Local News

Kani Kuola Music Festival to take place at Maui College on Saturday

The Maui News

KAHULUI--Among the highlights of the Kani Kūola Music Festival at the University of Hawaii Maui College on Saturday will be a a special "Wahine in Mele" panel at 11 a.m. that will include legendary Maui musician and Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee, Hulu Lindsey, female vocalist of the year Hōkū winner Paula Fuga, Grammy nominee and Haku Collective founder, Kimié Miner, Grammy nominee Liz Morales of Ahumanu, and female vocalist of the Year Hōkū winner Anuhea.

"I'm excited about the whole event," said Miner. "We're sharing our personal experiences in the industry. There are different generations, from different time periods, on the panel. The point is to provide a perspective of our experience and how it's been in the industry and offer females that want to get into the industry a little bit of ma ka hana ka 'ike, which is, you learn by doing. What we've been through, and maybe they can apply it to their careers moving forward."

A free festival, it offers guidance for anyone interested in learning how to play or record music, break into the music industry, and create state-of-the-art multimedia projects, as well as song composers who could win a scholarship to the annual Hawai'i Songwriter's Festival opening on May 30.

UH Maui College Associate Professor of Music and festival organizer Keola Donaghyv said he is especially excited about the "Wahine in Mele" panel.

"The industry has been so male dominated since its inception, particularly on the business side. But that's changing. Hulu Lindsey was an entertainer here before she was OHA board chairman," Donaghyv said. "She ran her music business and was hauling around and setting up her own sound systems to play at gigs. She's deeply knowledgeable, particularly for this island. Then Liz Morales, same thing here on the island. Kimié and Anuhea, they've really found their niche in the industry, the things that are helping make them successful."

The panel offers a great opportunity "for young ladies that are wanting to get in the industry in some way, and realizing too that you don't have to be a performer to be in the industry," Donaghyv said. "You can be an engineer or a media person or producer. There's so many different roles that you can play in the industry."

Besides the "Wahine in Mele" panel the festival includes several seminars with Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winners, including "Songwriting for Everyone," with Kenneth Makukāne and Tarvin Mākia, joined by UH West Oahu music professor Jon Magnussen and UHMC music instructor Thomas Goedecke. "Music Recording and Business" features UHMC lecturer Joel Katz and music industry veteran Ron Moss, a Haiku resident and son of A&M Records co-founder Jerry Moss.

"Music Performance Skills," will feature Grammy winner George Kahumoku Jr. on Hawaiian slack key guitar and Joel Katz on Hawaiian steel guitar. And "Creative Media Exploration," features UHMC Academy of Creative Media director and Maui Film Commissioner Brian Kohne, along with ACM instructors Christopher Magee, Adi Ell-Ad, and Barry Wurst.

Kani Kūola also includes a songwriting contest at 3 p.m. The winner will receive a scholarship to the Hawai'i Songwriting Festival on Hawaii Island. The scholarship is valued at $359. It does not include transportation or lodging. Registration is required, and free lunch and beverage will be provided to those who register and donate food or money to the Maui Food Bank. To register visit www.maui.hawaii.edu/music/kani-kuola-2024/.

The festival will close with a jam by some of the participating musicians. "We are going to have the mentors jam after all the classes are done," Donaghy said of the lineup. "So Kimié and a bunch of other folks will be playing music for an hour or so. Then the last section is the songwriting contest. That will be the finale."

Kimié Miner, Paula Fuga and Anuhea are also collaborating, along with Henry Kapono for a special Music Mentorship program presented by the Haku Collective at the UH Maui College on Friday evening and Saturday.

"The Henry Kapono Foundation is one of our supporters for my MeleCraft youth program," Miner said. "He's going to be the artist mentor on Friday during the audition. I wanted to bring my mentorship to Maui, so it was like divine timing. We're going to do another one later in September."

Offered to students and young adults, ages 14 to 22, during this free program, the musicians will mentor aspiring artists how to create quality music through an artistic approach, while learning skills that empower self-awareness, healthy expression, executive thinking and resilience. Registration is available at https://form.jotform.com/233327231364147.

The Kani Kūola Music Festival is presented on Saturday beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the UH Maui College's Ka'a'i'ike Building.