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| Slack Key Master... Patrick Landeza -(last appeared in this concert
series February 17, 2004) |
 Hawaiian
musician, songwriter, producer and educator
PATRICK Kahakauwila Kamaholelani LANDEZA is considered to
be a leading performer of Hawaiian slack key guitar, or ki ho'alu,
one of the world's great acoustic guitar traditions. Noted pianist
George Winston says: "Patrick Landeza is one of the best and most
dedicated of the new generation of slack key players."
Patrick grew up in Berkeley, California with his parents, Danny
Landeza, Jr. of O'ahu, and Frances Kawaipulou Kuakini O'Sullivan of
Moloka'i, when they moved to the mainland in the 1950s, but kept close
ties to what so many Hawaiian songs call "ku'u one hanau," or
"beloved sands of my birth." It's fitting that Patrick, who is
of Hawaiian, Filipino, Chinese and Irish ancestry, would be drawn to a
musical genre evolved from a similarly rich combination of heritages.
A few years after being first introduced to slack key at age 15 by two
uncles, Patrick discovered the ki ho'alu recordings of slack
key master Raymond Kane. "He was my idol" said Patrick. "I
listened to him religiously." The two would soon meet at one of
Raymond's concerts in Berkeley, only two blocks from Patrick's house.
Taken by Patrick's passion for slack key, Raymond took the young man
as student. Patrick would travel to Hawai'i and pick up pointers from
Raymond, as well as other slack key masters such as George Kuo,
Dennis Kamakahi and the late Sonny Chillingworth.
Nineteen-year-old Patrick started playing solo in 1992, opening tours
for Hawaiian artists like Israel "Bruddah Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole,
Cecilio and Kapono, Keali'i Reichel and HAPA.
Patrick would join backstage jam sessions with slack key masters who
were also on tour. Known simply as "The Kid," he would often be
mistaken for an underage fan and prevented from entering venues. "They
had to remind the venue that I was a performer," recalls Patrick. In
both 1995 and 1996, Patrick was the only mainland performer to be
invited to the annual Bank of Hawai'i Ki ho'alu Festival, considered
the "grand-daddy" of all slack key events. "Playing the slack key fest
was a dream come true for me," said Patrick. In 1996, Patrick would
venture further across the Pacific in a tour throughout the Philippine
Islands.
1998 would be a big year for Patrick. His original composition,
Mahealani, written for 1997 Miss Universe Brook Mahealani
Lee, was featured on her half-hour television special that aired
before the 1998 Miss Universe Pageant. Later that year, Patrick
released his first album, "Pu'unaue" ("to share"), in
which he mixes original compositions along with traditional Hawaiian
music. His special guests included Martin Pahinui, George
Kuo, Dennis Kamakahi, and Pekelo Cosma.
In December 2001, Patrick released his second album, "Christmas
to Me." Revealing his numerous facets as an artist, it takes
the listener on a journey through many different musical forms and
styles, tying it all together with the common bond of acoustic ki
ho'alu. Among the talented guest artists on the album is legendary
steel guitarist Bobby Black and Barbara Mandrell.
Although a slack key artist for more than a decade, ki ho'alu
has been more of a passion than a profession for Patrick, a former
middle school vice-principal. Now, at 30, Patrick tours regularly with
other slack key artists, such as Cyril Pahinui, and teaches
ki ho'alu through workshops and private lessons. "Trying to get a
lesson with Landeza is like trying to get admitted to Stanford," joked
the Oakland Tribune's Harrington.
Patrick has guest lectured on slack key and on Asian Pacific American
issues at Stanford University, University of California-Berkeley,
University of California-Santa Barbara, and University of
California-Monterey. He was also be a keynote speaker at a California
State University-Hayward graduation ceremony in spring 2003. In the
summer of 2003, Patrick taught a variety of workshops at North
Carolina's The Swannanoa Gathering, a series of week-long workshops in
various folk arts held on the campus of Warren Wilson College near
Asheville in the heart of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. After
teaching workshops in Washington, D.C., Patrick taught a workshop in
August at the Healdsburg Guitar Festival 2003, the world's premier
exposition of hand-made acoustic guitars.
"I am so grateful for the privilege of learning ki ho'alu from
the masters and being able to entertain so many people with that
gift," said Patrick. "Now it's time for me to share the mana'o,
or knowledge and understanding, with others."
For more information on Patrick, visit his website:
www.patricklandeza.com
Patrick last performed in The Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key
Guitar Concert Series at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, Maui on
February 17, 2004. |
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