Biography
George Kahumoku, Jr. stands among the leading figures who sustain and celebrate the enduring traditions of Hawaiian culture through his work as an artist, musician, composer, farmer, storyteller, and educator. Although his 12-string slack key guitar performances have earned him the greatest recognition, his commitment to sharing and upholding the Hawaiian lifestyle reaches well beyond performance. His academic path reflects that breadth: after finishing the Kamehameha Schools in 1969, he earned a BFA in sculpture from the College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California, in 1973, then completed the Hawaii State Ag-Leadership Program in 1993. In the years that followed, he concentrated on farming, music, and instruction, eventually renting out his organic hog, coffee, and herbal tea plantation to relocate with his family to Lahaina and join the Special Motivation Program faculty at Lahainaluna High School on Maui.
His musical journey proved equally extensive and diverse. Professional performances began in the mid-1960s when, at age 13, he joined Kui Lee; later he formed the Kahumoku Brothers with his sibling Moses and toured throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The Na Hoku Hanohano Award, Hawaii’s highest recording-industry accolade, came to him in 1979 for the slack key pieces he composed for Aunty Edith Kanaka’ole’s album Hi’ipoi I Ka ‘Aina Aloha (Cherish the Beloved Land). Observers have characterized his tone as deeply rooted and natural, its fluid equilibrium reflecting a close rapport with the natural world. His standing within the Hawaiian music community and his teaching focus led him to contribute to several documentaries on the islands’ heritage and sound. He supplied music for Steven Okazaki’s 1992 film Troubled Paradise, appeared in Eddie Kamae’s 1993 documentary The Hawaiian Way, and took part in Susan Friedman’s 1994 production Ki Ho’alu — That’s Slack Key Guitar. Kahumoku also prepared the score for Onipa’a, a documentary examining Hawaii’s sovereignty movement and the economic pressures placed on native Hawaiians after the overthrow of Queen Lili’oukalani; the Office of Hawaiian Affairs plans to release the project.
Work on that film prompted his debut solo album, the 1995 tribute to Queen Lili’oukalani titled E Lili’u. The same year saw the first joint release with his son, Keoki Kaliko Kahumoku, Ho’oilina — The Legacy, on which the pair performed slack key guitar and ukulele renditions of both longstanding family songs and original pieces. In 1999 Kahumoku issued the collection of Hawaiian Christian hymns entitled Hymns of Hawaii in partnership with Daniel Ho, followed a year later by Hawaii’s Classics.
His musical journey proved equally extensive and diverse. Professional performances began in the mid-1960s when, at age 13, he joined Kui Lee; later he formed the Kahumoku Brothers with his sibling Moses and toured throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The Na Hoku Hanohano Award, Hawaii’s highest recording-industry accolade, came to him in 1979 for the slack key pieces he composed for Aunty Edith Kanaka’ole’s album Hi’ipoi I Ka ‘Aina Aloha (Cherish the Beloved Land). Observers have characterized his tone as deeply rooted and natural, its fluid equilibrium reflecting a close rapport with the natural world. His standing within the Hawaiian music community and his teaching focus led him to contribute to several documentaries on the islands’ heritage and sound. He supplied music for Steven Okazaki’s 1992 film Troubled Paradise, appeared in Eddie Kamae’s 1993 documentary The Hawaiian Way, and took part in Susan Friedman’s 1994 production Ki Ho’alu — That’s Slack Key Guitar. Kahumoku also prepared the score for Onipa’a, a documentary examining Hawaii’s sovereignty movement and the economic pressures placed on native Hawaiians after the overthrow of Queen Lili’oukalani; the Office of Hawaiian Affairs plans to release the project.
Work on that film prompted his debut solo album, the 1995 tribute to Queen Lili’oukalani titled E Lili’u. The same year saw the first joint release with his son, Keoki Kaliko Kahumoku, Ho’oilina — The Legacy, on which the pair performed slack key guitar and ukulele renditions of both longstanding family songs and original pieces. In 1999 Kahumoku issued the collection of Hawaiian Christian hymns entitled Hymns of Hawaii in partnership with Daniel Ho, followed a year later by Hawaii’s Classics.
Albums
