April 2020 - January 2021
The Kealakai Center for Pacific Strings joins the Bishop Museum in a groundbreaking exhibition tracing the origins of the world’s most iconic stringed instruments to their source in the vibrant, cosmopolitan musical community of the 19th century Hawaiian kingdom. Gathered together for the first time on the original campus of Kamehameha Schools where the story of the Hawaiian Steel Guitar began, this exhibition unites centuries of Hawaiian string music heritage, from the indigenous Hawaiian ‘Ukēkē to the ‘Ukulele, from the Dreadnought Martin to the Fender Stratocaster, join us for an epic journey through time to the Source of Strings.
This exhibition celebrates 2020 as the 100 year anniversary of Mekia Kealakai’s return to Honolulu and his appointment as Bandmaster of the Royal Hawaiian Band. Join us in welcoming home the first ever official, one of a kind re-creation of the “Kealakai Exra Large Jumbo” model Martin guitar, the ancestor to the most famous acoustic guitar ever made, the Martin Dreadnought. Guest curated by Kealakai Center for Pacific Strings founder Kilin Reece and resident Bishop Museum historian, DeSoto Brown.
Join KCPS mailing list for updates on concert programming, lectures and special events over the course of 2020, the Year of the Royal Hawaiian Troubadour.
