Keola draws on a Hawaiian heritage that encompasses his deep roots in traditional chant and hula, himeni (hymns), the classic royal songs, and modern influences, all of which contribute to his very original and beautiful slack key style. Ki ho `alu (slack key) is the name for the finger-style guitar tradition unique to Hawai'i. First introduced to Island culture by Hawaiian cowboys in the early 1800s, this evocative world music is characterized by a variety of tunings and the wealth of deep feelings each individual artist brings to the music.