Makana: The Real Guitar Hero

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Thanks to my connections in Hawaii, I was able to meet, interview, and watch Makana. If you’ve never heard of him before, I’m guessing this song will hook you for life.

A student of the late slack key master Sonny Chillingworth, Makana has been playing for audiences since he was 13 years old. Starting at Duke’s Canoe Club in 1993, Makana has traveled to festivals and venues around the world from Japan to England, across the United States and always at home in Hawaii. Makana’s gift of music resonates the feeling of Aloha, infusing elements of folk, rock, blues, jazz, bluegrass, rage and with roots in the tradition of slack key, his sound is truly unique and powerful. He has opened and played with artists all over the World, including Santana and Sting!

When I interviewed him, Makana couldn’t help but laugh at the way his name comes up in a Google search. Please don’t confuse him with that place in Hawaii, ok? They’re nowhere near the same!

Makana has been playing slack key for 20 years now, which is amazing. Slack key guitar is a style, such as Flamenco or Blues. It is Hawaii style… they slack the strings, and loosen the keys so the guitar is tuned to a chord. The guitar is holding the chord for him. He can then have a chord, a rhythm and a melody going all at the same time… making it sound like a symphony of sorts.

Makana says that when he first started playing, it was something that was fun and people loved to listen to. He never thought to the future, or dreamed he would have the career that he does. He’s opened at concerts such as No Doubt and Jason Mraz. He takes the roots of Hawaiian music, and goes far beyond it. It’s more universal than the traditional slack key.

The new CD comes out on August 18th, titled Venus & the Sky Turn to Clay: the Instrumental World Of Makana. It’s a completely original album, full of beautiful guitar solos… electric, acoustic and even 12-string. An interesting note: the title of the album is written from right to left on the CD (instead of the traditional left to right) since that is the way that Venus rotates.

You can find Makana all over the web, including on Twitter and Facebook.

If you’re not a fan after listening to this song and watching the interview, then you must be sleeping under a rock. Makana is not only a very talented musician – he’s also a great guy.

• Venus & the Sky Turn to Clay: the Instrumental World Of Makana
• Ki Ho’alu: Journey of Hawaiian Slack Key
• Different Game
• Loi Au

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