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makotom
Aloha
USA
11 Posts |
 Posted - 07/25/2002 : 6:17:06 PM
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All,
I just came back from my vacation in the Big Island. The highlight was Big Island Slack Key Guitar Festival held in Hilo in the afternoon of July 21, Sunday. 6 hours of slack key performance inlcuded Led Kaapana, Cyril Pahinui, Dennis Kamakahi and Na oiwi, John Keawe, Ozzie Kotani and Lori Nagasato (his student), Ken Emerson and Darlene Ahuna, Kohala, Omi, Ben Kaili & Friends, Manny Varize, Alicia Bay Laurel, Joe & Janice Marquand.
Of those, Led Kaapana, Dennis Kamakahi, Ken Emerson was the best for me.
(1) Led Kaapana
I have heard him perform twice before, but this one is special since it is in the Big Island where Led was born and grew up (as I understand). He performed all of his signature songs (I Kona, Radio Hula, etc.) Also he showed a trick of playing Mauna Loa Slack Key with paper bag wrapped around his left hand!
(2) Dennis Kamakahi and Na Oiwi
Dennis on guitar with another guitar, bass and ukulele. David Kamakahi, Dennis's sonm played amazing ukulele. Again very relaxing and fun performance.
(3) Ken Emerson
This is the first time I heard him perform. He showed an incredible skills in both slack key and slide.
This is the 13th festival, which started in 1990. It is held in Civid Auditrium, which is a small inside venue (as you may know, it rains a lot in Hilo. I had rains always during my 3 day stay). Mostly local people, I guessed and it is very relaxing. I think it is special to listen to Slack key in its birthplace. It's like going to blues club in Chicago, or listeing to Jazz in New Orleans, but this slack key festival is not commercialized at all (the only independent slack key festival without any corporate sponsors) and is really a local event.
I highly recommend this to everyone (you have to wait for an year, though). You can combine this with other more vacation type of things. We spent 5 days, 2 nights in Hilo for this and the rest in Kona side in one of the resort hotels to relax.Great fun.
Makoto
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Makoto Morise
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Memphis
Aloha
11 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2002 : 12:05:27 PM
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I too attend this festival each year, coming from Memphis, TN. It is always low key and pleasant. I was dismayed that one performer this year, "Ken Emerson" was billed as having been a member of "Emerson, Lake and Palmer". This is just wrong and he (Ken) did nothing to clear this up. "Keith Emerson", not Ken, was/is a member of ELP. This error was restated several times during the festival and, I believe, was even listed in pre festival publicity.
This does not change the fact that the little festival is a great one, each year. I just wish it was longer.
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