Listening to slack key guitarist, singer and composer Makana just might be the most affordable way to experience Hawaii this winter. The world-class performer will return with the lush sounds of Hawaii for one night only to the Open Space for Arts & Community at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 31.

This will be the fourth Vashon performance for the musician who has shared the stage with Jason Mraz and Jack Johnson, opened for the likes of Sting, Carlos Santana, Chris Issak and Elvis Costello and performed in Asian and European opera houses and The White House. Why, then, play a show on a small island in Puget Sound?

“My friend (island musician) Loren Sinner turned me on to Vashon,” Makana explained in a recent phone interview. “He introduced me to the island, and the people on Vashon are very aware of my work.”

Makana’s music is rooted in the traditional Hawaiian slack key style. Born and raised on Oahu, Makana began singing at age 7, playing the ukulele at age 9 and studying the ancient art of slack key at 11. He trained under island legends such as Bobby Moderow Jr. and the late Uncle Sonny Chillingworth.

“Hawaiian slack key is a style like flamenco or the blues,” Makana said, “and is best described by tuning and playing. I use almost 100 tunings to create sonic environments, so it can sound like the guitar is from somewhere else — Indonesia or China (for example). The technique is to use a bass rhythm or line, then throw in strums while playing the lead so there’s an illusion of playing three guitars.”

The style, Makana said, originated in the early 1800s when cowboys — and their guitars — were brought to the islands to handle a problem with cattle. Four cattle and a bull had been given, as a gift, to King Kamehameha in the 1700s, but after the king made them kapu or sacred, the cattle overran the islands, eating up the grass that natives used to build houses.

“Late at night, the Hawaiians sat by the campfires with the Mexican cowboys and their guitars,” Makana said. “The Hawaiians are fast learners and innovative. They built upon what was already there that reflected the environmental vibe of Hawaii, which they translated on to the guitar using the slack key technique. Today, I’ll go hiking under a waterfall and then translate that through my guitar — the energy of that environment.”

Makana both perpetuates and works to evolve the traditional Hawaiian sound, infusing it with elements of bluegrass, rock, blues and raga. The fusion of styles has developed into what Makana calls slack rock.

“I believe tradition is a living entity,” Makana said. “Every generation has the responsibility of bringing the new. Slack rock is a hybrid. Leo Kottke, Mark Knopfler, Jimmy Page — these are guitar players outside the Hawaiian genre, and I’ve folded them into what I do.”

Many know Makana for his work on the Grammy-nominated sound track for the Academy Award-winning film “The Descendants.” Others know Makana’s music as an agent for social change. In 2011, Makana’s song “We are the Many,” about the Occupy movement, went viral on YouTube and was dubbed the Occupy Anthem by Rolling Stone Magazine. His latest song, “Fire is Ours,” written in support of Bernie Sanders, received 25,000 views in 24 hours on YouTube.

“‘Fire is Ours’ is a strong critique of mainstream news media,” Makana said. “My disgust inspired the song, which also goes into the election and candidacy. I’m an activist, and I like to do things that are relevant and offer expanded viewpoints to people.”

Makana said he often makes up his shows on the spot, which is somewhat problematic when people ask for a recording of what they heard. For this tour, Makana made a special recording.

“I have some of my classics mixed with some very deep transcendental Hawaiian music. It’s about elders and then just me and my guitar. It is the show I will be doing (at Open Space), and the CD will be available at the show — not online or even in Hawaii.”

And Makana’s name for the CD?

“It’s called, ‘Music You Heard Tonight.’”

A VIP reception will precede the concert. VIP tickets will include a chance to meet Makana, receive a photo with him, an autographed CD, Hawaiian pupu appetizers and more. The VIP reception will begin at 5:30 p.m.

General admission tickets are $18 in advance and $24 at the door. Reserved seats are $30, and VIP packages are $75.

Tickets are sold at Vashon Bookshop and at makana.brownpapertickets.com. Reserved and VIP tickets are available online only.

Event planners advise purchasing tickets in advance as previous shows have sold out.