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+--- Thread: Ledward Kaapana @ Kaleo's Sept. 9 (/showthread.php?tid=22811)
Ledward Kaapana @ Kaleo's Sept. 9 - Rob Tucker - 08-30-2022
For those of you who know and for those of you who do not....
Ledward Kaapana will be playing at Kaleo's in Orchidland on September 9.... 6sh I think. Reservations likely needed. I have mine.
We are talking legendary slack key guitarist. I first stumbled upon him at a private luau on Oahu in 1995 I think it was. He was great. The next day I went to the Slack Key Guitar Festival at Ala'wai where I found out he and his brother Nedward were the head liners. How lucky was I?
Born on August 25, 1948,[1] Led grew up in a musical family living in the small black sand bay village of Kalapana (mostly destroyed by the 1986 volcanic eruption of Kilauea), where he states there were few distractions. "We didn't have electricity, not television, not even much radio, so we entertained ourselves. You could go to any house and everybody was playing music." At fourteen, he began performing professionally with his mother, Tina, and his uncle, the rarely recorded slack-key master Fred Punahoa.
His professional breakthrough came a few years later, when he was a part of the Hui 'Ohana (means "Family Group"), with his twin brother, Nedward Kaapana, and his cousin, falsetto-great Dennis Pavao. Hui 'Ohana released fourteen albums, each of which was a commercial and critical success. Kaapana left the group eventually, and then released six albums as the leader of another trio, I Kona, and performed with the Pahinui Brothers, Aunty Genoa Keawe, David Chun, Barney Isaacs and Uncle Joe Keawe.
RE: Ledward Kaapana @ Kaleo's Sept. 9 - oink - 08-30-2022
I saw Ledward, along with several other musicians at the open air Hilo Civic Center a number of years back. It was a slack key festival. Shockingly the place was only about 1/4 full. They were all very good. I bought my first Hui 'Ohana album in 74 along with The Sunday Manoa Guava Jam. I actually liked the Guava Jam album better at the time. I do have most of Ledward's albums now. I would buy tickets and be there if I could. He is fantastic.
RE: Ledward Kaapana @ Kaleo's Sept. 9 - Chas - 09-01-2022
Thanks for the info. I've seen him several times. Always LOVED "Radio Hula".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOBvV4VRCXI
RE: Ledward Kaapana @ Kaleo's Sept. 9 - Chas - 09-10-2022
Just got back from Kaleo's. Thanks again Rob for alerting me to this.
It was the first time I've been "out" since before the pandemic, and it was very, very nice. Beautiful full moon night, great music, food and atmosphere. Perfect night.
RE: Ledward Kaapana @ Kaleo's Sept. 9 - Rob Tucker - 09-10-2022
I enjoyed it thoroughly. Ledward is from Puna and a bunch of his family was there. Enjoyed having his sisters and niece join him on stage. The guy has four Grammys and I can see why. Master guitar player. What surprised me was there was no cover charge and ther place wasn't packed.
Glad you had a good time.