Jawaiian music pioneer Walter ‘Bruddah Waltah’ Aipolani dies at 68

Walter “Bruddah Waltah” Aipolani, a Jawaiian music pioneer and the only Jawaiian or “island music” artist to receive a Na Hoku Hanohano Award before the reggae category was created in 1999, died Thursday at his home in Hilo after a lengthy battle with liver cancer. He was 68.

Aipolani credited his sister with introducing him to the music of Jamaican reggae superstar Bob Marley in 1979, and with that, he became a fan of Marley and reggae music. Ten years later, Aipolani assembled a band headed by bassist and record producer Bully Soares, named the group Bruddah Waltah &Island Afternoon, and recorded his breakthrough album, “Hawaiian Reggae.”

The album’s 11 songs were an assortment of reggae, pop, rock and hapa haole standards. Standout tracks included Aipolani’s remakes of “Sweet Lady of Waiahole” and “Church in an Old Hawaiian Town,” and his reggae-rhythm arrangement of Don Ho’s showroom signature, “Tiny Bubbles.”

Taking a song from outside the reggae repertoire and adding a reggae rhythm to it was a fresh idea in 1990. Aipolani’s remake of “Tiny Bubbles” inspired countless other Hawaii musicians to follow his example.

The album became one of 1990’s biggest local releases of any genre. By the time “Hawaiian Reggae” received the Hoku Award for contemporary album of the year in the spring of 1991, it was said to have sold 40,000 copies at a time when sales of 10,000 made a local album a major hit.

Whatever the sales were, success didn’t spoil the Westside-born, Waianae High School grad. Restaurateur Terry Kakazu said Aipolani never acted like a “star” when he stopped by her bar, Terry’s Place, and sat in with the musicians who played there.

“I knew him, but I didn’t really know him,” she said. “He was super low-key. He introduced himself as Walter Aipolani, and I didn’t know until a couple years later he was Bruddah Waltah. He would come in and see the guys, but when he got up to sing a number it wasn’t his (hit) songs. … Then I went to Ala Moana last year and I saw him onstage singing his songs.”

Hawaiian falsetto vocalist Moses Kamealoha III described singing with Aipolani as an “honor.”

“Back in the day, he used to come and he used to hang out with my dad guys, you know, my dad is about the same age. When I met him, I was too young (to sing with him), I wasn’t even into my music yet.”

Years passed. Kamealoha “got into music,” won a major falsetto contest and recorded an album. When the opportunity came around again, Kamealoha was ready.

“To be able to sing with a legend from that generation was a big honor,” he said. “I was honored to have the chance to sing with him.”

Sean Na‘auao, a founding member of the Mana‘o Company, Jawaiian hit-makers in the early 1990s, said working with Aipolani after “Hawaiian Reggae” was released was “where it all started for me.”

“Even before Mana‘o Company. With Walter there’s so much memories, all the trips to Guam and Saipan, all the outer islands, and even the mainland.”

Their friendship continued even after Na‘auao and several other musicians founded the Mana‘o Company. On one mainland tour, Aipolani and Mana‘o Company took turns opening for each other; Aipolani would play first for one show, Mana‘o Company would play first the next time.

Aipolani released two more albums and then stepped away from the spotlight; he moved to the Big Island in 1994. Na‘auao went on to a successful solo career, but they stayed in touch. When Aipolani started performing on the Big Island and recording with another Big Island resident, Ryan Hiraoka, Na‘auao took notice.

“I know that he was getting sick,” Na‘auao said, referring to Aipolani’s final years onstage. “Even when he was getting sick, he was still doing performances. I remember one performance that in the middle of the performance he stopped because he could feel, he could taste the chemo when he was singing (but) the people all knew what was happening, what he was going through — all of his cancer treatments and stuff like that. So yeah, I have lots of memories. Lots of memories.”

Aipolani is survived by his wife, Thailiana Denise Leionaona Aipolani, his son, Kaleo Aipolani, and his daughter, Autumn Kahealani Aipolani Soares. eleven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Memorial services have not been set.