Artist: Keola Beamer
Biography:
Keola Beamer (b. Keolamaikalani Breckenridge Beamer) is a master of Hawaiian slack key guitar playing. The composer of "Honolulu City Limits," one of Hawaii's top selling songs of all time, Beamer was one of the first to blend traditional Hawaiian chants and instruments with contemporary influences. Representing the fifth generation of musicians in his family, Beamer traces his roots back to King Kamehemeha and Queen Ahiakumai, 15th century rulers of Hawaii. Beamer's great grandmother, Helen Dasher Beame (1882-1952), was one of Hawaii's most prolific songwriters and an influential hula dancer. Beamer, who began his career accompanying dancers at his mother's hula studio in Honolulu, recorded many songs composed by his ancestors. After studying classical guitar in high school and college, Beamer taught private students and wrote a method book, Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar, that was based on a 16th century tablature system for the lute.
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