Madame Riviere's Hawaiians

Little is known of Madame Riviere, a French woman sent by the French government to study Tahiti -- then a French colony -- in the 1920s. Forming a band, Madame Riviere's Hawaiians, featuring Hawaii-born steel guitarist Tau Moe and his wife and vocalist, Rose, Riviere produced some of the earliest recordings of traditional Hawaiian music. Following the departure of the Moes in the early '30s, Riviere faded into history. A tune by Madame Riviere's Hawaiians, "Fort Street," is included on the multi-artist compilation Hawaiian Steel Guitar Classics: 1927-1938. ~ Craig Harris