 This week’s guest on Pakele Live! with Tony Solis is ki ho’alu (slack key) guitarist Jim “Kimo” West. Kimo is a Hawai’i Music Award winner, a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award nominee and a two-time winner of the LA Treasure Award for his contributions toward the perpetuation of ki ho’alu.
In 1985, after a long summer on the road with musical satirist “Weird Al” Yankovic, Kimo made his first trip to Hana, Maui and fell in love with the cultural and physical landscape of Hawai’i. He now sometimes spends a couple of months a year here. It was here that he also discovered ki ho‘alu, a style of playing where the strings are loosened or “slacked” to different tunings, allowing the bass, chords and melody to be played simultaneously.
Already a devotee of playing in altered, nonstandard tunings, Kimo quickly fell in love with the gentle spirit of slack key and the great sense of discovery that comes with exploring new tunings. Records by Gabby Pahinui, The Sons of Hawai’i, The Sunday Manoa and Peter Moon played continuously on the turntable or cassette deck and Kimo absorbed ki ho‘alu more or less by osmosis. He didn’t concentrate on learning the standard riffs and songs but instead, developed his own slack key vocabulary, which now defines his very unique approach to this great tradition.
His numerous CDs fuse traditional slack key with his own musical language, while still retaining the essence of its “nahenahe” or “gentle” style. Kimo has performed at most of the slack key guitar festivals in Hawai’i and on the mainland. His playing has been featured in a number of films and TV spots, and on the Disney Channel and National Public radio.
Between composing commissions and slack key guitar playing, Kimo has also produced CDs for a number of independent artists, including “Eia Mai Ka Lā -Here Comes The Sun” (the Mountain Apple Company) for Los Angeles-based Hawaiian performer Kapō Ku and Hawaiian tributes to Sublime and the Eagles for LA’s CMH Records. His most recent film project is the 3D short film, “Al’s Brain”.
Join host Tony Solis for Pakele Live! on Thursday, May 5 from 6:30-8:30pm HST [NOTE TIME CHANGE!] at the Willows Restaurant (901 Hausten St., Honolulu). Those who are unable to attend can watch the live stream at www.pakelelive.com. (The shows will also be edited for television and shown at a later date on OC16 TV and www.oc16.tv)
Admission is free, no reservations are required and all ages are welcome! Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. (Doors open at 5:30.) Guests may choose from the full nightly buffet ($34.95) or an a la carte menu created especially for Pakele Live! (and available only during the show), with prices ranging from $5 to $16. Drink specials are also available. Validated valet parking is only $3.
Note: If you watch online, don’t forget to email the show at pakele @ lava.net and let us know you’re watching! Mention your name and where you’re located - city, state – or country, if outside the U.S.!
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Kimo West, Pakele Live 5/5, **6:30pm**
Posted - 05/04/2011 : 7:42:08 PM
