Five Minutes with Jeff Peterson

During his most recent visit to Shanghai, Jeff Peterson was billed as the “Hawaiian Guitar Prince”. A world-class performer of ‘slack key’, a traditional type of Hawaiian folk music, a two-time Grammy nominee and contributor to the recent Oscar-nominated film The Descendants, Peterson lives up to the epithet.

This isn't your first time in Shanghai, what's brought you back?

It's my fourth time in Shanghai. There's something about the energy of this city that's very powerful to me. I have a personal connection here as well. My grandfather on my mother's side of the family was born and raised here. He lived in the American settlement in the 20s and 30s. His family came here and founded one of the first medical schools in China in the 19th century called St. John's University.

How have you tried to reconnect with your Shanghai roots?

I've done some research using [my grandfather's] old photographs and an old map, and I've been able to find out where the school was. The campus is still there and it's completely untouched from what it was in the late 1800s.

What makes the slack key style unique?

Its tunings, especially its use of open tunings [i.e, the strings are tuned to naturally produce a chord]. But a lot of things about slack key are a mystery. A lot of the tunings are closely guarded, personal family secrets. I remember as kid growing up on a ranch in Hawaii that some of the cowboys wouldn't tell me what tunings they were in; as soon as they were done playing they'd re-tune the guitar before putting it down.

Do you have to be Hawaiian to learn slack key?

No. Lots of folk music throughout the world uses open tunings, but the thing that makes [slack key] Hawaiian is the
aloha sound, a certain feel or phrasing.

Is the slack key style of guitar known in China?

I've talked to many people in China who don't know about slack key or even ukulele and hula dancing. But many know the steel guitar. During the swing era, Hawaiian music was travelling with jazz. At one time it was one of the most popular types of music in the world.

What's the relationship between Chinese and Hawaiian culture, especially slack key?

There's a long history of Chinese immigrants in Hawaii. They’re so much a part of the culture now that they are viewed as maka'aina or “people of the land”. Many labourers came to Hawaii from Fuzhou as well as Japan and the Philippines. Because of this, Chinese culture, food and music have become part of Hawaii.

What was it like working with Alexander Payne on The Descendants?

He was a great guy to work with. One of the things he asked me to do was record two songs for the film without having me prepare anything. He didn't even want me to know about the scenes beforehand. He just wanted me to have an emotion in mind and do it all from that. It was really exciting. I've never done anything like that before.