Aloha mai kakou!
In today’s newsletter:

• Pakele Live! with Tony Solis – Kamaka Fernandez
• John Cruz – Eugene, OR (TIME SENSITIVE!)
• Kalapana – Irwindale, CA
• Breathe Concert - Honolulu
• Herb Ohta Jr. workshop – Whittier, CA
• Lima Wela tour – CA
• Hawaiian Musicians at Gordon Biersch – CA
• Patrick Ching Art Certification Course (for Teachers) - Waimanalo
• Mike Keale Farewell Concert – Santa Cruz
• Merrie Monarch Fundraisers – O’ahu
• Hawai’i Generations Tour – California
• Dr. Amy Stillman – UH Manoa

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This week Pakele Live! with Tony Solis marks the return of Kamaka Fernandez! Kamaka will be accompanied by Kimo Villarimo and Kaniela Leoiki.

If anyone could be described as having “Hawaiian heart and soul,” it would be Ryan Kamakakehau Fernandez. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, he was adopted at 6 weeks old by Robyn Nae’ole and taken home to Maui. It is there that his new family and home shaped Kamaka into one of Hawai’i’s newest and most refreshing talents.

Kamaka’s education played a huge part in his love and appreciation for the Hawaiian culture and music. He graduated from the Hawaiian Language Immersion Program and speaks Hawaiian fluently. One of his favorite pastimes was paddling for Maui’s Hawaiian Canoe Club. And he became enamored with the ‘ukulele and the art of leo ki’eki’e (falsetto) singing, which ultimately led to his taking top honors in Uncle Richard Ho’opi’i’s Leo Ki’eki’e singing contest in 2003. He is currently working on his first solo album.

Join host Tony Solis for Pakele Live! this Thursday, January 28, from 6-8 p.m. HST in the Pakele Lounge at the Ala Moana Hotel (410 Atkinson Dr., Honolulu). Although admission is free, your purchase of two drinks or soft drinks will help ensure the continuation of the Pakele Live! concert series. All ages are welcome, and free parking is available next door at Ala Moana Shopping Center.

You may also watch live online at: http://www.pakelelive.com/

(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.!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Last minute! John Cruz will perform at a house concert in Eugene, OR on Thursday, January 28. Limited to 40 tickets, $20 each. Email joanrippe@comcast.net to reserve your seat and get directions! The show starts at 7pm, but anyone who would like to meet John can arrive at 6pm with a potluck dish to share.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halau Hula O Na Ka Lokelani (The Pasadena Hula Roses) will open for the award-winning group Kalapana on January 29-30 at the Gano Excel Performing Arts Center in Irwindale, CA (4828 4th St.) Tickets are $15 and are available by calling (310) 462-5276. The doors open 6pm, show is at 8pm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 3rd annual Breathe Concert, featuring Willie K, Melveen Leed, and the Hotclub of Hulaville takes place at the Hawai’i Theatre in Honolulu on Saturday, January 30 at 7:30pm. Tickets range from $35 to $135, with $5 discounts available for seniors, students & military with valid ID, and Hawaii Theatre members. The Breathe Concert is a fundraiser for the American Lung Association in Hawai’i. Tickets are available at the box office or online.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Herb Ohta, Jr. has added an ‘ukulele workshop to his California concert tour. The workshop will take place on February 6 from 4-5:15pm at the Shannon Center at Whittier College – preceding his 8pm concert (with Jon Yamasato and Jennifer Perri). The workshop will focus on strumming patterns and Hawaiian turnarounds. Cost is $35. Reserve space by calling (650) 888-5010 or emailing aloha@hawaiimusiclive.com. (As noted in previous newsletters, Herb, Jon and Jenn will also be playing Feb. 3 at Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, and Feb. 5 at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Lima Wela (“Hands of Fire” or “Hot Hands”). The fast-strumming, string-breaking, boundary-pushing trio of Willie K, Joe Cano and Avi Ronen. You can't help but move to Latin, Hawaiian, jazz, rock and rhythm 'n' blues - a mix of what the band's founder Willie K. calls "Mediterranean-Pacific Jazz." They’ll be touring California next month:

Feb 18 – The Palms (Winters)
Feb 19 – Miner’s Foundry (Nevada City), 8 pm, $20 Tickets
Feb. 20 - Rancho Nicasio (Nicasio), 8:30pm, $20-$25 (lu’au buffet) Call (415) 662-2219 for reservations
Feb. 21 - Yoshi's (Oakland) 2 and 7pm, $24 Tickets
Feb. 22 - Don Quixote's (Santa Cruz), 7:30pm, $20 (cash only) (831) 603-2294
Feb. 23 - SoHo (Santa Barbara), 8pm, $17 plus dinner Tickets
Feb. 25 – Belly Up (Solana Beach), 8pm, $20 adv/$22 door Tickets
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

San Francisco Bay area peeps! Remember last year’s month-long series of Aloha Fridays that featured live Hawaiian music? It’s happening again in March at the Palo Alto and San Francisco locations (I haven’t yet heard if San Jose will again be included). I don’t yet have the complete schedule, but there was such a huge response last year I wanted to give you an early heads’ up. Stay tuned for details!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Hawai’i artist Patrick Ching will be conducting an intensive certification course for those who’d like to learn to teach using his methods. The course begins on Saturday February 6 at his Naturally Hawaiian Gallery in Waimanalo:

Learn Patrick Ching’s methods for rapid learning and teaching art. Completion of this course will greatly improve your understanding of realistic art, increase your technical skills, teaching skills, and give you a stronger preference for teaching Patrick Ching-sanctioned art classes.

Thirty years as a professional artist and hundreds of art students have contributed toward the development of this specifically designed course. You will be amazed at how good you really are!

Drawing
3 Step Drawing Process, Shading Techniques. Realistic Drawing Grid
Primary Painting
Color Wheel, Painting with Primaries, Color Matching
Painting a Sky
Wet blending Gradations, Glazing Clouds and tones
Painting Mountains & Foliage
Wet Blending, Glazing, Drying Genesis Paint
Painting Water
3 Basic Layers- Bottom, Middle, Surface

Course fee of $300 includes paint, canvasses and materials. Call (808) 259-5354 for information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mike Keale will be moving home to Hawai’i soon, but before he leaves he’ll do a farewell concert at Bocci’s Cellar in Santa Cruz (6 pm, Feb. 12). Also appearing will be Timmy "Kukia" Hunt, Vern and Vince Fernandez, Stan Meidinger and Patti "The Queen of Steel" Maxine.

Tickets are $10.00 and will only be available at the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘Tis the season for hula halau heading to the Merrie Monarch Festival (April 4-10) to hold fundraisers to help offset their costs. Two that are coming up soon are:

O'Brian Eselu and the men of Ke Kai O Kahiki, Saturday February 6, 11am - 2pm
Paradise Cove Luau Gardens at Ko'olina. Entertainment by:

*Sean Na'auao
*Tracie & Keawe Lopes - Ka La Onohi Mai O Haehae
*Kalaeloa
*Natalie Ai Kamauu
*O’Brian Eselu and the men of Ke Kai O Kahiki (with special guest Melveen Leed)
*MC’d by Kimo Kahoano

Tickets are $25 and include a buffet lunch, door prizes, and a bake sale. They will also have their new 2010 limited edition Ke Kai O Kahiki t-shirts on sale. Call (808) 479-1407 for tickets or email info@kekaiokahiki.com
___________________


Halau Hula O Pukaikapuaokalani, under the direction of Kumu Hula Ellen Castillo, Saturday February 13, Don Ho’s Island Grill, 5-10pm. Live music, FREE PUPUS from 6-7:30pm, silent auction. Tickets are available from halau members for $20, or buy tickets online. (There’s a $1 service charge per ticket to purchase online.)

An option to make donations directly to the halau is also available, and for those living on O’ahu, you may also click on a link to purchase some Ani’s sweet bread. (The bread will be available for pick up on February 13 from 10-noon at the Kailua Recreation Center.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

George Kahumoku, Jr. and son Keoki, and Dennis Kamakahi and son David, are embarking on another “Hawaiian Generations” concert tour in California this March. The schedule so far is as follows:

March 25 – Yoshi’s Oakland, 8pm.
March 26 – Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, 8pm
March 27 – Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, Cerritos, 8pm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And finally, this post from Dr. Amy Ku‘uleialoha Stillman, who is again nominated for a Grammy® Award for her expertise and work writing the Hawaiian language lyrics for Tia Carrere and Daniel Ho’s album “He Nani,” (which she also co-produced): “I have confirmed that I will be teaching at University of Hawai’i next year, when I will be Dai Ho Chun Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Departments of American Studies and of Music. In Fall 2010 I am teaching the undergraduate course “Musical Cultures: Hawai’i” (MUS 478B) and a graduate seminar titled “Critical Genealogies of American Music.” In Spring 2011, I will be teaching my undergraduate course “American Musical Soundscapes,” and a graduate seminar titled “Hawaiian Music Historiography.” This last will be a first on many counts – the very first time I will be leading a graduate-level research seminar in Hawaiian music; it is also the very first time that the UH Music Department will be offering a graduate-level seminar focused entirely on Hawaiian music. How’s that for making history?”

Ho’omaika’i e Dr. Stillman!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pau for now - e malama pono a hui hou!