Makana Sunset Tour Live at The Sanctuary

Photo by Lexi Mackenzie

The Guitar Sanctuary is proud to present a special concert with Hawai'i artist Makana ast part of "The Sunset Tour" on Saturday March 2nd at 8pm (doors open at 7) at The Sanctuary Music & Events Center.

VIP Tables with seating for 4 directly in front of the stage are $150 per table (see Seating Chart).

Downstairs Seats (First come, First Serve) are $25.

General Admission (Standing Room Only on the upstairs balcony) Tickets are just $15.

We'll have food and bar service available from our friends at Rick's Chophouse.

Born and raised in Hawai’i, Makana grew up on the shores of Waikiki amid the likes of legend Don Ho and young Elvis-impersonator Bruno Mars. Makana- whose name means “a gift given freely”- began singing when he was seven years-old, took up ‘ukulele at nine and began learning the ancient art of slack key at eleven. By fourteen, he was performing professionally, and before long playing five nights a week. His reputation as the youngest virtuoso of slack key spread like molten volcanic lava throughout the islands.

A protégé of the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar legends, including Bobby Moderow Jr. and the late master Uncle Sonny Chillingworth, Makana has dedicated his life to perpetuating as well as evolving the traditional Hawaiian art form. Slack key or Ki Ho’alu, nearly 200 years old and indigenous to Hawai’i, was created by ‘ohana (families) on the different islands as a very personal folk music expression of their beautiful surroundings and way of life. The style is characterized by “slacking” the strings to open chords, thus freeing the hands to alter the sound whilst self-accompanying with a triad of alternating bass patterns, faux rhythms and sweet melodies evocative of island atmospheres. Think “three guitars in one!” From this tradition Makana has evolved his own dynamic, high-octane style, coined “Slack Rock”: slack key infused with elements of bluegrass, rock, blues and raga. Makana’s playing has garnered praise from such guitar luminaries as Kirk Hammett (Metallica) and Pepe Romero (Spanish Flamenco Master). A contributor to the 2007 Grammy-nominated “Hawaiian Slack Key Kings Vol. I” and 2009 Grammy-nominated “Hawaiian Slack Key Kings Vol II”, Makana is considered one of the “greatest living players” (Esquire Magazine) whose “instrumental brilliance bears comparison with the work of such groundbreaking acoustic guitarists as John Fahey and Michael Hedges” (Maui News).

The focus of Makana’s art is to celebrate the beauty of tradition while exploring new, relevant perceptions, sounds and themes. In his music he often honors his forebears, the vintage Hawaiian music legends as well as the rock poet idols of the 60s, paying homage to the kupuna (elders) who carry within their Beings the cultural wisdom passed down through generations.

In 2018, Makana spent much of the year using his talents to kokua (help) the people of Hawai’i, from a benefit with Jack Johnson for the flood victims of Kaua’i to concerts to support cancer-stricken legendary Hawaiian musician Uncle Willie K and organizations like the Kaua’i Lifeguards Association and Kua o Ka Lā Hawaiian Charter School (which was covered by the lava flow in Puna). He staged multiple sold-out tribute concerts honoring past Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar greats throughout the islands, and donated his time to perform at the Hawaii LGBT Legacy Foundations Gala. In the fall, Makana debuted as an actor in the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical South Pacific, playing the role of Lt. Joe Cable to rave reviews. 2018 tour highlights include representing Hawai’i at SXSW, a concert in an underground “cavern” in Tennessee, performances in the UK and his first tour to Russia, where he served as a cultural ambassador for Hawai’i, and performed in venues ranging from world-renowned jazz clubs to schools and universities to forums with many of the mayors and governors of Russia in attendance. While there, Makana filmed the music video “Mourning Armageddon” (out Jan 13) in a recently decommissioned nuclear bunker in Moscow as part of his volunteer work to raise awareness about the present, unchecked nuclear arms race between the US & the Russian Federation. And although Makana didn’t release any new albums in 2018, he recorded over 50 songs for Facebook as part of their Sound Collection offering, a royalty-free music library available to all Facebook & Instagram users for (on-site) video syncing. Find some of Makana’s most exciting new works there! He also signed a music branding deal with the Beachcomber by Outrigger to provide a collection of songs in a new genre- what Makana has termed “Hawaiian Down Tempo”- to be played as the ambient soundtrack for the Beachcomber property beginning in Spring 2019. Also this Spring, Makana will tour the US mainland, sharing his riveting, emotional sound rooted in the indigenous art of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar. This will be Makana’s last solo tour for a few years as he takes time to develop and record a whole new body of music to be released in 2020. – MakanaMusic.com