HSGA Virtual Festival January 23 & 24
by Roberto Alaniz
The Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association is excited to be showing our first Virtual Festival on the weekend of January 23-24, 2021. The format will be similar to our live festivals, including over 30 member performances, two new workshops, clips from previous guest artists, and this year’s featured guest, master Hawaiian steel guitar player Geri Valdriz and The Kika Kila Band.
Visit our facebook page to access the festival. FaceBook Event access here.
There is no fee for viewing, though we are asking a suggested donation of $25. If you are not a member of HSGA, we encourage you to consider joining for the $30 annual fee in place of a donation.
Of course, the virtual festival is open to the public, so please feel free to share this with others.
Tune in, donate, share with your families, friends, and fellow musicians. And let this be the beginning of a hopeful new year.
Click and go …
Saturday Schedule on YouTube
Sunday Schedule on YouTube
Or pay by check:
Roberto Alaniz, Secretary Treasurer
Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association
2145 Tiffany Walk
Manteca, CA. 95336
Read more about the performers below the schedule.
Al Nip Ukulele workshop handout
2021 Virtual Festival Schedule
(festival videos presented in approx. two-hour segments)
Saturday, January 23
(Eastern Time)
1:00 p.m.
Opening – Welcome
Jess Montgomery
Shinichi and Kumiko Kakiuchi
Hugo Fritz
Benjamin Ruedy
Yoshiko Seo (Anegogumi)
Eric Rindal
Jerry and Karen Wagner
Jeff Au Hoy (2:20 p.m.)
4:00 p.m.
Owana Kaʻōhelelani Salazar
Chuck Christensen
Vickie Van Fechtman
Tony Fourcroy
Ethan Goore
Duke Kaleolani Ching (4:45 p.m.)
Vintage Recordings Workshop
Chris Ruppenthal Workshop (5:15 p.m.)
7:00 p.m.
Kiyoshi “Lion” Kobayashi
Roberto & Jorge Alaniz w/ Bobby Black
Christo Ruppenthal
China Dance Hula Studio Troupe
Featured Guest Performer: (8:00 p.m.)
Geri Valdriz & the Kika Kila Band
Sunday, January 24
(Eastern Time)
1:00 p.m.
Opening – Welcome
Dean Owen
Rick Aiello
Island Spice Dance Review
Joe Stewart
George Rothenberger
Alan Akaka (1:45 p.m.)
4:00 p.m.
Lion’s Ladies Ensemble
Jack Aldrich
Dave “DK” Kolars
Ariel Lobos
Ian Ufton
Bobby Ingano (4:50 p.m.)
Ukulele Workshop – Al Nip (5:30 p.m.)
Al Nip Ukulele workshop handout
7:00 p.m.
Al Nip & Maui Jam
Alexis Tolentino (7:20 p.m.)
Lion’s Ohana
Frank Della-Penna
Chris Kennison
Margie Mays
Ed Punua (8:30 p.m.)
About the Virtual Festival and its Performers …
Typically, the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association holds an annual convention where members share their steel guitar playing talents with each other and their guests. Over the years, members from across the globe have attended. In 2014, the convention moved its home to Ft. Collins, Colorado.
In addition, each convention features a professional hawaiian steel guitarist to entertain and inspire Association members to continue to develop their playing skills. Geronimo “Geri” Valdriz is this year’s Special Guest Performer for this first HSGA Virtual Festival. Geri is from the Island of Maui and has been playing the steel guitar at various venues on Maui for many years.
For this festival, HSGA has compiled video performances by both members and guests. This approach also provides us with the opportunity to include videos by Special Guest Performers from prior years, as well as some very special professional musician friends of the Association. Given the time available, we limited our coverage to the guest performers for the past six years of conventions at Ft. Collins, Colorado. (2014 to 2019).
They include Jeff Au Hoy from Oahu, Alan Akaka from Oahu, Duke Keleolani Ching from Southern California, Bobby Ingano from Oahu, Alexis Tolentino from Oahu, Ed Punua from Kauai, and Owana Kaʻōhelelani Salazar from the big island of Hawaii. All of these excellent players have performed professionally for many years, with Alexis being one of our star scholarship graduates.
Last but not least, two legendary steel guitarists have graced the festival with their presence. Bobby Black is a well known professional steel guitarist from California who has played with many famous artists going back to the 1950’s. Bobby has played all styles of music ranging from jazz, country, rock and Hawaiian during his career, and was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 2004.
Kiyoshi “Lion” Kobayashi is considered the master of the steel guitar in Japan. Lion is a consummate professional musician who has many recordings and television work to his credit. He is also a teacher of steel guitar, and has many students who have become very talented players. Lion has been active in the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association since its inception and was instrumental in establishing a chapter of HSGA in Japan.
All of this talent makes for a great show. We hope that you enjoy it and that you will support HSGA through donations and membership.