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Slack Key
Slack-key guitar (from Hawaiian ''kī hōalu'', which means "loosen the uningkey") is a fingerstyle genre of guitar music that originated in Hawaii after Portuguese cowboys introduced Spanish guitars there in the late 19th century. The Hawaiians did not embrace the tuning of the traditional Spanish guitars they encountered. They re-tuned the guitars to sound a chord (now called an "open tuning") and developed their own style of playing, not using a flat pick, but plucking the strings. Most slack-key tunings can be achieved by starting with a guitar in standard tuning and detuning or "slacking" one or more of the strings until the six strings form a single chord, frequently G major. In the early 20th century, the steel guitar and the ukulele gained wide popularity in the mainland, but the slack-key style remained a folk tradition of family entertainment for Hawaiians until about the 1960s and 1970s during the second Hawaiian renaissance. Devotees of the slack-key guitar style to ...
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Raymond Kāne
Raymond Kaleoalohapoinaʻoleohelemanu Kāne (, ; October 2, 1925 - February 27, 2008), was one of Hawaii's acknowledged masters of the slack-key guitar. Born in Koloa, Kauaʻi, he grew up in Nanakuli on Oʻahu's Waiʻanae Coast where his stepfather worked as a fisherman. Kāne's style was distinctive and deceptively simple. He played in a number of ki ho'alu tunings always plucking or brushing the strings with only the thumb and index finger of his right hand. He also played hammer-ons and pull-offs in a unique way; his finger moving up and out, instead of down and in, after striking a string. He emphasized that one must play and sing "from the heart". He was never flashy or fast. In Hawaiian, his sound is described as ''nahenahe'' (sweet sounding). He was a recipient of a 1987 National Heritage Fellowship awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers s ...
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Cyril Pahinui Waikiki Natatorium
Cyril (also Cyrillus or Cyryl) is a masculine given name. It is derived from the Greek name Κύριλλος (''Kýrillos''), meaning 'lordly, masterful', which in turn derives from Greek κυριος (''kýrios'') 'lord'. There are various variant forms of the name ''Cyril'' such as ''Cyrill'', ''Cyrille'', ''Ciril'', ''Kirill'', ''Kiryl'', ''Kirillos'', ''Kuriakose'', '' Kyrylo'', ''Kiril'', ''Kiro'', and ''Kyrill''. It may also refer to: Christian patriarchs or bishops * Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 313 – 386), theologian and bishop * Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376 – 444), Patriarch of Alexandria * Cyril the Philosopher (link to ''Saints Cyril and Methodius''), 9th century Greek missionary, co-invented the Slavic alphabet, translated the Bible into Old Church Slavonic * Pope Cyril II of Alexandria reigned 1078–1092 * Greek Patriarch Cyril II of Alexandria reigned in the 12th century * Cyril of Turaw (1130–1182), Belorussian bishop and orthodox saint * Pope Cyril III of Alexandri ...
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The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid digital subscribers. It also is a producer of popular podcasts such as '' The Daily''. Founded in 1851 by Henry Jarvis Raymond and George Jones, it was initially published by Raymond, Jones & Company. The ''Times'' has won 132 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any newspaper, and has long been regarded as a national " newspaper of record". For print it is ranked 18th in the world by circulation and 3rd in the U.S. The paper is owned by the New York Times Company, which is publicly traded. It has been governed by the Sulzberger family since 1896, through a dual-class share structure after its shares became publicly traded. A. G. Sulzberger, the paper's publisher and the company's chairman, is the fifth generation of the family to head the pa ...
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Keola Beamer
Keola Beamer (born Keolamaikalani Breckenridge Beamer February 18, 1951) is a Hawaiian slack-key guitar player, best known as the composer of "Honolulu City Lights" and an innovative musician who fused Hawaiian roots and contemporary music. Keola Beamer descends from one of Hawaii's most respected musical families. Family Keola was born in Hawaii on February 18, 1951. His mother, Winona Beamer ("Auntie Nona") was one of the most important figures in the revival of Hawaiian culture. She was a composer, dancer and educator. His ancestors were musicians for the previous five generations. He can trace his roots to the House of Kamehameha and Ahiakumai, 15th century rulers of Hawaii. His great-grandmother was Helen Desha Beamer, an influential songwriter and hula dancer. His father is Odell Steppe. Beamer is also a cancer survivor. Career Beamer's career began in the early 1970s. His debut recording in 1972 was headlined "Jack de Mello presents Keola Beamer" and titled "Hawaiian Sl ...
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Sonny Chillingworth
Edwin Bradfield Liloa Chillingworth, Jr., known as Sonny Chillingworth, (July 14, 1932 – August 24, 1994) was an American guitarist and singer. Widely influential in Hawaiian music, he played slack-key guitar and is widely regarded as one of the most influential slack-key guitarists in history. Life Chillingworth was born on Oahu in the Territory of Hawaii. He started playing the guitar at age twelve when he was living with his grandfather, Harry Purdy, on Moloka'i. He learned the Hawaiian way by listening, watching and imitating. Sonny, as he was called, loved Hawaiian and Portuguese music. One day his father brought him a Victrola and some records. One of them was ''Hi'ilawe'' by Gabby Pahinui. Chillingworth was inspired. When Chillingworth was fifteen, he visited Honolulu and his mother arranged a meeting with Pahinui. After high school, Chillingworth moved to Honolulu and joined Pahinui, Andy Cummings and others at clubs, lu'aus and all-night jam sessions. Chillingwor ...
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Leonard Kwan
Leonard Keala Kwan Sr (1931-2000) was one of the most influential Hawaiian slack-key guitarists to emerge in the period immediately preceding the Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance of the 1970s. He made the first LP of slack key instrumentals, co-wrote the second slack key instruction book, and composed a number of pieces that have become part of the standard repertory. Most players will include Kwan, along with Gabby Pahinui, Sonny Chillingworth, and Atta Isaacs, on a list of the most significant players of the older generation. Early life Leonard Keala Kwan Sr, was born in Honolulu, Oahu in 1931. His mother, Rose Hauoli, and her father, Reverend Ambrose Hauoli Kau-a, sang traditional Hawaiian music. He learned piano, and was taught to play ukulele and ''ki ho'alu'' (traditional slack key guitar styles) by his grandfather and his Uncle Pete Hauoli. He played alto saxophone and string bass in the Kalakaua Intermediate School and Farrington High School dance bands, and substituted ...
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Atta Isaacs
Leland "Atta" Isaacs Sr. (1929–1983) was an American, Hawaiian slack-key composer, known for his C major tuning ("Atta's C," C-G-E-G-C-E), and for his work with Gabby Pahinui. See also * Sons of Hawaii The Sons of Hawaii was a Hawaiian musical group that became popular among mainstream audiences from the 1960s through the 1990s. History In 1960 they opened at the Sandbox in Honolulu and were soon the highest-paid Hawaiian group in the Islands. I ... References External links Slack Key Guitar Book 1929 births 1983 deaths American male composers Guitarists from Hawaii Slack-key guitarists 20th-century American composers 20th-century American guitarists American acoustic guitarists American male guitarists 20th-century American male musicians {{US-guitarist-stub ...
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Hawaiian Renaissance
The Hawaiian Renaissance (also called the Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance) was the Hawaiian resurgence of a distinct cultural identity that draws upon traditional kānaka maoli culture, with a significant divergence from the tourism-based culture which Hawaiʻi was previously known for worldwide (along with the rest of Polynesia). The Hawaiian Renaissance has been pointed to as a global model for biocultural restoration and sustainability. First Hawaiian Renaissance The First Hawaiian Renaissance had its foundation in the nationalist sentiments of King Kamehameha V. At the time Hawaii was an independent kingdom. The intention was to form a contemporary national identity rather than modeling Hawaii after Great Britain and the culture of the United States. King Kalākaua had a controversial rise to power due to the internal conflicts between family lineage. One half of the island wanted Kalākaua, whereas the other half cheered for his competitor. The result spread tension betw ...
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Gabby Pahinui
Philip Kunia Pahinui (; April 22, 1921 – October 13, 1980), known as Gabby Pahinui, was a slack-key guitarist and singer of Hawaiian music. Born into a struggling family, Gabby was born Charles Kapono Kahahawai Jr. and later ''hānaied'' with his brother and one of his sisters to Philip and Emily Pahinui and raised in the impoverished district of Kaka'ako in Honolulu in the 1920s ("all tin roofs and kinda falling apart"). He took the name Philip Kunia Pahinui. He spent his childhood supporting his family by selling newspapers and shining shoes. He dropped out of school after 5th grade at the Pohukaina School. Marriage Gabby married Emily Pulipuli Pahinui in 1938. He was 17 and she was 19. They remained married until his death. They had 12 children, six boys and six girls. Early career Gabby landed a gig as a back-up guitarist for Charley "Tiny" Brown. He quickly mastered the steel guitar (''kīkā kila'') even learning to read music. Because most musicians of the time o ...
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Tiki Culture
Tiki culture is an American-originated art, music, and entertainment movement inspired by Polynesian, Melanesian and Micronesian cultures. Inspired by Oceanian art, influential cultures to Tiki culture include Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, the Caribbean Islands, and Hawaii. The name comes from Tiki, the Māori name for the first human, often represented in the form of hei-tiki, a pendant and important taonga. The hei-tiki was often appropriated by Europeans as a commercialised good luck charm, hence the name of Tiki culture. Despite spanning over 10,000 miles and including many different unrelated cultures, religions, and languages, Tiki aesthetic is considered by some to be amalgamated into one "fantasia of trans-Pacific cultures" and "colonial nostalgia". Because of this, and the simplistic view of the Pacific taken by the aesthetic, Tiki culture has often proved controversial. Tiki culture initially extended to decorate themed bars and restaurants, cater ...
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Tahiti
Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Australia. Divided into two parts, ''Tahiti Nui'' (bigger, northwestern part) and ''Tahiti Iti'' (smaller, southeastern part), the island was formed from volcanic activity; it is high and mountainous with surrounding coral reefs. Its population was 189,517 in 2017, making it by far the most populous island in French Polynesia and accounting for 68.7% of its total population. Tahiti is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity and an overseas country of the French Republic. The capital of French Polynesia, Papeete, is located on the northwest coast of Tahiti. The only international airport in the region, Faaā International Airport, is on Tahiti near Papeete. Tahiti was originally settled by Pol ...
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Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated territories of the United States, unincorporated territory of the United States. It is located in the northeast Caribbean Sea, approximately southeast of Miami, Florida, between the Dominican Republic and the United States Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, and includes the eponymous main island and several smaller islands, such as Isla de Mona, Mona, Culebra, Puerto Rico, Culebra, and Vieques, Puerto Rico, Vieques. It has roughly 3.2 million residents, and its Capital city, capital and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, most populous city is San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan. Spanish language, Spanish and English language, English are the official languages of the executive branch of government, though Spanish predominates. Puerto Rico ...
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