What's Going On With HIMELE

October 15, 2024 • Alan Akaka • News

WAIKĪKĪ STEEL GUITAR WEEK at the ROYAL HAWAIIAN CENTER - July 8-13

We enjoyed another successful Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week with performers from the Islands, California and Japan gracing the center stage of Helumoa all week long.

PROGRAM
Monday - Alan Akaka & the Islanders
Tuesday - Mālie Lyman & mom Pōmaika‘i Keawe Fatongia
Wednesday - Makana from Japan
Thursday - NextGen
Monte McComber, Cultural Director for the Royal Hawaiian Center was host and emcee on the weeknights

Friday - Japan Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival
We were excited to greet the Japan Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival artists at a welcome brunch hosted by Hula Grill Waikīkī. Bobby Ingano, Kaipo Asing, Helene Woodward, David Woodward, and myself entertained the guests throughout their meal. Isaac Woodward's skill on the steel and his vocals drew a great deal of attention when he joined the group. Many thanks to Marylou Foley and Michelle Whitton manager of the Hula Grill for setting up the brunch.

FEATURED ARTISTS - Shinichi Kakiuchi, Yukio Katagiri, Lion Kobayashi, Matt Kobayashi, Paul Okubo, Masami Sato and Makana, Shuji & Noriko Tomita
Masami Sato and Shuji Tomita were guest hosts for the Friday festival

Saturday - Waikīkī Steel Guitar Festival
FEATURED ARTISTS - Alan Akaka, Roberto Alaniz, Steve Cheney, Bobby Ingano, Lion Kobayashi, Mālie Lyman, Greg Sardinha, Geri Valdriz, Joseph Zayac
Kimo Kahoano was the emcee and host for the Saturday Ho‘olaule‘a

The livestreamed videos from the Friday and Saturdays performances are currently available for viewing via this link.

HAWAIIAN STEEL GUITAR FESTIVAL at KAHALA MALL - August 17

NextGen members Makamae Lyu-Napoleon, Isabella Bertelmann, Ever Ta‘ala, Hi‘ipoi Lindsey, Isaac Woodward and Tai Misailidis all did well in the lunch hour festival. Anyone following these young artists would say each has improved in skill with an increased level of confidence. Bobby Ingano joined Tai in her set.

Visiting hula dancer from Beijing Cindy Martin graced us with a hula and later Kimo Kahoano spoke to the audience about the steel guitar and HIMELE and then entertained the audience with a hula.

Claude Kutaka and Kevin Speyer set up a table to offer free steel guitar lessons and after a quick lesson Henry Tonga decided to take private lessons.

The 2024 festival at the Kahala Mall featured the with an earlier time slot which worked out better than previous years since we had the lunchtime crowd.

NEXTGEN AT THE WAIKIKI BEACH WALK - July 18

Blaine Kia invited the NextGen to perform at the Beach Walk. Impressed with their performance he invited the group to do a "Hana Hou" on Monday, December 23.

UPCOMING DATES FOR STEEL GUITAR FESTIVALS FOR 2024

October 19 - Maui Steel Guitar Festival at the Shops at Wailea
FEATURED ARTISTS: Alan Akaka, Bobby Ingano, Joel Katz, Kona Lau, Mālie Lyman, Geronimo Valdriz, NEXTGEN - Isabella Bertelmann & Makamae Lyu-Napoleon

November 21-24 - Hawaii Island Steel Guitar Experience
FEATURED ARTISTS: Alan Akaka, Pōmai Brown, Kapono Lopes, Mālie Lyman, Devin Nakahara, Ed Punua, Dwight Tokumoto, Geronimo Valdriz, NEXTGEN - Hi‘ipoi Lindsey, Tai Misailidis, Isaac Woodward

FOREST TO FRETS PROGRAM

There's talk about a new course offering at Windward Community College called "Forest To Frets" piloted by Kilin Reece. If approved this steel guitar building program will be scheduled to begin in Spring 2025. The 2 phase program will include building then learning to play the steel.

ALOHA INTERNATIONAL STEEL GUITAR CLUB CONVENTION - July 25-27

The 2024 AISGC Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival was held July 25-27, 2024 in Winchester, Indiana. The club celebrated 50 years since steel guitarist, Charles Moore, held a first ever steel guitar festival in the basement of his house in Winchester. The festival had a lineup of performances, seminars, jam sessions, and learning opportunities.

What was so impressive is the way Winchester welcomed the festival with street banners, staff at Mrs. Wicks Pies wearing Hawaiian shirts and leis, and a tropical decorated lobby at the Randolph Inn.

To end the weekend of steel guitar music, guests were treated to a great show Saturday evening presented by special guest Bobby Ingano and Joseph Zayac. Guests enjoyed ‘ono lū‘au food and a special 50^th celebration cake made by a local Winchester baker. As we do at our many gatherings in Hawai‘i the festival closed with all gathered in a circle holding hands to sing "Hawai‘i Aloha" and "Aloha ‘Oe".

HĀLAU KŌ MANA VISITATION - September 13

Mālie Lyman invited me to chat and work with a group of her Hālau Kū Mana students taking a 4 week steel guitar class. There were a couple of promising students out of the group of 11. Hālau Kū Mana is a charter school located and a half mile inland from Hanahau‘oli School below Tantalus Heights. It is yet to be seen if this program will be repeated in the future. The instruments, accessories and mini amps were on loaned from Mana Maoli through the help of Pōmaika‘i Keawe Fatongia.

HAWAIIAN STEEL GUITAR ASSOCIATION CONVENTION at EMORYVILLE, CA - September 26-28

The 2024 Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association held a 3 day convention at the Hilton Garden Inn in Emeryville, CA packed with a lineup of performances, jam sessions and learning opportunities.

The HSGA dedicated the convention to Barney Isaacs who would have celebrated his 100^th birthday this year. Over the years Barney backed up many of Hawai‘i's stars on stage and in recordings and starred on Hawai‘i Calls for 24 years. In his honor the HSGA emblazoned his image on the convention program and t-shirts. Members honored Barney by performing songs composed by his father Alvin Kaleolani Isaacs. I offered a presentation covering the highlights of his career and selections from his many recordings. The culminating event was the Super Saturday-Show featuring Bobby Black, Mikiya Matsuda and myself.

Kevin Gilles of No Ka ‘Oi Instruments located in Santa Barbara set up a display of 6, 8 and 10 string mango wood lap steels. Wanting to test his instruments I played an 8 and 10 string steel in my set and enjoyed the rich resonant tones on both guitars.

Clinesmith Instruments generously donated a cast aluminum lap steel that was raffled off Saturday afternoon. Brad Winchester of San Jose was in complete shock when his ticket was announced.

The after convention lū‘au was held at the Trader Vic Restaurant. Mikiya Matsuda and the Alcatraz Islanders provided dinner music followed by a show led by me.

Congratulations to HSGA president Christo Ruppenthal and coordinator/board member Roberto Alaniz and all the volunteers for all that you did to make this convention a success.

NORCAL SYMPOSIUM in CUPERTINO, CA - September 29

A total of 19 students enrolled in the 2024 NorCal Steel Guitar Symposium in Cupertino. The morning Starter Class focused on basic technique and a couple of simple tablatures. In the afternoon Symposium students focused on solos in the B11 and D9 tunings and tablatures with pā‘ani and fills ideas that could be used when playing backup in any kanikapila. There was a potluck followed by a kanikapila.

INVITATION TO SPEAK TO A UNIVERSITY GROUP - October 8

I will be speaking with students of the music conservatory at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA on Tuesday, October 8. Assistant professor and Punahou graduate Kathryn Schulmeister invited me to speak to her students taking a course on popular music with a focus on Hawaiian Popular Music.