Berkeley Hawaiian Music Festival

Kawika Kahiapo, Mailani Makainai, Project Kuleana (Ho'a)

Friday, 0, , 12:00 am
(doors open at 7:00pm)

$38 adv / $42 door

Purchase tickets online
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Love the sound of slack key guitar? Can't get enough of the ukulele? Enjoy Hawaiian bands and hula dancers? No matter what your pleasure, you'll find it at the 4th Annual Berkeley Hawaiian Music Festival, hosted by Patrick Landeza.

 

Kawika Kahiapo is a legend in the making. Growing up in Kane’ohe on the windward side of Oahu, he learned slack key from the great man himself, Gabby Pahinui. In the decades since then, Kawika has contributed to more than 90 recording projects and has collaborated with Jack Johnson, Na Leo Pilimehana, and Cyril Pahinui. His 2015 release, Ku`u Aina Aloha, won two Na Hoku Hanohano awards (the Hawaiian equivalent of the Grammy), Slack Key Album of the Year and Island Music Album of the Year. Kawika currently lives in Waimanalo, Oahu, where he serves as an ordained minister, or kahu.

 

Mailani Makainai is one of Hawaii’s great talents, winning Na Hoku Hanohano awards for her debut album in 2001 with the pop duo Keahiwai, formed with a classmate from Maryknoll High School in Honolulu, and as Female Vocalist of the Year in 2010 following the release of her first solo album. Independent, sophisticated, modern, and timeless, Mailani conveys her love of music with every note she sings. Kumu Kaui Dalire, Miss Aloha Hula 1992, will make a special guest appearance. She and Mailani co-founded Ha Enterprises, a culturally based Hawaiian company that seeks to preserve and perpetuate the spirit of aloha, and breathe life into Hawaii's industries.

 

Project Kuleana is the creation of three Native Hawaiians, Sean Naleimaile, Kihei Nahale’a, and Kamakoa Lindsey-Asing, who share the belief that kuleana (responsibility) is the essence of Hawaiian music – kuleana to the ‘aina (land) and to the ancestors who developed their own powerful connection to the land. Project Kuleana uses Hawaiian music to inspire reflection and connection – what is your kuleana? Sean, Kihei, and Kamakoa call their band Ho'a. With over half a million YouTube views, their live location video recordings of Hawaiiʻs top musicians have made them a sensation. This evening, theyʻll share music, stories, and videos that honor the importance of kuleana. We welcome them to the mainland for the first time!

 

Freight favorite Patrick Landeza, Hawaiian slack key guitarist extraordinaire, is the first musician based on the mainland to win the Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Slack Key Album of the Year. Born and raised in Berkeley to Hawaii-born parents, Patrick studied slack key from masters like George Kuo, Ray Kane, and Sonny Chillingworth. Patrick is not only one of the top slack key performers in the world, he is also a musical bridge between Hawaii and California – he plays, in his words, “traditional Hawaiian music with a Berkeley twist.”

 

visit the festival page for more information and 2-day passes

 

 

visit the Kawika Kahiapo website 

visit the Mailani Makainai website

visit the Project Kuleana website

visit the Patrick Landeza website

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