“Mele” means song in Hawaiian, and the word itself has a musical ring that brings smiles to those who love the sounds of Hawaii’s many styles of music. On Saturday at 6 p.m., four Hawaiian music artists and ensembles, each
“Mele” means song in Hawaiian, and the word itself has a musical ring that brings smiles to those who love the sounds of Hawaii’s many styles of music. On Saturday at 6 p.m., four Hawaiian music artists and ensembles, each with a blend of island mele and hula of their own, perform at Queens’ MarketPlace in Waikoloa.
As part of Hawaii Tourism Authority’s “Ahamele: Monthly Hawaiian Music Series,” the free event will feature some of Hawaii’s very best: solo singer-songwriter and slack key artist Mark Yamanaka, Merrie Monarch-winning Hula Halau Na Lei O Kaholoku, the multitalented Lim Family and the legendary voice of Hawaii Opera Theatre’s “Bloody Mary,” Marlene Sai.
Na Hoku Hanohano winner Yamanaka of Hilo is known for a sweet and soaring falsetto style in traditional as well as modern songs. After years of study, he now writes poems in English and works with a translator to make lyrics uniquely Hawaiian in accord with his original music.
Hula Halau Na Lei O Kaholoku, under the direction of kumu hula Nani Lim Yap and Leialoha Lim Amina, has long set the standard for excellence in performance hula. Their grace and elegant style sweep stages around the world, including numerous title-winning performances at the Merrie Monarch Festival in the last 20 years.
The Lim Family of North Kohala is a musical legacy unto itself, from matriarch Mary Ann Lim who performed with her husband in the 1960s at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, to sons and daughters now renowned musicians, dancers and kumu hula in Hawaii’s music world. As a quartet, Mary Ann and her children — Nani Lim Yap, Lorna Lim and Sonny Lim — combine their special blend of artistry and aloha into a sound of music that stays in the heart.
In her more than 50-year career, Sai has appeared on musical and theatrical stages around the world, including New York’s Carnegie Hall and the Folger Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C., where she portrayed Queen Liliuokalani in a one-woman play, “Hear Me, O My People.”
In 2004, her very first LP release, “Kainoa” (1959) was placed on Honolulu Magazine’s iconic list of the 50 Greatest Hawaii Albums; and that same year, she received the Na Hoku Hanohano Lifetime Achievement Award.
The musicians and dancers appear in a complimentary performance, presented as a gift to the community and visitors by Hawaii Tourism Authority and Waikoloa Beach Resort. For more information, visit waikoloabeachresort.com or call 886-8822.
