Anuhea in L.A. tonight

Anuhea and full band live in concert for her LA debut - set starts promptly at 7pm. Come enjoy Anuhea's signature guitar rhythms, sultry vocals and song writing weave acoustic soul, R&B, jazz and blues with pop appeal ala Jack Johnson.

Anuhea (pronounced Ah-New-Hey-Ah) is a self-taught guitarist and song-writer born on the Hawaiian island of Maui. On her self-titled debut album, Anuhea weaves soul, R‘n’B, jazz and reggae with smart, personal lyricism. With seductively sophisticated pop vocals and spirited guitar accompaniment, Anuhea shares the same independent attitude of celebrated female artists like Gwen Stefani and Lily Allen.

A hui hou,

Mitch Chang
Aloha Falsetto Festival
Southern California Slack Key Festival
www.KalaKoaConcerts.com

San Dimas Ho'olaule'a Day 2 Tomorrow

It was beautiful day filled with Hawaiian music, food, and vendors and especially meeting so many people today who stopped by the booth for the Aloha Falsetto Festival. Lots of new faces will be there at the show next month, that's for sure. Entertainment was wonderful today and food was good, too. Actually, I ordered the beef stew from Rutt's TWICE today, it was that ono (delicious)! Hung out for most of the day with slack key guitar player Jim "Kimo" West, jammin' on some Hawaiian music tunes

Here's the entertainment for tomorrow - not familiar with all of them but the 11:00 group's kumu is Keoni Chang and "A Hawaiian Experience" is led by Aurora Kaawa, sister of Mike Kaawa who plays and sings with Ledward Kaapana, just won a Hoku award for Favorite Entertainers. Both Mike and Led are cool dudes and I'm hoping to get Led on board for the 2010 Southern California Slack Key Festival!

June 14, Sunday

10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Opening ceremony
10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Hawaiian Soul and Ohana Friends
11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Halau Na Pua Lehua I Ka Ua Noe
11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Hula Halau Na Hua O Maile
12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. A Hawaiian Experience
1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. O’ahu/Manea Dancers
2:30 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Na Hoa O Ka Hale Kanu
3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Closing - O’ahu

Go to this link for more info and directions. Despite the early morning rain, it cleared up real nice today but was still a bit on the chilly side so be sure to bring a jacket.

San Dimas Ho'olaule'a this weekend

Come down to San Dimas for a fun weekend of Hawaiian music, dance and food! I'll have a booth there as well - look for the banner for Aloha Falsetto Festival, to the right of the stage, on the way to the food area.

Here's the entertainment schedule for the weekend:
Emcee Kamaka Brown
(Entertainment subject to change)

June 13, Saturday

10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Opening ceremony
10:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Kimo West
10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Martin Espino
11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m Ohana A Aikane
12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. Hitia O Te Ra
12:45 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Kawalea
1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. Kawika Laua ‘O Leinani
2:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Tago Le Pasefika
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. O’ahu
4:00 p.m – 4:45 p.m. Ka’Ohana Ho’Onani
4:45 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. Moana
5:15 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. Jerome Grey Trio
5:45 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Le Polynesia
6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Kolohe Ukulele Club
7:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Mehana
7:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Closing - O’ahu

June 14, Sunday

10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Opening ceremony
10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Hawaiian Soul and Ohana Friends
11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Halau Na Pua Lehua I Ka Ua Noe
11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Hula Halau Na Hua O Maile
12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. A Hawaiian Experience
1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. O’ahu/Manea Dancers
2:30 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Na Hoa O Ka Hale Kanu
3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Closing - O’ahu

Go to this link for more info and directions. Hope to see you there!

Mitch Chang
Kala Koa Entertainment
http://alohafalsettofest.com/

Congratulations to all Hoku award winners!

Congratulations to all the winners at last night's 32nd Na Hoku Hanohano awards - special shout out to my good friend slack key guitarist Jeff Peterson who won for Instrumental album ("Haleakala," with Riley Lee) and who is also a regular band member for Amy Hanaiali'i who took home the award for Contemporary album ("Aumakua") which many people felt should have won the GRAMMY for best Hawaiian recording earlier this year.

Was really pulling for my good friend Jim "Kimo" West to win the Hoku for his slack key Christmas CD but congratulations to Na Kama for their win - they're a wonderful sounding group who has been up to SoCal to perform a couple of times.

Group: Holunape, "Ahea? Ano!" (Roy Sakuma)
Female vocalist: Natalie Ai Kamauu, "I"
Male vocalist: Kaumakaiwa Kanakaole, "Kaumakaiwa" (Mountain Apple)
Most promising artist: Kuipaoa, "Pili O Ke Ao" (Kupaoa)
Song of the year: "Island Days," Pali T.W. Kaaihue from " … With Aloha" (PK)
Album of the year: " … With Aloha," Pali (PK); D.J. Pratt, Pali Kaaihue, producers
Compilation album: "Hawaiian Slack Key Kings Master Series Vol. II," various artists (Rhythm and Roots); Chris Lau, Milton Lau, producers
Religious album: "All For One," Del Beazley (Mountain Apple)
Anthology: "Unforgettable," Israel Kamakawiwoole and the Makaha Sons of Niihau (Poki); Tim Mathre, Kata Maduli, Lea Uyehara, producers
R&B/Hip Hop album: "Reborn," A Touch of Gold (Golden Boy)
Island music album: " … With Aloha," Pali (PK)
Hawaiian album: Holunape, "Ahea? Ano!" (Roy Sakuma)
Christmas album: "E Ola Ke Alii: The Na Kama Christmas Collection, Volume 1," Na Kama (Makani)
Jazz album: "Tropic Rhapsody, " Teresa Bright (Teresa Bright)
Rock album: "Many Classics, Kalapana Plays Their Best," Kalapana (OTB)
Hawaiian language performance: Kaumakaiwa Kanakaole for "Kaumakiwa"
Haku Mele: "Joseph Brian Badis and Kellen Paik for "Uluwehikalunaokaala" from "Pili O Ke Ao" by Kupaoa
Music video DVD: "Kamehameha Schools 2008 Song Contest," Kamehameha Schools (Mountain Apple)

Lifetime achievement: Cecilio and Kapono, The Sons of Hawaii, Keola and Kapono Beamer, the late John Piilani Watkins and the late George Jarrett Helm

Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Master Cyril Pahinui

I have been so fortunate to have Cyril Pahinui as a friend and supporter. Cyril was the first person I called to invite to participate in my first Southern California Slack Key Festival January 2008 at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center in Redondo Beach - a showcase of Hawaiian ki ho'alu (slack key) guitar - and to have the honor of presenting him on stage has been nothing short of a blessing as has his friendship.

This past weekend he was in town here in Southern California for a couple performances in Culver City and Claremont and taught a workshop which was hosted by Na Mamo, the folks who put together the annual E Hula Mau hula competition in Long Beach. I've really only been playing slack key in Taropatch tuning (low to high: D-G-D-G-B-D) mostly out of laziness, I must admit. So the workshop was the first time I'd ever actually played in Cyril's tuning. He tunes his guitar to C-G-E-G-C-E, an open C tuning inherited from his father, the famous Gabby Pahinui. It is just one of the many Hawaiian slack key tunings out there but a very versatile one. Nice how you can get that alternate bass thing going not just between the root and the fifth but with the third in there as well, plus you can get octaves in 3 different string combinations which is also nice for soloing.

While Cyril had to learn everything by ear from his dad (who apparently never actually formally taught anyone anything), Cyril travels across the country sharing all he knows to anyone who wants to learn. If you ever have the opportunity to catch him at one of these workshops in your area, don't pass it up. Not only do you get a nice education in the Pahinui slack key style but you get to hear some great stories as well, sure to motivate you!

Here's a couple of nice videos of Cyril and his father. You can become a friend of Cyril on his Facebook page as well.

Pomaika'i Keawe Lyman Podcast Interview

Had a great time last night visiting the studio of the Hawaiian Concert Guide, a podcast dedicated to the music and culture of the islands of Hawaii (Hawai'i). This includes Hawaii musical instruments such as 'Ukulele, Ki Ho'alu (Slack Key), Kika Kila (Hawaiian Lap Steel Guitar), the Upright Bass and Pahu (Drum) as well as the singing styles of Leo Ki'eki'e (falsetto) and the Ha'i (glotto stop) style of singing. They also help publicize special concert performances as they occur on the mainland U.S.A. and around the world. To listen to the interview, click here.

Granddaughter of the late, great Aunty Genoa Keawe, Pomaika'i Keawe Lyman shares some of her favorite songs with us, live, over the internet airwaves and explains what it was like growing up with and learning from her world famous and beloved tutu. The interview was scheduled to help promote the upcoming Aloha Falsetto Festival happening July 18th at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center in Redondo Beach, CA. This will be the 2nd Annual celebration and the only gathering of Hawaiian falsetto (leo ki'eki'e) artists outside of Hawai'i. Pomaika'i is one of the special featured artists in this year's lineup which includes Hawaiian music Grammy winners and nominees all on one stage, plus hula, Hawaiian food, arts and crafts vendors, and more. Honoring one of the world's great ethnomusical traditions, the first-ever "Aloha Falsetto Festival" on the US mainland July 2008 was truly an historic occasion and this year's program will not disappoint. The other artists who will be appearing:
· Richard Ho'opi'i - Two-time Grammy Winner
· Weldon Kekauoha - Most Promising Artist, Favorite Entertainer, Song of the Year
· Leokane Pryor - up and coming singer from Maui
· Kekaimoku Yoshikawa - kumu hula and falsetto singer in Southern California

Don't forget to check out the interview where we also get to know kumu hula Mohala Reese of Halau Hula Na Meakanu O Laka O Hawai'i, a wonderful supporter of the Hawaiian arts community here in SoCal.