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The 2015 Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association Honolulu Convention

The Queen Kapi'olani Hotel
Honolulu, HI

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The 2015 Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association Honolulu Convention

The Hawaiian Steel Guitar (also known as "Hawaiian Guitar," lap steel, or kika kila, evolved as a native Hawaiian adaptation to creating music from the traditional Spanish guitar that was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in the late 1800's by Spanish vaqueros, or cowhands. As feral cattle introduced to the islands abounded in the native Hawaiian landscape and became destructive to the benign Hawaiian environment by the 1870's, vaquero or Spanish cowboys were brought to introduce cattle-ranching to the Hawaiian Islands by the King of Hawai'i. The vaquero brought with them guitars, which were adopted immediately by the music-loving native Hawaiians.

Originally played acoustically, the Hawaiian guitar was introduced by native Hawaiian musicians to the rest of the world and has been adapted by early American blues, country western, folk, and jazz musicians in the United States and throughout the world. A young lad from La'ie, O'ahu, Joseph Kekuku, and his schoolmate Sam Nainoa, around 1890, are credited with pioneering the style of playing the guitar with the use of a bar to fret the strings in a sliding or glissando fashion. The first instrument to be amplified electronically, and the forerunner of the modern electric guitar.

Not to be confused with the native Hawaiian open and modified folk guitar tunings called "Kiho 'Alu" or "slack key" guitar, the steel is one of only two instruments beside the banjo as of truly American origin. The Hawaiian steel guitar and its adoption by musicians all over the world in the early 1900's help to distinguish Hawaiian music as the first form of "worldwide" music historically. Even today, Hawaiian steel guitar music is played in Japan, Indonesia, Europe, and the USA where its influence has lasted. The use of a bar in place of fretting by fingers and wide variety of tunings make the steel guitar unique as a musical instrument. The advent of electric amplification allowed the instrument to become popular in the '30s and '40's, during the heyday of Hawaiian music in orchestras, big bands, and ensembles. Early American bluesmen adopted Hawaiian guitar to create "bottleneck blues" music, and the pedal steel is firmly entrenched in country, western swing, and jazz circles. Today, the steel guitar has come to be identified with the paradisiacal image of Hawai'i and provides the "signature sound" of the Islands in modern music. There has come about renewed interest in traditional pre-electric acoustic stylings on the instrument, and acoustic steel guitar music has been exposed to millions of children and adults as background music on the "SpongeBob SquarePants' cartoon character on national television. Such is the extensive influence of steel guitar in the world of stringed instruments.

Don't miss this rare opportunity to get up close and hear our live musicians play this rarely-seen instrument. Being in Hawai'i and listening to live, old-style island music... Plus, you will be visiting in the world-famous beach resort district of Waikiki, O'ahu, with the sun and surf just a stone's throw away. Rub shoulders with us folks, talk story while we enjoy a scrumptious Island style luncheon buffet at the stately Queen Kapi'olani Hotel, with the best view of Diamond Head in all of Waikiki, while the world's finest steel guitar combos serenade you with sweet sounds of aloha! Awesome!

Here's what you get for the price of registration. Two mornings and afternoons of fun-filled days of live music by professional and amateur Hawaiian Steel Guitarists from Hawai'i and around the world.

On Wednesday and Thursday, April 29-30, live steel combos perform in the Peacock Ballroom from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily at the Queen Kapi'olani Hotel, located two blocks from world-famous Waikiki Beach in Hawai'i. Your registration fee paid will include an Island-style all-you-can-eat buffet luncheon right there in the Peacock Ballroom for both days in the hotel.

Evening hours are yours. Close by we can steer you to Hawaiian entertainment that may feature good Hawaiian music and maybe steel guitar. Lots of places to have dinner are nearby, ask your hotel concierge. Waikiki, after all, is known as "The Playground of the Pacific." Our public bus system is very good and runs near the hotel convention site.

As a bonus, on Friday, May 1st, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., we will go public and join the festivities on our own stage in concert at the Annual Lei Festival in Kapi'olani Park across the street. Be forewarned: Beautiful leis and flowers will be in abundance! "Wear a lei, make a lei." The Lei Queen and her Court usually swing by our stage to do a hula or two around noontime; just fabulous...You don't want to miss this event...find out more about this event by googling "2015 Annual Lei Festival."

On Saturday, May 2nd, you can enjoy the sweet sounds of our steel guitar players in a free concert at the Waikiki-Kapahulu Library from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the afternoon, located four blocks from the hotel. When else can you come relax and enjoy a free music concert inside of a public library during regular business hours? We love it!

(*As a note of interest, a life-sized statue memorializing Hawaiian steel guitar pioneer and native of La'ie, Joseph Kekuku, has been commissioned and will be officially dedicated soon, possibly during our Convention week. A discount to visit the Polynesian Cultural Center may become available to those volunteering to assist during the ceremony. We will keep you posted when more details of this event unfold. The statue may be seen at the entrance to the Polynesian Cultural Center in La'ie, on the Windward side of O'ahu.)

$$ Hotel Room Discount Again Available: As many of our members and friends have been loyally staying at the Queen Kapi'olani Hotel every year for over thirty years now, Aqua Resorts has arranged for our Convention attendees and guests to receive a 13% discount on the hotel room rate a week prior and a week after our events. Just book online at www.reservations.com/hotel/queen-kapiolani to reserve your hotel room, enter the code HSGA2015 and you should see the discounted room rate. The discount rate will be valid from April 21st through May 7th. (Note: The Association does not handle hotel room bookings, please contact the Queen Kapi'olani Hotel directly for room reservations information.)

Our Association is dedicated to carrying on the tradition of authentic Hawaiian steel guitar artistry and we are most happy to share our music with you. Our group was founded in 1985 and is still going strong, with members all over the world. With your support and patronage we can assure that the legacy of the Hawaiian steel guitar as an art form will be preserved for generations to come to enjoy.

Please contact me, Kamaka Tom, in Honolulu, Hawai'i if you need assistance or information regarding our 2015 Biannual Honolulu Convention.

Me Ke Aloha A Nui Loa, a Mahalo
with Much Aloha, and Thank You

Mr. Kamaka Tom
2434 Waioma'o Road
Honolulu, Hawai'i 96816
<gktom007@yahoo.com>
808-392-4583 cellular

Location

The Queen Kapi'olani Hotel (View)
150 Kapahulu Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815
United States

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Wayne S.

Kaneohe, HI United States

Apr 19, 2015 11:44 AM

Name Withheld

Fujimino, Saitama pref. Japan

Mar 27, 2015 5:16 PM

Name Withheld

Fujimino, Saitama pref. Japan

Mar 27, 2015 5:16 PM

Name Withheld

Fujimino, Saitama pref. Japan

Mar 27, 2015 5:16 PM

Dave "dk" K.

DeKalb, IL United States

Mar 23, 2015 7:42 AM

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