The Slack Key festival brings the musical spirit of the Hawaiian islands to Redondo Beach
The musical spirit of the Hawaiian islands and its welcoming aloha culture will flood Redondo Beach with laid-back waves thanks to the return of the Southern California Slack Key Festival.
“One thing that’s special about this concert is that it really is a whole community coming together and playing music that’s all about love for Hawaii. It’s like you get to have a little day in Hawaii,” said Kamuela Kimokeo, guitarist for Hi’ikua, one of the bands on the bill for the Jan. 14 festival.
The annual festival, now in its 17th year, will bring together a list of who’s who of the musical tradition known as ki ho’alu (slack key), a Hawaiian style of acoustic guitar playing defined by the solo finger-pick style that produces a chill, lingering and relaxing sound. People can also see hula dancers and shop at a Hawaiian-themed marketplace throughout the day.
“There’s just a wide variety of styles, colors and music. I think it’s a fun representation of what slack key is and Hawaiian music in general,” said Mitch Chang, festival organizer and producer.
This year’s line-up includes new faces to the festival such as award winning trio Kulāiw, which earned the 2022 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Album of the Year Award plus the Hawaiian Album of the Year Award, Group of the Year Award and other accolades.
Joining them as first-time participants of the long-running festival is slack key guitarist and vocalist Sean Parks as well as singer-songwriter Leokane Pryor and Namaka Cosma, a graduate of the Institute of Hawaiian Music program at the University of Hawaii Maui College and one of only a handful of women in the state pursuing the art of slack key guitar.
“We have a lot of new faces, up and coming artists because we have to keep it fresh. It’s encouraging to see people from the younger generation keep it going,” Chang said.
The majority of the lineup is made up of returning artists who have performed at the festival several times, including singer/songwriter and Hawaiian legend Jerry Santos, Maui native Jeff Peterson, Jim “Kimo” West, who also happens to be the longtime guitarist for parody star Weird Al” Yankovic, blues/jazz Hawaiian guitarist Ken Emerson and the respected trio Hi’ikua, who pay homage to their roots with a unique progressive sound.
“The music is a combination of storytelling and instrumental music because Hawaiian music has always been about the stories we tell. Our music was always used to preserve our histories, to honor people, honor places,” said Kimokeo, who is also a Hawaiian music educator teaching on the faculty at Windward Community College in Kaneohe, Hawaii.
“And this lineup is awesome. It’s full of an award winners and if they’re not award winning yet they are on the path,” he said.
Southern California Slack Key Festival
When: Hawaiian market opens at 11 a.m. and music starts at 2 p.m. Jan. 14
Where: Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redondo Beach
Tickets: $25-$150
Information: slackkeyfest.com