Entertainment

Nā Hōkū-winning group Ekolu to bring ‘Ekolulauleʻa’ to Kihei

Fresh from winning their latest Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award for reggae album of the year, Maui's Ekolu will headline an "Ekolulauleʻa" celebration Saturday at Kihei Charter School.

"Ekolulauleʻa is all about bringing everybody together and making it feel like one big family party, not just a concert," explained Lukela Keala, Ekolu's founder. "Ekolu music is feel-good music that you can vibe out to anytime, anywhere. It's for the beach, the backyard, family parties, for relaxation. It covers everything."

The group recently played to enthusiastic fans in San Diego. "The crowd showed us so much love," said Keala. "The energy was through the roof, and it's always humbling seeing the fans sing every single song that we do."

Their latest album, "Strictly Originals," which earned Ekolu its 12th Nā Hōkū award, marked the first time the group released a recording of only original compositions. Keala said he was inspired to create the project because of a challenge.

"I had started working on an 80s project, and an online troll said that we were doing an 80s album because we ran out of original songs," he said. "So I took that as a challenge. I stopped the 80s album and four months later, 'Strictly Originals' was born, and it ended up winning the 2026 reggae album of the year."

Keala had begun working on an 80s album back in 2012. "I wanted to pay tribute to the music I grew up listening to," he said. "If you love the 80s, I think you're going to have a lot of fun with this album. I had many nostalgic moments while recording each song. Beautiful memories of my childhood."

Keala formed Ekolu with Akoni Dellomes and Makapu Ho'opii while they were students at Baldwin High School, and Keala credits his uncle, Nā Hōkū-winning musician Kevin Brown, for invaluable guidance.

"My Uncle Kevin Brown, my mom's brother, was a huge part of my musical career," Keala recalled. "He taught me how to play slack-key guitar and reminded us that our talent is a gift from God. So stay humble, keep learning and always put your heart into it. Those lessons stuck with me."

His early musical inspirations included Kapena and 1980s music. "My mom had 80s music playing in my house every day as a kid. Prince, Fleetwood Mac, Richard Marx, the Pet Shop Boys, Starship, 38 Special and Bruce Springsteen."

The trio's debut album, "Down in the Valley," earned them a Nā Hōkū nomination for most promising artist. Their follow-up, "Shores of Waiehu," signaled a major creative leap, and then came their third release, "Back to the Valley," which gave Ekolu the distinction of being the first Maui band to win a reggae Hōkū.

"It was such a huge honor," he said. "I remember we were all in shock because we were up against some of the elites of island reggae music. Bands like B.E.T, O-shen, Nuff Sedd and even Fiji. So we couldn't believe it when they called our name and won. We are very humbled to carry that title."

Having grown up with Hawaiian music, Keala released his first Hawaiian album, which won male vocalist of the year and island music album in 2021. His sweet vocals combined with a gift for the language, artful instrumental backing and arrangements, and an obvious love for the classic tradition made it one of the most memorable releases of the year.

He is contemplating a new Hawaiian language album. "Hawaiian music is a part of who I am, so it's a must," he said. "I've got some cool Hawaiian tunes up my sleeve to share."

As far as themes in his music, "I just write in the moment of what I'm living, and it just so happens to be about love, faith, family, hope and home," he said.

Performing for over 30 years, he loves "seeing how our music brings people together. When I see people smiling, singing together, hugging each other because of our songs, that's the best feeling in the world."

"Ekolulauleʻa" will be Saturday at Kihei Charter School. Gates open at 4 p.m. The show runs from 5 to 10 p.m. The lineup includes Three Plus, Johnny Suite, Penni Dean and Nawai. Tickets are available at Eventbrite.