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©2000 by Ely Music/Pub |
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Whole Lotta Steel Goin' On!(reprinted from the HSGA Quarterly)
Hawaiian steel guitar is getting lots of new attention, some of it from surprising sources. HSGA member, Werner Bauhofer, sent us a copy of "Dolomite" an Italian/German entertainment and television schedule magazine in which his "Steel Guitar House" is a two-page feature article with many pictures. The Quarterly is getting permission to publish a translation with pictures. "Ohana" magazine in Las Vegas, a colorful subscription monthly for Hawaiians living in Nevada and their families living elsewhere, features Aloha Joe's column. Joe always mentions HSGA and steel guitar, and the publication now has close to 44,000 readers. Here in the Islands, steel guitar can be heard on more and more radio commercials, and in the backup of more recordings than ever. In May, "MidWeek", a full color, free weekly tabloid that is distributed to every home and mail box on O`ahu, featured Alan Akaka and the Islanders on their cover, followed by a full page of stories and photos. We've learned that "Hawai`i" Magazine will have a cover on their next issue of Kanoe Miller dancing at the Halekulani House Without A Key, showing the Islanders with steel guitar in the background. In September, not only will HSGA again present a shortened version of "Hot Lix Hawaiian Style" during Aloha Festival week, Sept. 13-20, but Halekulani "House Without A Key" will present another "Steel Guitar Week", with a number of HSGA steel artist guests. And then there's Moloka`i, where HSGA members played for a Seniors' Home run by Office of Hawaiian Affairs, thanks to John Auna. Moloka`i wants more steel guitar. Alan Akaka experienced this at a big hula event there, where he played with Genoa Keawe. "Steel players from Maui and the Big Island playing backup for hula groups were very interested in HSGA. We had some great talk story, and probably will get some new members from this." The New Zealand Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association brought a large group to the Honolulu convention. The quality of their performance was impressive. Lots of steel in action with those "kiwis". Then there's Pat Jones' affair in Wales every June, and, of course, the "British Steelies" annual get-together. If you have, or know of, a Hawaiian group or artist playing in a scheduled concert anywhere, please contact Aloha Joe at "Hawaiian Adventure Radio" in California several months in advance, as he now has the assignment to write a mainland Hawaiian music event calendar for "Hawai`i" Magazine. There's a whole lot of steel goin' on these days, folks -- everywhere, and more in the planning stages for HSGA members. 
HSGA * HAWAIIAN
STEEL GUITAR ASSOCIATION Homepage URL: www.hsga.org (hsga@lava.net) Last updated: 07/23/02 by Gerald Ross (gbross@umich.edu) |
