Livestream Kanikapila To Feature Special Guests

May 13, 2021 • Addison Ching • Festivals and Conventions

The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase Livestream Kanikapila on May 15, 2021 will feature several special guests among the event's musicians. Kanikapila steel guitarists and musicians Alan Akaka, Bobby Ingano, Greg Sardinha, Adam Asing, and Kaipo Asing will be joined by three other musicians. Kapono Lopes is unable to participate due to a prior commitment.

George Kuo, Gary Aiko, and David Finch

George Kuo

George is known as one of Hawaii's premiere Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar artists playing in the traditional nahenahe (sweet, soothing) style, bridging today's generation with the older generations. He has won several Na Hoku Hanohano Awards recognizing his contribution to Hawaiian Music.

George learned from legendary slack key figures such as Ray Kane, Aunty Alice Namakelua, Tommy Solomon, Sonny Chillingworth, Atta Isaacs, Gabby Pahinui, Uncle Fred Punahoa, and Papa Kauhi. "That was a real rare opportunity to be with those old masters," he says.

More information about George can be found on his website.

Gary Aiko

Gary is one of Hawaii's premier baritone vocalists but also plays several musical instruments. He was the bass player for the Keawe 'Ohana. In recent years, Gary has reduced his public performances but can be seen on occasion with his 'ukulele at family gatherings and kanikapila.

His performance career spans several decades, much of it performing with his mother, Hawaiian legend Genoa Keawe, and later with the Kewae 'Ohana. He has appeared just about everywhere in Hawai'i, almost every major showroom in and out of Waikīkī. Gary has performed all over the world, Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Brazil as well as many cities in the continental U.S., the most memorable being in New York City at Carnegie Hall.

See more at Gary's website.

David Finch

David is a professional fiddler, a versatile musician who plays many instruments. Originally a student of classical violin, he became enamored with the passion and fun in Old-Time and Bluegrass music. He became hooked and over the next decade learned from many great fiddlers and musicians he met while winning fiddle contests across the U.S.

David has played beside artists as diverse as Alan Cumming, Serj Tankian, Tony Bennett, Kylie Minogue, Amanda Palmer, Justin Vivian Bond, and Dee Snider from Lincoln Center in NYC to the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. Most recently he can be seen/heard in the PBS special "Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs."

Information about David can be found at his website.