2019 Program | Maui Steel Guitar Festival

Festival Program

Click to see the festival's event schedules

A STEEL GUITAR EXHIBIT featuring vintage lap steel guitars will be presented at the Story of Hawaii Museum located at the Outlets of Maui. Some steel guitars date back to the 1930s.

A HANDS-ON STEEL GUITAR EXPERIENCE will provide festival guests with opportunities to become better acquainted with the Hawaiian steel guitar.

FRIDAY SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS The festival's educational component provides learning opportunities for local area schools. These educational presentations will be made by teams of festival steel guitar masters and are geared towards reintroducing the Hawaiian steel guitar to the younger generation and to get them interested in the instrument and its importance in Hawaiian music.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY OPEN STAGE SESSIONS will present various Hawaiian steel guitarists or groups with a Hawaiian Steel Guitar.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY EVENING HO‘OLAULE'A programs will showcase the Festival's featured master steel guitarists in individual programs.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY EVENING KANIKAPILA jam sessions will be held at the Pi Artisan Pizzeria. Festival guests are invited to bring their instruments, amplifiers, and music stands as appropriate and play along Hawaiian-style with the steel guitar masters.

SATURDAY WORKSHOPS covering various steel guitar topics will be offered at the Story of Hawaii museum located at the Outlets of Maui.

SUNDAY HO‘OLAULE‘A at Kahului's Queen Ka‘ahamanu Center will feature several steel guitar masters in individual programs.

Featured Steel Guitarists

Next Generation Steel Guitar Players

NextGen Steel Guitar students and musicians of Ke Kula Mele Hawaii School of Hawaiian Music will perform for festival attendees' enjoyment. These musicians as young as age 11 will play during the Open Stage Entertainment and in the main ho‘olaule‘a programs.

Workshops

Steel guitar workshops will be presented by Alan Akaka and Bobby Ingano.

Open Stage Entertainment

Friday and Saturday Open stage entertainment will feature guest artists and performers. These performances will showcase a variety of steel guitarists.

Steel Guitar Ho‘olaule‘a - Friday and Saturday Evenings

This year's festival will feature Ho‘olaule‘a programs on Friday and Saturday, each hosted by Maui actress, comedienne, storyteller and radio personality Kathy Collins.

Vintage Lap Steel Guitar Exhibit

An exhibit featuring vintage lap steel guitars circa mid-1930s will be presented at the festival. This exhibit will feature vintage Richenbacher and Gibson lap steel guitars and also include a 1950s Magnatone lap steel guitar. Steel guitarist Geri Valdriz is the exhibit's curator and is responsible for many of the instruments on display. Come and see some of the first lap steel guitars ever manufactured.

Queen Ka'ahamanu Center Program

The Festival moves to the Queen Ka‘ahamanu Center in Kahului from 11 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. on Sunday.

The Proclamation

Maui County mayor Mike Victorino is expected to present a Mayoral proclamation on Sunday, April 14, declaring the week of April 8-14, 2019, as Maui Steel Guitar Festival Appreciation Week. See the Proclamation.

The Festival Posters

2019 Maui Steel Guitar Festival Poster - Outlets of Maui

The Maui Steel Guitar Festival poster was designed by Addison Ching features pictures of the master performers superimposed on a picture of a Asher Alan Akaka Limited Edition 8-string Hawaiian Lap Steel Guitar. Logos of major festival supporters are also included on the poster.

2019 Maui Steel Guitar Festival Poster - Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center

The Maui Steel Guitar Festival Queen Ka‘ahamanu Center poster is similar in design to the main festival poster with the Center's featured performers and program. Click on the thumbnail for a larger view.