Hawaiian World Music Festival

Hapa

Hapa Like the Hawaiian Islands themselves, HAPA's Pan-Polynesian music is an amalgam of influences ranging from ancient genealogical chants to the strummed ballads of Portuguese fisherman, Spanish cowboys, and the inspired melodies and harmonies of the traditional church choirs of the early missionaries. Add to this a dose of American acoustic folk/rock, and you have what has been described as the “most exciting and beautiful contemporary Hawaiian music the world knows!”… (Maui Times).

These disparate ingredients blended together musically in the Pacific emotes the unique flavor of what Hawaii and HAPA music is: “beautiful, fragile, spiritual, powerful”… (L.A. Times).

Often encapsulated as the “Sound of Maui”, HAPA’s music evokes a place that many people at different times have referred to as heavenly. The overriding quality of their music is one of beauty and serenity, found in the majestic tones of the oli (chant), mele (song), the elegant movements of the sacred dance known as hula, and the exhilarating innovative sounds of virtuoso slack key guitar. HAPA’s self entitled debut cd released in 1993, swept the 1994 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (Hawaii’s equivalent of the Grammy’s), becoming the biggest selling CD by a group or duo in the history of recorded Hawaiian music. The group’s ground breaking music has established them as the most recognized name in Hawaiian music internationally since their debut release, with sold-out shows from Tokyo to New York.

Written by Barry Rivers, President, Maui Film Festival
June, 2003

Ledward Kaapana

Led Kaapana's mastery of stringed instruments, particularly slack key guitar, and his extraordinary baritone and leo ki`eki`e (falsetto) voices, have made him a musical legend. He has been thrilling audiences for more than 40 years. With easy-going style and kolohe (rascal) charm, he has built a loyal corps of Led Heads from Brussels to his birthplace on the Big Island of Hawaii. Recognition by his peers earned Led Grammy nominations in 2006 and 2007.

Like so many Hawaiians, Led grew up in a musical family. In the tiny black sand bay village of Kalapana, there were few distractions. "We didn't have electricity, not television, not even much radio," says Led. "So we entertained ourselves. You could go to any house and everybody was playing music."

Often everybody was playing music at a backyard party, many of which lasted for days. "People played in shifts, taking over when somebody went to sleep," Led recalls. "You'd fall asleep to the music, wake up....and the music was still playing. That was the best alarm clock I ever had!"

It was at these family gatherings that Led learned to play in the old style, watching, listening, then imitating. Chief among his teachers were his mother, Mama Tina Kaapana, and his uncle Fred Punahoa. "Even today when I play, I still picture all the `ohana (family) getting together and sharing their songs and their aloha."

Although isolated, outside influences did creep into Kalapana. Like most kids his age, Led loved to rock and roll and also listened to country, jazz, and Latin music. When he'd sneak a riff from a guitar hit of the day, like Pipeline or Walk Don't Run, into his music his dad would tease, "Hey, that's not slack key!" But nobody ever stopped him, they just encouraged him to "play what you feel and play with aloha."

As teenagers, Led and his twin brother Ned and cousin Dennis Pavao formed the Hui `Ohana, one of the hottest groups of the 70s and 80s and now legendary among Hawaiian musicians. The 70s saw the blossoming of the Hawaiian Renaissance, and Hui `Ohana was a key part of that return to traditional Hawaiian culture and music. Young Hawaii Sings Old Hawaii, the title of their first recording, was also their statement of purpose.

The group produced 14 best-selling albums and made countless hundreds of live appearances, proudly sharing Kalapana's musical traditions. Led later formed another trio, I Kona, releasing 6 albums with that group, including Na Hoku Hanohano Award winner, Jus' Press.

He has also released a number of solo albums, including two Na Hoku Hanohano Instrumental Album of the Year winners, Lima Wela and Black Sand. Ki Ho`alu, Hawaiian Slack Key and Grandmaster Slack Key both received Grammy nominations.

While recording for Dancing Cat Records, Led produced a number of solo projects, duets, and a project with Allison Krauss, Jerry Douglas, and other bluegrass legends called Waltz of the Wind. He has worked with Dolly Parton, Chet Atkins, and many other Nashville notables. Back at home, he has shared his talents on recordings with most of Hawaii's top talents, including Aunty Genoa Keawe, Barney Isaacs, The Ho`opi`i Brothers, Melveen Leed, the Pahinui Brothers, Amy Hanaiali`i, and countless others. Led formed his own recording company, Jus' Press Productions in 2008. His Force of Nature CD, with 12-string virtuoso Mike Kaawa, releases September 9, 2008.

Led tours the US extensively and has also appeared in Belgium, Germany, Canada, Japan, and Tahiti. When home in Hawaii, Led can be found on Sunday evenings at Kona Brewing Company in Hawaii Kai where local talent and visiting musicians from the four corners of the globe drop in to join the "back yard" party.

John Cruz

From the time he was a young boy growing up in Palolo Valley on Oahu, John Cruz knew he was destined to play music. Whether inside or outside the home, his earliest memories were filled with song. His Hawaiian grandmother had a beautiful voice and sang in church. His mom loved the Motown sound and had an extensive record collection. His dad played country music and taught John to perform live shows at a very young age. His brothers and sisters were all musically inclined and, along with numerous aunties, uncles, cousins, neighbors and friends, they have surrounded John with the gift of music for his entire life.

Although John grew up in Hawaii, it wasn't until he moved to the East Coast in 1983 that he developed his own style as a singer songwriter. During his 12 years in the Northeast, John cut his musical teeth in subways, coffeehouses and bars in New York's Greenwich Village, as well as in the clubs and local haunts from Martha's Vineyard to the Boston area. While attending the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, John ventured in to acting and dancing, which strengthened his command of the stage.

He spent six years in theatre and dance companies, performing everywhere from Lincoln Center to Washington D.C. As a member of the prestigious New World Theater, John played the lead role in "The Dance and the Railroad," by Tony Award winning Broadway playwright, David Henry Hwang, of M. Butterfly fame. John's outstanding performance was nationally recognized in the finals of a collegiate drama competition.

John returned to Hawaii in 1995 to help his brother Ernie record his album. At the time, Ernie was in the immensely popular band, the Ka'au Crater Boys. He invited John to play bass with them and to play his own songs during their shows. The exposure to large crowds gave John's music a substantial fan base before it was even recorded. When his first album, Acoustic Soul was released in 1996, it made an artistic and commercial impact like few other recordings in Hawaiian musical history.

Acoustic Soul to date has sold about 100,000 copies in Hawaii alone. John produced the album himself and released it on his own label, Lilikoi Records. It spawned the radio hits "Shine On," "Sitting in Limbo" and "Island Style," which has become a local anthem. Most songs from the album still receive daily radio airplay and can be heard on numerous compilation CDs, in hotels, airports, shopping malls, school music classes, commercials and just about everywhere else music is played within the state. Acoustic Soul won two Na Hoku Hanohano Awards in 1997 -- one for Contemporary Album of the Year and one for Most Promising Artist.

In 2005, John added the Grammy Award to his list of honors. His original song "Jo Bo's Night" was featured on the compilation CD Slack Key Guitar Volume 2, which won the first Grammy ever awarded for Hawaiian music.

Over the years, John has attracted some stellar fans. Stars like Jack Johnson, Jackson Browne, Jimmy Buffett, Lisa Loeb, Trey Anastasio and others, have shown their support in various ways. John co-wrote a song with Trey called "A Case of Ice and Snow," which was released on the Phish frontman's solo CD, Bar 17. World Champion surfer Kelly Slater featured three of John's songs on his DVD, "Letting Go," in 2006. Jack Johnson has released "Island Style" on several CDs and plays it frequently in concert. John joined Robert Plant and Allison Krauss, along with other quality singer songwriters, on the WMVY radio compilation CD, Fresh Produce Volume 4, with his hit song "Missing You."

In October 2006, a documentary film on his life, "Made of Music - The Story of John Cruz," debuted at the Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival in Honolulu. A few weeks later, it was honored with the Aloha Visionary Filmmaker Award at the Molokai Film Festival. It features John's signature candor and wit, as well as a personal story that tugs at the heartstrings, and music that will delight and inspire. Jack Johnson, Jackson Browne, Kelly Slater and Jake Shimabukuro add color and insight to an already powerful story. John is the official spokesman for Sprint Hawaii's Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, which donates free ukuleles to school music programs in need. He visits classrooms and gives surprise performances to inspire kids to achieve and believe in themselves.

John's recent touring has included stops at the massive Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Summerstage in New York's Central Park, Carnegie Hall and prominent national venues up and down both coasts. He played 4 gala events at Barack Obama's inauguration in January and an astounding 14 shows at the prestigious SXSW (South by Southwest) music festival in Austin Texas in March 2009, as one of the first Hawaiians ever invited to showcase there.

John has distinguished himself as one of the most talented songwriters that has ever come from Hawaii. Hawaii Magazine named him the Best Singer Songwriter in Hawaii in 2008. After a classic hit first album, this well-earned reputation became even more solidified when he released his long-awaited second album, One of These Days, on September 25th, 2007. After its debut week, the album landed firmly at #1 in Hawaii, #2 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart for the Pacific Region and #6 on the Billboard World Chart. Critics described it as "brilliant" and "one of the year's finest albums, local or otherwise." The Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts gave the CD its highest honor in June of 2008, by awarding John the Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Contemporary Album of the Year. It delivers more of the warm, heartfelt melodies and passionate, soulful vocals that John's fans have grown to know and love.