Showcase to Visit Maui and Kaua‘i

August 29, 2021 • Addison Ching • Festivals and Conventions

The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase will "take its show on the road" and broadcast two of its future Livestream Steel Guitar Saturday showcases from the Neighbor Islands.

HIMELE chairman announced during the Livestream Steel Guitar Saturday showcase on August 28 that two future livestream broadcasts will originate on the islands of Kaua‘i and Maui.

The livestream showcase tentatively planned for October 30, 2021, will originate from Kaua‘i and feature steel guitarists Ed Punua and Kilipaki Vaughan, two of Kaua‘i's great steel guitar players. The Kaua‘i program will originate from the Punua residence and will also feature keiki steel guitar students.

The livestream showcase tentatively planned for November 20, 2021, will originate from Maui and feature Maui steel guitarists Geronimo "Geri" Valdriz and Konolipiahi Lau. The Old Wailuku Inn in Wailuku will be the site of the Maui livestream broadcast. Keiki steel guitarists will also be included in the broadcast.

Both livestream broadcasts will begin at 3:00 PM Hawaiian Standard Time and can be viewed live on the Showcase's Facebook page and YouTube channel. The broadcasts will also be archived for demand viewing.

It is hoped that the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic cases due to the Delta variant won't affect travel and other variables that are conducive to a safe presentation. The livestream presentations are closed to the public and include only a minimum number of participants and support staff. All assembly, distancing and masking safety protocols are observed.

All of the featured artists are veterans of in-person Hawaiian steel guitar festivals but this will be their first appearances via livestream. The keiki steel guitarists will include students of the Ke Kula Mele Hawai'i School of Hawaiian Music and of local steel guitar instructors on each island.

The livestream broadcasts are made possible through showcase viewer contributions. Additional support is provided in part by the Laurence H. Dorcy Hawaiian Foundation.