Exhibitions

Performances

Education

Ken Emerson

Ken Emerson is a master slack key & steel guitarist. He has been performing & recording on vintage Hawaiian instruments for over 40 years, always exploring the cutting edge and captivating audiences. Emerson's unique playing style has helped lead the way in resurrecting the traditions of vintage Hawaiian music. His style reflects the Hawaiian guitar's grassroots origins of over a century ago. Emerson taps into classic jazz & blues influences as well as Latin styles, completing a cultural circle from the first vaquero guitarists through jazz steel guitar virtuoso Sol Ho'opi'i and so much more. He's a dynamo - one of the most powerful pickers on the music scene today. When he is not touring with legendary blues artist Charlie Musselwhite, or recording and performing with rock legend Todd Rundgren or rock-jazz icon Donald Fagen of Steely Dan, Emerson divides his time between Kauai & Monterey. 

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Greg Sardinha

Greg Sardinha is a premier Hawaiian steel guitar great known for his unique ability to mix 20th century 'old-school' Hawaiian music with a contemporary twist weaving an amazing tapestry of steel guitar stylings. Able to adapt to just about any genre of music you can imagine, Greg always produces mood provoking steel guitar precision. He is the producer of the critically acclaimed "Hawaiian Steel" instrumental CD series and his work has been recognized by the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts with numerous awards including Instrumental Album of the Year. He's coming to us from his home in Hawaii.

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Kit Ebersbach

Kit Ebersbach is an accomplished musician, arranger, conductor, composer, and recording engineer. He has been a fixture on the Hawaii music scene for well over 40 years. Kit's mastery of the piano/keyboard and his extensive encyclopedia like memory for even the most obscure tunes makes him one of the most in-demand players in Hawaii. He owns and operates Pacific Music Productions recording studio in downtown Honolulu with his partner in music and in life, Gerry. Ebersbach is founder of the group Don Tiki, Polynesian exotica at its finest. "...a wacky antidote and escape from quotidian and politically correct cares." as he describes it.  

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Kumu Hula: Sylvia Puanani Edgar

Sylvia Puanani Edgar has been Kumu Hula since the tender age of 15. Edgar participated in the world famous Merri Monarch Hula Competition in 1977, making history as part of the very first halau originating outside of the Hawaiian Islands allowed to compete. She has been making history ever since. Sylvia Puanani has recorded multiple CDs including two praised solo chant albums. She has served as choreographer for music videos and live shows too numerous to mention, and was a featured vocalist for the film and soundtrack SOUL SURFER. Edgar is dedicated to the preservation of Hawaiian culture through hula, oli (chants), music, and lei making.  

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Sherry Shaoling

Sherry Shaoling is 4th generation Chinese-American born in Japan and raised in Honolulu. Obviously gorgeous there is so much more to Sherry than that. She earned a Biology degree under full scholarship playing the violin, has taught high school Algebra, done genetics research, worked as a bilingual flight attendant out of Hong Kong, is a real estate agent and as a martial arts expert she opened a Shaolin Kungfu school in Chinatown, Los Angeles. She teaches singing, piano and violin and is fluent in Mandarin. Shaoling's passion is entertaining. She is an accomplished actress, singer, dancer, and dialect specialist that has appeared in dozens of feature films, too numerous to mention theater venues, and tons television. In her spare time, she travels the world performing with the fabulous band of merry mischief-makers called Don Tiki.  

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Kumu Hula: Nani Edgar

Nani Edgar is an exquisite hula dancer and an emerging singer-songwriter to watch. She began her dancing career at age 4 and was awarded Kumu Hula status by age 14. She teaches ukulele and guitar, and in 2014 officially re-opened Hula Halau O Puananiha'aheo, a non-profit hula school teaching traditional ancient and modern hula in Ventura CA. Nani was a vocalist for the feature film SOUL SURFER. She has appeared on numerous CDs including her solo debut album East of Maui, and has traveled the world as a featured solo hula dancer and vocalist with among others, renowned musicians Daniel Ho, George Kahumoku,Jr., Ledward Ka'apana, and Bob Brozman. Edgar is a versatile performer who's sweet voice and repertoire reaches far beyond just Hawaiian music.  

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Hai-Jung Choi

Hai-Jung is an amazing multi-talented artist. She is one of the funkiest and hippest bassists you will ever have the good fortune to experience. Choi can best be described as a true power house of quirky energy exploding onto the stage. Best of all, she will enchant you with unique vocals that you will never forget.  

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Jim McCarthy

Jim McCarthy has been part of the local Ojai music scene for decades. By day, he is an acclaimed wood artist and fine furniture maker who loves to make things including handcrafted acoustic guitars . By night, he turns into drummer and vocalist extraordinaire. Jim began drumming on a leather chair and metal lampshade in the 5th grade. Oddly enough, he says, that was more or less the height of his music career in spite of playing jazz throughout his college years and now playing with acclaimed country western band Lucky Sons. That is, until now. Since he agreed to join our tribute, Jim has embarked on a brand new adventure into the crazy world of exotica music. McCarthy said, "The closest I've ever gotten to Hawaii is paddling on a surfboard one day about a mile off a Santa Barbara beach. Now all that's going to have to change and I'll be headed to Polynesia soon with all of my new band mates."  

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Exotica from Polynesia

The world's most sought after tiki-lounge band is called Don Tiki. We are delighted that 3 original members of the group will be bringing us a fabulous, swinging, tropical adventure, pleasurable and intoxicating, keeping the spirit of exotica alive. They draw inspiration from the original Mid-Century masters of the exotica sound, Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman & Les Baxter and bring their evocative music into the 21st Century. 

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Harry B. Soria, Jr.

Harry B. Soria, Jr. is the third generation of "The First Family of Hawaiian Radio" following in his father and grandfather's footsteps, broadcasting on Hawaiian radio. For 36 years he has hosted the weekly radio program "Territorial Airwaves" focusing on vintage Hawaiian music. He has produced 30 compact discs for the Hana Ola label, winning eight Na Hoku Hanohono Awards (Hawaii's Grammy) and is responsible for the critically acclaimed extensive historical liner notes featured on all of the discs he has produced. Soria is a walking, talking, breathing, encyclopedia of Hawaiian music. He hosts television documentaries, does in-flight audio shows for Hawaiian Airlines, and regularly emcees Hawaiian music concerts and hula festivals in Hawaii, Japan, and the mainland US.  

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Aloha JOE

Aloha JOE will be on-hand to celebrate the remarkable life of his long-time friend and business associate, Michael Cord. The event will be recorded for re--play on The Aloha Radio Network.  

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Frank Paz

Frank Paz is a healer and active elder in the Native American Sundance community, and Spiritual Advisor for the California Youth Authority. Frank sings healing prayers of many Nations helping bring us closer to the Spirit World. 

Perry Coma

Ukulele Club of Ventura

Surprise Guest Performers