Sonny Cunha

Sonny Cunha, full name Albert Richard Cunha (October 1, 1879 – January 23, 1933) was an American composer, bandleader, pianist, singer, politician and entrepreneur. He was the first to popularize hapa haole music, a type of Hawaiian music with influences from popular music and with lyrics that are a combination of English and Hawaiian (or wholly English).

Birth and Death Data: Born 1879, Died 1933

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1913 - 1941

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, lyricist, arranger

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-13113 10-in. 4/11/1913 My Honolulu hula girl Hawaiian Quintette ; E. K. Rose Male vocal solo and male vocal quintet, with instrumental quintet (Hawaiian) lyricist, composer  
Victor B-13148 10-in. 4/18/1913 Honolulu tom boy Hawaiian Quintette Male vocal solo, with instrumental quintet (Hawaiian) composer  
Victor B-15352 10-in. 11/6/1914 Halona Toots Paka Hawaiian Troupe Vocal and instrumental ensemble (Hawaiian) arranger  
Victor B-15582 10-in. 1/12/1915 Cunha medley David K. Kaili ; Pale K. Lua Guitar duet (Hawaiian) composer  
Victor B-16633 10-in. 10/11/1915 On the beach at Waikiki medley Louise and Ferera Guitar duet (Hawaiian) arranger  
Victor B-17066 10-in. 1/26/1916 On the beach at Waikiki Meyer Davis Kalaluhi Hawaiians Instrumental ensemble (Hawaiian) arranger  
Victor B-18434 10-in. 9/16/1916 Dear old Honolulu Wright and Dietrich Female-male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and ukuleles lyricist, composer  
Victor B-18435 10-in. 9/16/1916 My Honolulu hula girl Wright and Dietrich Female-male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and ukuleles lyricist, composer  
Victor B-18455 10-in. 9/23/1916 "My Hawaiian maid" medley Wright and Dietrich Female-male vocal duet, with ukulele and 2 guitars composer  
Victor B-19058 10-in. 1/17/1917 Everybody hula Louise and Ferera Guitar duet (Hawaiian) composer  
Victor B-19193 10-in. 2/19/1917 Hawaiian medley no. 2 E. K. Rose Guitar solo (Hawaiian) arranger  
Victor B-19303 10-in. 2/20/1917 My Honolulu hula girl E. K. Rose Male vocal solo, with ukulele (Hawaiian) composer  
Victor B-24648 10-in. 10/21/1920 The hula blues Billy Murray ; Ed Smalle Male vocal duet, with mandolin and orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-29028 10-in. 11/24/1923 Hawaiian melodies Nicholas A. Barbarito ; Warren B. Patterson Guitar duet (Hawaiian) composer  
Victor B-30061 10-in. 5/9/1924 My Waikiki mermaid Edith MacDowell ; Grace MacDowell Female vocal duet, with guitar and ukulele composer  
Victor B-30062 10-in. 5/9/1924 She sang aloha to me Edith MacDowell ; Grace MacDowell Female vocal duet, with guitar and ukulele composer  
Victor BS-77331 10-in. 12/12/1933 The hula blues Jim & Bob Guitar duet, with male vocal duet (Hawaiian) lyricist  
Victor BVE-89056 10-in. 3/26/1935 Hula girl Sam Alama Hawaiians Instrumental ensemble (Hawaiian) composer  
Victor BVE-89111 10-in. 4/6/1935 Honolulu tomboy Sam Alama Hawaiians Instrumental ensemble (Hawaiian) composer  
Victor PBVE-203 10-in. 5/10/1926 Good-bye, Honolulu Keaumoku A. Louis Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble (Hawaiian) arranger  
Victor PBVE-233 10-in. 5/14/1926 Kuu pua roselani Keaumoku A. Louis Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble arranger  
Victor PBVE-277 10-in. 4/22/1927 Hula girl Kane's Hawaiians Vocal and instrumental ensemble (Hawaiian) composer  
Victor PBS-061158 10-in. 4/14/1941 Hapa haole hula girl Ray Andrade Orchestra Instrumental ensemble, with vocal (Hawaiian) composer  
Columbia 46309 10-in. 12/29/1915 Hapa haole hula girl Louise and Ferera Steel guitar and guitar duet (Hawaiian) composer  
Columbia 46417 10-in. 2/15/1916 Manua kea Henry N. Clark Male vocal solo and vocal octet, with steel guitar and ukulele (Hawaiian) arranger  
Columbia 46679 10-in. 4/1/1916 Hawaiian medley Louise and Ferera Steel guitar and guitar duet (Hawaiian) composer  
Columbia 46833 10-in. 6/14/1916 Kalaluhi's Hawaiian medley of hulas George Kalaluhi's Hawaiians Instrumental ensemble (Hawaiian) composer  
Columbia 46876 10-in. 6/22/1916 Medley of Hawaiian melodies George Kalaluhi's Hawaiians Instrumental ensemble (Hawaiian) composer  
Columbia 47114 10-in. 10/31/1916 Dear old Honolulu Rene Dietrich ; Horace Wright Female-male vocal duet, with guitars lyricist, composer  
Columbia 47294 10-in. 1/16/1917 Everybody's hula Louise and Ferera Steel guitar and guitar duet (Hawaiian) composer  
Columbia 79053 10-in. 3/16/1920 Hapa haole hula girl Ferera and Franchini Steel guitar duet (Hawaiian) composer  
Columbia 79157 10-in. 5/4/1920 Everybody hula Ferera and Franchini Steel guitar and guitar duet (Hawaiian) composer  
Columbia W144506 10-in. 7/27/1927 Hawaiian hula medley South Sea Islanders Instrumental ensemble (Hawaiian), with vocal chorus composer  
Columbia W144564 10-in. 8/25/1927 Tropical hulas South Sea Islanders Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal ensemble (Hawaiian) composer, lyricist  
Columbia W146704 10-in. 5/28/1928 My Honolulu hula girl George Awai's Moana Hotel Hawaiians Jazz/dance band (Hawaiian), with female vocal solo lyricist, composer  
Columbia W147806 10-in. 1/14/1929 Hula girl Andrew Aiona's Novelty Four Jazz/dance quartet (Hawaiian) composer  
Columbia W149803 10-in. 1/8/1930 Hawaiian hula song Sol Hoopii's Novelty Trio Instrumental trio (Hawaiian) arranger  
Columbia W150084 10-in. 3/11/1930 Mauna Kea King Nawahi's Hawaiians Jazz/dance band, with male vocal ensemble (Hawaiian) composer  
OKeh S-7553 10-in. August 1920 Hapa haole hula girl Ferera and Franchini Guitar duet (Hawaiian) composer  
OKeh S-70358 10-in. December 1921 Waikiki mermaid Frank Ferera ; Anthony J. Franchini Guitar duet (Hawaiian) composer  
OKeh W400705 10-in. 5/23/1928 Hula blues Kalama Quartette Instrumental quartet (Hawaiian) composer  
OKeh W400712 10-in. 5/26/1928 Hapa haole hula girl Kalama Quartette Instrumental quartet (Hawaiian) composer  
OKeh W401857 10-in. 5/3/1929 Hawaiian girl o' mine Kalama Quartette Male vocal and instrumental quartet (Hawaiian) composer, lyricist  
Brunswick [Br cat 5235-a] 10-in. approximately June 1918 My Honolulu hula girl Louise, Ferera, and Greenus Instrumental ensemble (Hawaiian) composer  
Brunswick 12524-12526 10-in. 2/14/1924 Hula blues Lena Wilson Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance trio lyricist  
Brunswick E23704-E23706 10-in. 6/21/1927 The hula blues Royal Hawaiians Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Brunswick E25698-E25699 10-in. 12/20/1927 Alegre Hawaiiana (Happy hula girl) The Hanapi Trio Instrumental trio (Hawaiian) composer  
Brunswick LAE324 10-in. 11/1/1928 Honolulu tomboy Isaac Kanae ; Sandy Moore ; The Noble Hawaiians Instrumental ensemble, with female-male vocal duet (Hawaiian) composer  
Brunswick LAE325 10-in. 11/1/1928 Hapa haole hula girl Isaac Kanae ; Sandy Moore ; The Noble Hawaiians Hawaiian instrumental ensemble, with female-male vocal duet composer  
Edison 4600 10-in. 3/22/1916 Hapa haole hula girl Louise and Ferera Guitar duet (Hawaiian) composer  
Edison 5298 10-in. 1/17/1917 My Waikiki mermaid Waikiki Hawaiian Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Edison 9560 10-in. 6/12/1924 My Honolulu hula girl MacDowell Sisters Female vocal duet, with orchestra composer, lyricist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Cunha, Sonny," accessed November 24, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111852.

Cunha, Sonny. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 24, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111852.

"Cunha, Sonny." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 24 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111852

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