Ka Makana Ali‘i Event to Kick Off 2024 Steel Guitar Festivals

January 25, 2024 • Addison Ching • Festivals and Conventions

The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Ka Makana Ali‘i will be held on Saturday, February 17, 2024. The Kapolei event will be the first festival in the 2024 Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festivals series. The festival will begin at 11:00 AM HST and run until 3:00 PM at the center's outdoor stage.

Headlining the festival will be veterans Alan Akaka, Steve Cheney, Bobby Ingano, Mālie Lyman, and Greg Sardinha and Po‘okela. Also featured on the program will be the NextGen keiki steel guitarists, including three new NextGen steel guitarists ranging in age from 11 to 14.

NextGen steel guitarists Hi‘ipoi Lindsey, Enosa Lyman, Tai Misailidis, Makamae Lyu-Napoleon, and Isabella Bertelmann will perform as they did at the 2023 Kapolei festival. Hi‘ipoi made her debut performance at the 2023 festival.

NextGen steel guitarists performing for the first time are Isaac Woodward, Thang Nguyen, and Ever Ta‘ala.

Isaac Woodward is 11 and hopes to someday be the steel guitarist in his dad's band. His father is Kekoa Woodward, member of Na Hoku Hanohano award-winning group Walea.

11 year-old Thang Nguyen was first introduced to Hawaiian music at the age of 6. As an experienced 'ukulele player, one of his responsibilities is to help his brothers with their 'ukulele playing.

Ever Ta‘ala is 14 and attends Kamehameha School where she is on the school's paddling team. She also likes to sing and play the guitar.

Emcee for the Kapolei festival will be Jake Fernandez, who was the emcee for the 2023 Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival-Keiki Kine at Kahala Mall.

Additional information and performance schedules are available at the festival website.