REVIEW BY JOHN BERGER / jberger@staradvertiser.com
Slack Key Hauka‘i
Patrick Landeza (Addison Street)
Bay Area ki ho‘alu guitarist Patrick Landeza made history last month when this album, “Slack Key Hauka‘i,” won the 2013 Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Slack Key Album of the Year. It was the first time that a non-resident artist and a download-only project had won the category.
Landeza’s milestone win became possible when the Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts (HARA) reversed the strict “Hawaii residents only” rule and allowed non-residents to compete in most award categories. Next came separate categories for slack key and ukulele instrumental albums. And so, after two consecutive years as an also-ran in the slack key category, Landeza prevailed over two other guitarists and became the first non-resident guitarist to win.
Landeza’s win was a win for ki ho‘alu fans as well. When Landeza saw earlier this year that he had a one-in-three chance to win the category, he decided to release a complete CD version of the album. The CD was released last month (after the deadline for voting) and puts his work in the context it deserves.
Half the songs are originals inspired by his experiences in Hawaii. The others are standards — “Ahi Wela” and “Sanoe,” to name two. Landeza’s nahenahe (“sweet, melodious”) technique knits new songs and old into a soothing celebration of traditional slack key.
Concise liner notes reveal Landeza’s family ties to Hawaii and the significance of the songs, but don’t mention his slack key tunings. The producers should have included that important information.
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John Berger has been a mainstay in the local entertainment scene for more than 40 years. Contact him via email at jberger@staradvertiser.com.