Makana

Makana (Matthew Swalinkavich) occupies a unique position as both a traditionalist and a radical innovator within the Hawaiian Ki Ho’alu (slack-key) guitar lineage. Trained by legends like Sonny Chillingworth and Ray Kane, he achieved mastery at an exceptionally young age, becoming a bridge between the 'renaissance' generation of the 1970s and contemporary global folk.

His sound identity is defined by the use of open tunings where strings are 'slacked' to create a lingering, sympathetic resonance, which he augments with percussive techniques and global influences ranging from raga to blues. Critically, he is often compared to acoustic pioneers like John Fahey for his ability to treat the guitar as a complete orchestra. His career arc includes significant cultural activism, notably his performance of 'We Are the Many' at the APEC summit, which solidified his role as a socially conscious voice within the folk medium. He remains a primary ambassador for Hawaiian music, successfully translating a regional art form into a universal language of virtuosic acoustic expression.