What happened to keola beamer
- •
Son of the legendary Nona Beamer, descended from an illustrious line of Hawaiian musicians and dancers, Keolamaikalani Breckenridge Desha Beamer was born February 18, 1951 on the island of Oʻahu. He spent his childhood alternating between the urban energy of Honolulu, Hawaiʻi’s largest, most dynamic city, and the slower, more culturally rooted serenity of the Beamer family’s ancestral home at Waimea on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. Similarly, Keola’s beautiful music has always expressed an inspired blending of the urban and the rural, the modern and the ancient. He crafts his art from equal parts tradition and innovation.
“In our family we’re taught to respect our kūpuna (elders and ancestors) and their legacy, but that it’s also important to look to the future,” says Keola. “I never look at this as burdensome. It’s a natural state of affairs. Having these two perspectives increases my appreciation of life. They’re constant sources of inspiration.”
Keola’s appreciation for Hawai’i’s beauty inspired this recording. “There’s a radiant feeling,” he says, “at least
- •
“He’s an exceptional musician. He’ll bring the spirit of the island to the concert.”—Paul Simon
“There’s no better slack key player than Beamer.”—Willie Nelson
Raised on the Hawai‘i Island, Keolamaikalani Breckenridge Beamer wasborn into one of Hawai'i's most illustrious and beloved musical and culturally grounded families. He established himself early as the family's youngest standard-bearer. A child of the rock & roll era, he was at the vanguard of Hawaiian contemporary sound. Yet he also helped drive what became the Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance, recording many songs written by his ancestors, including his legendary great-grandmother, Helen Desha Beamer, and his mother, Nona Beamer. Keola studied classical guitar and went on to publish a slack key method book using a 16th-century lute tablature system as his starting point.
He was one of Hawai'i's first recording artists to integrate Hawaiian chants and instruments, like the tiny gourd whistle and nose flute, into contemporary
- •
Keola Beamer
Hawaiian slack-key guitar player and composer (b. 1951)
Keola Beamer (born Keolamaikalani Breckenridge Beamer February 18, 1951)[1] is a Hawaiianslack-key guitar player, best known as the composer of "Honolulu City Lights" and an innovative musician who fused Hawaiian roots and contemporary music. Keola Beamer descends from one of Hawaii's most respected musical families.[2]
Family
Keola was born in Hawaii on February 18, 1951.[1] His mother, Winona Beamer ("Auntie Nona") was one of the most important figures in the revival of Hawaiian culture. She was a composer, dancer and educator.[3] His ancestors were musicians for the previous five generations.[4] He can trace his roots to the House of Kamehameha and Ahiakumai, 15th century rulers of Hawaii.[5][3] His great-grandmother was Helen Desha Beamer, an influential songwriter and hula dancer.[6] His father is Odell Steppe.[4] Beamer is also a cancer survivor.[7]
Career
Beamer's[8]
Copyright ©cowroof.pages.dev 2025