Hawaiian Music in San Francisco

Pau'ole a Ka Makemake
a benefit for Hawaiian cultural organizations
Wed. Oct. 9. 8:00 p.m.
Gift Center Pavilion, 888 Brannan St., SF

This concert features Hawaiian musical artists Ledward Ka'apana and Owana Salazar, who are including San Francisco in their October 2002 concert tour. Both Led and Owana are accomplished and very well known and respected Hawaiian singers and slack-key guitarists (Owana also plays steel guitar). Hawaiian slack-key, or ki ho'alu, is a form of guitar playing developed by Hawaiians many, many years ago. Taking standard guitar tuning and slackening some of the strings, Hawaiian ki ho'alu produces the unique Hawaiian guitar playing that accompanies many traditional and contemporary Hawaiian songs.

Also appearing is Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu, Bay Area based Hawaiian Hula dancer and teacher (Kumu), chanter, and drummer extraordinaire. His songs were featured in the recent Disney film, "Lilo & Stitch". His hula dancers were filmed and their movements used in the film to produce animated hula dancing based on authentic, traditional hula. He is performing the evening of this benefit concert along with the Academy of Hawaiian Art.

Cody Pueo Pata, relatively new to many in the Bay Area, is a well known and very talented Hawaiian singer, dancer and musician. He plays 'ukulele and sings with an incredible voice in the tradition of Hawaiian male falsetto singing.

This Gala Concert is benefiting two Bay Area organizations that have been established to promote and perpetuate Hawaiian and Pacific Islander culture and traditions. Kahikiola produces classes and workshops on Hawaiian/Pacific Islander language and culture. Kuku i Ka Pono was recently founded to learn and perpetuate the tradition of Hawaiian Kapa making. Kapa is the name for Hawaiian beaten barkcloth, which in earlier times was the Hawaiian main source of cloth for clothing, bedding, as well as ceremonial and burial cloth. Kapa was almost a lost art until a few people started researching this cultural practice some twenty years ago.

Ticket prices are $75/$45. The $75 price includes table seating and dinner, drinks, a fresh flower lei and gift bag. The $45 tickets are balcony seating, with an open bar and food available for a nominal fee. This is 21 and over event, IDs will be checked at the door.

This will be an awesome night of Hawaiian entertainment- for those of you familiar with Hawaiian music and dance, and those of you new to the unique musical styles of Hawai'i. The money collected will go to the cause of spreading knowledge of and perpetuating the culture of Pacific Islanders, many of whom now make their homes in the Bay Area.

If you are interested in purchasing tickets, visit the Pau'ole a Ka Makemake" web site, http://www.kukuikapono.com.

Thanks for the heads-up, Cynful. I am sooo at this show!
If you haven't seen Led Ka'apana in person, you owe it to yourself. He is an amazing performer, and you will never see someone laugh so much on stage. Anyone who can play and sing some seriously vintage slack-key tunes in stunning falsetto and then do the definitive version of "Love Me Tender" is nearing God-like status. He's a modern treasure that shouldn't be missed.