BY JOHN BERGER / jberger@staradvertiser.com
Talent plus charisma plus panache plus giant floral headpieces that would have done Carmen Miranda proud and made Karen Keawehawai‘i jealous were key ingredients in a winning performance as Kuini — Iwalani Hoomanawanuiikanaauao Apo (ukulele), Kapulanakehau Tamure (guitar) and Keli Mehealani Viernes (acoustic bass) — took top honors in the 2012 Ka Himeni ‘Ana Hawaiian singing competition at the Hawaii Theatre on Saturday, Aug. 25.
Ka Himeni 'Ana emcee Manu Boyd, left, and executive producer Rick Towill congratulated the members of Kuini — Kapulanakehau Tamure, Keli Mahealani Viernes and Iwalani Hoomanawanuiikanaauao Apo — after they won the 2012 Ka Himeni 'Ana Hawaiian singing competition. (Star-Advertiser photo by John Berger)
The trio was greeted with cheers and applause when they took the stage and maintained that connection with the audience throughout their renditions of “Na U‘i Kaua‘i” and “Kau‘ionalani.” They sang in three part falsetto harmonies for the most part but big reaction from crowd when they suddenly switched to deep lower-register voices.
Kaulele — Kaimi Keohokalole (acoustic bass), Casey Olsen (steel guitar) and Hiram Olsen (guitar) — placed second with “He Nani Helena” and “Palolo.” Komakakino — Michael-John Kekeikiinamakahoolili DeMello (ukulele/acoustic bass), Kinohi Pukaua o Kamehameha Neves (ukulele/acoustic bass) and Kyle Reid Koma Wana (guitar) — placed third with animated crowd-pleasing renditions of “Kou Maka U‘i” and “Pauoa Liko La Lehua.”
The contestants — eight groups in all — performed without microphones or amplified instruments; steel guitar is the only exception to the acoustic “unplugged” rule. They were judged — by OHA trustee Haunani Apoliona, Nina Keali’iwahamana, Aaron Mahi and Nola Nahulu — on the quality of their harmonizing, their pronunciation and use of the Hawaiian language and their overall musicianship.
In some previous years award recipients down to sixth place have been announced. This year only the top three groups were announced and received prizes. Komakakino was the only prize-winner from the four groups that performed before intermission.
Manu Boyd was in rare form as the sole emcee and proved a perfect choice; he wasn’t excessively comic or “bradda bradda” in style but not overly formal or tightly scripted either. Boyd entertained the crowd with personal asides (for example, he auditioned three times for Concert Glee Club at Kamehameha and never got in), stoked the rivalry between the Kamehameha Schools and Punahou, and spoke several times of the importance of not losing touch with Hawaiian traditions. He encouraged everyone to learn the real Hawaiian name of the place where they live and the name of the rain that is associated with the area.
Boyd also shared the meaning of the names of some of the competing groups, and explained significance of some of their songs. Komamakino can be translated as “the body has eyes,” he said, but looking at the group it can also be said that “the eyes have (a) body!”
The biggest “ya shoulda been there” moment of the evening came after the last group performed and 2012 Ka Himeni ‘Ana honoree Mahi Beamer returned to the stage to entertain the audience while the judges’ scores were tallied. He was joined by Boyd, judges Apoliona, Keali‘iwahmana and Mahi, and a talented group of friends and relatives: Milton Beamer Jr., Sunbeam Beamer, Marmionette Kaaihue, Peter Carl Beamer III, Gaye Beamer, Lei Becker Furtado and Ka‘upena Wong. Mahi played piano, of course, with Mahi on acoustic bass and Apoliona playing ukulele. There was hula by Furtado, Kaaihue and Gaye Beamer, and a single mainstream pop song among the Hawaiian classics — Mahi took the lead singing Billy Joel hit, “Just The Way You Are.”
Wong complied with Mahi’s request that he step forward out of the chorus and perform as a featured singer. He then capped the performance with a chant in Mahi’s honor.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime performance even by the standards of Ka Himeni ‘Ana.
The competition, created by Richard Towill in 1983 to encourage interest in traditional unamplified Hawaiian music, has launched or boosted numerous careers. Boyd and two of the other current members of Ho’okena won Ka Himeni ‘Ana in 1986 as members of a group named Kipona Leo Hawai’i. Nahulu won as a member of the group Waikahe in 1983.
Ka Himeni ‘Ana is open to groups of between two and five singers; at least half the group members must play an instrument. With the exception of steel guitar only unamplified instruments are allowed. Ukuleles, guitars and acoustic “stand up” bass predominate. Two groups this year used steel guitar, and there were some other welcome and promising variations.
Ha Wahine O ‘Na Honopi‘ilani — Ruthie Beldon (kala‘au), Shirnette Kalua, Kehaulani Samudio (ipu) and Nalani Smythe — used only pre-Contact percussion instruments for accompaniment. Barbara Martin’s pakini (wash tub, or, in this case, oil drum) bass gave Lokahi — Martin, Leo Cullen (ukulele), Albert Kaai (guitar) and vocalist Keahi Conjugacion — a distinct and memorable “old time” look; many members of the audience cheered her on when she got showy and started playing to the crowd.
The members of Kamakakino also embellished their nahehane (sweet, melodious) music with eye-catching showmanship. The hula movements they made while singing their numbers added a crowd-pleasing visual pop to their performance.
Also noteworthy last night was the number of professionals who had chosen to put aside their microphones and sound systems for a night and compete “unplugged” in a traditional setting: Tamure, Hiram and Casey Olsen, Conjugacion, Ocean Kaowili and Danny Carvalho, to name six. That’s another welcome result of Richard Towill’s commitment — now shared and supported by the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame — to perpetuate the tradition of nahenahe Hawaiian music.
Ka Himeni ‘Ana 2013 will be Saturday, August 24, 2013.
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John Berger has been a mainstay in the local entertainment scene for more than 40 years. Contact him via email at jberger@staradvertiser.com.