All Aboard! In the Footsteps of Nainoa & Kekuku

Hawaii. Vaudeville. Music. Steel Guitar. Family. History.

My great-grandparents, Sam and Eugenia Nainoa, were part of the first generation of native Hawaiians to bring Hawaiian music to North America. They arrived in 1912 and tirelessly toured the vaudeville circuit before settling in downtown Los Angeles in the 1930s, where they continued to perform and founded a school, the Sam K. Nainoa Foundation of Hawaiian Music.

Preceding the Nainoas in the States by several years was Sam’s first cousin, Joseph Kekuku, who invented the Hawaiian steel guitar at the age of eleven in Hawaii. The instrument quickly became the defining sound of Hawaiian culture and went on to become a mainstay of American blues and country music as well as adding a unique texture to other genres.

In the summer of 2017, I began a journey of discovery in Reading, Pennsylvania where I crisscrossed the continent from coast to coast in my truck for two months, retracing the careers of these entertainers from a bygone era. To date I’ve identified over 140 U.S. cities that my family performed in and have been to nearly half. My goal is to visit all of them!

In November 2022 I start my research travels again, this time through the mode of transportation my family used over 100 years ago… the train! For several weeks I will be circling the perimeter of the States visiting about twenty cities I have yet to step foot in. Each city will include research, theater site visits, and connecting with historians, friends, family and kindred spirits. Mid-way through, I will be in D.C. for the public opening of the Smithsonian Museum of American History's "Entertainment Nation" exhibit on December 9th. My great-grandfather, Sam Nainoa's Rickenbacher A-22 "frypan" Electro Steel guitar will be on display along with Jimi Hendrix’s guitar, John Coltrane’s saxophone and other prominent instruments.

The relationship between Hawaii and the United States in the first part of the twentieth century and the experience of Hawaiians in this country constitute a fascinating history which today is generally unknown. My research efforts not only at home but in actually visiting these cities in person is crucial for the accuracy and completeness of this research--each city has its own collections, archives, and local historians who know their town best.

I’m hoping to push my project as far and wide as possible. Committing to a research project like this can really test your stamina. For days or weeks you can come out empty handed, but my passion and commitment is strong and it is the people I meet and the discoveries I make that encourage me to keep going.

I’ve set my original GoFundMe campaign at $1,912 (the year my great-grandparents arrived in North America), but this train trip will likely be closer to 3x the amount, or higher depending how long I am gone. Your donation will help me stay on track, literally. I welcome the opportunity to shed light on this rich, colorful chapter in our musical and cultural history and look forward to sharing the results of my quest in the form of a book, a film, or a multimedia presentation.

Thank you so much for your support.

Aloha,

AlyssaBeth K. Archambault

Stay in the loop with my travels and discoveries!

Website: continentaljourney.com

Instagram: @continental_journey

Here is my rough itinerary...

-Washington: Seattle, Spokane

-Wisconsin: La Crosse, Wausau, Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha, Green Bay, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Waukesha

-Illinois: Chicago

-Massachusetts: Boston

-New York: NYC

-New Jersey: Passaic, Paterson, Dover, Camden

-Pennsylvania: Nazareth, Lancaster

-D.C.: Washington (for Smithsonian exhibit opening "Entertainment Nation", where Sam Nainoa's steel guitar will be on display)

-South Carolina: Charleston

-Georgia: Augusta, Atlanta

-Tennessee: Knoxville, Nashville

-Alabama: Birmingham

More cities to possibly be added in LA, TX, OK, NM, AZ

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Update as of 12/5/22. I set my original goal at $1,912, which I thought was a good starting point. As of today all my donors this far have helped me to achieve that in less than two weeks of posting and I am extremely grateful. The experiences, connections and information I've accessed has been incredibly valuable and I feel more connected to the project than ever. With each day the momentum builds, but that can only continue if the funds are there. I'm averaging about $175/day and from this point on will be increasing my goal to reflect that as the trip unfolds. This trip has already exceeded my expectations and I hope with your help I can continue to stay on track through the end of the year!