Kiho’alu: Stories in Song, Vol 1

When I interviewed the late George Winston — the owner of label Dancing Cat — he said he wanted to focus his last days on sorting through and releasing the mountain of Hawaiian slack key recordings he had made over the years. He was 71 years old, but spoke with energy and enthusiasm, telling stories of his sessions with guitar legends Sonny Chillingworth and Leonard Kwan with photographic memory. He didn’t get any of those records out before his untimely passing in 2023, but his mission of preserving the indigenous style of folk music continues. Dancing Cat’s first release following Winston’s death is by the venerable George Kuo, who still plays slack key music and passes on his knowledge despite nearing 70 years old. Having learned directly from Raymond Kane, Alice Nāmakelua, and Gabby Pahinui, he is a living relic that carries the spirit of the genre’s pioneers. It’s a fitting choice to signal that there’s still more work to be done filling out the historical record.