Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival

History of the Hawaiian Slack Key Festival
The Hawaiian Slack Key or Ki-ho'alu Festival began in 1982 as a way of perpetuating and preserving Hawaiian tradition, culture, and music. The festival is held annually at various cultural centers and venues throughout the Hawaiian islands including O'ahu, Maui, Kaua'i, and Moloka'i.

Festival organizer, performer, creator, and grammy nominated music producer, Milton Lau, started the festival concept over thirty years ago as a way to pay hommage to legendary Hawaiian musician, Gabby "Pops" Pahinui.

The two local performers met about forty years ago. Demonstrating a passion for Hawaiian culture and arts, particularly "slack-key" music, they began playing music together in Gabby "Pops" Pahinui's backyard in Waimanalo on the Eastside of O'ahu (Hawaii). They invited friends and musicians from all over the islands to participate in these impromptu "jam sessions." Moved by the experience of sharing, and the "aloha" (love) found within the slack key music connection, Milton desired to perpetuate the legacy of his dear friend -the talented and legendary artist, Gabby "Pops" Pahinui, who passed away in 1980.

Ki-ho'alu Foundation:
One of the most prominent and appreciated aspects of this festival is that it is free. The festival's producer, Milton Lau, works diligently throughout the year to obtain grants, further perpetuating the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival. Founded in 2004, the Kiho'alu Foundation is a non-profit organization that makes these annual events featured on the islands of O'ahu, Maui, The Big Island (Hawaii), and Kaua'i, possible.

To keep this festival free, donations are always welcomed! Please see the Kihoalu Foundation link found on this blog to support the festival.

What is Ki-ho'alu or Slack Key Music?
Ki-ho'alu also known as Hawaiian Slack Key is an acoustic guitar artform which originated in the Hawaiian islands, made popular by legendary local guitarist, Gabby "Pops" Pahinui. Identified by its unique strumming, "slack-key" or "ki-ho'alu" translates to the loosening of the tuning key and detuning or "slacking" one or more of the strings.

Hawaii's Economic Booster: The Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival
Nestled in the pacific ocean, Hawaii is economically sustained by the tourism it is able to generate. The Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival plays an integral role in boosting Hawaii's economy due to the interest it has ignited over the past 29 years.

According to Milton Lau, in 2010 the Hawaii Tourism Authority- responsible for promoting Hawaii as a tourist destination, commissioned a company by the name of SMS Research to aggregate data based on festival attendees' spending. This information included the visitors' expenditures, such as what they were spending on entertainment, food, hotel stay, and additional purchases. Based on these surveys, the company determined that the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festivals (held annually on O'ahu, Maui, Big Island, and Kaua'i), attract approximately 3,000 visitors per year, and generate millions of dollars in visitor spending.

Additionally, the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival features solely local vendors; each sells goods unique to its location. These items include but are not limited to island-style plate lunches and snacks, handmade crafts and jewelry, lomi-lomi massage sessions, Hawaiian/Asian inspired desserts, vintage photos of the islands (local photographers), and shave ice (ice shavings with fruity and exotic syrups).

Festival attendees also look forward to entering to win a custom-made Taylor Guitar, which is valued anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000, and purchasing festival memorabilia including commemorative t-shirts and the Slack Key Guitar performers CDs.

Additional Links, Please Click to Learn More!
Hawaii Tourism Visitor Statistics
Kihoalu Foundation
Slack Key Kings CD on Amazon
Slack Key Festival Information