by ALEXANDER VARTY on FEB 7, 2013 at 3:00 AM IF CUTTING BACK on your carbon footprint means no flight to somewhere warm this winter, don’t despair: a short jaunt to North Vancouver will nestle you deep in an island paradise, if only for a couple of hours. Music will be your vehicle, and Makana is that music’s maker. “How I [...]

by Etan R. On day two of the 2012 ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO, Hawaiian slack-key guitar master Makana graced the Playback Stage for a selection of original songs, instrumentals and Hawaiian classics. Before his ear-opening set, Makana schooled the audience on the history of slack-key guitar, and spoke thoughtfully with me about his unique [...]

Listen to an audio stream of the full interview here

“I’m not going to just mimic my ancestors. I’m going to create in honor of them.” Audrey Coleman talks with Hawaiian slack-key innovator Makana. Webmaster note: this interview presents an EXCELLENT view into Makana’s art. Highly recommended reading. Read full article here

by Nate Chinen Half a dozen songs into his show at the Sage Theater in Times Square on Thursday night, Makana paused for reflection. “Somehow,” he said, “not being of Hawaiian ancestry allowed me to really embrace the artistic side of the culture.” Read full article here

Soundtrack #1 on Billboard’s World Music Chart • A Selection of Music from Hawaii’s Greatest Musical Artists Recording Available Now NEW YORK, Jan. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – The Descendants has been nominated for five Academy Awards® including Best Picture, Best Director (Alexander Payne) and Best Actor (George Clooney).  Building on the success of the film, the [...]

As President Obama met with world leaders this weekend at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Hawaii to discuss how to bolster global trade, activists with the group Occupy Honolulu protested economic inequity that they say would result from new trade agreements. Meanwhile, within the heavily guarded compound where the summit took place, renowned Hawaiian [...]

by Quinn Norton A movement goes nowhere without creating culture as it grows. To wit, the fast growing Occupy movement has become a locus for cultural creation by artists and musicians, as well as technologists and political activists. It started out spare, borrowing from the past. Read full article here

Born and raised on Oahu, Henry Kapono (left, whose last name means “righteous”) has played alongside musicians like Dizzy Gillespie. Slack-key guitar music, indigenous to Hawaii, has been around longer than the blues, and Makana, right, is considered the greatest living player. From left: Rayon shirt by Y’s for Men Yohji Yamamoto; cotton trousers by [...]

Hawaii-born musician believes spirit of islands is at heart of his craft KAHULUI, Hawaii— To the people of Hawaii and those familiar with the culture of the islands, the word “aloha” is not simply a greeting or a goodbye, but a word with a broader meaning of love or respect. In many ways, aloha is [...]