Led Kaapana is nearing his 40th year as a professional musician. His mastery of stringed instruments, particularly slack key guitar, and extraordinary baritone and leo ki‘eki‘e (falsetto) voice have made him a musical legend. His easy-going style and kolohe (rascal) charm have made him a favorite of audiences from Brussels to his birthplace on the Big Island of Hawaii. Recognition by his peers earned Led Grammy nominations in 2006 and 2007.
Dana “Moon” Kahele of Pure Hawaiian ancestry was born in Hawaii the second youngest of nine children from the late John & Lucille Kahele. At an early age, family were strong music influences exposing him to various instruments, singing in Choirs or having fun “jamming” at family luaus. His Dad had a large music collection of island and mainland artists that fueled his music desires. As a child, the Hawaiian Slack Key guitar was introduced to him by Jonah Kipi. Moon performs at the Annual Master of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festivals in Hawaii. The Ukulele, introduced by his Mom, was reinforced by Kumu-Ukulele Virtuoso, Herb Ohta San.
Jody Kamisato was born and raised on the island of Oahu. Kamisato began singing with the Honolulu Boy Choir at the age of eight. After graduating from Kaiser High School in 1995, he began his journey into the world of ukulele, learning from ukulele masters Jake Shimabukuro, Troy Fernandez, Peter Moon and Roy Sakuma.
A former pupil of Chalmers Doane‘s and a lifelong lover of all things ukulele, John Kavanagh was always willing and eager to share his love of music with others. Small Rooms: Rags, Jazz, and Encores for Uke was nearly complete when John died in May 2009. To honour his memory and to celebrate his life, John‘s friends and family pitched in to complete Small Rooms using the tracks that John had already recorded. The result is a beautiful, intimate portrait of a man and his music. John Kavanagh passed away May 19, 2009
the quiet american is husband and wife duo, aaron and nicole keim. a home-grown modern folk revival, their music incorporates traditional ballads, banjo breakdowns, raggy choruses, gospel duets and other dusty americana gems, all delivered on a wide variety of acoustic instruments. gathered around a single microphone, aaron and nicole present a concert experience that pays tribute to old time folk music traditions yet strives to connect to a modern audience. dusty back porch or shining concert hall, the quiet american reminds you why home made, hand crafted, american folk music will never fade away.
From an early age it seemed that Weldon took a keen interest in music. His natural musical abilities were quite evident even while in elementary school where he certainly stood out amongst his classmates. In 1973, his mother took him to audition for the Honolulu Boy Choir where his singing talents were quickly recognized by director Roy Hallman. As a member of the choir, Weldon participated in performances through out Hawai‘i and extensively toured the continental US, Mexico and Canada.
( from Pete's website ) My career has taken many interesting turns, so my resume looks like a compilation of several different people's...but it's all mine. I have sometimes felt like a musical "Zelig" because I've taken part in so many great moments, without ever having the burdens of fame and fortune. Instead, I've had great music, great friends, great audiences, and the greatest wife a musician could ever have, because she's a terrific musician, and I am always her #1 fan...
Michelle Kiba‘s ability to think big has resulted in an amazing career as a full time ukulele entertainer, recording artist, music educator and music therapist. Michelle first embarked on a creative path as a visual artist, in graphic design. But a repetitive wrist injury forced her to make a drastic career change. Michelle became a certified nursing assistant, earned a teaching credential, and eventually took a job as an Activity Director. It was through her work that Michelle’s inner performer found an unlikely outlet.
Denny Moynahan, whose stage name is King Kukulele, is a comedian, actor and ukuleleist with inexorable energy who has performed around the world, singing hapa haole and novelty songs. Wearing Hawaiian shirt, straw hat, ersatz grass skirt and lei, he has opened Hollywood premieres and performed at Disneyland, Universal Studios, other venues. He composed a promotional song about tropical fruits and fish for the Orange County Fair, as well as “I Don’t Eat Poop,” a song written for the California Board of Public Health as part of a campaign to discourage the spread of human waste at public beaches. The latter song was not used. But check out the genius of the King here at his personal site.
Raised in San Bernardino, California, during the 1970s, Klein’s early musical education came from her father Stephen Klein, a teacher and avant-garde animator whose taste ran primarily to Frank Zappa and Classical. Even more importantly, Klein’s grandparents regaled her with tales of New York in the 1930s (where her grandfather Marty Klein had worked as a stage magician), instilling a lifelong fascination with pre-World War II American popular culture into the young girl.