2025 Festival Part 1

The 2025 Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival at Ka Makana Ali‘i featured steel guitarists Alan Akaka, Steve Cheney, Bobby Ingano, Greg Sardinha and Po‘okela (Zach Castro and Darrell Aquino) and Kalei Yamanoha. Also featured were Community Group Na Kūpuna O Ko‘olau and Ke Kula Mele Hawai‘i NextGen steel guitarists Isaac Woodward, Hi‘ipoi Lindsay, Enosa Lyman, Ever Ta‘ala, Tai Misailidis, Makamae Lyu-Napoleon, and Isabella Bertelmann.

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• Emcee Jake Fernandez.
• Poʻokela bass player Darrell Aquino.
• Steel guitarist Greg Sardinha with Poʻokela (Zach Castro and Darrell Aquino).
• Greg Sardinha with Zach Castro.
• Darrell Aquino.
• Poʻokela guitarist Zach Castro.
• Zach Castro, Greg Sardinha, Darrell Aquino, and Kaipo Asing.
• Kaipo Asing.
• Na Kupuna o Koʻolau members Cindy Wiese, musical director Naomi Ahana, and Tish Holt.
• Na Kupuna o Koʻolau. Dancers: Michelle Baquiro, Momi Irvine, Debbie Chun, Louise Alina, and Lori Adolewski. Musicians: Tom Okimoto, Claude Kutaka, Myra O'Brien, Cindy Wiese, Naomi Ahana, and TIsh Holt.
• Tom Okimoto, Claude Kutaka, Myra O'Brien, Cindy Wiese, Naomi Ahana, Tish Holt, and Alan Holt.
• Na Kupuna o Koʻolau.
• Tom Okimoto.
• Claude Kutaka.
• Dan Tremblay shows festival guests a student guitar he converted to an acoustic steel guitar.
• Dan explains more about the steel guitar to festival guests.
• Dancers Michelle Baquiro, Louise Alina, Lori Adolewski, and Momi Irvine.
• Na kupuna o Koʻolau.
• Alan Holt.
• Tish Holt.
• Musical director Naomi Ahana with Cindy Wiese.
• Claude Kutaka and Myra O'Brien.
• Na Kupuna o Koʻolau. Front: Tish Holt, Michelle Baquiro, Louise Alina, Debbie Chun, Momi Irvine, and Myra O’Brien. Rear: Claude Kutaka, Lori Adolewski, Cindy Wiese, Tom Okimoto, Naomi Ahana, and Alan Holt.
• Steel guitarist Kalei Yamanoha with Helene Woodward, David Woodward, Alan Akaka, Ethan Speyer, Kaipo Lindsey, and Kaipo Asing.
• Kaipo Asing.
• Kalei Yamanoha with Alan Akaka.
• Kalei Yamanoha.
• Alan Akaka.
• Dan Tremblay shows how a steel guitar works to another festival guest .
• Helene Woodward, David Woodward, Alan Akaka, Kalei Yamanoha, Ethan Speyer, Kaipo Lindsey, and Kaipo Asing.
• Kalei Yamanoha and Alan Akaka.
• Emcee Jake Fernandez,
• Steel guitarist Steve Cheney.
• Steve Cheney.
• Steve Cheney with Helene Woodward and David Woodward.

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Photography by Don Rostow ©2025 by Don Rostow and HIMELE.