Jake Shimabukuro is a Hawaiian ukulele virtuoso and composer known for his fast and complex finger work. His music combines elements of jazz, blues, funk, rock, bluegrass, classical, folk, and flamenco. Shimabukuro has written numerous original compositions, including the entire soundtracks to two Japanese films, Hula Girls (2007) and Sideways (2009), the Japanese remake of the same name.
Harry Robert Owens was an American composer, bandleader and songwriter best known for his song "Sweet Leilani".
Dennis David Kahekilimamaoikalanikeha Kamakahi was a Hawaiian slack key guitarist, recording artist, music composer, and Christian minister. He was a three-time Grammy Award winner, and in 2009 he was inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame.
Loyal Garner was a Hawaiian musician and de facto leader of the Hawaiian singing group Local Divas. Her hits included "Shave Ice" from the 1982 album Island Feelings and "Blind Man in the Bleachers" from her 1981 album Loyal.
Dennis Pavao, was one of several Hawaiian musicians who, during the 1970s, led a Hawaiian music renaissance, reviving Hawaiian music, especially "ka leo ki'eki'e," or Hawaiian falsetto singing. Along with his cousins, Ledward and Nedward Kaʻapana, Pavao started the group Hui ʻOhana. Hui ʻOhana became the premier falsetto group in Hawaiʻi. After the breakup of Hui ʻOhana, Dennis Pavao moved on to pursue a solo career.
The Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts (HARA) was established in 1978 to stimulate interest in the local recording industry and the music of Hawaii. HARA became a nonprofit organization in 1981. A voluntary, 13 member-elected Board governs the Academy. Each year the academy selects nominees through member ballot, and presents the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards typically in May (however, due to COVID-19 it will be held September 10, 2020 at the Hawai‘i Convention Center. Both the Academy and the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards trace their origins to 1978 and KCCN-AM Radio, then the world’s only all-Hawaiian music radio station.
Teresa Bright is a native-Hawaiian entertainer who plays 'ukulele and guitar. Her music is popular in Japan as well as in Hawaii and the United States mainland. Much of her repertoire features lyrics in the Hawaiian Language, but she has an extensive jazz and hapa-haole repertoire as well.
The Brothers Cazimero were a Hawaiian musical duo made up of Robert Cazimero on bass and Roland Cazimero on twelve string guitar. Robert also played piano as a solo musician. The Cazimeros got their start during the Hawaiian Renaissance with ukulele and slack-key guitarist Peter Moon's band, The Sunday Manoa, on their first recording, Guava Jam. Since that time, The Brothers Cazimero have released at least 36 recordings and three DVDs. For three decades, the group performed at the annual Lei Day Concert. They made their Carnegie Hall debut in 1989.
Melveen Leed is an American singer. She graduated from Radford High School in Honolulu. After winning the title of "Miss Molokai" she began singing in the mid-1960s and has released a number of records in the genres of Hawaiian, country, and jazz music.
Benjamin Kapena Kalama was an American singer with a honey-voiced falsetto. He is credited with discovering and nurturing Alfred Apaka, and was part of several groups. Until the day Apaka died, Kalama was coaching and arranging music for him.
Eric Lee is a Hawaiian musician, singer, songwriter, and producer. His work has appeared on more than 30 albums, including his work with The Kanile'a Collection, Nā Kama, The Ka'ala Boys, The Mākaha Sons, and his solo albums, Crossroads, Kawehilani, and his Twentieth Anniversary Anthology.
Marlene Mikahala Sai is a Hawaiian classic-style female solo singer, born in Honolulu of Hawaiian–Chinese heritage. The San Francisco Chronicle refers to Marlene Sai as one of the true icons of the islands. The Santa Cruz Sentinel refers to Sai as a living legend of Hawaiian music. PBS Hawaii's Leslie Wilcox says of Sai "There are only a handful of true divas in Hawaiian music, women who wrap their powerful voices with grace, elegance and beauty. You can add to the list Marlene Sai."
The Green is a reggae band formed in 2009 from Oahu, Hawaii. Their sound blends dub-heavy roots reggae, smooth lovers' rock, and contemporary pop and rock with indigenous Hawaiian musical/lyrical references. The band consists of Caleb Keolanui on vocals, Ikaika Antone on keys/vocals, JP Kennedy on guitar/vocals, Zion Thompson on guitar/vocals, Brad Watanabe on Bass and Jordan Espinoza on drums. The group has released five full-length studio albums to date.
Bryant Mackey Feary Jr. was an American musician. He was a member of the Hawaiian music pop/rock/folk band Kalapana.
The Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, occasionally called the Nā Hōkū Awards or Hoku Awards, are the premier music awards in Hawaii. They are considered to be Hawaii's equivalent of the Grammy Awards. "Nā Hōkū Hanohano" means "Stars of Distinction" in Hawaiian – "hōkū" means "star", "nā" makes it plural, and "hanohano" means "glorious, worthy of praises". The awards were founded in 1978 by radio personality Krash Kealoha of KCCN-AM, a radio station which focused on traditional Hawaiian music. He launched the first awards with the support of the owner of the radio station Sydney Grayson, and his fellow DJs Kimo Kahoʻāno and Jacqueline “Skylark” Rossetti.
Kūkahi Lee, professionally known mononymously as Kūkahi, is a Native Hawaiian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Kūkahi began writing music at a young age and performed in musical venues around the world throughout his early teens. After graduating from high school in 2015, he founded an independent record label that is distributed and funded by Makaliʻi Productions.
Kalani Peʻa is a three-time Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter of Hawaiian music. He released his first album, E Walea, in 2016, which won the 2017 Grammy award for Best Regional Roots Music Album. Peʻa released his second album, No 'Ane'i, in 2018, which won the Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
Carlson Kamaka Kūkona, III, otherwise simply known as Kamaka Kūkona, is an American musician, vocalist, songwriter, record producer, kumu hula, and educator.
Victoria Keali‘ika‘apunihonua I‘i Rodrigues was a Hawaiian musician and entertainer. Born into a Native Hawaiian family with strong musical roots, Rodrigues preserved and shared traditional Hawaiian songs that might otherwise have been lost, including "Hawai‘i Aloha," "Kaulana Nā Pua," and "Paoakalani". She was honored by multiple organizations for her contributions to Hawaiian culture, including being inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame in 1995.
Puakea Nogelmeier is a kumu hula, linguist, scholar, researcher, writer and American composer of Hawaiian music and chant who is Professor Emeritus of Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Executive Director of Awaiaulu. Nogelmeier was Professor at the Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. His translation of The Epic Tale of Hiʻiakaikapoliopele won the 2008 Samuel M. Kamakau Award for books of the year.
