Harry Koizumi

Harry Koizumi explains how La Paloma came to Hawaii: King Kamehameha III hired Mexican vaqueros (cowboys) to teach Hawaiians how to handle the growing herds of steers. In the evenings around the campfire, they played La Paloma on their guitars. When they returned to their homeland a few years later, some gave their guitars to the Hawaiians, who invented their own style of guitar music…
Harry is born and raised in Honolulu, Oahu (Hawaii). After visiting High School he went to California for a couple of years, but for him it was too busy on the mainland, and he decided to go back to Hawaii where everything is much more relaxed. Now he lives in Oahu with Audrey, his true love, and his son Torri. Today Harry makes his living by teaching string instruments five days a week from 9 to 6. Twice a week he performs in elegant restaurants in Honolulu. From Ray Kane, the master of Slack key guitar, Harry learned about La Paloma and its story on Hawaii. From Ray he also learned to play „nahe nahe“, sweet and soft as a lullaby: „If you play and someone falls asleep, you did a good job,“ Harry says.