SPREADING ALOHA FOR LIFE Getting to know Patrick Landeza, a Hawaiian slack-key guitarist from Berkeley By Matt Larson Music is about much more than meets the ear. For Patrick Landeza, professional Hawaiian slack-key guitarist, music is simply how he introduces himself to an audience. “It’s not just about the music, it’s about the person,” he says. “When I play, you’re actually seeing my heritage, my culture, and who I am as a person.” Growing up as a Hawaiian in Berkeley, CA, Landeza never thought he’d have a chance to learn the traditional slack-key stylings of his parents’ Hawaiian homeland— as this was before the YouTube-tutorial era we know and love today … and slack-key guitar teachers weren’t necessarily in abundance here in the Bay Area. But Landeza was passionate to learn, and that passion led him on an adventurous chain of events that resulted in being taught slack-key guitar by the very greats that inspired him to learn it in the first place. Now, as one of the greats himself, Landeza is the one inspiring young musicians and educating the public on the gospel of aloha via slack-key guitar. “Aloha doesn’t just mean ‘hi’ and ‘goodbye’, it means unconditional love,” Landeza explains. “The music that I play has been passed down to me. I’m just spreading that knowledge—an ambassador of aloha.” Music isn’t the only way Landeza spreads knowledge. In fact, he’s been school teacher for 18 years, and currently teaches social science at Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward. When asked if he incorporates his music into his teaching he responds, “Sometimes. Especially if I need to calm them down.” But Landeza is able to live the double life of being both a teacher and a musician without interference. “When I’m a teacher I’m 100% a teacher, when I’m a musician I’m 100% a musician,” he says. Sometimes the roles indeed blend (as he’s also a ukulele teacher) and he’s seen firsthand how important the arts are to assist with learning. “If a child is having a hard time in a classroom give them a ukulele,” said Landeza. “That’s how you use it: to open them up.” By living the aforementioned “double life”, by the way, it’s more accurately a “quadruple life” a few times over, or whatever the equivalent of having a dozen occupations would be. He’s a musician and he’s a school teacher. He’s also a jeweler, a radio host, a caterer, an author, a fashion designer, and much, much more. He’s also married, and a father of five, with kids ages 13, 11, 7, 3 and 6 months … The next time you feel like there’s just not enough time in your day, remind yourself that you have the exact same amount of hours to work with as Patrick Landeza. “I’m always pushing the envelope, always looking for new things,” he said. Currently he’s collaborating with some other musical styles, including bluegrass, and has an album coming out soon that’s to be called Slackgrass. “I’m always growing, always developing, collaborating, creating…” Always is right. He’s already about halfway done with a documentary on his life that’s set to be released by summer 2017, as well as a book, From the Island of Berkeley, which is due to come out this holiday season. “We all have our own story,” Landeza says. “People think that I came up out of nowhere and it’s just not true. It was never easy. How do you learn slack-key when you’re from Berkeley, bro? It was impossible. But I did it.” Landeza has encountered tremendous success playing slack-key guitar. At age 34 he became the youngest recipient of the Kapalakiko Aloha Spirit Award. In 2013 he became the very first mainland-based musician to win a Na Hoku Hanohano award, and also in 2013 he performed at Carnegie Hall. If you’re unfamiliar with the beauty of slack-key guitar, want to learn more and even see Landeza live, check out his website at www.patricklandeza.com. To hear his radio show visit www.alohaeverywhere.com. To get to know him, just listen to his music and enjoy. JANUARY 2017 MARKETPLACECONTRACOSTA.COM 55
Contra Costa Marketplace - Jan 2017
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