Bob Brozman Hawaiian guitar history

Bob Brozman - virtuoso guitarist, ethnomusicologist, genius. In this short documentary, Bob Brozman not only explains the incredible history of Hawaiian guitar, but gives live examples of the way the styles changed on his Knutsen 'Weissenborn" and National Tricone Resonator. Bob gave this interview in 2010 whilst on tour in Canberra, Australia and his live performances at the start and end were at the Canberra Street Theatre on 30 April 2010. Thank you Bob for your great generosity in sharing your time and knowledge of this great story.

[@bpigleason]

There are numerous KZbin videos describing partial histories of the Hawaiin guitar, but this one actually covers all of the major steps. Well done.

[@ReverendSoupbone]

There’s not many like this gentleman. Great stuff!

[@lamalama9717]

I corresponded with Bob a bit back in the 90s' and was later approached by him to arrange a tour of Japan while I was living there. I was just a fan so didn't have the ability or connections. Finally met him after a concert he did in London. In retrospect, I think his virtuosity got the better of him at times as a player. I guess he had to make a name for himself and the flashy pyrotechnics and genre-crossing were his ticket to that. He was at his best though when playing slow, straight-ahead Hawaiian, no tricks just plain but technically brilliant work.

[@MrDebranjandutta]

used to be a common sight in India in the last cetury but not any more sadly. There'a an Indian maestro called vishwa mohan bhatt who plays the Hawaiian guitar in Indian ragas and won a grammy

[@RayMontee]

What a great loss..........so sad. This musician was totally committed to his music and his flawless playing abilities demonstrate how deep the music ran in his veins. I've never in 70 years, heard a more detailed description of how steel guitar was born and also have the opportunity to see it demonstrated. He will certainly be missed.

[@hughcameron]

Yes, Ray, his playing was flawless - I've never seen anyone so totally in control and inspired by his music. I saw him three times over here in Scotland. He was always so keen to tell the story of the music. He wanted everyone to know and love it like he did.

[@michaelcoates534]

@@hughcameron Amen..He had the love...

[@michaelkiese7794]

Too bad Bob Brozman was a pedophile. An unforgivable black mark on his memory. I love his playing, but he was an evil person in disguise. Bob doesn’t only teach us about steel guitar history, but he also teaches about human nature. You would never guess that while he was making productions like these, he was also sexually assaulting children in his private life.

[@wolfgang4078]

Moral and genius are not always friends

[@lddevo88]

And when they are it's grand

[@berndf7437]

Moral?

[@gtechblues]

He had his demons… sad story :-( Google it

[@tomthumb2815]

​@@berndf7437 Brosnan accused of child related crimes..

[@saltspringdesign]

this is amazing. For any steel player or those interested in applying steel tunings and techniques there is a lot to be learned from just this one video. I want more like this. thx for sharing :)

[@marleneoberholzer6308]

Thank you I enjoyed it very much. Love from South Africa

[@mickkollins]

RIP Bob....when his hands gave in from crippling arthritis he called it quits...he was very instrumental to me

[@dogfeathers5646]

The story goes way beyond arthritis, do some more research regarding his suicide.

[@TheNeonRabbit]

"instrumental"

[@hollybeaumont5953]

he never had arthritis. that's a story spread by people who have a vested interest in telling a fictional version of the events surrounding his death

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

2:39 Guitarist Joseph Kekuku was the guy who invented the Slide Guitar

[@williamthomson3018]

Joseph Kekuku invented the Hawaiian steel guitar.

[@denxero]

Thank you Richard for this amazing footage :)

[@CAJman01]

This was absolutely wonderful to watch.

[@vladimirjezovic5655]

... takto si ho pamätám z trnavského Dobro festu, čisto hudobný vulkán. :-)

[@DermitderUkulele]

Thank you for sharing this!

[@MightySpoiler]

Whatever else Brozman was, he was an expert on Hawaiian muscic. This was fascinating.

[@SchweizerEW]

He's moving his slide back and forth over the bridge. It's a very small movement, just a couple of millimeters

[@Malhazzak]

Genius enough said!

[@99iwaena]

Bob was a badass on those steel guitars!

[@bluesbreaker1676]

me acabo de enterar de su muerte. Me a dejado helado.Era uno de los grandes. gracias por tu legado bob. lo siento inmensamente.

[@jonathanklass9768]

Amazing Musician a real virtuoso and unlike a lot of modern pop musicians who only had the personality flaw he at least hasd the talent. He was an inspiration to lots of us who [lay this music!

[@4great33]

Brilliant !!!!!!

[@letiekllib]

There has never been a better player to encapsulate slide and Hawaiian guitar like Mr. Brozman.

[@letiekllib]

+don white Don, He's dead. You be in charge of seeing the worst in people. I take care of seeing the best.

[@nickybareau3639]

Bill Keitel lol! what a moron!

[@CaptainPlasma-xr4di]

truly an amazing musician. a real inspiration even though his Hawaiian makes absolutely no sense lol

[@dianeweaver3928]

Love the "Don't use vibrato" mandate from the early days! What a mistake! I watched this because I was curious about the relationship between Hawaiian guitar and dobro. My mother took Hawaiian guitar in the 1930s and I inherited her guitar. I was, meanwhile, playing fiddle in a bluegrass band. I have always been curious if there was a link. I eventually sold my mom's "Hawaiian guitar" as a dobro because I could never discern a difference.

[@tomgoodwin9997]

miss you Bob, it was a pleasure to have known you and jamming with you in Ben Lomond, Ca. at the coffee house and seeing you drive around town in that huge old classic car

[@gtechblues]

I met him when he played once in my town. I asked him to sign a book he wrote about slide guitar and that I had with me.

[@Bojanmarsetic]

thnx for the upload

[@aukaimcfee2227]

Ho'omau kahiko kikA Kika nui , R.I.P. BOB

[@c.s.mcleod7383]

A song called Niki Tomi,on you tube,still blows my mind.

[@gibbone1970]

so long Bob..so long

[@rasputinsghost]

"You won't find a Mexican without his guitar." Well, it was the fifties.

[@DarthJeep]

Yeah, that whole conversation was a few shades of racist. Were they "imported" or were they "offered work" there? Really? ...and then he repeats it "matter of factly"...It ain't the 50's anymore.

[@docwill184]

Yeah, everyone so virtuously superior, and sure to let everyone know it...

[@slrdf1758]

It’s true though

[@slrdf1758]

@@DarthJeep Ever heard of Braseros? It was basically the same thing

[@Dark_Ages_Crusader]

@@DarthJeep pretty much imported describes it well..... People coming to the islands in those days pretty much were "offered work" quite like the people working on the plantations in the American south..... It was a job, but it sucked. Aloha from Maui.....

[@ChordCluster]

great film!

[@jakeryanshepard]

The wah wah effect at 8:10..

[@richardgrainger4985]

Bob just calls it the Hawaiian Song or Hawaiian Blues. Obviously a Brozman adaptation of an old traditional Hawaiian song.

[@slackkeyohana]

Great musician. R.I.P.

[@vraicone]

Just read this on Wikipedia "As with other aspects of Hawaiian music, falsetto developed from a combination of sources, including pre-European Hawaiian chanting, early Christian hymn singing and the songs and yodeling of immigrant cowboys during the Kamehameha Reign in the 1800s when cowboys were brought from Mexico to teach Hawaiians how to care for cattle." It quotes a source, look up 'Hawaiian falsetto'.

[@gordonames1892]

My teacher knew Sol Hopii.

[@richardgrainger4985]

Alvino Rey was a master of this technique, making it "talk."

[@olderendirt]

Wow. That's a name I've not heard in ages. Cool.

[@aldrichjw]

This is wonderful! My synapses don't close fast enough (especially my right hand's) to play like Bob. He will be missed. Only 1 problem - he mentions yodeling coming in with the Californio paniolos, but they were long gone from Hawaii by the 1860's when Maximillian was Emperor of Mexico. So, Hawaiians had to pick up yodeling elsewhere.

[@standupstraight9691]

He won't be missed by his victim.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

1:03 Em11 Chord

[@musicislife9131]

Cool.

[@tommytramp]

VIRTUOSO INDEED!

[@mamapurplerainbows]

Wow

[@mannyruiz1954]

I'm still interested to know at what point, in the history and development of Country & Western music, how the "steel guitar" (or pedal steel) became part of the sound of Country music. In other words, without Hawaiian music, (the most iconic sound in C&W music) Country music would never have developed that sound that makes Country music so great (imo). That's what I'm really interested to know about. I know a little history about the "frying pan" electric guitar, and how lap steels developed, but I'd love to see a documentary that specifically details the development of the lap/pedal steel guitar in C&W music.

[@billfishoc]

I recommend reading John Troutman's book "Kika Kila - How The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Changed The Sound Of Modern Music". On starting on page 172 he documents in early Western tunes on movie screens and on radio broadcasts in the USA, Hawaiian steel guitars were used. Starting with "Hoot" Gibson, who had Hawaiian steel guitarist Lani McIntire in his band in the early 1920's. Later, "Hoot" Gibson had Sol Ho'opi'i play in his group. Another popular "Western" singer Roy Rogers early in his career joined Hawaiian steel guitarist Bennie Nawahi's troupe, "The International Cowboys". Troutman's book explains this transition; the Hawaiian steel guitar into "Western" or Country music then "western swing" music etc.

[@filianablanxart8305]

Simultaneously and independently lap slide style guitar was developing in the Mississippi Delta , which also influenced other genres of American music .

[@richardgrainger1155]

This was my plan with this doco to explore that because it's really fascinating. And around the same time Blues was developing bottleneck. If I could fund it, I dream of making such a film!

[@simpp6387]

POV: you’re looking at the comments and came from Ms.Brown😏😳

[@Liam1H]

Anybody know what movie the film clip starting at 7:33 comes from? I'd really like to see it and be able to hear that whole tune. Wouldn't mind seeing more of the "Hula dancer" either!

[@17025601]

Brozman: the haole gift to Hawai'ian music history. How could you not appreciate this video?

[@17025601]

Interesting video. Bob was a great player, BUT sometimes over the top. Hawai'ian steel is sensual, not fireworks.

[@richardmcgrath1566]

He could play sensual with the best of them.

[@eolden7749]

@@richardmcgrath1566 Yeah but never does

[@kennethdegruchy5503]

Bob was oft heard to say, "Just because you can doesn't mean you should". He always broke this admonition and did it anyway.

[@ptose]

what the fuck is he doing at 8.11?! It sounds like a wah wah

[@matiastorresaltamirano5371]

Song?? 7:58

[@sebars30]

which is the song play a 8:00

[@jackhopkins4679]

I worked with and friends with a lot of Mexican folks none of them play guitar

[@daganmusic]

Bob is wrong on one big thing here, Hawaiian falsetto didn't come from Bavarian yodeling, don't know how he twisted this around but it is a combination of traditional chanting and Christian hymnal singing that created leo ki'eki'e, oops Bob!

[@PaulusCaesar]

He was talking about mexican music

[@richardmcgrath1566]

Is that absolute or could it be debated?

[@meekrob]

Virtuoso guitarist, ethnomusicologist, genius... and chomo. Can't win 'em all, I guess.

[@tiffnicely]

:46

[@therussiandragon616]

Not sure I want to know "incredible history." I prefer credible history.

[@therussiandragon616]

That said, Brozman could really play and explain the history.

[@0a0b68]

I prefer accurate to credible...

[@imlxh7126]

til that spongebob music was invented by sol hoʻopiʻi

[@zacharysilas4895]

Hearing him sing was painful

[@standupstraight9691]

Sitting on his lap was painful.

[@johnwadd8412]

Bob !!!!! Why don’t you respond to my letters ???? WTF !!!!

[@maxwellfan55]

He's not here now, he cannot defend himself.

[@stevieslide8195]

Too bad, the accusations are many and very convincing

[@roderickbalt8993]

Well he could have been here had he not commited suicide.

[@no59do56]

Read Bob committed suicide. 🙏🏿🙏🏿

[@standupstraight9691]

Paedophile.