2011 Slack Key Festival January 23, 2011

Sunday, January 23, 2pm - 5pm

Aloha! The Southern California Slack Key Festival is the first and biggest showcase of its kind anywhere outside the islands and the most prestigious Hawaiian music concert event in the mainland U.S.

Honoring one of the world's great acoustic guitar traditions, "slack key" (ki ho'alu), the annual Festival is held late January at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center and features the most respected names in Hawaiian guitar music today, all recipients of numerous awards including Grammy Awards, Na Hoku HanoHano (Hawaiian Grammy) Awards, Critic's Choice and People's Choice awards.

The 2011 lineup features Cyril Pahinui (son of Gabby Pahinui) performing with GRAMMY winner Jeff Peterson, Guitar Player magazine Guitar Superstar finalist Makana, three-time GRAMMY winner George Kahumoku, Jr with internationally renowned steel guitar player Bob Brozman, slack key guitarist and falsetto singer Gary Haleamau and - for the first time - the legendary slack key master Keola Beamer (Honolulu City Lights) together with Raiatea Helm, one of Hawaii's top female vocalists.

Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar (ki ho'alu) is truly one of the world's great acoustic guitar traditions, considered to be one of the oldest music traditions to still be a viable (other than just historical) part of a modern culture. Ki ho'alu, which literally means to "loosen the key," is the Hawaiian language name for the solo finger-picked style unique to Hawaiﾻi.

Proud sponsors of the 2011 Southern California Slack Key Festival: Hawaiian Airlines,Trader Vic's L.A. LIVE, Bruddah's Hawaiian Food, Sun Noodles, PRIMO Beer, Bridges Design Group

Official Website: http://slackkeyfest.com/