Shem Kahawaiʻi

Shem Kahawaiʻi

Born and raised on Maui, has a true love and passion for the traditional sound of Hawaiian slack key guitar. As a talented teen he received a scholarship to Georgeʻs Annual Slack Key Guitar Workshop in 2014, deeply inspiring inspiring him. During the the next workshop in 2015, Uncle George Kahumoku recommended him for a scholarship to the “Crown Of The Continent” workshop held in Bigfork, Montana, where he attended a two-week intensive for musicians in a wide range of musical genres. He further advanced his music career by attending the Institute of Hawaiian Music at UH Maui College. In addition to being a regular at the Slack Key Show, Shem now performs multiple events both with groups and as a soloist on Maui, Molokaʻi, and Big Island. His vision for his future is to carry on the legacy of Hawaiian Slack Key music and to inspire the next generation to continue the old-style traditions.