Maui Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival Starts Friday

By Vanessa Wolf

The Fifth Annual Maui Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival will be taking place this Friday through Sunday, April 19-21 at the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel.

The festival will feature steel guitar masters Alan Akaka, Greg Sardinha, Bobby Ingano,  Geri Valdriz, Ed Punua, and Ross Ka‘a‘a.

Throughout the weekend, free performances, presentations, workshops, and jam sessions will be happening.

Alan Akaka and The Islanders will be on the main stage at 5:30 p.m. on Friday night, followed by Greg Sardinha and friends.

On Saturday at 9 a.m., daytime music workshops begin. Topics include beginning Hawaiian steel guitar, recording tips, playing in the nahenahe style, and “Talk Story: The Songs of Barney Isaacs.”

Mele Fong will be presenting ukulele workshops and Leimomi Balcasco-Murray will be teaching hula at 1 and 2:30 p.m.

In addition, throughout the festival, cultural activities such as lei making, Maori carving, and story telling are being offered.

Radio personality Alaka‘i Peleka will be the mistress of ceremonies at the Steel Guitar Ho‘olaulea at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday night. Greg Sardinha, Ross Ka‘a‘a, Geri Valdriz, Bobby Ingano, Alan Akaka and Ed Punua will be presenting an evening steel guitar concert.

The public is invited to bring instruments and join in a kanikapila jam session on Friday and Saturday nights from 9 to 11 p.m.

The sessions are intended to provide an opportunity for guest musicians, students, and aspiring artists to share their talents and learn from the masters.

In addition to the workshops on Saturday, a variety of steel guitar musicians including Joel Katz, Ed Punua, The Next Generation students of Ke Kula Mele Hawaii School of Hawaiian Music, and others will entertain on stage.

The festival is being presented by Arts Education for Children Group, a nonprofit organization founded in 1996 that is dedicated to providing opportunities for artistic and cultural enrichment.

Have an idea for a fun or thought-provoking story or topic? Get in touch: we want to hear from you. -Vanessa (@mauinow.com)