Tommy Castro – Forgotten Steel Guitar Wizard There is no question that the signature sound of Hawaiian music for the last more than a century since its invention has been the steel guitar. Anyone can recognize the steel guitar when heard. But while the steel guitar defines Hawaiian music for many generations, very few outside of Hawai`i can name a steel guitarist. This is why I hesitate to refer to any particular steel guitarist as “legendary.” If…

Hal Aloma was born Harold David Alama on January 8, 1908. He attended Kalihi-Waena School and McKinley High School in Honolulu before dashing off to the mainland and New York City where he became extremely popular for his modernized hybrid of Hawaiian music. A composer, singer, and eventually band leader, Hal Aloma was first and foremost a steel guitar player with a style like no other. Upon his arrival in New York City, he started…

Every year about this time I reexamine Billy Hew Len’s life and music – not only in honor of his January 18th birthday, but because he was one of the most recorded and most sought after sidemen in the history of Hawaiian music. His story is also an inspirational one – a tale of triumph over adversity. As a student of the steel guitar myself, I listen to Billy Hew Len for endless hours, and…