HIMELE will present a full complement of in-person Hawaiian steel guitar festivals Statewide in 2023.
In-person festivals gradually returned in 2022, some in reduced or alternate formats. The first annual Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival was incorporated into Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week, and the festival presented at the Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection was rebranded as the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Experience at Mauna Lani to reflect the resort's plan to present steel guitar entertainment throughout the resort and at different times as opposed to one single steel guitar "concert."
The relocation of the Aloha Music Camp back to its original location in Kona provided an impetus for HIMELE to develop yet another festival for the Kona area called the Kona Steel Guitar Festival to tie in with the camp as has been done in prior years. The Kona festival will be the second festival offered on Hawai‘i Island.
The concept of presenting festivals at two different venues serving two different demographics was first implemented at festivals prior to the Coronavirus pandemic and was continued at this year's Maui Steel Guitar Festival, with presentations at the tourist-centric The Shops At Wailea and at the community-centric Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center in Kahului. This format will be extended to the 2023 Kaua‘i Steel Guitar Festival, with festivals presented at the Sheraton Coconut Beach Resort in Kapa‘a and at the Kukui Grove Center in Lihue.
Formats of festivals will vary with venue requirements and limitations. Most outer island festivals will include workshops, Open Stage presentations, a steel guitar exhibit, and public kanikapila jam sessions. Most festivals will also include opportunities for hands-on experiences with the Hawaiian steel guitar.
A decision to resume school visitations and presentations will be made when it is deemed safe and appropriate to do so.
This is the 2023 festival schedule. Click on the Website icon to access the festival's website.
The date for the 2023 Hawaiian Steel Guitar Experience at Mauna Lani will be announced later.
All festival ho‘olaule‘a concerts will be livestreamed if appropriate Internet connections are available.
Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase livestream presentations will be presented in January, April, September, and November when no festivals are scheduled. The April Showcase will originate from Molokai.
Llvestream presentations usually originate from the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase's Facebook Page and YouTube Channel but may broadcast from additional or alternate sites as appropriate.
In addition to festival dates, HIMELE is also announcing the 2023 Kaua‘i Hawaiian Steel Guitar Symposium. This 2-day steel guitar "camp" will be an intensive workshop for beginners wanting to familiarize themselves with the steel guitar, and for more advanced steel guitarists wanting to learn new techniques and practice strategies.The camp will be held on May 3-4 at the Sheraton Coconut Beach Resort in Kapa‘a, immediately preceding the 2023 Kaua‘i Steel Guitar Festival.
Both the Starter Class and the Steel Guitar Symposium are limited to 15 participants each. Tuition will be $275 per person, including all class materials and a special edition t-shirt made exclusively for participants. Information about the symposium will be posted on the symposium website when symposium details have been finalized.
Major funding for Hawaiian steel guitar festivals and showcases is provided by Hawai‘i Tourism Authority through the Kūkulu Ola Program, administered by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation. Additional funding comes from the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA), through appropriations from the Legislature of the State of Hawai‘i or grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and from the Lawrence H. Dorcy Hawaiian Foundation.
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HIMELE is a Hawai‘i non-profit corporation that supports music enrichment and education for people of all ages. Our purpose is to educate, promote, and perpetuate Hawaiian music, Hawaiian culture and Hawaiian musical instruments.
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Ke Kula Mele Hawai‘i
Hawaiian Steel Guitar Symposium
Statewide Festivals
Kaua‘i Steel Guitar Festival
Maui Steel Guitar Festival
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Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival
Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival
Kona Steel Guitar Festival
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Livestream Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase