Ledward Ka’apana’s great skill and easygoing attitude have made him one of Hawai’i’s most beloved traditional musicians. Ledward Ka’apana is a master of slack key guitar is also accomplished on ‘ukulele, autoharp, bass and steel guitar. He is a fine baritone and falsetto singer as well. Perhaps most importantly, the man known affectionately as lima wela (“hot hand”) blends his virtuosity with an infectious joy for performing, a generous spirit and a rascally sense of humor.
Ledward was born in 1948 and grew up in a very musical family in the tiny village of Kalapana on the Big Island of Hawai’i. He was encouraged by his elders and inspired by his mother, singer Tina Ka’apana and his uncle, legendary slack key player Fred Punahoa. Ledward developed a seemingly inexhaustible ability to improvise. He also absorbed the influences of country, jazz, latin and even rock n’ roll that he would occasionally sneak into his music. In 1977, Led formed the legendary trio Hui ‘Ohana with his twin brother Ned and cousin Dennis Pavao and produced a CD retrospective of their work, Magic Islands which was recently released by Hawaiian Music Island. In addition, Led’s solo work, his series of duets with steel guitar master Bob Brozman and his collaborations with artists such as Jerry Douglas, Ricky Skaggs and Alison Krauss have established him as one of Hawai’i’s foremost musical ambassadors.
