The 2016 Waikiki Steel Guitar Festival

June 11, 2016 • Addison Ching • Festivals and Conventions

The 7^th Annual Waikiki Steel Guitar Festival will be held on Saturday, July 16, 2016, at the Royal Hawaiian Center's Royal Grove (Helumoa) performance venue. The Royal Grove, once the playground of Hawaiian royalty, is now home to many Hawaiian cultural and music presentations on a continuing basis and the Waikiki Steel Guitar Festival is a nice complement to the Grove's programs.

This year's festival will offer programs by Hawaii's best steel guitar masters including Alan Akaka, Isaac Akuna, Eddie Palama, Jeff Au Hoy, Greg Sardinha, Paul Kim, Bobby Ingano and Timi Abrigo, beginning at 11 A.M. and continuing through 9 P.M. The Grove's nightly cultural hula program will be integrated into the festival at 6 P.M. and will be preceded by the Ke Kula Mele School of Hawaiian Music Next Generation steel guitar players. Celebrity emcee Mele Apana will host the early afternoon performances, and Kimo Kahoano will host the festival from 4 P.M.

The Waikiki festival is scheduled on the day preceding the annual Ukulele Festival Hawaii to provide visitors an opportunity to also experience the music and beauty of the Hawaiian steel guitar and showcase another instrument that is important to Hawaiian music and culture.

As with all other Hawaii festivals produced by HIMELE, both the Waikiki and the Hawaiian festivals are free and open to the public.

Photo Credit:
Photo 1: Finale jam session from 2015 festival. From left: Mark Prucha, Jeff Au Hoy, Alan Akaka, Bobby Ingano, and Kaipo Asing. pc-Colleen Ricci.