Patrick Landeza is a contemporary Hawaiian slack key guitarist. He is the first mainland-born Hawaiian to win a Nā Hōkū Hanohano music award. He was born in Berkeley, California on June 23, 1972.

Early life

Patrick Landeza's parents, Danny Landeza Jr. of O'ahu and Frances Kawaipulou Kuakini O'Sullivan of Moloka'i, met and married in California. Danny Landeza was a founder of the Kaimanu Outrigger Canoe Club in San Leandro and was active in community service. Patrick was recognized in 2006 when he became the youngest recipient to date of the Kapalakiko Aloha Spirit Award, created by longtime Bay Area Hawaiian cultural leader Saichi Kawahara. Patrick Landeza's ethnic background is Hawaiian, Filipino, Chinese, and Irish. At age 15, he was introduced to ''ki ho'alu'', or Hawaiian slack key guitar, by two of his uncles, Clarence and Francis Ahyee. Landeza's early musical education continued under the tutelage of Saichi Kawahara. He began to learn slack key guitar from Hawaiian musicians upon meeting guitarist

Raymond Kāne Raymond Kaleoalohapoinaʻoleohelemanu Kāne (, ; October 2, 1925 – February 27, 2008), was one of Hawaii's acknowledged masters of the slack-key guitar. Born in Koloa, Kauaʻi, he grew up in Nanakuli on Oʻahu's Waiʻanae Coast where his st ...

at the Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse in Berkeley.

Professional career

By age 19, Landeza started opening Bay Area concerts for Hawaiian artists like Israel Kamakawiwo'ole,

Cecilio & Kapono Cecilio & Kapono were a Hawaiian pop music duo formed in 1973 by Henry Kapono Ka’aihue (known professionally as Henry Kapono, born September 21, 1948) and Cecilio David Rodriguez (born January 1945). The duo released three albums on Columbia Re ...

, Keali'i Reichel an
HAPA
During this time, he met composer, musician, and Hawaiian music aficionado

George Winston George Otis Winston III (February 11, 1949 – June 4, 2023) was an American pianist performing contemporary instrumental music. Best known for his solo piano recordings, Winston released his first album in 1972, and came to prominence with his ...

. Winston was the founder of

Dancing Cat Records Dancing Cat Records is a record label founded in 1983 by pianist George Winston to publish both his music and music in the Hawaiian slack-key guitar style. Its mission later expanded to cover other Hawaiian musicians. Dancing Cat's albums were or ...

. The label played a crucial role in publicizing slack key guitar to music lovers around the world. Winston was one of Patrick Landeza's early champions, and he encouraged the young guitarist to come to the studio when the slack key masters were recording there. Landeza thus began meeting and learning from established slack key guitarists

Sonny Chillingworth Edwin Bradfield Liloa Chillingworth, Jr., known as Sonny Chillingworth, (July 14, 1932 – August 24, 1994) was an American guitarist and singer. Widely influential in Hawaiian music, he played slack-key guitar and is widely regarded as one of the ...

(who was close friends with Landeza's grandparents on Molokai),

Cyril Pahinui Cyril Pahinui (April 21, 1950 – November 17, 2018) was an American slack-key guitarist and singer of Music of Hawaii, Hawaiian music. Biography He was born in Waimānalo, Hawaii, Waimānalo at the foot of the Ko'olau mountains on the Hawai' ...

, Martin Pahinui, George Kuo, Pekelo Cosma, and

Dennis Kamakahi Dennis David Kahekilimamaoikalanikeha Kamakahi (March 31, 1953 – April 28, 2014) was a Hawaiian slack key guitarist, recording artist, music composer, and Christian minister. He was a three-time Grammy Award winner, and in 2009 he was inducted ...

. In 2004, Landeza established the Institute of Hawaiian Music and Culture — a traveling workshop where students would learn Hawaiian language, culture, slack key and ukulele. The musical instructors included Cyril Pahinui, Dennis Kamakahi, David Kamakahi, Keoki Kahumoku, and Herb Ohta Jr. Landeza has also been active as a slack key teacher, and he released an instructional DVD, "Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Made Easy" (Lamb Productions), in 2004. He continues to hold instructional workshops at events around the country, such as the Swannanoa Gathering in North Carolina, the Healdsburg Guitar Festival, and the FAR-West Folk Alliance conference. His lessons were published in

Acoustic Guitar Magazine ''Acoustic Guitar'' is a monthly magazine published in the United States since July/August 1990 by String Letter Publishing. The magazine offers information, inspiration, and instruction related to acoustic guitars for players of all levels from ...

. In 2012, Landeza's sixth CD, "Slack Key Huaka'i," won the Nā Hōkū Hanohano award for "Slack Key Guitar Album of the Year." The awards, founded in 1978, are Hawaiian music's equivalent of the Grammy Awards. Landeza is the first mainland-based artist to receive the award.

Books

In 2013, Landeza authored a children's book entitled "Danny's Hawaiian Journey," about a mainland-born Hawaiian boy coming to grips with his cultural identity. His autobiography, "From the Island of Berkeley," was published in 2017.

Business ventures

Landeza’s Island Poke & Catering

Discography

* "Pu`unaue" - 1998 * "Christmas To Me" - 2001 * "Ma Ka Home" - 2006 * "Ku`u Honua Mele" - 2010 * "Kama`alua" - 2011 * "Slack Key Huaka`i" - 2012 * "I Call Your Name" - 2013 * "Nahe`olu" - 2015 * "Ho`omana`o" - 2016 * "Slack Key Huaka`i Elua" - 2018 * "Far Away" - 2020

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Landeza, Patrick 1972 births Musicians from Berkeley, California Guitarists from Hawaii Living people Guitarists from California 21st-century American guitarists