 GEORGE
KUO was born on November 17, 1955, but his beautiful slack key
guitar style dates back a generation or two earlier. "I feel a lot of
appreciation for the old style of slack key and the lifestyle of my
grandparents, granduncles, grandaunts and all the older players.
There's a special aloha for them that I try to convey in my style of
slack key.""My feeling is in the playing from the 1940s," he
continues. "I like to play a nice relaxed, easy style. Not too much
fancy stuff, keep it within the melody. It's more delivering a message
than playing runs."
George first took up ki ho'alu in high school. He learned
from friends such as Antone Gabriel, who played in the style of his
granduncle, Albert Kawelo, slack key legend Ray Kane's teacher in the
early 1930s. "When I heard Antone," George says, "I said to myself
'that's how I want to play the old style.'" George's family was very
supportive of his music. "My granduncle and aunt really encouraged
me."
For a young person attracted to oldstyle ki ho'alu, the 1970s
were heaven in Hawai'i. A revival of traditional culture was in full
bloom. Many kupuna (elders) performed and shared their
mana'o (knowledge) publicly - often for the first time. George
learned from legendary slack key figures such as Ray Kane, Aunty
Alice Namakelua, Tommy Solomon, Sonny Chillingworth,
Atta Isaacs,
Gabby Pahinui, Uncle Fred Punahoa, and Papa Kauhi. "That was a real
rare opportunity to be with those old masters," he says. "The
expressions and the feelings that they get when they play, you can
see it on their faces. They smile 'cause they feel the vibration,
the ona (feeling of well-being). It goes throughout their
body and moves their spirit. To me that's what the enjoyment is
about right there. If I ever run into an old timer who tells me he
plays slack key, I always encourage him because once they go, pau
(the end), you can't hear that anymore."
Through high school and college, George continued playing the clubs
(with Tino Jacob, Ray Kane, Sonny Chillingworth and others), and
studying with the masters. He acquired a large repertoire of standards
and originals, to which he continues to add today. In 1979 he won a
slack key guitar contest at the Waikiki Shell, which brought him to
the attention of a wider audience and launched his performing career.
In 1980 he released his first album, NAHENAHE, on the Hula label. He
also formed the group Kipapa Rush Band with a number of friends,
including Wayne Reis, a nephew of Atta Isaacs. In 1985 they recorded
HARDLY WORKING for the Kahanu label. "We had a real nice traditional
feeling with a little of today's music." In addition to slack key, the
group featured steel guitar, reflecting the revival of interest in
this Hawaiian innovation.
In 1986 Eddie Kamae asked George to join his group The Sons of
Hawaii. George considers this a great honor and feels a special
kinship with the other members. He also enjoys Eddie's style as a band
leader. "He's not one to tell anybody what to do in the group," George
says, "he just says, 'let's go and play and have fun', and we go. It's
not a rehearsed thing. We communicate it through playing."
This closely matches George's approach on ALOHA NO NA KUPUNA.
"There's no overdubbing on the album," he says. "Most of the
arrangements were done in the studio, or a day or two before. I like
spontaneity." A lot of George's ideas come from playing with others or
by himself after work. "I play a lot outside on my porch late at
night," he says. "I enjoy the sound of the guitar in the night."
Still, recording solo was something he never expected to do. "It's a
different experience," he says, "but once you get into it, it comes
out real nice."
For more information on George Kuo, visit
www.dancingcat.com
George last performed in The Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key
Guitar Concert Series at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, Maui
on November 2 and January 27 in 2004 and November 11, 2003. |
