Ray Kane

Raymond Kāne (October 2, 1925 - February 27, 2008), was one of Hawaii's acknowledged Masters of the slack-key guitar. Born Raymond Kaleoalohapoinaoleohelemanu Kāne (his middle name is pronounced "kah-layo-ahloha-po-eenah-olay-o-haylay-mah-noo," and means "voice of love will never be forgotten where it comes from, and like a bird away it flies") in Koloa, Kaua'i, he grew up in Nanakuli on O'ahu's Wai'anae Coast where his stepfather worked as a fisherman. Ray's style was distinctive and deceptively simple. He played in a number of ki ho'alu tunings always plucking or brushing the strings with only the thumb and index finger of his right hand. He also played hammer-ons and pull-offs in a unique way; his finger moving up and out, instead of down and in, after striking a string. He emphasized that one must play and sing "from the heart." He was never flashy or fast. In Hawaiian, his sound is described as "nahenahe" (sweet sounding). In 1987, Ray was honored as a "National Living Treasure" by the National Endowment for the Arts with an NEA National Heritage Fellowship. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.