MAUI’S GRAMMY NOMINEES DEPART FOR CEREMONY IN L.A.

(Posted by Wendy OSHER © 2009)

Maui’s George Kahumoku, Jr. and fellow musicians featured on The Spirit of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar album depart for Los Angeles today, bound for the 51^st Grammy Awards ceremony. The Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar have previously been honored with three consecutive Grammy Awards for their compilation CDs at the 48th, 49th and 50th Grammy ceremonies.

Other artists included on the album are Dennis Kamakahi, Owana Salazar, Sonny Lim, Keoki Kahumoku, Daniel Ho and special guest performers Richard Hoopii, Bobby Ingano, Herb Ohta Jr., Norton Buffalo and Derrick Mau. Also featured are the young next-generation nephews and show regulars, Peter deAquino and Sterling Seaton.

Other nominees in the Grammy Award Hawaiian music category are Amy Hanaialii for her album Aumakua, Tia Carrere and Daniel Ho for the album Ikena, Led Kaapana & Mike Kaawa for Force of Nature, and various artists on the Hawaiian Slack Key Kings: Masters Series Vol. 2.

The Maui group departs from Kahului Airport at 2:55 this afternoon. Prior to the Sunday ceremony on Sunday, February 8^th, artists featured on The Spirit of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar album will perform in a special concert at the Manhattan Beach Community Church at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday February, 7^th located at 303 S. Peck Ave., Manhattan Beach CA. Tickets are $20, but seating is limited. For more information, those interested can call (888) 669-3858. Kahumoku and fellow Maui artists return to Kahului on Monday afternoon.

This is the fourth year in a row that the Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Concert Series has been honored to be nominated for their artistry in the Grammy category for Best Hawaiian Music Album. Their nominated CD, The Spirit of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar is a compilation of live performances from weekly concerts at the Napili Kai Beach Resort, where concerts are held every Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. The weekly concert series is the only venue in the world dedicated to slack key guitar. The series was founded in 2003 by Paul Konwiser, Wayne Wong and George Kahumoku, Jr.

Producers of the album are George Kahumoku, Jr., Dennis Kamakahi, Daniel Ho, Paul Konwiser and Wayne Wong.

View the ongoing performance schedule of artists on the website www.slackkey.com.

k(Place holder image courtesy:  kahumoku.com, Photo by Daniel Ho)