Rhythmix Island Arts Festival: Featuring Patrick Landeza & Halau Makana: Music and Dance of Polynesia. February 1, 2013

heart and soul through the fingers, and flowing with vivid tropical images, Ki ho 'alu or Slack Key is one of the greatest acoustic guitar traditions of the world. Patrick Landeza is regarded as one of the world’s top slack key performers and will be performing with Hālau Makana dance ensemble, together bringing the music and dance of Hawaii, Tahiti and New Zealand to Rhythmix.
Landeza is considered a leading exponent of the Hawaiian slack key guitar style, developed in the 19th century by Hawaiian cowboys who loosened their guitar strings, “slacking” them for a lower, more resonant sound. As an award-winning musician, composer, and producer, born and raised in Berkeley to Hawaii-born parents, he became the youngest recipient of the prestigious Kapalakiko Aloha Spirit award, when he was 34. His 2010 release, “Ku`u Honua Mele,” received the 2010 Hawaii Music Award in the slack key category, and was nominated for a Na Hoku Hanohano award (Hawaiian music's equivalent to the Grammy).

Halau Makana is the only Polynesian Dance Company located in Alameda and the ensemble performs dances from Hawai‘i, Tahiti and New Zealand. Kumu Lani founded the Halau as part of Island Hawaiian Studios as a place to learn Polynesian music, art and dance. Born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, Kumu Lani has been teaching Hula, Ori Tahiti and Maori for over 20 years. The studio’s primary mission is to preserve the Hawaiian, Tahitian, Samoan and Maori cultures through dance, art and music, and to share these art forms with the community.

High Five! Rhythmix Cultural Works (RCW) is celebrating its fifth year in the East Bay since opening its doors in 2007 as a community arts center to bring people of all ages together for a wide range of high quality arts experiences. Only five minutes from downtown Oakland (just off Hwy 880 @ Fruitvale), RCW offers affordable space for live performances, exhibitions, arts education and cultural exchange for youth, families and adults. By providing a range of exhibits, workshops, classes and performances, RCW supports local, regional and international artists in the presentation of their work and strives to encourage community awareness through participation in the arts. Plenty of free parking is available.

This concert made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Zellerbach Family Foundation.

Official Website: http://rhythmix.org/events/island-arts-festival-with-patrick-landeza-a-halau-makana.html