Patrick Landeza

Patrick Landeza is a contemporary Hawaiian slack key guitarist. As he often jokes, he was "born on the island of Berkeley, California" on June 23, 1972.

Hawaiian slack key guitarist Patrick Landeza

Early life

Patrick Landeza's parents, Danny Landeza, Jr. of O'ahu, and Frances Kawaipulou Kuakini O'Sullivan of Moloka'i,^[1] met and married in California. Patrick and his four siblings, together with their parents, lived in a small, two-bedroom apartment in Berkeley. Patrick's father, who was a founder of the Kaimanu Outrigger Canoe Club in San Leandro, was outgoing and community-minded. He taught his children about the importance of contributing to community and helping those in need. As an adult, Patrick Landeza retains the value of service to community, as does his elder brother Jayson, who became a Catholic priest. Patrick's spirit of service 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. His parents raised him with what is known in Hawai`i as "local culture." Part of the Hawaiian cultural element was the music of Hawai`i, which was greatly loved by both of Landeza's parents. At age 15 he was introduced to ki ho'alu, or Hawaiian slack key guitar, by two uncles, Clarence and Francis Ahyee. They taught Patrick to play slack key at family gatherings in Castro Valley, California.^[2] As Landeza recounts, "My uncles would only play music when they were drunk, so I tried to force beers on them." Patrick learned what he could from his uncles, and continued his early musical education with Saichi Kawahara. He was frustrated, though, at Northern California's lack of opportunities to further his education in slack key guitar. Just when he was thinking of giving up, his mother told him that the renowned slack key guitarist Raymond Kāne would be appearing at a concert venue called the Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse, just two blocks away from the Landeza's apartment. This was a turning point in Landeza's musical career. Not only did he meet Kāne in person, but he began studying guitar as one of his protégés, frequently making trips between California and Hawai`i to do so. Patrick recalls that "Uncle Raymond used to call me 'Berkeley.' He'd call me on the phone - 'Hey, Berkeley, go get me some bananas, but no let Aunty find out!' He wasn't supposed to eat bananas because he was diabetic, but he really loved bananas!"

Professional career

By age 19, Patrick started opening Bay Area concerts for Hawaiian artists like Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Cecilio & Kapono, Keali'i Reichel and HAPA. During this time, he met composer, musician, and Hawaiian music aficionado George Winston. Winston was the founder of Dancing Cat Records. 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 encouraged the young guitarist to come to the studio when the slack key masters were recording there. Landeza thus began an exchange program, of sorts, with the ki ho'alu greats, such as Sonny Chillingworth (who was close friends with Landeza's grandparents on Molokai), Cyril Pahinui, Martin Pahinui, George Kuo, Pekelo Cosma, and Dennis Kamakahi. Landeza got coffee for them and carried their bags; he even carried the golf-loving Cyril Pahinui's golf clubs. In exchange, the masters not only taught the young guitarist slack key, but accepted the young, mainland-born Hawaiian into their circle. They developed relationships based on mutual respect and trust. "Uncle Cyril is like a second father to me," says Landeza, "and Uncle Dennis Kamakahi and I found out that we actually are blood relatives." When Patrick established "LandezaPresents," his concert production and promotion business, he brought the slack key masters, as well as other genres of Hawaiian music and up-and-coming artists, to enthusiastic California audiences.

Landeza never forgot his frustration as a young man trying to learn slack key guitar in California. As he began to tour across the country, he leaned there were many would-be slack key guitar students who had plenty of enthusiasm, but lacked a teacher. To this end, in 2004 Patrick established the Institute of Hawaiian Music and Culture. "It was a traveling workshop or mini camp where you would learn Hawaiian language, culture, slack key and `ukulele," Patrick says. "The instructors included Cyril Pahinui, Dennis and David Kamakahi, Keoki Kahumoku, Herb Ohta, Jr. and me for the music, and a Hawaiian language teacher. We would run different configurations. We covered the Bay Area, Seattle and Los Angeles." He also released an instructional DVD, "Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Made Easy" (Lamb Productions) in 2004.^[2] 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. In * his lessons were published in Acoustic Guitar Magazine.

In 2012, Landeza's sixth CD, "Slack Key Huaka'i," won the prestigious 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.^[3]

Other Interests and Enterprises

Patrick inherited his father's passion for cooking. "Cooking relaxes me," he says. He has a catering business, "Landeza's Island Catering," which specializes in Hawaiian-style foods, and a line of homemade jams called "Patrick Landeza's Kanikapila Jams." The name is a pun on the Hawaiian word kanikapila which is a musical "jam" session. Landeza also finds relaxation in making beaded jewelry. He is co-director of a 401(c)3 non-profit foundation, Ho'olupa Hawaiian Culture Foundation. In 2013 he authored a children's book entitled "Danny's Hawaiian Journey," about a mainland-born Hawaiian boy coming to grips with his cultural identity.

Teaching career

During the weekdays, Landeza can be found teaching at Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward, Ca. Previously, he taught Middle School in the Oakland Diocese.

Family Life

Patrick and his wife, Jennifer, have been married since *. They have four children - Tyler, Patrick, Jr., Danny, and Megan. Landeza continues to reside in California's East Bay area, near his mother and three of his siblings.

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

References