From his youth as a slack key guitar prodigy to his historic theatrical concerts honoring kupuna, from his presidential poetic protests and people’s anthems to his aloha ‘āina, Makana has created quite an artistic legacy. The Kahilu Theatre presents Makana, recorded LIVE from Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on Sunday, March 21, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. HST, exclusively on Kahilu.TV. Ticket Info below.
Makana is a singer, composer, and master of the indigenous Hawaiian slack-key guitar tradition. The New York Times called him “dazzling.” His original music has been featured on three Grammy-nominated albums, including the soundtrack of the Academy Award-winning film “The Descendants,” starring George Clooney.
Born in 1978 in Hawai’i, Makana grew up on the shores of Waikīkī amid the likes of legend Don Ho and young Bruno Mars. Makana—whose name means “a gift given freely”—began singing when he was seven-years-old, took up ‘ukulele at nine, and began studying the centuries-old art of slack key guitar at eleven, learning from the great Hawaiian masters. He quickly gained the reputation as the youngest virtuoso of the tradition and has evolved his own dynamic, high-octane style, coined “Slack Rock,” infused with elements of bluegrass, rock, and blues.
Makana’s music transcends the culture to explore universally relevant themes through his people’s anthems like “We are the Many” (“Occupy Anthem” – Rolling Stone) and “Fire is Ours.” He is highly active in supporting the community and environmental initiatives, and serves as a cultural ambassador of Hawai’i, building bridges of peace and friendship through his art.
The focus of Makana’s art is to celebrate the beauty of tradition while exploring new, relevant perceptions, sounds, and themes. In his music, he often honors his forebears, the vintage Hawaiian music legends, as well as the rock-poet idols of the 60s, paying homage to the kupuna (elders) who carry within their Beings the cultural wisdom passed down through generations.
If You Watch… Have A Good Show!
Event: Makana, recorded LIVE from the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
When: Sunday, March 21, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. HST
Cost: $19.99. Individual tickets for this show are good for an entire household.
Buy Tickets: https://www.kahilu.tv/checkout/makana/purchase
How to Watch: After purchasing a ticket, you will be able to enjoy the Livestream concert when it is available. This will work with any computer, tablet, or smartphone. This is an online show only. More streaming info here.
Info: Kahilu.TV is a new, subscription-based platform that brings the best of Hawaiian music and culture to your home or anywhere in the world that you want to watch from. It features live streaming pay–per–view events, recorded on-demand content, and exclusive subscriber content as well as free videos. More information is available on Kahilu.TV.