Skip to main content

Slack Key Guitarist Makana to Perform at Salt Lake Community College

Makana will perform at Salt Lake Community College on Tuesday, February 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Grand Theatre. Makana is a composer, singer, and pioneer of the ‘slack rock’ guitar style.

Born and raised on the island of O’ahu, Makana began singing at the age of seven and at nine, took up the ‘ukulele. At 11 he began learning from Bobby Moderow, protégé of master Raymond Kane, and then received a grant from the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts to study with legendary Hawaiian slack key performer Sonny Chillingworth. By 14, Makana was a professional guitarist, performing in venues across Honolulu.

Makana’s music integrates elements of folk, rock, ethnic, classical, bluegrass, jazz, traditional, ambient, electronic and Hawaiian slack key. The roots of his music are deeply cultural; the indigenous Hawaiian art form Ki Ho’alu, is the foundation for his music that spans different musical traditions and languages.

Released in 1999, his debut album “Makana” was named Best World Music Album at the Hawaii Music Awards. It was followed by “Koi Au” in 2002 and “Ki Ho’alu: Journey of Hawaiian Slack Key” in 2003. He is also featured on the Grammy-nominated albums “Hawaiian Slack Key Kings I & II”. In 2008, his first all-original release “Different Game” came out and in 2009 he released a 20th anniversary slack key guitar instrumental compilation, “Venus, and the Sky Turns to Clay”.

Makana has received numerous award, including being named as one of America’s Top 3 guitarists in 2008 by Guitar Player Magazine. He was also honored with the Artist for Peace Award in 2005 by the city council of Kaua’i. Makana performed for President Obama and his family at the White House in 2009 and performed at the invitation of the Obama family at the APEC summit in Honolulu in 2011.

Advance tickets for the performance are: $10 for general admission, $8 for students with valid identification (free for SLCC students with valid ID), $5 for children age 12 and younger. General admission tickets the day of the concert will be available for $12.


For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Grand Theatre box office at: (801) 957-3322 or online at:https://tickets.slcc.edu.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Rev Up Your Future at SLCC Annuals Hop into College

SLCC West Valley Center will be opening its doors on Friday, August 2, from 6-9 pm for their annual lowrider event that celebrates the automotive culture and welcomes current, past, and future Bruins into the SLCC community. This unique event allows lowriders to showcase their vehicles and for spectators to witness the creativity, craftsmanship, and passion that goes into a lowrider car. From the sleek custom paint jobs to the impressive hydraulics showcased at the hop-off, attendees get immersed in the vibrant culture created by SLCC West Valley’s community. Beyond the car show, Hop into College provides prospective students and their families the opportunity to explore SLCC, engage with their future peers, staff and faculty and obtain valuable insight into the degrees and programs offered. Furthermore, the community is provided with countless beneficial resources not only as an SLCC student but as a community member. Whether interested in learning more about the lowrider community o...

SLCC Alumnus and U.S. Diplomat to Speak at 2025 Commencement

Salt Lake Community College’s 2025 Commencement speaker Branigan Knowlton will share his perspectives drawn from a 12-year career as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. In serving his country, Knowlton has honed his foreign relations and diplomacy skills in Hong Kong, Mexico, Colombia and Italy. Knowlton is also a proud Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) alumnus (2002).     Knowlton currently serves at the U.S. Embassy in Rome. Before reporting to the embassy, he was detailed to the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport as part of the Transatlantic Diplomatic Fellowship program. In Bogotá, Knowlton worked for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, and in Hermosillo, Mexico, he worked for the Bureau of Consular Affairs. His first assignment abroad was in Hong Kong, where he worked for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.     "I've actively sought opportunities that push me into the unfamiliar, even when ...

Recognizing SLCC's 2025 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Andrew Vogt, PhD Associate Professor, Engineering

The Distinguished Faculty Lecturer is a recognition of quality work by one of Salt Lake Community College’s full-time faculty and a charge to develop that work over an academic year into a public presentation. A committee chosen by the Associate Provost for Learning Advancement selects the faculty lecturer each year. The lecture takes place in the spring. Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Andrew Vogt, PhD Associate Professor, Engineering Dr. Andrew Vogt’s teaching philosophy is guided by two principles, curiosity and efficiency.  “Curiosity leads us to study a topic and allows us to really understand the ins and outs of research, while efficiency is all about sustainability,” he says. Andrew describes curiosity as a pure, open-minded impulse to explore, such as the ease with which children learn new concepts with virtually no instruction. Efficiency adds maturity to that childlike impulse, creating structures and pathways for accomplishment.  Andrew’s work has alwa...