For 185 years, generations of Hawaiians and visitors alike have flocked to hear the sounds of the slack key guitar. Throughout the islands of Hawaii, there are more than 100,000 slack key guitar fans; across the globe, the fan base has grown to 6 million.

 

This fingerstyle genre of “world music” is touring our sunny South Shore on Nov. 15 from noon to 6 p.m. The concert, which will be held at the Kauai Beach Resort, is the longest running in the whole state.

 

The Slack Key Guitar Festival will showcase 15 of Hawaii’s most notable slack key guitar artists and will also feature island cuisine, island crafters, artists’ merchandise, and CD giveaways throughout the afternoon. It’s an experience you won’t want to miss!

 

Pre­sale tickets are not available, but will be just $10 at the door.

 

This music has been recognized globally. Since 2005, a category for Hawaiian music was created for the Grammy Awards and Slack Key Guitar has won the coveted award four years in a row, beating out some of the best artists from Hawaii.

 

Although he recorded only one internationally released album, Gabby Pahinui Hawaiian Band Vol. 1, Pahinui paved the way for Hawaiian slack key guitar playing. His influence continues to be reflected in the current slack key guitar music.

 

The playing of slack key guitar has expanded from the Hawaiian Islands to some of the western United States. The festival wishes to go national and international over the next few years.

 

Part of the proceeds from the 2015 Slack Key Guitar Festival coming up will benefit the nonprofit Ki­ho’alu Foundation, Inc., which solicits art grants nationally from other foundations and government institutions. The nonprofit also provides scholarships to youth who are interested in learning slack key guitar, how to produce videos, write books, and create audio CDs, and to help continue the festivals statewide and perhaps overseas.

 

The future is bright for those looking to get involved in this music. Climb on board and be a fan! Don’t miss this spectacular show that promises to sell out on the South Shore. Our Koloa Landing® staff would be happy to provide you more details about the festival or slack key guitar artistry. Call us at 808-240-6600 today.