Aloha Week '96 Events

Aloha Week + HSGA = Steel Guitar Week!!

Hawaiian Steel Guitar Week at the Halekulani, 5-8:30 pm, "House Without A Key" with Alan Akaka , "The Islanders" (shown left) and every evening Guest Steel Artists.

STEEL & SLACK KEY TOGETHER IN CONCERT at McCully Shopping Center on Sept. 21 from 1-2pm, and again from 4-5pm, MCCULLY SQUARE (@ Kapiolani). Produced by Alan Akaka, this is a FIRST and promises to be a Jam What Am! How 'bout: Alan Akaka on steel with George Kuo on slack key, and Bobby Ingano on steel with Martin Pahinui on slack key, Greg Sardinha on steel with Ku`uipo Kumukahi on slack key. More combos? You bet. Some fresh, new surprising ones. See you there?

Bios of Steel Guitar Week Performers

(For schedule of who is playing what night, please call Halekulani Hotel "House Without A Key", as exact schedule is not made up yet.)

Jerry Byrd

Jerry Byrd is known the world over as the Master of Touch and Tone, for his smooth, clean playing style. He fell in love with Hawaiian music in visits to Hawai`i while still an active steel guitar performer on the Nashville Country Music scene. Jerry moved to Hawai`i permanently in 1972 when he discovered the lack of steel guitar in performance in Hawai`i, and soon began teaching steel to youthful Hawaiian musicians. Today's steel stars Alan Akaka, Casey Olsen and Greg Sardinha are all former students of Jerry's. Inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in St. Louis, Missouri in 1978, Jerry played at the House Without A Key, turning his spot over to his student, Casey Olsen (of the Hiram Olsen Trio) on his retirement.

A major contribution of Jerry's is his complete steel guitar instruction book and accompanying video tape, produced in both English and Japanese. Jerry's steel stylings can be heard on many currently available Hawaiian music albums, among them "Islands Call", a recording with Alan Akaka and the late Alvin "Barney" Isaacs, Jr. Jerry's latest album, released by Mt. Apple this month is "Jerry Byrd -- By Request". Jerry is Vice President of the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association, and often performs in Japan. "Island Breeze II" a recording produced in Japan in 1994, features Jerry on steel guitar.

Duke Kaleolani Ching

Duke Ching, born on Kauai and raised in Hawai`i, is the nephew of the legendary steel player Jules Ah See (Hawai`i Calls and Alfred Apaka's Hawaiian Village Serenaders). Duke came by his musical talent naturally as a child, and mastered the Hawaiian steel guitar while still very young. He was a member of Don Ho's Hawaiian group playing at Honey's Cafe and at the Barefoot Bar in Waikiki. Duke and his four-neck Fender steel guitar, a showpiece in itself, drew crowds of fans in both Japan and Korea where his group along with his lovely wife Laverne, performed for both local audiences and U.S. troops . In 1970, on the day of Duke's departure from his long Japan tour, the Emperor declared a holiday and paid Duke and his family the rare honor of seeing him off at Yokota Air Base, amid cheers and exploding firecrackers of thousands of well-wishers. Duke, who is an active member of Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association, currently lives in Southern California and during summer months plays with his group at Knott's Berry Farm "Terrace Garden" in Anaheim. Duke is also on call for film performances in Hollywood, and has recently released three more steel guitar albums, "Paradise Isle IV", "V" and "VI".

Dick Sanft

Dick Sanft, of Tonganese extraction, came to steel guitar through his uncle Charlie who brought back the first steel guitar to Tonga. When the Sanft family moved to New Zealand, Dick bought his first steel guitar, learned from and worked with a number of well-known steel professionals there, and moved to the United States in 1959. A resident of Florida, Dick has been playing his fine steel stylings in the Disney World Polynesian show for over fifteen years. He has given public performances in Hawai`i as a member of the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association on numerous visits to our Islands. Dick plays a triple-neck Fender steel guitar.

Mariko Seki

Mariko Seki is a popular steel guitar entertainer and teacher in her homeland of Japan. The wife of Yasu Kamiya, designer and manufacturer of Canopus steel guitars, Mariko-san has often played at the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Ho`olaule`a performances given every year here in Honolulu. A self-taught musician, she began her career almost thirty years ago and now leads her own group in Japan, the Pineapple Princess Band.

Ken "Lion" Kobayashi

Lion, from Tokyo, is a frequently featured Steel Pro at Honolulu concerts.

HSGA * HAWAIIAN STEEL GUITAR ASSOCIATION
KAMAKA TOM, President
45-600 KAMEHAMEHA HWY * KANEOHE, HI * 96744
PHONE/FAX (808) 235-4742
EMAIL: hsga@lava.net

Homepage URL: www.hsga.org (hsga@lava.net)
Last updated: 07/22/02 by Gerald Ross (gbross@umich.edu)