Tau Moe

Tau Moe ("Papa Tau") (pronounced Mo-ay [According to Rhapsody.com Music service] )(August 13 1908 – June 24 2004) was born to an American family of Mormon missionairies in American Samoa. [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0595392/bio IMDB] He was an influential pioneer of the Hawaiian steel guitar who along with is wife Rose formed the core of the Tau Moe Family musical group. Their career coincided with increased interest in polynesia due in part to colonialism and exemplified by cultural fads like Tiki bars and Tiki culture. The Moes was also very compassionate, helping Jews escape from Germany prior to the Second World War, breaking the race barrier in the United States and assisting with paramedics during the Indian riots in the late 1940s. [http://www.surfingforlife.com/music.html]

The Tau Moe Family consisted of Tau Moe, guitar and bass vocals; Rose Moe, lead vocals; Lani Moe, ukelele and vocals; Dorian Moe, second guitar and vocals; and were accompanied at least once by Bob Brozman, Hawaiian guitar and harp guitar. They were included in the American Folk Music and Folklore Recordings: A Selected List 1989. [http://www.loc.gov/folklife/selectlst/selrec89.html Library of Congress American Folk Music and Folklore Recordings: A Selected List 1989] They performed for international figures including Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler, Aristotle Onassis, Mohandas Gandhi and King Farouk. [http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20040702&slug=moe02]

Their music can still be found on CD compilations and video sharing sites.

External links

* [http://starbulletin.com/2004/06/26/news/story4.html Isle musician Tau Moe saved lives in Holocaust]
* [http://starbulletin.com/2004/06/26/news/story4.html Humble Laie resident was famous around the world as a steel guitarist]
* [http://www.surfingforlife.com/music.html History of Hawaiin music]
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0595392/bio IMDB]