Aloha kakou!
In today’s newsletter:

• This week on Pakele Live! with Tony Solis - Uluwehi Guerrero
• This week on Pakele Live! with Tony Solis (OC16 TV) – Tunana da Band
• Anuhea and Maunalua – O’ahu
• Kupaoa – Santa Cruz, San Francisco, and… Sacramento?
• Sympathies, Congratulations and Get Well Soon…

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Kumu Hula and Na Hoku Hanohano Award winner Uluwehi Guerrero is this week’s guest on Pakele Live! with Tony Solis. Celebrating the release of his 3rd album (“Uluwehi Sings Na Mele Hula Aloha - beloved hula songs”), Uluwehi ("growing in beauty") will also bring some members of his award-winning hula halau (school), Halau Hula Kauluokala, to perform.

Awarded Best Male Vocalist honors for his second CD, “In My Heart,” at the 2001 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, Uluwehi’s first two CDs were nominated for Na Hokus a total of seven times. This long-awaited third CD may very well add to his list of nominations and awards. Nearly one hour in length, “Uluwehi Sings Na Mele Hula Aloha” includes some rarely-recorded traditional songs, some old-time favorites and some originals. All are sung in Hawaiian, with Uluwehi’s own rich, warm vocal harmonies.

In addition to his Na Hoku award, Uluwehi has won top honors at several falsetto competitions throughout the state of Hawai’i. And the man apparently never sleeps – here are just a few of his accomplishments: he teaches ’ukulele; has a large and talented Hawaiian choir; has judged many hula competitions in Hawai’i, the mainland, and Guam; has given popular hula workshops throughout Hawai´i, North America, the Pacific basin, and Japan; contributes his time and talents through concert performances to help numerous local organizations in their fund-raising efforts; and has lent his time and incredible musical and vocal arrangements to other recording artists, such as Keali´i Reichel and Lei’ohu Ryder of Maui.

Uluwehi has also performed for different halau at the Merrie Monarch Festival; was a Special Guest Soloist for the sold-out holiday concerts with the Maui Symphony for four years; has performed with the Honolulu Symphony as a special guest for their Pops Concert Series; has performed at Carnegie Hall; and is a choreographer and designer of hula attire. He has been critically acclaimed from California to New York, Canada to Japan. His large-scale solo Maui concerts in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008 were all sold-out, standing-room-only gala events. He is a true cultural ambassador of Aloha.

Please join host Tony Solis in welcoming special guest Uluwehi Guerrero to the Pakele Live stage on Thursday, Sept. 10 from 6-8 pm at the Ala Moana Hotel (410 Atkinson Dr., Honolulu). It’s free, (no cover/no minimum), all ages are welcome, and there’s free parking next door at Ala Moana Shopping Center. Drinks are available for purchase.

If you can’t be there in person, watch live online at http://www.pakelelive.com/
Those in Japan can watch at: http://www.j-wave.co.jp/

You may email the show at pakele@lava.net – mention your name and where you’re located - city, state – or country, if outside the U.S.!

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Beginning Wednesday (Sept. 9) on OC16 TV and online, Pakele Live! with Tony Solis features Tunana da Band, with Tarvin Makia, Ron Kuala'au, and Hale Villiarimo. The show will continue to air daily (at different times – check the schedule online) for one week.



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As part of their “Shop with Aloha” special on Sept. 12, Kahala Mall (O’ahu) is holding a free concert and autograph session at Center Court with Anuhea from noon to 1 pm and Maunalua from 2 to 3 pm.
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Santa Cruz peeps - it’s confirmed! 2009 Na Hoku Hanohano Award winners Kupaoa (Lihau Hannahs and Kellen Paik) will play at Bocci’s Cellar October 28. You don’t want to miss this concert – I’ve heard them play live many times, and their harmonies never fail to give me chicken skin. Ticket info will be available soon…

For those in the San Francisco area, Kupaoa will also be playing with Kumu Hula Patrick Makuakane’s Halau Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu October 24 and 25.

And Sacramento area peeps, I’m working on a show for you, too. Stay tuned (and keep your fingers crossed!).
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Sympathies, Congratulations and Get Well Soon:

Deepest sympathies to Sacramento Borders General Manager Tom Hedtke on the recent passing of his mother. Tom is a huge fan of Hawai’i in general and Hawaiian music in particular, bringing as many musicians as he can from Hawai’i to his store for free in-store concerts. Musicians from here, used to having maybe 10 people (if that) show up at a local Borders in-store, are shocked when they see the hundreds who turn out to support them at Tom’s Borders. Our thoughts are with you and your ohana, Tom…

Get well wishes go out to singer/songwriter/musician Rupert Tripp, Jr., who was in a serious auto accident on the Big Island this past weekend. He was flown to Queen’s hospital here on O’ahu, and last I heard is in stable condition. Please keep him and his ohana in your thoughts and prayers!

I’d also like to send out get well wishes to Hawaiian 105’s Billy V, who in addition to his radio show also appears on the KGMB9 morning show (“Sunrise”), is the voice of UH Athletics and the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, and MCs numerous other events each and every day here in Hawai’i – and who constantly volunteers his time for worthy causes. He’s on the mend – but was finally forced to spend some time resting his voice and recuperating at home. Get well soon, Billy!

On a happier note, David and Lisa Kamakahi welcomed their baby daughter Michele into the world yesterday (09/09/09!). Uncle Dennis Kamakahi says all are doing fine and he’s finally graduated from “Uncle” to “Tutu”!!! (He’s not at all excited… first grandchild… LOL!). Congratulations to the entire Kamakahi ohana!

And finally, congratulations go out to Kellen and Lihau of Kupaoa, who became engaged earlier this week! It’s been a big year for them - Ho’omaka’i!
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Kala mai - this is a shorter newsletter than normal (I plain ran out of time – so much going on!). Be sure to watch for the next one – Sept. 19 is a popular day for Hawaiian events on the mainland!

E malama pono a hui hou!