Helen Kapuailohia Desha Beamer (September 8, 1882 – September 25, 1952) was a musician, composer of songs in the Hawaiian language, hula dancer and

coloratura Coloratura ( , , ; , from ''colorata'', the past participle of the verb ''colorare'', 'to color') is a passage of music holding elaboration to a melody. The elaboration usually takes the form of runs, trills, wide leaps or other virtuoso ma ...

soprano of Hawaiian ancestry. Her descendants have also become accomplished artists in the U.S. state of Hawaii. In 1928, her duet of " Ke Kali Nei Au" with Sam Kapu Sr. on

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

was the first commercial recording of the Charles E. King composition. She was inducted into the

Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame The Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame is an organization dedicated to recognizing the cultural importance of the music of Hawaii and hula. Established in 1994, the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame promotes the appreciation and preservation of Hawaiian cultu ...

in 1995.

Early life

Helen Kapuailohia Desha was born on September 8, 1882, in Honolulu, on the island of

Oahu Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwe ...

, in the

Kingdom of Hawaii The Hawaiian Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ɛ ɐwˈpuni həˈvɐjʔi, was an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country from 1795 to 1893, which eventually encompassed all of the inhabited Hawaii ...

. Her parents were George Langhern Desha and Isabella Hale'ala Miller. Her mother and grandmother, Kapuailohiawahine Kanuha Miller, taught hula in secret when the dance was banned. Her grandmother was a notable hakumele, Hawaiian for composer of music. Helen was a graduate of Kamehameha School for Girls, where the school's music director noted her talent as a pianist and as a song composer. Kamehameha Schools was established by the estate of

Bernice Pauahi Bishop Bernice Pauahi Pākī Bishop KGCOK RoK (December 19, 1831 – October 16, 1884) was an '' alii'' (noble) of the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii and a well known philanthropist. Ancestry, birth and early life Pauahi was born in Hon ...

to provide education for children of Hawaiian ancestry. She was also the organist at Haili Church in

Hilo Hilo () is the largest settlement in and the county seat of Hawaii County, Hawaiʻi, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaiʻi, and is a census-designated place (CDP). The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. I ...

Professional career

She had a

soprano range and was a recording artist for

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

. In 1928, she and artist Sam Kapu Sr. made the first commercial recording of the " Hawaiian Wedding Song," which had been written by composer Charles E. King as "Ke Kali Nei Au".; She was the composer of numerous songs in the Hawaiian language that are still being recorded by contemporary Hawaiian artists.

Personal life and legacy

Helen Desha married Peter Carl Beamer of Hilo. The couple had five children. She was the matriarch of a musical dynasty that includes her grandson,

falsetto Falsetto ( , ; Italian language, Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ...

singer Mahi Beamer, who was inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame in 2006; granddaughter Winona (Nona) Beamer; and Nona Beamer's two sons, Keola and Kapono. She died in 1952 and is buried at Homelani Memorial Park in Hilo. In 1995, she was inducted into the

Compositions (partial list)

Source: allmusic *"Halehuki" *"He Makana" *"Ka'ahumanu" *"Kawohikukapulani" *"Ke Ali'i Hulu Mamo" *"Keawaiki" *"Ke Ha'a la Puna" *"Kimo Hula" *"Kinue" *"Lei O Ha'ena" *"Mahai'ula" *"Moanike' ala" *"Pua Malihini" *"Pupu Hinuhinu" *"Pu'uanahulu" *"Pu'uwa'awa'a (Pihanakalani)"

Family tree

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beamer, Helen Desha 1882 births 1952 deaths Native Hawaiian musicians People from Hilo, Hawaii People from Oahu Hawaiian Kingdom people People from the Republic of Hawaii People from the Territory of Hawaii American sopranos Hawaiian songwriters 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers Musicians from the Kingdom of Hawaii 20th-century American songwriters Native Hawaiian women