Big month for slack-key guitar lovers

I love Hawaiian slack key guitar because it's such a beautiful melding of musical traditions. Songs about a favorite horse who falls into a lava tube, or much more universal experiences of wistfulness, sound amazing in this style. Here's a slow sample from legend Led Kaapana:

August is one of the best months for aficionados of the form, with the Aloha Festival in San Francisco and the annual Hawaii Slack Key Guitar Festival in Honolulu. I posted a couple of examples from this month's events below.

From the Honolulu Festival, here's a few samples of the range:

Fran Guidry was a highlight at the San Francisco event. Here's him performing a piece he did there:

One of the best intros to the form is the Dancing Cat album Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Masters, Vol. 1. Many of the greatest slack-key artists are featured. Check it out!

• [Anonymous]

  Don’t forget the annual Southern California Slack Key Festival in Redondo Beach every January!

  Mitch Chang
  http://www.kalakoa.com/

• [Anonymous]

  that (last guy in particular) sounds a lot like John Fahey (who was mostly influenced by delta blues, ragtime, and Indian ragas), weird to hear two different sources arriving at the same point.

• [skippitydoo]

  The music is nice, but does anyone else notice that Led Kaapana needed to tune his guitar in that first lullaby?

• [PaulR]

  From Ry Cooder’s “The Gabby Pahinui
  Hawaiian Band Vol 1″ some years ago: I always pictured this version of ‘Moonlight Lady’ as perfect for the closing credits of a buddy movie. Imagine the credits crawling up the screen as you listen:
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teyfBnDZwTk

  http://www.ryland-cooder.com/PahinuiVol1.html

  I have to find Vol 2…

  Also see here:
  Cyril Pahinui playing Hi’ilawe
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL4cHaFapGw

• [Teller]

  Saw him few months ago in a small venue. Just a stupid guitarist and an angelic voice. Ned being there would’ve burnt the place down.

• [DrPretto]

  As a fan of Surf Guitar and The Ventures, I can hear some influence of this Slack-Guitar in their sound for example listen to their version of
  Slaughter on 10th Avenue
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktVmmw89jI4&p=B11F313821D38AB4&playnext=1&index=27

• [dwdyer]

  Ray Kane’s Punahele (featured on the album you link to, and yes it’s a great introduction to the style) is an all-time favorite. It manages to be bouncy and wistful at the same time.

  For those dipping toes in, be sure to check out the older styles too. Dancing Cat has a good guide to the history and styles here:

  http://www.dancingcat.com/skbook1-history.php

• [slida]

  Nice. :)

• [skeletoncityrepeater]

  I never knew until reading some things just now that George Winston is a huge slack-key aficionado and the Dancing Cat is his record label. It makes sense, the music is open and soothing much like Winston’s piano work.

• [Badokole]

  21 years ago, Led played at my wedding in Honolulu… a sweet start to a marriage that has lasted all these years!