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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
 Posted - 12/30/2009 : 6:26:54 PM
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TP = Andy (Taropatch.net)
Makana = Makana 
TP: The Instrumental World of Makana is an all instrumental album, a first for you. What did you set out to do with this album? How does Instrumental World fit into your overall discography? What was the inspiration?
Makana: After 20 years of exploring the guitar, I realized that I had evolved a unique approach which was occasionally showcased for a few tracks every record, but nowhere as a collection that demonstrated the breadth of my contribution. I thought it appropriate to present some of my most representative compositions and arrangements, both past and present, in a singular context for listeners. So far the fans' reaction has been overwhelmingly celebratory, and I'm very happy to know the music brings inspiration and peace to folks, which was my intention in creating the project. Also, on a more esoteric note, I wanted to move beyond genre and style classifications, which in a way are all prejudices, into a realm that I nicknamed "guitar transcending guitar", meaning to create music with the guitar that doesn't necessarily sound like guitar music - just music.
TP: When we chatted back in 2004 at the Jason Mraz show in New York City - that was a wild show - you said, "Everything I do has slack key in it." You play a range of songs here pushing the envelope with effects on A Touch of Deviance to playing a very traditional style on Waimanalo Slack Key. I hate to debate definitions or label music; but from your perspective, is this a "slack key" album?
Makana: As long as we feel the need to label art, what we are really doing is establishing a point of reference from which to experience the art, which actually serves to create a chasm between the listener and the experience. If I say, "yes, this is a slack key album", suddenly the mind orients around what it associates with the term "slack key", pulls all of that memory up, accurate or inaccurate, informed or uninformed, as it may be; then the experience of listening to the album becomes comparative rather than direct, meaning the listener forfeits its ability to hear the music as it was intended, without comparisons or labels, just as music... this is music made in slack key tunings on solo guitar with no over dubbing. Any other description is subjective and arguable.
TP: I love what you can do with a solo guitar. The sound is full and very dynamic. Most of the album is solo guitar with no additional tracks?
Makana: Mahalo. The entire album is solo, meaning all the sound you hear came from a single live recorded guitar, with the exception of a few tracks where my engineer and I set up an additional acoustic guitar as a resonating chamber, which I did not "play"- it merely was mounted vertical with its sound hole facing the sound hole of the guitar I played, tuned to a comparable yet different tuning, and a microphone picked up the acoustic resonance that emanated as a reaction to the sound from the guitar I played. The resulting "hum" was mixed in under the original performance recording to give the effect of having played in a "tuned room"; quite magical! In particular you may hear this effect on "Walking with You". It is sometimes done with pianos.
TP: You studied with Bobby Moderow and Uncle Sonny Chillingworth. Can you talk about them and other early musical influences?
Makana: Bobby, a protege of Uncle Raymond Kane, instilled in me a rock solid foundation of traditional slack key guitar based on Uncle Raymond's style. Bobby's joyful spirit and adeptness as a highly effective teacher are the primary reason I am so natural in my ability to self-accompany utilizing the traditional alternating bass string approach. After I learned from him for 2 years (age 11-13), I was blessed to tutor under Uncle Sonny a year prior to his passing. Sonny's style was radically different from Raymond's, full of speedy, complex maneuvers, and he was very patient with me, and taught me many songs in his style. My next phase of learning Ki Ho'alu came through the recordings of Gabby, Atta, Ledward, Cyril, Keola, Leonard, Uncle Fred, Peter Moon, Auntie Alice Namakelua, and others. This all continued through my late teens, and then my musical influences expanded to include a list too long for this column.
TP: What are you listening to now? Anything in particular moving you and influencing your own music?
Makana: I've begun a collection of vinyl, and we often have listening parties where friends bring hard-to-find records over to share... it's so fun! The character of the vinyl is as vibrant as the music itself. I even have an old hand-crank Victrola 78 player. I listen to such a broad range, but some of my favorites are the old Hawaiian records (Kahauanu Lake Trio, Sunday Manoa, Waimea Music Festival), Brazilian, and 80's artists. The biggest influence on the music I'm creating now is not other music; it actually comes through my observations of people, both personal and in society, as well as reflecting on my own inner process.
TP: Can you tell us about 2008 Guitar Player Magazine Guitar Superstar contest? I know you are keen on taking your music to new audiences so it must have been a cool experience to get in front of this "guitar" audience and share your music.
Makana: The contest was a blessing in that it allowed me to expose slack key guitar to a new audience. A lot of my fans showed up to support me. Some even flew to SF (it was held at the Great American Music Hall), and because of them I had a great reaction from the audience, which definitely influenced the outcome. It was a great honor to meet Satch, Vai, Easton and the others. I think that there is a growing momentum for acoustic guitar, now that the 80s metal/rock scene has passed, and slack key is increasingly a recognized style in this movement, so it's really exciting to be able to interact with players from all different approaches.
TP: Tell us about your recent experience playing for President Obama and family.
Makana: It was a rare moment for me of being totally at a loss for words (upon being introduced to the President and the First Lady)! Meeting the Obamas was indeed an incredible honor and opportunity, and playing music in the White House was amazing. It's like a big museum (yes big, it's huge!), with different histories in every room. I especially played a lot of slack key and Hawaiian music, just to fill the halls with that feeling of aloha.
TP: What do you have in store in 2010?
Makana: Three records. Yep, you heard me right.
TP: Wow, big year. Thanks, Makana. Congrats on the album, and we look forward to hearing more next year.
For more information, visit http://www.makanamusic.com
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Andy |
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Haolenuke
Lokahi
USA
117 Posts |
Posted - 12/31/2009 : 12:58:12 PM
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| Fine interview, great album, extraordinary artist. |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 01/01/2010 : 09:39:53 AM
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I think his non-answer to #2 is dancing around the question. He sounds like a politician. "Let your yes be yes and your no be no." I saw him perform at the Oahu Slack Key Fest last August, doing a number of songs from the Venus.... Album. I'm not impressed with Eddie Van Halen or Jimi Hendrix, either.
Unko Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
Edited by - rendesvous1840 on 01/01/2010 09:40:39 AM |
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markwitz
`Olu`olu
USA
841 Posts |
Posted - 01/01/2010 : 09:49:31 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Admin
... this is music made in slack key tunings on solo guitar with no over dubbing. Any other description is subjective and arguable.[/blue]
I think he answered the question directly and quite honestly with no equivocation at all. |
"The music of the Hawaiians, the most fascinating in the world, is still in my ears and
haunts me sleeping and waking."
Mark Twain |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2168 Posts |
Posted - 01/01/2010 : 10:29:41 AM
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I've seen Makana live a couple times. Great chops! He will be a force to reckon with as he and his music deepen through the years.
John Hartford said that style is based on limitation. The instrument has its limitations as do the individual tunings. The musician is limited by his skill level, his influences and his imagination.
BTW, it's interesting to see how passionate we can get over a collection of just 12 notes. |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2010 : 06:49:02 AM
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"I made beef stew for dinner. But I was out of beef, so I put chicken instead. And there weren't any potatoes, so I used rice. And I didn't have any broth, so I fried it. Here it is."
Here's Blind Willie Johnson, playing in a slack key tuning. http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/blind-willie-johnson-dark-was-the-night/DA899D229CB03BCC15D3DA899D229CB03BCC15D3 I was all out of slack key, so I posted this.Why can't "yes be yes, and no be no?" Makana plays slack key. Among other things. Why can't he answer the question in an interview. I have no problem with him playing other styles, just don't evade the question. His answer told me nothing about the album.
Unko Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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RWD
`Olu`olu
USA
850 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2010 : 08:05:53 AM
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There is always going to be debate over what slack key is and is not, and so I thought the answer Makana gave was satisfactory. Had he not backed it up with the thoughtful explanation I may have had a different take on it, but he has obviously thought this issue through.
I think he is right about inducing "prejudice" by offering a classification. Since most have heard Makana we kinda have an idea of what we will hear and so we buy based on that. We can decide without his input although the decisions will probably not be unanimous.
my 2 cents. |
Bob |
Edited by - RWD on 01/02/2010 08:07:16 AM |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2010 : 4:58:14 PM
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| You notice I didn't say a word. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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salmonella
Lokahi
240 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2010 : 6:32:13 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by wcerto
You notice I didn't say a word.
Yes but also notice that 'Paul starts with pau'... just a coincidence? hmmmm  |
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markwitz
`Olu`olu
USA
841 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2010 : 09:39:45 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by wcerto
You notice I didn't say a word.
Quite remarkable, Wanda. I think in this case your proximity to Paul has actually worked in his favor. |
"The music of the Hawaiians, the most fascinating in the world, is still in my ears and
haunts me sleeping and waking."
Mark Twain |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2010 : 11:44:12 AM
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1) At least it doesn't start with "Pow"!
2) I like Wanda to stay in close proximity to me. Az why 37 years.
As to Makana, when he plays true slack key, he's very, very good. The more rock-influenced things he does just aren't my cup of tea. As this is a Hawaiian Music web site, I think a better description is in order. At the Oahu Slack Key fest, he talked of Jimmy Page being one of his heroes. We have one of Makana's albums, and I don't like it much at all. I expect bleu cheese to have mould, but not romano.
Unko Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
Edited by - rendesvous1840 on 01/03/2010 11:45:26 AM |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2010 : 11:47:48 AM
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I've said my two cents, I think I ruffled enough feathers. All pau.
Unko Pau-l |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2010 : 7:13:30 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by rendesvous1840
The more rock-influenced things he does just aren't my cup of tea.
Well, there ya go, nicely summed up. Nothing wrong with that statement.
I've said it before, folks - why do we waste energy tearing down the creative and artistic stuff that doesn't resonate with us, when we could put those energies into sharing with people the excitement about what we enjoy, and maybe turning more folks onto it? Feels better when you're done, too.
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markwitz
`Olu`olu
USA
841 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2010 : 02:42:01 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Retro
I've said it before, folks - why do we waste energy tearing down the creative and artistic stuff that doesn't resonate with us, when we could put those energies into sharing with people the excitement about what we enjoy, and maybe turning more folks onto it?
Greg, here is something that I enjoyed seeing. Check out the video interview.
http://makanamusic.com/blog/?cat=9 |
"The music of the Hawaiians, the most fascinating in the world, is still in my ears and
haunts me sleeping and waking."
Mark Twain |
Edited by - markwitz on 01/05/2010 02:44:08 AM |
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Quick Q&A: The Instrumental World of Makana
