Hawaiian Slack-Key Guitar Festival

Subject: Hawaiian Slack-Key Guitar Festival
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 22 Jul 00 - 10:14 PM

After living here for six years, I finally got to the annual Big Island Slack Key Guitar Festival this year. (There are some advantages to being newly single...) Wow! Twelve performers, six hours of wonderful music. For those who don't know about slack key, I'll quote a little from the program.

"Hawaiian slack key guitar (ki ho'alu) is one of the world's great acoustic guitar traditions but it is one of the least known because of Hawaii's isolation. Ki ho'alu, which literally means "loosen the key", is the Hawaiian name for this solo finger-picked style. In this tradition, the strings or "keys" [i.e., pegs] are "slacked" to produce many beautiful tunings, almost always based on a major tonality. Each tuning produces a characteristic resonance behind the melody, and each has its own characteristic color and flavor, like a beautiful basket of fruit.
"Many Hawaiian songs and slack key guitar pieces reflect themes, such as stories of the past and present, and the aloha for loved ones. This, in addition to the tropical surroundings of Hawaii, with its oceans, volcanoes, mountains, waterfalls, forests, plants and animals, provides the deepest source of inspiration for Hawaiian music... Like blues guitar, the slack key tradition is very flexible and can have great emotional depth."

Players like Ledward Kaapana, John Keawe, Dennis and David Kamakahi...what a feast. And it's extra special being on this island, because that's where the Hawaiian guitar and ukulele tradition started, from the Spanish cowboys who came to work the cattle ranches here in the 1830s. Sadly, I was on call and had to go to the hospital after about 3 hours, but it was wonderful while I could stay. And the whole thing cost...five bucks! Best deal in the islands by far. It's got me pulling out my Ozzie Kotani book and trying Taro Patch tuning again, and also looking for an ukulele teacher. There's a whole lot more to Hawaiian music than Ukulele Lady and Aloha Oe.

If you're interested in hearing this music, check out the CD collection put together by George Winston on Dancing Cat Records. So...if any 'Catters want to plan a vacation for this time next year, let me know. A hui hou!

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Hawaiian Slack-Key Guitar Festival
From: GUEST,Lyle
Date: 22 Jul 00 - 10:49 PM

Thanks, Mark. Would you do us a favor? Please let us know as soon as possible when next year's festival is going to be. I missed last years by a week, although I did get to hear a couple pre-festival performers. And you are right - the Dancing Cat source is fantastic. Also, some of those you mentioned are on albums with the Hawaiian Steel guitar, ad what a fantastic sound that is!!

Were there any newcomers at this year's festival??

Lyle

Subject: RE: Hawaiian Slack-Key Guitar Festival
From: katlaughing
Date: 22 Jul 00 - 11:41 PM

The Dancing Cat CD, "Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Masters" link to midi files was the first CD I ever bought, Mark! Wow! I heard it on NPR and had to have it. Previously I had heard one performer on tour with "Masters of the Steel String Guitar". I cannot remember who it was, but I really loved the sound, immediately. Lucky you! Thanks for letting us get a tiny taste of what it must've been like.

Not the same thing, but along the lines of there being more to Hawaiian music than what Hollywood has portrayed...if you get a chance ever to see and hear Palani Vaughn, I would jump at it. An old boss of mine gave me a tape of his and his voice is just incredible, plus he has done tremendous work to keep the old traditional songs alive, as well as the stories.

Thanks, again...kat

katlaughing&lovingthatmusic

Subject: RE: Hawaiian Slack-Key Guitar Festival
From: Ebbie
Date: 23 Jul 00 - 01:17 AM

Mark, Ledward Kaapana and two other players were the featured guest artists at the Alaska Folk Festival three years or so ago. Audiences loved it- and them. Great guys. They even came to the gospel singalong on Sunday morning and Ledward borrowed my friend's guitar (regular tuning) and played and sang along. We had a great time with them.

Ebbie

Subject: RE: Hawaiian Slack-Key Guitar Festival
From: Micca
Date: 23 Jul 00 - 07:34 AM

Mark, I heard, and have the vinyl to prove it, the Beamer brothers, Keola and Kapono, in Honolulu in 1974 and LOVED the music,Unfortunately only one person here in UK knew what I was talking about when I came back raving about it. thanks for the link to a source of recordings, U one ichiban Kamaaina, Bro.

Subject: RE: Hawaiian Slack-Key Guitar Festival
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 23 Jul 00 - 11:19 PM

Lyle, this was the lineup: Owana Salazar, Keoki Kahumoku, Reggie Berdon, Aku Kua, Brother Noland, John Keawe, Pam Garza with Walter Carvalho, Ledward Kaapana, Dennis and David Kamakahi, Jon Yamasato, Mike Kaawa, Ocean Kaowili. I don't know who's new, because this was my first time at the festival. If you write to East Hawai'i Cultural Center, 141 Kalakaua St., Hilo, HI 96720, I'm sure they'll put you on their mailing list for next year's festival.

Thanks for the link, kat. This may be a more direct link to Dancing Cat Records, which will get you to info about slack key and their catalogue (and info about George Winston, of course). So Micca, when you comin' da islands, bra?

Aloha,
Mark