Livestream Kanikapila Slated for March

March 5, 2021 • Addison Ching • Festivals and Conventions

The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase will present a special Livestream Kanikapila event on March 20, 2021, beginning at 3 PM Hawaiian Standard Time. The 2-hour broadcast will feature an all-star Kanikapila band playing favorite Hawaiian songs that viewers can play along at home with their instrument of choice.

Steel guitarists Alan Akaka, Jeff Au Hoy, Bobby Ingano, Kapono Lopes, Greg Sardinha and Mālie Lyman will sing and play various band instruments. Adam Asing and Kaipo Asing will also join in with instruments and vocals. As with many of these events, you never know who might drop in unexpectedly and join in the fun.

Kanikapila songs will be selected from the He Mele Aloha Hawaiian Songbook, commonly known as the "Blue Book." Every attempt will be made to keep the songs in the published keys.

Viewers and kanikapila participants can send requests for their favorite mele to mele@hawaiiansteelguitarfestival.com. Requests can also be submitted in real time through the event comments although there is a possibility that such requests might be missed.

The livestream kanikapila provides an excellent opportunity for musicians to develop their skills in strumming, fingering, timing, and chord positioning as they play with the masters. Home steel guitarists can develop and improvise their fills and transitions and maybe even attempt a pa‘ani.

The kanikapila also provides a chance for viewers to simply enjoy the Hawaiian music performances by the all-star band which will include multiple steel guitars playing in round-robin style.

Livestream kanikapila have been very popular with Showcase viewers. A third hour was added to the February showcase that featured a kanikapila with the same all-star band musicians that will appear in the March event. The Open Stage Showcase that will be broadcast on March 27 will be a presentation of prerecorded videos submitted by steel guitarists from all over the world and will not include a kanikapila.