Grammy®-winning slack key guitarist Jim “Kimo” West and acclaimed
falsetto vocalist Leokane Pryor join together for an evening of aloha
honoring their beloved hometown of Hana, Maui and benefiting the
ongoing recovery of Lahaina town. There will be special guests and
traditional hula as well.
Having never even seen Waikiki, Jim “Kimo” West came right to the
tiny village of Hana, Maui in 1985 and spent much of his time there for
many years. It was in Hana where he first heard the music of Gabby
Pahinui, Sons Of Hawaii, Sonny Chillingworth and Atta Isaacs.
Already familiar with alternate tunings, the sound of ki ho’alu became
rooted deep in his musical landscape. This warm and engaging
fingerpicked guitar style has its roots in 1840’s Hawaii, when Mexican
vaqueros first brought guitars to the Big Island of Hawaii.
Kimo is regarded as one of the world’s foremost “ki ho’alu” or
Hawaiian “slack key” guitar artists and his music has garnered over
seventy-five million spins on streaming services. He is a 2021
Grammy Winner for his recent CD, “More Guitar Stories” and a 2019
Grammy nominee for “Moku Maluhia-Peaceful Island”. He is also a
2008 winner of the Hawaii Music Awards and seven-time Na Hoku
Hanohano (the Hawaiian ‘Grammy’) nominee. He is also a two-time
winner of the LA Treasures Award for his efforts in keeping this
important acoustic guitar tradition alive. and