Wednesday, May 25, 2019 – Patrick Landeza has won the Ki Ho’alu Foundation Legacy Award. The Hawai’i Academy of Recording Artists honored him with the most prestigious Hawaiian Slack Key Foundation Award at their 42nd annual Nā Hōkū Hanohano (“stars of distinction”) Awards, hailed as Hawaii’s equivalent to the Grammys. The Ki Ho’alu Foundation Legacy award represents Hawaiian Slack Key music’s lifetime achievement. Landeza joins his teachers and mentors, Dennis Kamakahi and the late Cyril Pahinui, in receiving this award.
Landeza, a Berkeley, California-born Hawaiian musician, learned the art of slack key guitar at the age of 15 from master artists like Raymond Kāne, Cyril Pahinui, George Kuo, and Dennis Kamakahi. “When I learned from the masters in Hawai`i, they taught me that being a slack key musician isn’t just about the music,” he explains. “It’s a tradition that uses storytelling as a means of sharing culture.” Engaging audiences across the continental U.S. and Hawai’i, Patrick has remained true to the traditions of the art form while composing themes of his heritage, cultural identity and self discovery.
Landeza’s 9th album release, Slack Key Huaka’i ‘Elua (which literally translates to “Slack Key Journey 2”) reflects his continuous Slack Key musical journey, both personally and professionally. When asked what his inspiration for the album is, Landeza responds, “As slack key is evolving, I am evolving. Sometimes we have to take a step back in order to appreciate the art form and our traditional songs. Also, slack key isn’t just about playing but more about who you are as a person; such as being of service to others, being open to the world, the universe, your faith, and truly sharing Aloha everywhere.”
