Kaua'i - Hawaii - page 1096

» Israel Kamakawiwoʻole,Facing Future- ʻBraddah Iz' touched Hawaii's soul with
songs like 'Hawaiʻi '78,' while his version of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' has be-
come world-famous. When Braddah Iz died in 1997, his body lay in state at the
Capitol in Honolulu, an honor never before bestowed on a musician.
» The Descendants- Keola Beamer, Gabby Pahinui, Sonny Chillingworth and other
slack key and steel guitar masters are showcased in this Hollywood movie
soundtrack.
» Genoa Keawe,Party Hulas- Ukulele player 'Aunty Genoa' and herhaʻi(voiced
register-break singing technique) epitomized old-school Hawaiian hula music, and
this sets the standard.
» Brothers Cazimero,Some Call It Aloha...Don't Tell- Kicking off the Hawaiian
renaissance with Peter Moon's band Sunday Manoa, the dynamic duo of Robert
and Roland blend melodic vocals with 12-string guitar and bass rhythms.
» Gabby Pahinui,Gabby- No self-respecting slack key music collection is com-
plete without this seminal 1970s album.
» Dennis and David Kamakahi,ʻOhana- Father Dennis and son David harmonize
their musical gifts on Hawaiian slack key guitar and ukulele, respectively.
» Ledward Kaʻapana,Black Sand- From a multi-talented master of the ukulele and
both slack key and steel guitars, soothing instrumentals evoke the islands' natural
beauty.
» Kealiʻi Reichel,Keʻalaokamaile- Charismatic vocalist andkumuhula, Reichel
combines ancient chanting and soulful ballads in both Hawaiian and English.
» HAPA,In the Name of Love- Founded by a New Jersey slack key guitarist and a
Hawaiian vocalist, HAPA's contemporary pop-flavored fusion has universal appeal.
» John Cruz,One of These Days- Cruz is an Oʻahu-born singer-songwriter who
crafts modern, blues-tinged riffs, most famously the hit song 'Island Style.'
Slackin' Sounds
Since the mid-20th century, the Hawaiian steel guitar has usually been played with slack
key (ki hoʻalu) tunings, in which the thumb plays the bass and rhythm chords, while the
fingers play the melody and improvisations, in a picked style. Traditionally, slack key
tunings were closely guarded secrets among ʻohana (extended family and friends).
The legendary guitarist Gabby Pahinui launched the modern slack key guitar era with
his first recording of 'Hiʻilawe' in 1946. In the 1970s, Gabby and his legendary band the
Sons of Hawaiʻi embraced the traditional Hawaiian sound. Along with other influential