The award-winning band Kanekoa will return to the ProArts Playhouse for a Christmas show on Dec. 20. Additionally, the band Kanekoa will open for Anuhea on Dec. 28 at the Aloha Garden Pavilion at the Ritz-Carlton Maui in Kapalua. Courtesy photo

Celebrating the holidays, Maui’s acclaimed Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winning band Kanekoa will return to the ProArts Playhouse for a Christmas show on Dec. 20, featuring a special appearance by Kathy Collins.

“It’s our annual thing,” says Kanekoa’s Vince Esquire. “We’ll be doing a full set of Christmas songs in our style. We’ll have Kathy Collins there to do her ’12 Days Before Christmas’ as Tita. And we’ll then have a set of our variety of stuff, and we may drop a couple of new Grateful Dead covers.”

Featuring Kaulana Kanekoa on lead vocals and rhythm ‘ukulele, Esquire on lead ‘ukulele and backing vocals, Don Lopez on bass and Travis Rice on percussion, the band released the marvelous “Make Any Kine Christmas” album in 2023 packed with classic seasonal nuggets like “White Christmas,” “Winter Wonderland” and “Silent Night,” sung with Hawaiian and English lyrics.

Guests on the album included soulful vocalist Danyel Alana teaming with Kaulana Kanekoa for a playful, jazzy take on “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” with a unique spin on the lyrics; a swinging, uptempo “Winter Wonderland; a sweet instrumental version of “O Holy Night;” and a charming version of “Carol of the Bells,” complete with a female choir.

“Arreanna Lerner sang background vocals on a lot of the songs for the Christmas album,” he notes. “Don (Lopez) had a solo bass arrangement of ‘Carol of the Bells,’ and I built a track around him.”

Fans of the band looking for CDs of “Make Any Kine Christmas,” will be able to purchase them at the ProArts show. “Last year we just did a small run of our own that we burned ourselves,” he says. “We’ll actually have professionally made physical copies this year.”

Known for their innovative recordings, past projects have included the brilliant Hōkū nominated “Songs From the Great Disruption,” which was one of the best albums ever released by a Maui band.

Produced by Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin, guests on “Great Disruption” included George Kahumoku Jr., Amy Hanaiali’i, Jake Shimabukuro, John Cruz, Eric Gilliom, Tavana, G. Love and Kumu Hula Frank Kawaikapuokalani Hewett. It featured striking covers of rock and Hawaiian classics like Led Zeppelin’s “Going to California” (with Esquire and Shimabukuro trading ‘ukulele solos) and Hewett’s “Aloha Ka Leo O Kahi Manu.”

Collaborating with Berlin on a new album, they shifted gears due to his Los Lobos commitments.

“We were in the middle of a project with Steve Berlin, but Los Lobos are really busy, so we have that project kind of on hold,” Esquire explains. “I figured in the meantime we might as well just work on our own.”

An all original collection, the new “Bring the Mana” album will likely see release by late January 2025.

Besides the Kanekoa album, Esquire is completing two solo projects. He’s working on a follow-up to “Tasty Jams,” his collection of jazzy instrumental grooves, with titles like “Guava” and “Grape.” And he’s refining his exciting “Funk Uke” project, with help from a couple of Prince’s old rhythm section.

“‘Tasty Jams, Volume 2,’ will be out probably by the end of 2025,” he says. “The funk project’s going great. I’m hoping for a March or April release. I’m taking my time, making sure I have the right players. I’ve got some pretty heavy hitters on it, and I’m making sure the arrangements and the mixes are right. I’ve got a bunch of projects. I’m producing music for other artists too.”

Along with the ProArts show, Kanekoa will perform on Dec. 28 at the Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, opening for Maui’s Anuhea, who will present “A Holiday Soiree” concert. She will sing songs from her new album, ‘Lotus,’ along with popular hits like “Higher than the Clouds,” “Simple Love Song” and “Come Over Love.”

“We’ll probably do a couple of songs with her,” says Esquire. “We will also probably be doing a studio song together next year as well. It’s probably going to be a single. We’ve all collectively known her for over 20 years.”

The Kanekoa musicians are looking forward to being back on the road next year. “We’re shooting for a pretty decent West coast tour in the summer,” he says. “We’re planning to be on the Mainland probably two or three times next year. The band’s doing great. We’ve gone back to our original lineup with Travis (Rice) on the cajon. We’ve been able to mold back to our original sound, which is more very improvisational, exploratory jam kind of stuff.”

Kanekoa performs at the ProArts Playhouse on Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $60 to $35, available at proartsmaui.org. Kanekoa will open for Anuhea on Dec. 28 at 5 p.m. at the Aloha Garden Pavilion at the Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua. Tickets are $45 for general admission, $100 for VIP seating, $35 for standing room, and $1,000 for a VIP table with seating for up to 6 people, available at ritzcarltonmaui.com/anuhea.