🌺🎸Album of the Week: Aloha No Nā Kūpuna (Love for the Elders) — George Kuo Slack Key Guitar Exclusive to our Hawaiian slack‑key community: In this video, George “talks story” about the kūpuna who shaped his kī hōʻalu (slack‑key) journey—Ray Kāne, Sonny Chillingworth, ʻAtta Isaacs, Eddie Kamae, Gabby Pahinui, Barney Isaacs, Antone Gabriel, and Uncle Fred Punahoa—then performs “KHBC” from his first solo album. He shares how he started playing in the 1970s, learned directly from the greats, and w

🌺 We’re thrilled to share our “Best of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar” compilation, gathering 50 of the finest slack‑key gems ever recorded! Ideal for relaxation, focus, meditation, or simply setting a soothing background ambiance, these warm, melodic fingerstyle sounds embody the gentle spirit of the islands. Showcasing legendary masters Keola Beamer, George Kahumoku Jr., and George Kuo, this album is a true celebration of Hawai‘i’s rich musical heritage. 🎧 Listen now on every major streaming plat

🎸🌺Ledward Kaʻapana performing “Mauna Loa Slack Key” This sparkling live take shows Ledward at his most joyful, loose, melodic, and storytelling through every phrase. If this tune grabs you, you can also find it on his landmark album Led Live Solo from Dancing Cat, 1994, a release that captured his stage magic and introduced many listeners to the Kalapana tradition with warmth and humor. “Mauna Loa Slack Key” carries deep family lineage. Dancing Cat’s notes trace it to Ledward’s uncle, the lege

🌺🎸George Kuo performs the classic “Slack Key Hula” In this performance, George leans fully into the nahenahe, lineage‑first approach that Aloha No Nā Kūpuna celebrates — the very feel he absorbed from kūpuna like Ray Kāne, Sonny Chillingworth, ʻAtta Isaacs, Eddie Kamae, Gabby Pahinui, Barney Isaacs, Antone Gabriel, and Uncle Fred Punahoa. “Slack Key Hula” is a kī hōʻalu standard recorded by earlier masters (including Gabby). Aloha No Nā Kūpuna (1996) is George’s solo homage to the masters who

In this clip from the documentary "Kī Hōʻalu: Slack Key The Hawaiian Way," it opens with Aunty Alice Namakelua singing and strumming her guitar. Born in 1892 and known to everyone as Aunty Alice, she was a respected authority of the Hawaiian language and composer of over 100 songs. She was one of the first to teach slack key outside her family line—wanting to share her music as widely as possible. Through her music, Aunty Alice shared values both old and new. Today, her teachings live on. Her st