Educational Programs and Workshops

In 2007, we expanded our instructional programs to establish Halau Mele Hawai‘i O Pahinui (Pahinui School of Hawaiian Music).

The program features group and private instruction in Kiho‘alu or slack key guitar, steel guitar, ukulele, song selection and composition, and the making and playing of ancient Hawaiian instruments.

“During my dad, Gabby Pahinui’s life, weekends at the Pahinui home in Waimanalo were a continuous jam session, dozens of musicians, both young and old, came by to jam with “the Master.” Many of Hawai‘i’s best musicians came out to these backyard kanikapila sessions.

In the early 80’s, Kanikapila sessions were founded at “Pop’s” Gabby Pahinui’s namesake Waimanalo Park Pavilion to feature and perpetuate Gabby, his Ohana and his Hawaiian style kiho‘alu-slack key music.

Classes at Halau Mele Hawai‘i O Pahinui are taught in the kanikapila style, nana ka maka; ho‘olohe ka pepeiao, which means “Watch with the eyes, and listen with the ears.” Thus one learns. Students of all levels are guided through simple exercises and solos to create the unique Hawaiian music sounds.

Students learn the use of vibrato, harmonics, slurs, harmonies in thirds and sixths, cord-work, legato playing, traditional rhythms and percussion, and other musical ideas that have helped create the distinctive Slack Key guitar sound.

Instructors include: Cyril Pahinui and many other Masters of Hawaiian music who join him regularly as instructors to share their own unique sounds, tunings, and stylings.

Heralded as one of the icons of Hawaiian music, Cyril Pahinui’s technical brilliance and innovative artistry makes him a performer that even the best musicians watch.  Cyril has contributed to three Grammy winning CDs, received 2 other Grammy nominations, and numerous Na Hoku Hanohano Hawaiian music awards.  He has performed kiho‘alu, or slack key guitar, around the world.

The term “slack key” refers to the musical style and the way the guitar is tuned.  Cyril Pahinui teaches several slack key tunings developed by the masters of slack key guitar including Atta Isaacs, Sonny Chillingworth, Leonard Kwan and his father, Gabby Pahinui. His favorite developed by his dad and favored by Atta Isaccs is his C Major Tuning (C-G-E-G-C-E).

A $40 fee is charged to each student. Serious students under the age of 20 may attend on scholarship.

Students must bring their own guitar.

Aloha no, please join us for the third annual Gabby Pahinui Waimānalo Kanikapila

Saturday, August 6, 2011 at the Waimanalo Beach Park from 9am to 6pm.

Staring more than 100 icons of Hawaiian music and dance ~schedule posting at gabbypahinui.com.

The event is free and open to the public

Buy your 2011 limited edition t-shirt now!

Vendor and educational/informational booths are available by contacting:

• Na‘alehu Theatre, Executive Director:  Chelle Pahinui <Chelle@cyrilpahinui.com>

Workshops in slack-key and ukulele: August 5th

Please email me directly <cyril@cyrilpahinui.com> to register as participation is limited.

Gabby Pahinui on Hawaiian steel guitar in his Waimānalo backyard.

During my dad, Gabby Pahinui’s life, weekends at the Pahinui home in Waimānalo were a continuous jam session, hosting dozens of musicians, both young and old, who came by to jam with “the Master.” Memorable guests included slack key masters Leland “Atta” Isaacs, Sonny Chillingworth, and Ray Kane, along with David “Feet” Rogers, Joe Marshall, ukulele virtuoso Eddie Kamae, Jessie Kalima, Palani Vaughan, and Peter Moon to name only a few. With a welcoming pot of beef stew and rice always on the stove, our Waimanalo home became the perfect setting for a rejuvenation of Hawai‘i’s musical traditions. As Gabby’s fame grew, attendance at the weekend jam sessions mushroomed — sometimes hosting a hundred or more musicians and fans. The jam sessions would begin early on Friday morning and continue straight through to Monday morning.

During the early 80’s, Kanikapila sessions were founded at “Pop’s” Gabby Pahinui’s namesake Waimānalo Park Pavilion to feature and perpetuate Gabby, his Ohana and his Hawaiian style kihoalu-slack key music. It has long been the dream of the Pahinui Ohana to acknowledge Waimanalo as a focal point of Kihoalu and Hawaiian music by reestablishing these musical gatherings and their ability to perpetuate, and preserve the uniqueness of Hawai‘i’s  musical identity.  And most importantly to recognize Gabby’s contribution at the building dedicated in honor of him and everything he stood for.

The Pahinui Ohana along with the Na‘alehu Theatre, and the Waimānalo community, feel that Gabby “Pops” Pahinui and everything that he has done for the State of Hawai‘i, the City and County of Honolulu and the renaissance of Hawaiian music, language and culture played an important role in our past and continues to play an important role in our present. We strongly believe that by presenting the Annual Gabby Pahinui Waimānalo Kanikapila we will preserve and support Hawai‘i’s continued growth in the music industry and our unique identity as a world-class destination while, at the same time, developing and strengthening community pride and partnerships among ‘Ohana, Community Organizations, Businesses, and Government Agencies.

Please contact me with any requests or questions at: cyril@cyrilpahinui.com