Raymond Kaleoalohapoinaʻoleohelemanu[1] Kāne[2] (English pronunciation: /ˈkɑːneɪ/; October 2, 1925 - February 27, 2008),[3] was one of Hawaii's acknowledged masters of the slack-key guitar. Born in Koloa, Kauaʻi, he grew up in Nanakuli on Oʻahu's Waiʻanae Coast where his stepfather worked as a fisherman.
Kāne's style was distinctive and deceptively simple. He played in a number of ki ho'alu tunings always plucking or brushing the strings with only the thumb and index finger of his right hand. He also played hammer-ons and pull-offs in a unique way; his finger moving up and out, instead of down and in, after striking a string. He emphasized that one must play and sing "from the heart." He was never flashy or fast. In Hawaiian, his sound is described as nahenahe (sweet sounding).
In 1987, Kāne was honored as a "National Living Treasure" by the National Endowment for the Arts with an NEA National Heritage Fellowship.