ADV-16: Makika

This is Keola’s good fun piece written by Keola, where his guitar imitates the sound of a mosquito. Its whimsical, fun and interesting!… Read More

Suggested Reading

Keola recommends a great read by John Schroeter, entitled, “Between the Strings: The Secret Lives of Guitars” (Paperback – April, 2004). This is a collection of 100 stories about life with the guitar.… Read More

INT-23: Ku’u Lei Awapuhi Melemele

Isn’t it true that a scent can lead us to a sweet recollection? In Hawai’i, the air is soft and the scent of our fragrant flowers are carried in the trade winds. Sometimes out of nowhere, we recall a place or a thing. More than often, it is a person. A treasured memory emerges.

This is a wonderful song with a sweet melody. I’m quite happy with my solo guitar arrangement of this beauty. I think you will be too.… Read More

Hula Muʻumuʻu Performance Video

Hawaiian oral history informs us that this ancient story actually took place along the coast of Kahakuloa on the Island of Maui. PBS Hawaii flew an entire film crew to Kahakuloa to film at the exact place where the “Hula Mu’umu’u” was born.… Read More

Keola Beamer – Story Corps Interview

How did you discover your interest in Slack Key Guitar? Was it hearing the music on a CD that you got for Christmas? Or maybe you heard Slack Key music on a radio program? Or maybe you heard Keola’s music in the George Clooney film, “The Descendants”? In this charming 2 minute Hawai’i Public Radio – “Story Corps”, Keola shares… Read More

Our Time For Letting Go Performance Video

I wrote this song to commemorate the passing of my mother, Nona Beamer. Presented by PBS Hawaii from “Keola Beamer – Malama Ko Aloha”, I am joined by John Kolivas (Bass), Dan Del Negro (Piano) and Adriano Lariosa (Drums).… Read More

Pupu Hinuhinu Performance Video

In this performance, we share a song written by my dear mom – Nona Beamer for the keiki (children) of Hawai’i. Appearing with me is my good friend and wonderful pianist, Geoffrey Keezer.… Read More

ʻEleʻele Ka Wai Performance Video

Music can teach us to cooperate, to work together to present something beautiful. To underscore that concept, here is my rendition of Ele’ele Ka Wai (Black Is The Color) for PBS Hawaii.… Read More

ʻOhana Resources

Keola is a descendant of an illustrious and vital ‘ohana (family). Here you can experience and enjoy some of the resources from the Beamer lineage.… Read More

Artistic Statement

“Thanks to my mother, aloha became much more than a word to me. It became a way of being in the world.”… Read More

Keola Beamer & Raiatea CD

World-renowned slack key guitarist – Keola Beamer collaborates with Hawaii’s most luminescent female vocalist in this beautifully produced recording… Read More

Soliloquy – Ka Leo O Loko CD

For his fifth Dancing Cat release, Keola offers nine original compositions and six Hawaiian classics. All are played in his unique style, which combines his own innovations with traditional slack key. Eight of the songs are played as solo instrumentals to express ka leo o loko (the voice within) and the feeling of solitude.… Read More

More on Moe ʻUhane Kīkā & Keola’s Tunings

Keola Beamer’s Tunings for this Album C Wahine (C-G-D-G-B-E), also known as ‘Keola’s C’ for the songs Lei ‘Awapuhi, HePunahele No ‘Oe, Ku’uipo Ku’u Lei, Sweet Singing Bamboo, Medley: Ke Ali’i HuluMamo & Kimo Hula, Holo Wa’apa, Bali Ha’i & Stranger in Paradise, and Sanoe( electric ‘water’ guitar). C Mauna Loa (C-G-E-G-A-E) for ‘Alekoki. C Old Mauna Loa/Ni’ihau (C-G-C-G-A-D) for… Read More

Wooden Boat CD

Beautifully co-produced by Keola and American Pianist, George Winston, Keola goes back to his roots, mining the fertile fields of Hawaiian texture and sound.… Read More

Island Born Liner Notes

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… Read More

Kī Hōʻalu – Keola Beamer Video (Part 1)

Kī Hōʻalu (Loosen the Key) is a DVD featuring the exceptional performances of Keola Beamer. Its multiple awards include “Best Documentary” (New York International Film Festival), “Best Cinematography” (Los Angeles Independent Film Festival), and the “Gold Remi” Award (Houston International Film Festival). The film was produced and directed by Kenneth M. Burgmaier. Critics have called this feature length movie, “An… Read More

Kī Hōʻalu – Keola Beamer Video (Part 2)

Kī Hōʻalu (Loosen the Key) is a DVD featuring the exceptional performances of Keola Beamer. Its multiple awards include “Best Documentary” (New York International Film Festival), “Best Cinematography” (Los Angeles Independent Film Festival), and the “Gold Remi” Award (Houston International Film Festival). The film was produced and directed by Kenneth M. Burgmaier. Critics have called this feature length movie, “An… Read More

Kī Hōʻalu – Keola Beamer Video (Part 3)

Kī Hōʻalu (Loosen the Key) is a DVD featuring the exceptional performances of Keola Beamer. Its multiple awards include “Best Documentary” (New York International Film Festival), “Best Cinematography” (Los Angeles Independent Film Festival), and the “Gold Remi” Award (Houston International Film Festival). The film was produced and directed by Kenneth M. Burgmaier. Critics have called this feature length movie, “An… Read More

Kī Hōʻalu – Keola Beamer Video (Part 4)

Kī Hōʻalu (Loosen the Key) is a DVD featuring the exceptional performances of Keola Beamer. Its multiple awards include “Best Documentary” (New York International Film Festival), “Best Cinematography” (Los Angeles Independent Film Festival), and the “Gold Remi” Award (Houston International Film Festival). The film was produced and directed by Kenneth M. Burgmaier. Critics have called this feature length movie, “An… Read More