History of Hawaiian Steel Guitar

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This is a labour of love, to be sure. Cord International is the organisation headed by Michael Cord, a Hawaiian music fanatic and enviable instrument collector; they've been responsible for spreading the word about an either overlooked or else woefully misunderstood music. This collection - a co-production between Cord and the Hawaiian label Hana Ola - is a comprehensive 23-track history of Hawaii's chief contribution to 20th century music history - the steel guitar. Working decade by decade, from the 20s through to the 50s, the collection charts the development of the instrument from its acoustic origins through to the electric lap steel guitar now so familiar to us all. Along the way we encounter such virtuosi as Sol Ho'opi and Mike Hanapi, players whose effortless dexterity was matched by melodic ingenuity. The set comes with a lovingly collated booklet that comprises an informative history and colour photographs of instruments and amplifiers from Cord's own collection. For newcomers to this fascinating, beguiling sound world, this will be a revelation. And for any serious student of guitar music generally, it's essential.