Hawaiian Concert Guide

Aloha, and welcome to a truly historic moment! Today we celebrate Show 700 of the Hawaiian Concert Guide.
Reaching 700 episodes is often referred to as a "Golden Milestone" in broadcasting. It signifies excellence, resilience, and a legacy that has stood the test of time. To honor this occasion, we’ve assembled a playlist that spans the spectrum of the Hawaiian sound—from sacred ancestral chants to the whimsical "Hapa Haole" revival.
The Legacy of the Land: Gregory Juan
We open our 700th celebration with Gregory Juan, an artist whose work from the album Kauluwehi serves as a bridge between past and present.
'O Waimea e Hōʻala: This powerful opening track was written by Gregory’s grandfather, the late cultural advocate Charles Kauluwehi Maxwell Sr. It is a tribute to the sacred ahupua‘a of Waimea, Maui, serving as an "awakening" song that reminds us of our ancestral ties to the land.

Pua Melie: A beloved classic by Aunty Edith Kanaka‘ole. While the melie (plumeria) is beautiful to the eye, the song’s deeper kauna (hidden meaning) honors the harmony of voices in the Keaukaha community.

Modern Vibrations: Kamalei Kawaa
Next, we feature the soulful, award-winning sounds of Kamalei Kawaa from his album Mānaiakalani.
Hānaulā (feat. Kainani Kahaunaele): A masterful collaboration celebrating the mountainous beauty of West Maui. The interplay between Kamalei and the legendary Kainani Kahaunaele is a highlight of contemporary Hawaiian vocal arrangement.

Ku'u Aloha: A tender track that showcases Kamalei’s signature falsetto. It is a song of pure affection, bridging the love between people and the ‘āina.

The Spirit of Slack Key: Kawika Kahiapo
It wouldn't be Show 700 without the rhythmic grace of Kawika Kahiapo.
Pule: Featuring an oration by Kumu Hula Chinky Mahoe, this track is a profound moment of prayer and gratitude. It is the perfect spiritual "center" for our milestone episode.

In Living Color: This track features the "3D" collaboration (Del Beazley, David Kahiapo, and Dwight Kanae), offering a bright, jazz-influenced celebration of the vibrant life in the islands today.

Special Feature: The French Exotica Revival
A major highlight of this episode is our exclusive interview with the French Exotica band, Les Waikikings. We had a fantastic time chatting with them about their passion for the "Hapa Haole" sound and how a group from France became masters of this vintage island genre.
Their perspective on the global influence of Hawaiian music is fascinating, and their dedication to the "twist" on traditional styles is truly inspiring.
Te manu pukarua: A high-energy Polynesian classic reimagined with shimmering steel guitars and lush percussion.

Native Love: A haunting, atmospheric piece that captures the dreamlike, escapist spirit of the 1950s "Golden Age" of Exotica.

The Foundation: Ho'okena
We close our 700th show with the unmistakable harmonies of Ho'okena, whose work from the album Ho'okena 5 remains a pillar of the genre.
From a Dancer: A stunning Hawaiian-style cover of the Jackson Browne classic. Ho'okena turns this folk-rock masterpiece into a beautiful island tribute to the cycle of life.

Windward Side: A nostalgic "love letter" to the Windward coast of O‘ahu. It captures the trade winds and the mist on the Koolau mountains, ending our 700th episode on a note of pure, graceful Aloha.

Mahalo for being part of the first 700 shows. Here’s to the next 700!

Hawaiian Concert Guide – Show 699
Theme: He Mele Inoa
Opening Set – Gregory Juan (Album: Kauluwehi)
He Mele Inoa no Kauluwehi (1:49)
Artist: Gregory Juan
Album: Kauluwehi
Language: Hawaiian
We open Show 699 with a traditional mele inoa — a name chant honoring Kauluwehi. In Hawaiian culture, a mele inoa is more than a song; it is a formal proclamation of identity, lineage, and character. These chants carry mana (spiritual power) and often highlight the beauty, traits, and ancestral ties of the person being honored.
Listen for:
Traditional chant phrasing
Sparse, respectful instrumentation
Emphasis on pronunciation and cadence
Honokahua Nani E (4:02)
Artist: Gregory Juan
Album: Kauluwehi
Language: Hawaiian
This song honors Honokahua, an area in West Maui known for its cultural and archaeological significance. The word nani means “beautiful,” and the song reflects deep admiration for the land.
Themes:
Love of place (mele ʻāina)
Natural imagery
Cultural remembrance
Kamalei Kawaʻa – Album: Mānaiakalani
Hālaulani (3:31)
Artist: Kamalei Kawaʻa
Album: Mānaiakalani
Language: Hawaiian
A graceful contemporary Hawaiian composition. The title suggests heavenly or chiefly associations (lani meaning heaven or royalty). Kamalei blends traditional phrasing with modern melodic structure.
Clean acoustic arrangement
Strong falsetto phrasing
Contemporary Hawaiian production style
Kālepa (3:22)
Artist: Kamalei Kawaʻa
Album: Mānaiakalani
Language: Hawaiian
“Kālepa” references a name — possibly a person or a poetic symbol. In many Hawaiian compositions, personal names stand in for cherished relationships or deeper metaphors.
Storytelling lyric structure
Light, flowing rhythm
Clear enunciation of Hawaiian text
Kawika Kahiapo – Album: Kuʻu Manaʻo
Ka Makani Kaʻili Aloha (5:50)
Artist: Kawika Kahiapo
Album: Kuʻu Manaʻo
Language: Hawaiian
Translated as “The Wind That Snatches Away Love,” this song uses classic Hawaiian metaphor, where wind represents emotional change, separation, or longing.
Rich acoustic guitar
Emotional vocal phrasing
Poetic metaphor rooted in natural forces
Kaulana Makapuʻu (4:43)
Artist: Kawika Kahiapo
Album: Kuʻu Manaʻo
Language: Hawaiian
Makapuʻu on Oʻahu’s eastern shoreline is known for its lighthouse and powerful ocean views. This mele celebrates place with vivid imagery — cliffs, winds, and sea spray.
Pride of place
Coastal imagery
Deep knowledge of ʻāina
Les Waikīkings – Album: Hapa Haole with a Twist
Papio (2:13)
Artist: Les Waikīkings
Album: Hapa Haole with a Twist
Genre: Exotica
A playful instrumental shift. “Papio” refers to a young jackfish common in Hawaiian waters. This track blends vintage steel guitar textures and surf-era island rhythm.
The Hukilau (1:57)
Artist: Les Waikīkings
Album: Hapa Haole with a Twist
Genre: Exotica
A classic hapa haole standard celebrating the communal fishing tradition of the hukilau. The hukilau emphasizes cooperation — everyone pulling the net together.
Ho‘okena – Album: Ho‘okena 5
Hawaiian Soul (4:32)
Artist: Ho‘okena
Album: Ho‘okena 5
Language: Hawaiian
Written by Jon Osorio, this powerful anthem honors George Helm, a key figure in the Hawaiian cultural renaissance and the movement to protect Kahoʻolawe.
Sovereignty
Cultural revival
Protection of land
Heha Waipiʻo (3:49)
Artist: Ho‘okena
Album: Ho‘okena 5
Language: Hawaiian
A closing tribute to Waipiʻo Valley on Hawaiʻi Island — a place of dramatic cliffs, waterfalls, and deep historical significance. “Heha” conveys awe and admiration.
Tight multi-part harmony
Traditional lyrical cadence
Deep connection to ʻāina
Show 699 Flow Summary
Traditional name chant and mele ʻāina
Contemporary Hawaiian songwriting
Emotional metaphor and wind imagery
Retro hapa haole exotica interlude
Cultural anthem and powerful harmonies
A beautiful arc — from honoring a name, to honoring land, to honoring culture itself.

🌺🎧 Hawaiian Concert Guide – Show #698
Illumination, Identity & Island Imagination
This week’s episode is built around a powerful theme: light, place, memory, and musical identity. From spiritually grounded Hawaiian mele to contemporary songwriting, slack key reflections, and a splash of mid-century exotica, Show #698 travels wide — and then brings us beautifully home.
🌿 Opening with Light – Kahiau Lam Ho
We begin with the luminous voice of Kahiau Lam Ho, whose album Hoʻomālamalama (“to illuminate”) frames the emotional tone of this episode.
✨ “Hoʻomālamalama” (feat. Stephen Inglis) A glowing collaboration with master guitarist Stephen Inglis. The arrangement is spacious and reverent, allowing Kahiau’s voice to rise with clarity and purpose. This song sets the spiritual and reflective tone of the show.
✨ “The One They Call Hawai‘i” A thoughtful meditation on identity — not the tourist postcard version, but the deeper Hawaiʻi shaped by culture, ʻāina, and lived experience. It’s contemporary in sound, yet firmly rooted in tradition.
🌺 Island Warmth – Kamalei Kawaa
From introspection we shift into melodic warmth with Kamalei Kawaa.
🌸 “Maui Girl (Special Version)” Light, breezy, and heartfelt — this track captures island romance with sincerity and charm.
🌸 “Hula’s Song” A gentle tribute to the cultural heartbeat of Hawaiʻi. The rhythm sways naturally, evoking the movement and grace of hula and the ʻike passed from kumu to haumāna.
🎸 Reflection & Perspective – Kawika Kahiapo
Next comes the expressive artistry of Kawika Kahiapo, blending singer-songwriter storytelling with slack key sensitivity.
🎶 “The Way It Is” Honest and grounded, this song carries lyrical introspection supported by Kawika’s fluid guitar phrasing.
🎶 “Another Time” A nostalgic reflection that feels both personal and universal. There’s space in this arrangement — room to think, to remember, and to feel.
🗺️ A Mid-Century Escape – Exotica Interlude
Then we take a playful turn into tropical imagination and retro island fantasy.
🌴 The Waitiki 7 – “Adventures in Paradise” Vibraphones shimmer, percussion dances lightly, and the soundscape becomes cinematic. It’s a stylized escape — colorful and transportive.
🌴 Les Waikikings – “Minoi Minoi” Hapa-haole charm with a twist. Lighthearted, rhythmic, and unmistakably vintage — a nod to how Hawaiʻi was imagined in mid-century pop culture.
🌊 Returning Home – Hoʻokena
We close with the rich harmonies of Hoʻokena, grounding the show once again in place and tradition.
🌺 “Aloha Hōnaunau” A heartfelt tribute to the sacred and historic district of Hōnaunau on Hawaiʻi Island. The harmonies are full and reverent, honoring the mana of place.
🌺 “Hilo Nani e” An affectionate celebration of Hilo — lush, rainy, beloved. A joyful and satisfying conclusion to a beautifully balanced episode.
🎧 Why This Show Matters
Show #698 explores:
• Illumination through faith and cultural identity • The warmth of contemporary Hawaiian songwriting • Reflection through slack key artistry • The playful imagination of exotica • And a grounding return to ʻāina and harmony
It’s modern yet rooted. Reflective yet joyful. A musical journey across time and place — all anchored in aloha.
🎧 Listen now and let the music illuminate your week.
Mahalo for supporting Hawaiian music and for keeping these stories alive. 🌺✨🤙

🌺 Hawaiian Concert Guide
Show #697 – Contemporary Voices, Classic Spirit & a Touch of Exotica
In this episode of the Hawaiian Concert Guide, we take a graceful journey through modern Hawaiian songwriting, timeless mele, masterful slack key guitar, and even a playful detour into vintage exotica. Show #697 highlights the deep respect today’s artists have for tradition—while confidently adding their own voices to the ongoing Hawaiian musical story.
🎶 Kamalei Kawaa – Mānaiakalani
We open the show with Kamalei Kawaa’s soulful and reverent work from his album Mānaiakalani. The title track sets the tone with poetic Hawaiian language and a sense of spiritual grounding that immediately draws the listener in.
“Mānaiakalani” A reflective and uplifting mele that speaks to divine sustenance and guidance, carried by Kamalei’s smooth, confident vocals.

“Lei Pakalana” (feat. Kamaehu Kawa‘a) A beautiful collaboration celebrating the fragrant pakalana lei. The song weaves romance, place, and memory together, enhanced by the warm blend of voices and traditional musical sensibility.

🌿 Kahiau Lam Ho – Hoʻomālamalama
From one of Hawaiʻi’s most respected young voices, Kahiau Lam Ho delivers songs rooted in faith, ʻike kupuna (ancestral knowledge), and lyrical elegance.
“Ka Lehua I Milia” A gentle, poetic mele centered on the beloved lehua flower—symbolic of love, resilience, and connection to the land.

“E Mililani O Iehova” A powerful expression of spiritual devotion, blending Hawaiian language hymnody with Kahiau’s signature clarity and emotional depth.

🎸 Kawika Kahiapo – Kuʻu Manaʻo
Slack key guitar artistry takes center stage with Kawika Kahiapo, whose playing is both technically brilliant and emotionally expressive.
“Life in These Islands” A thoughtful instrumental that paints a musical portrait of island life—its rhythms, calm, and complexity—through Kawika’s masterful guitar work.

“Aloha Kaua” Translating to “love of war” or “conflicted love,” this piece balances tension and beauty, reflecting Kawika’s ability to tell layered stories without words.

🗺️ The Waitiki 7 – Adventures in Paradise
We then take a playful and unexpected turn into exotica with The Waitiki 7, a band known for reviving and reimagining mid-century tiki lounge sounds.
“Octopus Menagerie” Whimsical, cinematic, and fun—this track feels like a soundtrack to a surreal underwater adventure.

“Mood Indigo” A lush and moody reinterpretation that blends jazz roots with exotica flair, adding a sophisticated twist to the show’s flow.

🌊 Hoʻokena – Hoʻokena 5
We close the show by returning to the heart of Hawaiian music with Hoʻokena, whose harmonies and musicianship remain timeless.
“Aloha Mai e Pele” A respectful and evocative tribute to Pele, the goddess of volcanoes and creation, delivered with sincerity and cultural reverence.

“Ka Wahine Lewa i ke Kai” A lively and well-loved mele celebrating the grace and strength of a woman moving through the sea—an uplifting way to conclude the episode.

🎧 Final Thoughts
Show #697 is a wonderful snapshot of Hawaiian music today—deeply rooted, spiritually aware, musically adventurous, and joyfully expressive. From heartfelt mele and virtuosic slack key to a splash of exotica fun, this episode honors the past while celebrating the present.
Mahalo for listening, and as always, keep Hawaiian music playing wherever you are 🌈🎶

Hawaiian Concert Guide – Show #696
Show #696 weaves together contemporary Hawaiian mele, masterful slack key guitar, a reverent royal prayer, and a playful detour into retro exotica—then returns home with modern harmonies and a closing affirmation of identity.
Detailed Playlist
“Kaulana ʻo Maui” — Kamalei Kawaa (1:20)
Album: Mānaiakalani
A short, vivid mele that celebrates the renown of Maui. Kamalei Kawaa opens the episode with a strong sense of place and cultural grounding, offering an inviting entry point into the show’s island-centered storytelling. Despite its brief runtime, the track sets an intentional tone: rooted, respectful, and warmly personal.

“Hawaiian Rainbow” — Kahiau Lam Ho (2:50)
Album: Hoʻomālamalama
Bright and uplifting, this track carries a message of hope and renewal. Kahiau Lam Ho’s contemporary approach pairs accessible melody with a distinctly Hawaiian sensibility, making it a feel-good moment that still honors cultural continuity. The song’s optimism complements the episode’s opening theme of place and belonging.

“Kona Moon” — Kahiau Lam Ho (2:37)
Album: Hoʻomālamalama
A mellow, romantic island-night reflection inspired by the Kona coast. The pacing and phrasing invite listeners into a quieter emotional space—warm, intimate, and unhurried. Placed after “Hawaiian Rainbow,” it shifts the mood from celebratory brightness to a more contemplative evening glow.

“East Side Slack Key” — Kawika Kahiapo (4:01)
Album: Kuʻu Manaʻo
A standout instrumental showcasing the depth of kī hō‘alu (slack key guitar). Kawika Kahiapo’s touch is both precise and expressive, balancing rhythmic drive with open, resonant harmony. This track provides a spacious listening moment—ideal for appreciating the nuance and tradition embedded in Hawaiian guitar craft.

“Nani Wale Kualoa” — Kawika Kahiapo (3:53)
Album: Kuʻu Manaʻo
A musical love letter to Kualoa—its beauty, presence, and sense of mana. The melody and phrasing feel place-centered and reverent, continuing the episode’s theme of honoring specific landscapes through sound. The pairing with “East Side Slack Key” creates a strong mid-show slack key feature block.

“Queen’s Prayer” — Jerome Koko, Daniel Ho & Tia Carrere (3:28)
Album: Makaha Sons Memoirs
A deeply reverent rendition of Queen Liliʻuokalani’s prayer, offered with restraint and respect. The arrangement emphasizes reflection and spiritual gravity rather than ornamentation, allowing the message and history to remain central. This performance serves as a meaningful cultural anchor in the episode—devotional, dignified, and moving.

“Ned’s Redemption” — The Waitiki 7 (1:17)
Album: Adventures In Paradise
A brief, cinematic exotica vignette—playful and atmosphere-driven. Positioned after “Queen’s Prayer,” it functions as a palate cleanser: a quick tonal pivot that keeps the episode dynamic while still staying within an island-adjacent musical universe.

“Sacha-Cha” — The Waitiki 7 (2:35)
Album: Adventures In Paradise
Upbeat and retro, this track leans into classic lounge/exotica energy with rhythmic flair. It’s a lighthearted interlude that adds variety and fun—an intentional shift that refreshes the ear before the program returns to contemporary Hawaiian songwriting and harmony.

“Home” — Waipuna (4:22)
Album: Manaʻo Pili
A heartfelt modern Hawaiian composition centered on belonging and emotional roots. Waipuna’s polished harmonies and contemporary production create a sense of welcome and familiarity—bringing the episode back from the playful exotica detour into a grounded, lyric-forward Hawaiian space.

“E Ku Kanaka” — Hoʻokena (4:57)
Album: Hoʻokena 5
A powerful closing statement affirming identity, pride, and perseverance. Hoʻokena’s folk-rooted approach and steady drive make this a resonant finale—leaving listeners with a strong sense of purpose and cultural continuity. A fitting conclusion to an episode built around place, heritage, and the living voice of Hawaiian music today.

Episode Summary
Show #696 moves from place-based mele and contemporary Hawaiian songwriting into a featured slack key set, pauses for a reverent royal prayer, and then takes a playful side-trip through exotica—before returning “Home” and closing with a bold affirmation in “E Ku Kanaka.” A complete listen that reflects both the roots and the range of Hawaiian and island-influenced music.