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Maui Beat

Henry Allen

At the beginning of June, Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu hosted an 80th birthday party to honor a "Living Legend of Hawaiian Music," steel guitar master Henry Kaleialoha Allen, who has just released a new CD, and a new book, "Treasures of Hawaiian Music."The new recording, "Step Into My Life," features three songs with jazz great George Benson, and backing by an ensemble of stellar musicians including Wayne Henderson of the Jazz Crusaders.The project was a "once in a lifetime experience to get those kind of big names playing together for me," says Allen. "It's the best album I ever worked on, ...

Music without borders

To help foster cross-cultural understanding, every year the U.S. Department of State, in partnership with the nonprofit American Voices organization, sends a bunch of musical groups and ensembles to perform in many nations around the world.Representing a wide spectrum of American culture, these groups can range from blues, bluegrass, Cajun and country, to Latin, hip-hop, jazz, rock, and R&B musicians. And now, for the first time this year - Hawaiian.In late April and early May, Keola and Moanalani Beamer and Jeff Peterson traveled to Brazil to introduce Hawaii's unique slack key ...

Big MACC of Slack Key: Ki Ho‘alu Guitar Festival

Before performing at the annual Ki Ho'alu Guitar Festival outdoors at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center on Sunday, Dennis Kamakahi has been immersing himself in teaching at George Kahumoku Jr.'s music camp in Napili.It's a role one of Hawaii's most distinguished musicians relishes."At my age now, I just reached 60, this is a time when you start teaching," says Dennis. "This year makes 47 years in entertainment, and I'm not going to stay in music forever. I find it thrilling to see my students excel. I've come across some really talented young boys and girls. I've seen probably three ...

Marley on Maui

The recording included guest appearances by a number of musicians, including Lil Wayne and Joss Stone (on "My Generation"), K'naan ("Tribes at War" and "Africa Must Wake Up"), Damian's brother Stephen Marley ("Leaders" and "In His Own Words"), and Junior Reid ("Ancient People").Many of the songs related to African issues including poverty, AIDS, and the devastating diamond trade."We tried to use a lot of African elements without really just making it sound like tribal drums," Marley says. "They have great jazz musicians in Africa. A lot of people aren't aware of this. So I wanted to ...

Maui Film Festival presents Reel Music

In the the new documentary, "Muscle Shoals," reggae legend Jimmy Cliff notes that at different points in time, there are certain places in the world where there is a field of special energy.And Steve Winwood wonders, "What is it about Muscle Shoals, it's just a little village on the Alabama border? Why does that music come out of there?"Back in the 1960s and '70s, many famous artists began flocking to studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala. What would emerge from their sessions was some of the most influential music of the past 50 years. Everyone from Bob Dylan to the Rolling Stones to Paul Simon ...

Mick Fleetwood’s update from the road

"The tour is going brilliantly," says Mick Fleetwood, calling from Calgary, Canada. "It couldn't be going any better."In the midst of touring across North America with Fleetwood Mac, the legendary rock band he co-founded in 1967, the revered drummer has been amazed at the outpouring of love for the band."It's quite extraordinary, the high level of response," he reports. "It's something we haven't really experienced in 25 years. We're always blessed that when we do these tours they go well and most of the shows do extremely well, but we have a situation now, where the whole tour six ...