Two With Ledward in Kaleponi

Welcome to Kaleponi Records, my musical home on the web. My name is Fran Guidry, and I play kika ki hoʻalu or Hawaiian slack key guitar.

Kaleponi is the Hawaiian word for California, where I live. Ki hoʻalu, or slack key, has a direct link to California history. The guitar was carried to the Big Island of Hawaiʻi by vaqueros from California. You can read more about the history of slack key guitar on the Dancing Cat Records web site.

Slack key guitar is named for the retuning that characterizes the style. Most of these new tunings feature loosened, or slackened, strings which give a deep rich sound.

My personal slack key history goes back to 1999 and my first visit to Hawaiʻi. When we turned on the TV in our Waikiki hotel room I was captivated by the playing of Keola Beamer. I knew in an instant that I had to learn to play this beautiful music. Over the years I've learned from great players and teachers like Ozzie Kotani, Keola himself, Patrick Landeza, Kevin Brown, Cyril Pahinui, Kawika Kahiapo, Raymond Kane, Dennis Kamakahi, and Ledward Kaapana.

Saturday, April 15th, 2023

When Led was visiting back in October we captured a couple of our favorite tunes on video. Led’s father composed Pau Hana Slack Key to celebrate finishing work and getting down to the serious business of playing music and having fun. It’s a bouncy little piece that gives Led a chance to show his talent for improvisation.

One of the great classics of slack key is the old paniolo song, Kaula `Ili, named for the rawhide lariat used by Hawaiian cowboys. It’s a traditional piece with a range of versions, translations, and interpretations but the one that I immediately think of is Sonny Chillingworth’s recording on his Sonny Solo CD. This version works well for Led and I because he is such a master of waltz time and I have tried to capture the feel of Sonny’s piece for many years.

Both these videos were shot in world famous Brass Toucan Studio, also known as upstairs over the garage at our house in Walnut Creek.

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 15th, 2023 at 5:41 am and is filed under Videos. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.