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Interview With Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Master Keoki Kahumoku
Interview by Todd Lee
4/10/07
In February, I had the pleasure of attending the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival, a concert at the Somerville Theater near Boston, Mass. Two of the Hawaiian slack key artists from that great concert, Keoki Kahumoku and Sonny Lim, were gracious enough to be interviewed for the Azine. Both Sonny and Keoki are award-winning artists, including being part of the first CD to win the Grammy for Hawaiian Music, Slack Key Guitar, Volume 2., on Palm Records.
George Winston’s Dancing Cat Records website has one of the best concise descriptions of Hawaiian slack guitar music:
Hawaiian slack key guitar (ki ho`alu) is one of the world’s great acoustic guitar traditions. However, due to Hawai`i’s isolation (the islands lie furthest in the world from any major land masses), ki ho`alu remains one of the least known traditions. Ki ho`alu, which literally means “loosen the key,” is the Hawaiian-language name for this unique finger-picked style.
Before the February concert, I had a little exposure to the music through CD’s, but I had not heard the music and the musicians live. The concert gave me a much better appreciation of the rich history and variety of the music, and its diverse and unique mix of musical influences. I was also impressed by the artistry and dedication of the musicians, and the way slack key guitar celebrates and honors the Hawaiian people and the beauty and rich culture of the islands.
This interview with Keoki Kahumoku is the first of what are hopefully two interviews. The Azine is trying to catch up with Sonny to interview him, but he has been busy touring.
