Three Maui artists and a father-son slack key duo from Waiehu captured the coveted Na Hoku Hanohano award, Hawaii's version of the Grammy, for their recording artistry Tuesday night.
At the 32nd Na Hoku Hanohano awards program at the Sheraton-Waikiki Hotel, performance and recording diva Amy Hanaiali'i, whose family home is in Kahului, earned a nod for Contemporary Album of the Year with her " 'Aumakua" compact disc.
Ki ho'alu (slack key guitar) virtuoso Jeff Peterson, an Upcountry Maui son, collaborated with Riley Lee to capture Instrumental Album of the Year honors for the "Haleakala" compact disc.
Father and son ki ho`alu duo Kevin and Ikaika Brown of Waiehu were among 16 artists featured on "Hawaiian Slack Key Kings Master Series, Volume II," honored as Compilation Album of the Year. The Browns played on the cut "Vaquero's Lullaby."
Kumu hula Keali'i Reichel of Wailuku collaborated with co-producer Fred Krauss and University of Hawaii Hawaiian language professor Puakea Nogelmeier to win Liner Notes laurels for the "Kamalei: Keali'i Reichel Collection-Two" album on the Punahele label.
Also, Lahaina resident Keola Beamer with brother Kapono Beamer, and Molokai son George Helm were among the evening's lifetime achievement award winners. The Beamer Brothers' pre-eminent "Honolulu City Lights" album received five Hoku awards 30 years ago, in 1979. And, the late Helm's dulcet sound paved the way for the Hawaiian renaissance in the early 1970s.
Other top winners at the awards program sponsored by the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts included veteran performer Pali Ka'aihue, who won three awards: two with his group Pali for their
" . . . With Aloha" CD that earned Album of the Year and Island Musical Album of the Year honors, plus Song of the Year laurels for his "Island Days" composition on the CD.
Double winners included Kaumakaiwa Kanaka'ole of the esteemed Kanaka'ole family of the Big Island for his "Kaumakaiwa" CD that earned him Male Vocalist of the Year and Hawaiian Language Performance honors; the young group Kupaoa, whose "Pili O Ke Ao" album earned Most Promising Artist laurels and whose "Uluwehikalunaoka-'ala" cut won the prestigious Haku Mele award for an original Hawaiian language composition; and the lively Holunape trio, whose "Ahea? 'Ano!" CD captured Group of the Year and Hawaiian Album of the Year trophies.
Also, the vintage collection "Many Classics, Kalapana Plays Their Best" by Kalapana garnered citations for Rock Album of the Year and Engineering 3 decades after the group's debut album in 1975.
Hanaiali'i's ninth album continues her spiritual musical journey that began a dozen years ago and adds another Hoku to her raft of such awards.
In his acceptance remarks, Peterson paid "tribute to the mountain where I grew up, on Haleakala on the island of Maui" and dedicated the award to "Uncle Eddie Wilson, one of the last true paniolos and my first mentor. . . . before I could wrap my arms around a guitar, he started teaching me," Peterson said.
Wilson, a Kula resident, longtime Maui musician and experienced horseman, died May 25 when he fell about 100 feet while riding his horse on Halemau'u Trail in Hale-akala Crater.
Peterson is a regular at the Maui Ki Ho'alu Festival. The free, daylong program will unfold June 28 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.
In true 'ohana fashion, the Brown father/son duo carry on the tradition of Kevin Brown's father, the late Harry Brown Sr., who played ukulele, guitar and steel guitar. Kevin and Ikaika Brown perform regularly as part of the Ola Hou group at the Unisan restaurant in Wailuku "for the love of Hawaiian music," Kevin Brown said recently.
The Hoku award for liner notes comes in the wake of Reichel's inaugural competitive appearance at the recent Merrie Monarch Festival hula competition, where his halau earned top honors in group hula 'auana (modern) and his cousin, Henohea Kane, was crowned Miss Aloha Hula.
* Kekoa Enomoto can be reached at kekoa@mauinews.com.
