Island sounds uplift the spirits
Music abounds on Maui, if you know where to look
The ukulele, the slide guitar and Maui — put them all together and the music of Hawaii will embrace you, enchant you and it might even make you fall in love.
Maui has an astonishing number of talented musicians who make sweet music from brunch till dusk and then play late into the night at kanikapila, the Hawaiian equivalent of kitchen parties. International acts visit often and Grammy-award winning local artists and world-famous rock stars make Maui their home. You’ll find everything from rock to jaiwaiian — if you know where to look. Almost every first-time visitor wants to take in a luau and that can be just the beginning for an exploration of the rich musical history of Maui.
The music of Maui began with the sea. When the first islanders arrived in their canoes from other Polynesian islands around 400 AD, they were already on intimate terms with the rhythm of the waves. With that silky, steady back beat on the sandy shore, they raised their voices in complex harmonies of chants called mele oli. Then, using what nature provided, they created instruments from gourds, bamboo, rocks and conch shells to accompany the dancers in mele hula. When the missionaries arrived in 1820 they translated hymns into Hawaiian himeni and the churches swelled with converts. Guitars arrived shortly after, followed by the braguinha brought to the islands in 1879 by Portuguese sailors. Hawaiians called it the ukulele, which translates to “jumping flea,” a good way to describe the flying fingers of a ukulele player.
A stay at the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel will put you in touch with the music, culture and values of the ancient Hawaiians. A unique po’okela (excellence) program for staff focuses on the geography, religion, mythology, economics and technology of old Hawaii. The goal is to impart the essence of Hawaiian culture, an openhearted sharing, to guests and to the community. Of course, that includes music. This spring, for the fifth year, the hotel hosted the Maui Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival featuring five Hawaiian steel guitar masters sharing their talents through performances, workshops and kanikapila jam sessions.
According to steel guitar artist Joel Katz, one of the headliners, “Steel guitar is quintessentially Hawaiian. After all, the first steel guitar was invented in Hawaii in the 1880s by Joe Kekuku when he was just 15. The soulful sound made by drawing a steel bar across the strings became a sensation and Kekuku travelled to the U.S. and Europe influencing jazz and blues artists and finding a special kinship with country guitar players.
Katz plays an eight-string vintage Guya Tone. “When I play, it feels like the guitar has its own voice. The slides and inflections are like a dialogue. It’s so expressive it even has a sense of humour.” Katz’s influences include renowned country artist Jerry Byrd, who tutored Jerry Garcia and Jimmy Vaughn and played with the greats — Hank Williams, Ernest Tubbs and Patsy Cline.
You can hear Katz perform at the première luau in Maui, the Old Lahaina Luau. There are a dozen luaus on Maui, but this one is outstanding. As the sun sets on the beach behind the circular stage you’ll be drawn into the ancient mythology of the early Polynesians through story, song and dance.
On Wednesday nights, you don’t want to miss George Kahumoku Jr.’s Slack Key Show — Masters of Hawaiian Music at the Napili Kai Beach Resort.
The winner of four Grammy Awards for Best Hawaiian Album, Uncle George invites the best slack key, ukulele and steel guitar artists from the islands and around the world to share the stage. Ledward Ka’apana, the slack key guitar virtuoso, is a regular, with his own following of “Led Heads.” Slack key combines open tunings with a finger picking style that alternates bass, rhythm and melody, all on one instrument. Traditionally slack key tunings were closely guarded secrets, but these days they’re openly shared and celebrated. It’s a style that’s never harsh, never jarring, always melodious and often playful. As the night ends, all the headliners gather on stage and the music floats through the open air pavilion up into the starry night. Stay here and you can enjoy a moonlight stroll through fragrant gardens to your condo by the sea after the concert.
The bay is a perfect place for novice paddle boarders and snorkellers. It’s hard to believe when you look out at the immaculately landscaped grounds of the Napili Kai that this idyllic site was once covered in thorn trees and skunk cabbage. Fifty years of hard work by Canadian owners created such a friendly atmosphere that families return annually and staff stay on for decades.
If rock ‘n roll is more your style, drop in to Fleetwood’s on Front Street in Lahaina and have a cocktail on the rooftop patio overlooking the harbour. Come by around 6:30 p.m. when a bagpiper salutes the sunset. After dark it’s a perfect spot to recline on the Moroccan style benches covered in throw pillows and watch the stars. The owner is none other than Mick Fleetwood and an expensive drum kit sits on the second floor stage waiting for his occasional visits while live bands play the rooftop Thursday through Saturday.
In Wailea, the sunny southern part of the island, the Fairmont Kea Lani makes a great home base for music lovers. This all suite and villa luxury property has more than 20 acres of lush landscaped grounds, three meandering pools and a classic powder white beachfront.
One of the best places to watch the sunset is the Fairmont’s open air Luana Lounge that overlooks the pool and the ocean from a marble balcony. Luana means “relax” in Hawaiian and you will, especially if you’re listening to the laid back classical guitar of a friendly local musician like Eddee Sebala. A native Hawaiian, Sebala joined the navy and moved to Scotland for seven years to work on a nuclear submarine before he got tired of the snow and decided to follow his dream. “All I ever wanted was to play music and make people happy and now that’s what I do.” Sebala brings the open-hearted spirit of Hawaii to life.
Starting from the Fairmont you can sample live music from jazz to jaiwaiian (Hawaiian reggae) at any of the lobby bars along the 2.4 km interpretive Coastal Walk. It skirts the coastline with the Four Seasons, the Grand Wailea, Wailea Beach Marriott and the new Andaz Maui at Wailea on the right and the pounding surf of the ocean on the left. Pop in during hana hou, Hawaiian happy hour, to see Reiko Fukino, a guitar player with a vast repertoire, at the Grand Wailea. “I like to mix it up,” she says “There are a lot of excellent musicians playing the lounges here like Sal Godinez on piano and Marcus Johnson on bass playing jazz at the Four Seasons and the pianist and composer Gene Argel. If you find someone you like, just ask them where they’re playing next.”
No musical trip to Maui would be complete without a visit to the Maui Arts and Cultural Center in Kahului. Over 1,700 music, dance and art exhibits take place here every year in the multi-functional performance and gallery spaces. Such acts as Elton John, James Taylor, Steve Miller and Canada’s own Delhi 2 Dublin have performed here and Hawaiian musicians take the stage at festivals held here all year round. With so many artists to choose from, you’re bound to fall in love with the music of Maui.