Festival Will Feature Eight Steel Guitar Legends

November 23, 2019 • Addison Ching • Festivals and Conventions

Steel guitarists for the Special Edition Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival ho‘olaule‘a have been announced by HIMELE Chairman of the Board Alan Akaka. Separately, open stage participants were also announced by HIMELE Vice-Chairman Addison Ching.

The Friday evening ho‘olaule‘a will feature Hawai‘i Island steel guitarists Iaukea Bright, Pomai Brown, and Dwight Tokumoto in individual performance segments. Geromino "Geri" Valdriz from Maui will also perform, as will O‘ahu steel guitarists Alan Akaka, Bobby Ingano, Kapono Lopes, and Greg Sardinha. Backup will be provided by veteran festival musicians Adam and Kaipo Asing.

Saturday's Twilight at Kalahuipua'a program will feature "talk story" by Kahu Hanai Danny Akaka, Jr., and incorporate steel guitar performances by some of Friday's featured steel guitarists as well as NextGen keiki steel guitarists from Ke Kula Mele Hawai‘i School of Hawaiian Music.

This year's Saturday Open Stage program will include performances by Heu‘i Bandmann from Kaua‘i, Shinichi Kakiuchi from Tokyo, Japan, and Hawai‘i Island steel guitarists Vickie Van Fechtmann, Laurie Kali and Daniel Toft. Troy Keoho and his group will also perform, as well as Ke Kula Mele Hawai‘i Makua and NextGen steel guitarists and musicians.

The festival will also include steel guitar workshops, public kanikapila sessions, and hands-on opportunities for festival guests to try out the steel guitar under the guidance of a steel guitar professional.

The festival program will be posted on the festival website when it is finalized.