Duncan Kamakana, Hawaii’s latest contribution to “The Voice,” will join the list of performers at the suitably named Na Hoku Hanohano All-Stars Concert Saturday at Hilton Hawaiian Village.
Kamakana joins Raiatea Helm, John Cruz, Maunalua and ukulele wiz Taimane Gardner on the Hilton’s Great Lawn for the show, accompanied by Tihati Productions dancers. The concert is part of Mele Mei, a monthlong series of concerts, workshops and special events tied to the 2013 Hoku Awards.
Kamakana, son of Hoku winner and Hawaiian culture expert Jon Osorio, was performing at a Waikiki nightclub when he got his break after performing on a local Burger King commercial. The commercial landed him an audition on “The Voice,” where he was selected by Adam Levine of Maroon 5 after singing “Home” in the blind auditions. He was ousted in the second round in a match with Sarah Simmons, even though judge Usher told him, “You have a confidence that drives women crazy.”
The young singer is joined by plenty of talent. Maunalua won Hokus for its first three albums, including the coveted Hawaiian Album of the Year for his first, “Maunalua.” Cruz recently opened for Bonnie Raitt, and his second album, “One of these Days,” won the Hoku for Contemporary Album of the Year. Helm has earned eight Hokus, including two for her 2002 debut CD, “Far Away Heaven,” produced when she was 18. She also has received two Grammy nominations. Gardner has been burning up the music scene with her virtuosic versions of pop, jazz and traditional tunes.
Where: Hilton Hawaiian Village
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Cost: $35-$70
Info: www.hiltonhawaiianvillage.com/mele or 949-4321
TODAY
Kapono honors troops with ‘I’m Coming Home’
Henry Kapono has frequent regular gigs at Honolulu venues, but his show at Hawaii Theatre today will be something special.
“The quality of the experience will be great,” Kapono said. “We have dancers and a whole production, with choreography. … We’ve got taiko drums and warriors. It’s a big production.”
The show started with the base material of Kapono’s Grammy-nominated 2006 album, “The Wild Hawaiian,” which morphed into an entire production of music, dance and talk-story.
“We keep refining it every year, and now we’re getting in more and more requests for it,” Kapono said.
Those performances are often for private events and show a side of his life not usually seen by the general public, he said.
With this concert, “I get to share with the public and show them what else I do.”
The “I’m Coming Home” concert is billed as a tribute to the troops — those who serve in the U.S. armed services.
Kapono has been performing for troops for many years, reaching back to a tour of Vietnam.
“I have a good understanding of what they do and where their heads were at,” he said of soldiers. “I just want to show my appreciation and want people to know the things they do.”
The show includes state Poet Laureate Kealoha, taiko master Kenny Endo, a martial arts performance by the Au Shaolin Arts Chinese Lions, slam poet Jonathan “Intrepid” Sypert, the Wild Wahine Dancers from Kapono’s “Wild Hawaiian” show and surprise guests.
“Everything’s pretty unique and different,” Kapono said.
Where: Hawaii Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m. today
Cost: $25-$60
Info: www.hawaiitheatre.com or 528-0506
Saturday
‘Cantopop’ mixes Chinese sounds, Western tunes
Barinna Poon used to sing in her native Hong Kong. These days she’s involved in business here, but that background came in handy in putting on “Hong Kong Night,” a night of Hong Kong pop that returns to Hawaii Theatre on Saturday night.
“I’m able to talk to the singers directly,” she said. “I tell them, ‘Did you ever come to Hawaii?’ and if not, then I tell them, ‘Why don’t you come to visit?’ … Because it’s for me, I’ll take them around.”
Hong Kong pop music, also known as “Cantopop” (Cantonese popular music) is a mixture of Chinese music, jazz, rock and rhythm and blues, with the subject matter often sentimental and romantic. Singers perform mostly in Cantonese or Mandarin, although a few songs will be in English for non-Chinese speakers, Poon said.
The concert features four well-known artists from Hong Kong.
Suzan Guterres, above, is a multilingual singer of classical and pop songs.
Singer Jenny Keung got her start in a television contest.
Hon Yeung, pictured inset, is a former teen idol who went on to compose many hit songs for other performers and hosted a television show.
Lo Hoi Pang, an award-winning actor in Hong Kong who also dabbles in singing, will contribute his witty interpretations of pop tunes.
“He is a funny kind of singer, not serious,” Poon said, adding that Lo is 72. “He’ll take a song and change the lyrics, things like that.”
Where: Hawaii Theatre
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Cost: $25-$60
Info: www.hawaiitheatre.com or 528-0506
— Steven Mark
SUNDAY
Christian music artist Smith promises ‘intimate’ concert
Award-winning Christian musician Michael W. Smith brings his uplifting ballads and soft-rock tunes to Blaisdell Concert Hall on Sunday.
Smith has been a mainstay on the Christian and gospel music scene since his first album, “The Michael W. Smith Project,” which included the hit “Friends,” came out 30 years ago. Since then Smith has recorded 24 albums, winning an American Music Award, three Grammy Awards (out of 13 nominations) and 44 Dove Awards, an award given by the Gospel Music Association. His career sales top 15 million albums. His most recent release is 2011′s “Glory,” his second instrumental album.Smith grew up in West Virginia and became interested in music performing with the church choir. He moved to Nashville, Tenn., after a few semesters in college and wrote for many top Christian artists, who popularized his songs to the point where many of them are now included in church hymnals. He was gospel singer Amy Grant’s keyboardist for two years, giving him connections that eventually led to his first album. Many of the tunes on that album were co-written with wife Debbie.Though Smith’s performances are often grand affairs with an orchestra providing the backup to his keyboard, guitar and vocals, the Blaisdell concert is billed as an “intimate acoustic set.”
Where: Blaisdell Concert Hall
When: 7 p.m. Sunday
Cost: $35-$70
Info: www.ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000
TICKER:
The Punahou High School Chorale’s “Kumulipo.” 7:30 p.m. Saturday at St. Andrew’s Cathedral. Free. www.thecathedralofstandrew.org/music-blog