Kilin Reece offered a free weeklong lap steel building workshop where the students would:
The program included working in the lo‘i (taro patch).
Bobby Ingano, Joseph Zayac, and I were honored guests at the ho‘ike. Like the Waimānalo Lili‘uokalani Trust project, students learned to assemble a lap steel guitar and were encouraged to design their own fret markings. Parents were invited to assist their children with the building process.
A large crowd gathered at the Shops At Wailea for the Maui Steel Guitar Festival. Featured artists were Joel Katz, Kona Lau, Malie Lyman, Geronimo Valdriz, Bobby Ingano, and myself, with NextGen members Isabella Bertelmann and Makamae Lyu-Napoleon. The Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center Cultural Director - Monte McComber, emceed the event.
Grammy award winner Kalani Pe‘a popped in along with Makanokahaku. Both joined Mālie on stage to sing Ho‘onanea. Mālie occasionally performs at Kalani's concerts and invited him to the festival. Makanaokahaku is a blind jazz pianist and vocalist who can speak and sing in Hawaiian.
Back in July, I noticed an onlooker watching intently while playing at the Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week. When I asked if he played the steel guitar, he nodded. I invited Fujita san, from Kobe, to do a couple of numbers. After the show, Asaeda san, a musician from Hiroshima, approached me, and we chatted. He was surprised that his friend Fujita was there earlier. To my surprise, he told me there is a steel guitar festival in Hiroshima in September, and the two play there together. More on the two later.
Upon arrival, teams were sent out to do presentations and demonstrations at Kealakehe Elementary and Kealakehe Intermediate and first-time visits to Holualoa Elementary and Konawaena High School. Daniel Tremblay donated reconfigured student guitars to Holualoa and Konawaena. All reported that the presentations were well received.
The Thursday evening kanikapila at the HāLani Restaurant kicked off the weekend with lively music and hula.
The Friday Hovolaule‘a featured artists Konabob Stofer, Devin Nakahara, myself, Geri Valdriz, Kapono Lopes, Dwight Tokumoto, Mālie Lyman, and Ed Punua. Devin debuted as a soloist and is someone to watch for in the future.
A modest yet enthusiastic group attended the Saturday workshop held in Hale I‘ike. The response from the attendees was positive. We received many questions and were able to help individuals improve their skills and techniques.
The Open Stage followed, featuring Barbara Bones, Vickie Van Fechtmann, the NextGen, and Daniel Toft. We had an extra treat when Ken Emerson popped in with his guitar and was willing to do a set.
The music resumed with a packed crowd at Twilight at Kalahuipua‘a. Kimo Kahoano emceed part of the event, and the artists and NextGen did put on an excellent show.
The kanikapila finale on Sunday was a blast with more music and hula. Artists and the NextGen took turns coming up to jam. It was 90 minutes of musical joy.
The festival was a major success, the best one yet, with steel guitar music all weekend long.
Daniel's contributions to the steel guitar are numerous. He spends much of his free time in Waikiki at the beach and the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort, offering free lessons and teaching the history of the steel guitar to all interested. He distributes the HIMELE brochures and sells the Kika Kila book by John Troutman. He purchases all brochures and books, and all sales and tips are donated to HIMELE. Many mahalos to Danny K. Kila.
Hawaiian music has been in Japan for many decades, with the height of popularity in the 60s and 70s. University students formed music groups and competed. After graduation, many climbed the corporate ladder yet continued with their music hobby and frequented Hawaiian-themed establishments. There are many active musicians today, most of who have retired from their jobs and seek Hawaiian music entertainment. These are the ones who filled the seats at all my performances.
Besides performances, I attended a recital, offered a symposium, and assisted at a music rehearsal.
Shinichi Kakiuchi invited me to a student recital of Hidehiko Ohashi, who has been teaching the steel guitar and .ukulele for many years.
Shinichi Kakiuchi asked if I would conduct a symposium focusing on ear training and learning to play melodies by ear. Shinichi, who is now the new manager for HSGA Japan, holds monthly workshop/practice sessions at Shibuya Buckie to help members expand their technique and skills on the steel guitar. The two men I met at the Royal Hawaiian Center Asaeda San from Hiroshima and Fujita San from Kobe came to attend for the day.
On my last full day, I traveled to Hachioji to visit the grave of the president of the steel guitar company Canopus and dear friend Yasu Kamiya, along with his wife, Mariko Seki, and daughter, Eri Kamiya.
Later that day, I headed over to Oshiage for a Makana rehearsal to help with Hawaiian songs Kona Kai ‘Opua and Ku‘u Lei Awapuhi.
Found this post on Facebook:
Two years ago my former Principal Ron Oyama shared with me the story of Joseph Kekuku, the local boy that invented the steel guitar in the late 1800s while attending Kamehameha School for boys, which was originally located where Kāpalama Elementary is now located. Ron's vision was for the students of Kāpalama Elementary to learn about the significant history that took place on their campus grounds and then to later go out into the community and share that story. He also envisioned them learning how to play the steel guitar. At the time, I did not know how to play so I started taking lessons online from the steel guitar master Alan Akaka. Soon I was able to learn enough to start teaching my students and eventually we went out into the public to share Joseph's story and the sounds of his invention. Through this journey of learning about Joseph Kekuku, I was blessed to meet Kilin Reece who gifted us with a beautiful steel guitar he built for our haumana to continue to learn on.
Fast forward to today and it's been a full circle moment as I've now moved on to teach kanikapila at Kamehameha, in the same room that Alan Akaka once taught there. Also teaching steel guitar, at the school Joseph Kekuku once attended. Mahalo Ron and Alan for inspiring me to learn the steel guitar!
Kapono let me know that he was at NAMM. This is a great venue to see what is available in the music world and a place to meet many people in the industry.
February 15 – Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Ka Makana Ali‘i
February 27-March 1 – Kona Steel Guitar Festival
May 18 – Kaua‘i Steel Guitar Festival
July 7-12 – Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week at Royal Hawaiian Center
July 11 – Japan Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Royal Hawaiian Center
August 16 – Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival "Keiki Kine" at Kahala Mall
October 18 – Maui Steel Guitar Festival at the Shops at Wailea
November 13-16 (NC) – Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Experience
February, 2025
January, 2025
December, 2024
November, 2024
October, 2024
September, 2024
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Ke Kula Mele Hawai‘i
Hawaiian Steel Guitar Symposium
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Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival
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