Entertainment

Mele for Maui pays tribute to Lahaina with a host of Hawaii legends

After many years away, the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra returns to Maui for a historic "Mele for Maui" concert on Sept. 19 at the Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows, with artistic director Dane Lam leading 64 symphony musicians in an evening of music inspired by the island's land, culture and people.

"This is a historic concert for the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra," said Lam. "Now that the legislature has designated us the official State Orchestra, it feels right that we return to inter-island touring to celebrate the strength, resilience, and hope of the people of Lahaina. We're inspired by the people of Lahaina and their solidarity in rebuilding, and we hope to provide inspiration in turn."

The program will highlight an array of multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winning artists with Maui roots. They include Keola Beamer, Amy Hānaiali'i Gilliom, Raiatea Helm, John Cruz, Jeff Peterson and Kala'e Camarillo.

"We're very excited to bring the orchestra to Maui to celebrate Lahaina with some of the greatest artists in Hawai'i's history," said Michael-Thomas Foumai, the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra's director of artistic engagement. "We're excited to bring them all together, the first time that we've had six on one stage."

The evening will feature a few songs by each guest artist and some works by Foumai. "We're doing a piece that I wrote, an overture on themes from Queen Lili'uokalani," he explained. "I've had the privilege of working with almost all the artists through our HapaSymphony Series. I worked with Amy Hānaiali'i back in 2019 doing some of her charts, and I've worked very closely with Raiatea. Kala'e Camarillo wrote a song about Lahaina, and I've worked with Jeff Peterson and very closely with Keola Beamer. I worked with him to create the string arrangements for 'Lahaina Ola Hou,' which he just released. There's something about that music that just went straight to the soul and the heart."

"Foumai is kind of like my calabash nephew," said Keola Beamer. "He's done a full orchestration of my new song 'Lahaina Ola Hou,' so I'm looking forward to hearing the full orchestra play it."

The legendary Hawaiian musician's heartfelt tribute to Lahaina emphasizes a message of resilience, connection, and hope. "We all needed a little bit of a lift," he said.

Along with "Lahaina Ola Hou," he will perform his iconic "Honolulu City Lights" with the orchestra and a "trilogy of Beamer songs." He added, "I love the orchestra. The show is going to be amazing."

Jeff Peterson is also looking forward to collaborating with the orchestra playing "Maui on My Mind" and "Ka Wai O Kaupo," two songs he composed for Maui.

"Michael-Thomas Foumai is an amazing composer and arranger," Peterson said. "It's really an honor to be part of the show for Maui with the symphony."

Peterson recently played guitar on a new tribute, "Lahaina HI, (O Lahaina Kuu Home)," which features a chant by Raiatea Helm, composed by former Yale University music professor Ben Verdery, who recently moved to Honolulu.

Mele for Maui will also feature the world premiere of "Rain Shadow," by New York-based composer Sean Hickey. "We've also commissioned a new work by Sean Hickey," Foumai said. "His partner is from Maui, and he was very moved by what had happened in Lahaina and wrote 'Rain Shadow.' So we're excited to premiere that."

The concert is free, with companies donating their services, including Alaska Airlines providing plane tickets and the Royal Lahaina offering rooms for the musicians.

"Music has an ability to speak to us like nothing else," said Lam. "It helps us to come together, to think deeply, and to celebrate as one. Symphonic music is especially galvanizing because of the scale of it. Our HSO musicians are the Olympians of the musical world, the pinnacle of orchestral talent who live, work, and teach in these islands. We hope that this is the first of many visits to Maui."

The concerts marks the first time in a decade that the symphony has performed on Maui. "We're coming back and doing it in a way that is incredibly big and epic, building a 50- to 60-foot stage on the golf course at the Royal Lahaina," said Foumai. "This showcases the orchestra in everything it does, from classics to working with our local artists to commissioning new music."

Mele for Maui will start at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 19 at the Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows. Admission is free. It will stream live on Hawaii News Now. Low chairs and blankets are welcome. Gates open at 4 p.m. The concert runs through 9 p.m., followed by a post-concert gathering at The Branches until 10 p.m.