand master of taiko; founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1968.

en
ja
es
pt
Etsuo Hongo
en
ja
es
pt
Etsuo Hongo

First taiko performance in the United States (Japanese)

(1949 - 2019) Taiko player. Founded five taiko groups in Southern California

en
ja
es
pt
Etsuo Hongo
en
ja
es
pt
Etsuo Hongo

Promoting group identity through taiko contests (Japanese)

(1949 - 2019) Taiko player. Founded five taiko groups in Southern California

en
ja
es
pt

Discover Nikkei Updates

NIKKEI NAMES 2
Vote for Nima-kai Favorite!
Read the stories and give a star to the ones you like the most! Help select our Community Favorite.
NIMA VOICES
Episode 17
November 12
5pm PDT | 7pm PET
Featured Nima:
Graciela Nakachi
Guest Host:
Enrique Higa

Presented in Spanish
NEW SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT
We’re on Instagram!
Follow us @discovernikkei for new site content, program announcements, and more!