Nov. 10, 2010

Slack key maestro George Kahumoku presents holiday concert

“Slackheads” will get a rare treat on Dec. 11, when Grammy-winning slack-key guitarist George Kahumoku brings a bit of the islands to Cal State Monterey Bay’s World Theater for a Hawaiian holiday show.

And in the true spirit of Hawaiian family tradition, Kahumoku will be joined on stage by his wife and son, Keoki, an accomplished musician and entertainer.

The performance isn’t just for transplanted Hawaiians. It’s a chance for lovers of diverse music to hear a style that – despite a rich tradition – isn’t all that well known on the mainland.

Slack-key performances have a laid-back Hawaiian feel, with performers “talking story” between songs, spinning yarns and tales from back home.

In contrast to many Hawaiian traditions, the slack-key guitar style is a relatively recent invention. Spanish and Mexican cowboys introduced the acoustic guitar to the islands in 1830. The Hawaiians quickly developed their own style of playing, which became known as slack key.

The term refers to a finger-picking guitar style, in which one or more strings are loosened – slacked – to change the tuning. The guitarist can then play the bass and treble parts of the music, which makes it sound as if several guitars are playing at once. One result is a ringing sound that lingers behind the melodies being picked.

And Kahumoku is one of the best. He’s been called Hawaii’s Renaissance man, and with good reason. He’s a songwriter, performer, high school and college teacher, artist, sculptor, storyteller, writer, farmer and entrepreneur.

He earned a bachelor of fine arts degree at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. Following a stint working on the Alaska pipeline, he returned to Maui, where he teaches drawing, painting, ceramics, guitar and ukulele at a high school and at Maui Community College. When he’s not teaching, he’s working on his three-acre farm, tending his goats, chickens and ducks and growing vegetables and fruit. He’s a busy man. Kahumoku’s music and voice have been described as "earthy and organic – one with the `aina (the land)." His love and respect for Hawaii and planet Earth are embedded in his music, which he likes to think of as nature songs: songs of love, hope, desire, and lament.

He’s played for Elizabeth Taylor; for 15 years, Henry “the Fonz” Winkler requested his presence at his new Year’s Eve parties; he’s even played for the Queen of England.

In a 2002 interview with Santa Cruz’s weekly publication, Good Times, he said, “This music gives you a sense of balance, completeness, even to the guy that’s playing it as well as the listener; . . . you feel that one, almost with the universe."

Bring the entire family for this evening of story, song and dance from the enchanting islands. Tickets range from $10 to $33 and can be purchased by calling the World Theater box office at (831) 582-4580 or online at csumb.edu/worldtheater. The World Theater is located on Sixth Avenue on the CSUMB campus. Driving directions and a campus map are available at csumb.edu/map. IF YOU GO • WHAT: Hawaiian Family Holiday featuring George Kahumoku Jr. • WHERE: CSUMB’s World Theater • WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Dec. 11 • TICKETS: $10 to $33; reserve online at https://csumb.edu/worldtheater or by calling the box office at 582-4580 • INFORMATION: 582-4580