Taimane performed before thousands at concerts in San Francisco in July. Courtesy photo

Four-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner Taimane is among the musicians performing at the free 18th annual Maui ‘Ukulele Festival at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center on Oct. 19.

The stellar festival lineup also includes Paula Fuga, Kanekoa, Brittni Paiva, Rama Camarillo, Andrew and Jay Molina, Antony Pfluke, Benny Uyetake, the Hula Honeys, Pat Simmons Jr., Arlie Asiu, and Ryan Perez.

The 2023 and 2019 Hōkū Favorite Entertainer of the Year, Taimane recently released the evocative new single “Sad Girl” and a beautiful cover of Joni Mitchell’s classic “Big Yellow Taxi,” featured in the new documentary “A Paradise Lost,” debuting at the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival. It tells the story of the palila, a small yellow Hawaiian songbird whose landmark legal case changed the world.

Recorded in 1970, Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” became an enduring anthem of the environmental movement. Taimane’s version began when director Laurie Sumiye received permission from Mitchell’s management to feature “Big Yellow Taxi” in her new documentary.

“After listening to nearly 50 different versions of ‘Big Yellow Taxi,’ I realized the film needed a recording from and of Hawaii, one that captures the spirit of native Hawaiians fighting to protect sacred lands,” Sumiye said. “Taimane came to mind as the perfect artist thanks to her Hawaii roots and the deep emotions she summons with her ukulele and voice.”

Taimane will play “Big Yellow Taxi” at the premiere of “A Paradise Lost” Oct. 19 on Oahu and then head to the Maui festival.

“It’s about an endangered bird from Kauai, and they asked me to do the song for the HIFF documentary that’s premiering earlier that day, and then I’m just going to heli as quickly as possible to the airport to get to Maui. I’ll be there to meet everyone at the merch table and hang out and then play for the event.”

Released with a dramatic, stylish video in a luxury setting, her new song “Sad Girl” reveals a new side of her talent, drawing comparisons to Lana Del Rey. Taimane described it as “raw, moody, and far more risque than you (and I) would expect.” It was “inspired by the contradiction of heartbreak wrapped in luxury: crying in Cartier, lonely inside Lamborghinis.”

“That’s not me, but I think I needed to do that in order to understand that, so it’s a sexy video that people can enjoy,” she said. “It was a good experience for me to push that boundary. I learned a lot about myself, actually, through that video and pushing that boundary. It’s just a journey of finding oneself through music.”

Taimane produced a dramatic video for her new song “Sad Girl.” Courtesy photo

She also released “Pikake Princess,” an ode to Princess Ka’iulani and her enduring influence on the culture of Hawaii. “I am collaborating with the Outrigger Waikiki Paradise Hotel, and they asked me to write a song for Princess Ka’iulani as if she were still living now. If she were Gen Z, what would she be singing about? What would she be talking about? It was a good way for me to research, but I also wanted to be respectful, and instead of pretending to be Princess Ka’iulani, I found the similarities between us and wrote a song that would be honest for her and me. We both were hapa haole. We both travel and spend a lot of time in Europe, and we both want to make Hawaii proud. It’s a song that is true for both of us. The main theme is ‘we’re women of the world but coconut girls.'”

Acclaimed for mixing flavors of rock, classical music, fiery flamenco and Bossa nova into her original songs, this Oahu-based ukulele virtuoso has a combined global audience of around 50 million for her exotic music videos.

Known for her exciting live performances, Taimane has blown away audiences both nationally and abroad. In the summer she toured Europe, including a brilliant concert in Berlin. While there she was invited to play at a party during Paris Fashion Week and record for the prestigious German record label Deutsch Grammophon.

“I recorded a classical song with them and one of my originals,” she said. “It was more just like an experience of seeing how it would be to work with each other. It was an amazing recording studio with incredible microphones. So it was a great opportunity, and whether or not something comes out of it, we’ll see.”

And in July she performed two concerts alongside the San Francisco Symphony with over 25,000 people in attendance.

“To have 60 to 100 musicians playing your music is a magical feeling,” she said. “The Shoreline Amphitheater for the Fourth of July was probably 10,000 people. When you get in front of that big of an audience, I love that. That’s where I really feel like I belong. To be able to perform for such a big group and then also the Stern Grove Festival, with all of those people I just really feel comfortable. I hope to do more humongous shows like that.”

Joined by aerialist Andrea Torres, Taimane will perform at 2 p.m. Oct. 19 at the 18th annual Maui ‘Ukulele Festival at the MACC. Admission is free. A free ukulele workshop will be available at 2 p.m. Oct. 18 with registration at 1.30 p.m.