Hawaiian slack key guitar master Cyril Pahinui and Friends will perform in Honokaa at The People’s Theatre tonight to raise funds in support of The Hawaiian Cultural Center of Hamakua opening in Honokaa Town.
Pahinui and Sonny Lim, Jeff Au Hoy, Peter Wook Moon, and Kunia Galdeira will perform an evening of Hawaiian Music with a portion of ticket proceeds and 100 percent of proceeds from a signed guitar auction benefiting the new center. Doors open at 6 p.m., show gets underway at 7:30 p.m.
The Hawaiian Cultural Center of Hamakua will be a multicultural, multigenerational community center situated in the heart of Honokaa. Visitors will engage and connect with Hawaiian culture though educational opportunities in hula, language, history, arts, philosophy and more. The center will host special events including guest speakers, community service projects and cultural exchange programs in an effort to inspire people to learn more about the history and culture of Hawaii.
“This promises to be an evening of wonderful entertainment and a chance to further support The Hawaiian Cultural Center of Hamakua,” said concert promoter Les Hershhorn. “Cyril Pahinui is the son of Hawaiian guitarist legend and Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame inductee Gabby ‘Pops’ Pahinui.
“Cyril has contributed to more than 35 Hawaiian musical releases and three Grammy Award-winning compilations of Hawaiian music and won several Na Hoku Hanohano awards for Instrumental Album and Island Music Album of the Year,” said Hershhorn. “In 2014, he received a Na Hoku Hanohano Lifetime Achievement Award for perpetuating the craft of slack key music through performance and teaching. We are honored to have him perform with Hawaiian legend Sonny Lim and Friends for this exciting event.”
Pahinui started playing music at a young age, began learning slack key at age 7, and performed on stage for the first time when he was 12. He picked up music by listening and watching his dad, and by playing with his brothers and the other musicians who would stop by to visit and play with his dad.
Pahinui’s current project is a video series featuring kanikapila sessions with musicians in the backyard, reflecting on his youth. He worked with Hawaiian film producer Naalehu Anthony to produce “Let’s Play Music! Slack Key with Cyril Pahinui & Friends.” The project was first released exclusively as a fundraiser for PBS Hawaii, and subsequently received the 2013, Na Hoku Award for Music Video of the Year.
Pahinui credits his father, Gabby, who taught, encouraged and inspired him to reach his full potential. In the late 1990s, when Cyril first performed at Carnegie Hall, he announced, “Dad, we made it.” An artist who is known for playing straight from the heart, Pahinui currently teaches and inspires young musicians to do the same, as well as contributes much of his time to help with fundraising events such as the one for The Hawaiian Cultural Center of Hamakua.
“It’s an opportunity to give back to the community and help support the community,” said manager and partner Chelle Pahinui. “Cyril contributes much of his time volunteering to support environmental and cultural organizations.”
With Waipio Valley being the second most visited site on the Big Island, The Hawaiian Cultural Center of Hamakua will offer visitors the opportunity to engage in a more in-depth experience with the history and culture of the region. The center will be curated in partnership with the University of Hawaii at Hilo’s Heritage Center, and visitors will be able to experience historic artifacts and talk story with staff and volunteers knowledgeable of the area and its history.
The concept for the center was the brainchild of Hawaiian cultural practitioner and Honokaa native Lanakila Manguail. For the past 10 years Manguail educated the community with the goal of revitalizing the community and caring for the land.
Inspired by his passion for Hawaiian culture and his interest in caring for the environment, the community has joined forces with Manguail to establish The Hawaiian Cultural Center of Hamakua.
The center will be located in the historic Ujiki building which features open spaces with vintage wooden floors that are perfect for hula. It will be available to community members who wish to gather and learn traditional Hawaiian practices, or talk story with community elders. The intent of the project is to breathe new life into the building through the creation of the center, as well as to serve the community and visitors from around the world.
Honokaa People’s Theatre is located at 45-3574 Mamane Street in Honokaa. Tickets are available at Kiernan Music in Kainaliu; Waimea General Store in Parker Square in Waimea; Taro Patch Gifts in Honokaa; and CD Wizard, Hilo Guitar, Hilo Music Exchange in Hilo.
For more information, call 896-4845 or visit www.lazerbear.com. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $50 for Gold Circle (VIP) seating.
