Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar In The Real Old Style (CD)

This album is one of the all-time great recordings in the history of Hawaiian music. It is the debut recording of a then 21 year-old Keola Beamer, and is a mixture of solo slack key guitar and vocals, all performed by Keola. He also composed four original songs for the album.

Jack DeMello produced this stunning debut, and shares his thoughts on Keola, both then and now:

It all began in the summer of his 21st year. The year was 1972. Keola Beamer was to make his exploding debut as a recording artist. His musical medium was slack key guitar. Ki Ho'alu. Almost a forgotten art form. Keola's unique approach of fusing his traditional slack key performances with splashes of inventive contemporary musical images brought a new musical awareness to the people of Hawai'i.

At the time, I wrote: "In sharing Keola's artistry with you, it is my hope that other young Hawaiian musicians and composers will become more aware of Hawai'i's rich musical heritage." That wish did come true. As for Keola, it was a focused starting point. Later, he was joined by his brother Kapono, for a series of slack key albums. then, as it sometimes happens, and it's understandable, new musical directions for Keola and Kapono began to appear, and, with my blessing, Keola and Kapono Beamer moved on. Then came Honolulu City Lights , perhaps the most successful album ever recorded in Hawai'i.

Now, in 1996, it seems that the Ki Ho'alu circle for Keola is complete with the release of his new album Moe 'Uhane Kika, "Tales From the Dream Guitar" produced by George Winston for his Dancing Cat pre-eminent Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Master's Series. I highly recommend it. For you will, again, hear Keola's gift for musical invention and the creative flair of Keola in a solo setting, where his total talent is exposed without the sometimes protective screen of other musicians and instruments. His multiple use of tunings and guitars is so Keola.

That is the total scope of what I heard and envisioned when Keola first performed for me, one on one. And that was the essence of what we recorded in 1972. And so I believe it is now fitting to re-release Keola's introductory album. Embraced by the new CD dimensions, it exhibits keola's mastery of the slack key guitar, Ki Ho'alu, as though it was recorded yesterday. The album presents Keola as a composer, arranger, guitarist and singer. The special chants were written by his mother, Winona Beamer.

Jack DeMello