The Seattle Slack Key Festival Celebrates the Legacy of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar & Music

Kainani Kahaunaele is a mele (Hawaiian song) enthusiast, singer, songwriter, teacher, and musician. She was born and raised in Anahola, Kauaʻi and has lived in Hilo, Hawaiʻi for 27 years as an advocate for Hawaiian language revitalization and the perpetuation of Hawaiian music through education and performance. Her third and most recent recording Waipunalei won seven awards in six categories at the 2021 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, including Album of the Year, Female Vocalist, Hawaiian Music Album, Song of the Year, Haku Mele and Hawaiian Language Performance.

Best known for his work in the musical group Olomana, and a huge part of the 1970’s revival/renaissance of Hawaiian music, singer/songwriter Jerry Santos has been a familiar presence on the Hawaii music scene for almost five decades. His work has been recognized by the Hawai’i musical community with numerous awards; Honolulu Magazine named Olomana’s first recording, Like a Seabird in the Wind, #11 on their list of the Top 50 Albums of all time and Jerry’s signature song Ku’u Home O Kahalu’u was voted #7 on the top 50 Songs of all time. Olomana was recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by The Hawai’i Academy of Recording Arts for their body of work over the years. 

A member of Hawai`i’s famous musical Lim family, Sonny Lim was born and raised in the heart of Hawaiian cowboy country on Hawai`i Island. His professional career began as a teenager when he commuted to Oahu from Hawai`i Island to perform with the Makaha Sons of Ni`ihau. Sonny's first solo album in 2006, Slack Key Guitar: The Artistry of Sonny Lim, was a 48th GRAMMY® nominee in the Hawaiian Music category. One year prior to this nomination, he performed with 6 other solo artists on Hawai`i’s first GRAMMY® award-winning CD, Slack Key Guitar Volume 2. Sonny helped accept this inaugural Hawaiian GRAMMY® award on stage; his speech marked the first time the Hawaiian language had ever been spoken on the GRAMMY® stage.

Jim "Kimo" West is recognized as one of the world’s top slack key guitarists and brings his own unique musical perspective to this great acoustic guitar tradition. A 2021 Grammy® Award winner for his CD, More Guitar Stories and a 2019 Grammy® nominee for Moku Maluhia-Peaceful Island, Kimo is also a winner of the 2008 Hawaii Music Awards, a three-time Na Hoku Hanohano (the Hawaiian “Grammy”) nominee and a 2x winner of the LA Treasures Award for his contributions toward the perpetuation of ki ho’alu. For his work as long-time guitarist with “Weird" Al Yankovic, he has earned four Grammy’s and a Billboard #1 CD debut for 2015’s Mandatory Fun. Kimo’s slack key compositions have been used in a number of features, TV spots, cable, web and in many documentaries. 

Dr. Kamuela Kimokeo is a member of the Nā Hōku Hanohano award winning group Hiʻikua and is the head of the Music Department at Windward Community College where he is the driving force behind the Hawaiian Music Certificate "Kaohekani". Kamuela started playing music professionally with his father in Waikiki when he was 14 years old and has toured with the likes of Hawaiian Music Hall-of-Fame inductee Jerry Santos and 5x Grammy Nominee Amy Hanaiali’i. As a recording artist, Kamuela was part of the Grammy Nominated and Hōkū award winning guitar album Slack Key Kings Vol. II where he played a solo original composition Holumoana and also recorded as part of the group Pilioha which was nominated for multiple awards.

Ikaika Marzo hails from the Hawai'i island and is widely regarded for his skilled playing in the traditional style of slack key guitar, often incorporating classic island melodies emboldened by a deep connection to his Hawaiian musical heritage; he is particularly recognized for his ability to create a rich, warm sound with his unique guitar playing technique in the style of Fred Punahoa.