What's Going On With HIMELE

April 15, 2025 • Alan Akaka • News

HAWAIIAN STEEL GUITAR FESTIVAL at KA MAKANA ALI‘I

The festival featured Greg Sardinha & Po‘okela, Na Kupuna o Ko‘olau, Kalei Yamanoha, Steve Cheney, NextGen members Ever Ta‘ala, Hi‘ipoi Lindsey and Isaac Woodward, myself, NextGen members Makamae Lyu-Napoleon, Isabella Bertelmann, Enosa Lyman, Tai Misailidis, and closing the program was Bobby Ingano.

Daniel Tremblay and Kevin Speyer offered free instruction at the "Hands On" table. The event was livestreamed.

In the past, our festivals were scheduled during the lunch hour, which was then switched to an early afternoon to dinner hour per a request from the Ka Makana Ali‘i management. During lunch, we had a larger audience and, according to Daniel Tremblay, more participation at the "Hands On" table. There was a noticeably smaller crowd in the late afternoon that day.

KONA STEEL GUITAR FESTIVAL at the OUTRIGGER KONA RESORT & SPA

In summary, the Kona festival was a major success. The Bayview Room was filled with community members, Aloha Music Campers, and hotel guests. The festival's location was key to attracting more traffic than in previous years. Helping to attract the crowd were the "Hands On" and vintage steel guitar tables located at the entrance of the Bayview Room.

Featured at the live-streamed Saturday Ho‘olaule‘a, emceed by Jake Fernandez, were Dwight Tokumoto, Colin John, Makamae Lyu-Napoleon, Devin Nakahara, Isabella Bertelmann, and myself. The second half featured Ken Emerson, Geronimo Valdriz, Enosa Lyman, Mālie Lyman, Billy Cardine, and Bobby Ingano.

Special mahalos go to Geronimo Valdriz and Chris Stewart for the vintage steel guitar display, Daniel Tremblay for providing free lessons at the "Hands On" table, and Linda Mentzer for managing the festival sales store.

Paula Vessels won the auction bid for Daniel Tremblay.s reconfigured student guitar, which was filled with the signatures of all the festival artists, at $400.

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE FUTURE: 1) Do a performance at the Keauhou Shopping Center on Thursday evening to promote the festival at the resort. 2) Offer a workshop in reconfiguring standard guitars to a steel guitar. 3) Time to consider a one-day festival in Hilo.

UPCOMING DATES FOR STEEL GUITAR FESTIVALS FOR 2025

HAWAI.I STATE ARCHIVES INTERVIEW

Nina Keali‘iwahamana and I were invited to "talk story" about Hawaiian music and musicians.

THREE NEW STEEL GUITAR STUDENTS

Four male students aged 11-13 are actively taking lessons. One resides on O‘ahu, one in Hilo, and another in San Jose.

School-aged students include Tai Misailidis, Enosa Lyman, Ever Ta‘ala, Isaac Woodward, Hi‘ipoi Lindsey, Charlie Ahuna, Kyle Henderson, Henry Makua IV, and Ropati Lopez.

ALOHA MUSIC CAMP 2025 – March 2-8

After 24 years, Keola Beamer is retiring from running the camp. Both the campers and Kumu would like it to continue, so the decision is up to the Mohala Hou board of directors. Sharing photos of the steel guitar classes.

PUNAHOU HAWAIIAN ENSEMBLE CONCERT

HI‘IPOI LINDSEY UPGRADES TO AN 8-STRING FRYPAN

KAMOAULI

LEO HONE O KAHALA: KIKA KILA

The Kahala Hotel & Resort offers a night of Hawaiian music at the Plumeria Beach House, featuring renowned local musicians. In April, the Hawaiian steel guitar will be featured with artists Devin Nakahara, Shinichi Kakiuchi, Hi‘ipoi Lindsey, Isaac Woodward, and myself.