The label “musical artist and kumu hula”—while impressive—doesn’t do much justice in defining Keali‘i Reichel. A student, scholar, teacher, performer, master chanter, recording artist and cultural advisor, Reichel could very well wear all the listed hats during a single week. Yet for him, achieving such versatility isn’t about filling a role or a series of roles for their own sakes. Reichel “has to do it,” in his own words, for himself and his students. And you don’t have to be under his tutelage to comprehend his power, or mana, during one of his performances.
Hawai‘i as a whole doesn’t always take kindly to change. When centuries-old tradition collides with modern-day innovation—namely a thriving international art scene—some folk turn their backs on the future.
Waimanalo girl Paula Fuga has done something not many other artists in these Islands can claim to have done. She has created a sound that is immediately recognizable as her own. It is utterly original in the way that Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole’s breathy soft-timbered verses could only have been sung by him—they’ll never be reproduced by another singer.
Five years after his debut release, “E Ho‘i Na Wai,” kumu hula (hula teacher) Cody Pueo Pata returns with “He Aloha. . .”, a gorgeous collection of originals and standards honoring love, tradition, and the natural and spiritual forces of Maui.
Honolulu’s local ‘ukelele wizard Jake Shimabukuro has grown immensely popular lately, and not just in the Aloha State. These days he can be fund jetting off on extensive tours, playing gigs with Jimmy Buffet, and showing up on talk shows like Late Night with Conan O’Brien.
An unforgettable and heartwarming evening of Hawaiian song and story unfolds each Wednesday evening at The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua…home of the Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Concert Series. The art form Hawaiians innovated and named ki ho‘alu (literally meaning “slacken the key”) traces its roots back to the 1830s, but this style of popular music is as timeless as Hawai’i itself. Lately the mid-week concert series has drawn capacity audiences in the hotel’s intimate amphitheater proving that slack key music is as current as ever.
Just minutes from Waikiki in Downtown Honolulu, a revitalized neighborhood lures crowds of locals and visitors alike with its wide assortment of music entertainment.
Born on O‘ahu, raised in Kalama‘ula on Moloka‘i, and currently living in Wahie‘e, Maui, young Raiatea Helm’s life up to this point has taken an interesting path. Now with two acclaimed albums out and her bright falsetto singing being embraced far beyond the shores of Hawai‘i, the 21-year old’s days are bound to get even more interesting.
The label “musical artist and kumu hula”—while impressive—doesn’t do much justice in defining Keali‘i Reichel. A student, scholar, teacher, performer, master chanter, recording artist and cultural advisor, Reichel could very well wear all the listed hats during a single week. Yet for him, achieving such versatility isn’t about filling a role or a series of roles for their own sakes. Reichel “has to do it,” in his own words, for himself and his students. And you don’t have to be under his tutelage to comprehend his power, or mana, during one of his performances.
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Hawai‘i as a whole doesn’t always take kindly to change. When centuries-old tradition collides with modern-day innovation—namely a thriving international art scene—some folk turn their backs on the future.
Waimanalo girl Paula Fuga has done something not many other artists in these Islands can claim to have done. She has created a sound that is immediately recognizable as her own. It is utterly original in the way that Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole’s breathy soft-timbered verses could only have been sung by him—they’ll never be reproduced by another singer.
Five years after his debut release, “E Ho‘i Na Wai,” kumu hula (hula teacher) Cody Pueo Pata returns with “He Aloha. . .”, a gorgeous collection of originals and standards honoring love, tradition, and the natural and spiritual forces of Maui.
Honolulu’s local ‘ukelele wizard Jake Shimabukuro has grown immensely popular lately, and not just in the Aloha State. These days he can be fund jetting off on extensive tours, playing gigs with Jimmy Buffet, and showing up on talk shows like Late Night with Conan O’Brien.
An unforgettable and heartwarming evening of Hawaiian song and story unfolds each Wednesday evening at The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua…home of the Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Concert Series. The art form Hawaiians innovated and named ki ho‘alu (literally meaning “slacken the key”) traces its roots back to the 1830s, but this style of popular music is as timeless as Hawai’i itself. Lately the mid-week concert series has drawn capacity audiences in the hotel’s intimate amphitheater proving that slack key music is as current as ever.
Born on O‘ahu, raised in Kalama‘ula on Moloka‘i, and currently living in Wahie‘e, Maui, young Raiatea Helm’s life up to this point has taken an interesting path. Now with two acclaimed albums out and her bright falsetto singing being embraced far beyond the shores of Hawai‘i, the 21-year old’s days are bound to get even more interesting.
