Like other accomplished Hawaiian musicians, Weldon Kekauoha travels the world sharing his talent. Tours to Japan and the mainland have been a Hawaiian entertainer’s bread and butter since the 1980s, when the Waikiki showrooms were dismantled to make way for the disco and karaoke lounges that were fashionable in their day.
In the 1990s, Waikiki’s visitor industry started booking more Hawaiian musicians, but the work has never gotten back to the scale that it was in past decades when Alfred Apaka, Don Ho and the Aliis, and the Brothers Cazimero were playing in showrooms.
"We travel all the time, and we always talk about how we wish there were bigger venues of support back here on Oahu," Kekauoha said. "It’s almost easier for a visitor to see us perform on the mainland and in Europe than here."
But locally owned Outrigger Hotels and Resorts aims to make authentic Hawaiian music more accessible to visitors and kamaaina with the launch of a new initiative called E Mele Ana, meaning "to perpetuate Hawaiian music." The initiative, which kicked off on March 13 at the Outrigger Reef during a benefit for the Grammy Museum and MusiCares, expands the company’s support for Hawaiian music to more than a dozen events and promotions.
"For visitors, enjoying, celebrating and immersing themselves in the beauty of the islands — as well as the Hawaiian culture — is one of the top reasons they choose to travel to Hawaii. This also can be said of our local residents who are looking for memorable experiences in their own backyard," said Bitsy Kelley, vice president of corporate communications for Outrigger Enterprises Group, which was founded by her grandparents Roy and Estelle Kelley.
Kelley said that with the launch of Outrigger E Mele Ana, Outrigger Resorts is reigniting its commitment to Hawaiian music. "We’ve tried to create a wide variety of programs that grow beyond what we created six years ago when we made a home for Hawaiian music with the opening of the Kani Ka Pila Grille."
Cyril Pahinui, a Grammy Award-winning musician, said playing at Kani Ka Pila Grille harks back to the days when music was something that you learned at parties and backyard jams, not through private instruction and workshops.
"When I was young, there were lots of nice nightclubs and hotels where musicians performed. But they didn’t have all this educational stuff that they have now. Before, it was, ‘There’s a party at my house, let’s kani ka pila,’ which meant, ‘Let’s play music,’" Pahinui said. "Outrigger has given us a steady place to perform, and every night is different. It’s also given us a place to teach the next generation of Hawaiian musicians."
Kelley said musicians and patrons alike have embraced the informal style of Kani Ka Pila Grille, so it’s not unusual to see audience participation.
"Someone will spontaneously get up and start performing a hula," she said. "Another will grab an ukulele, and someone else will jam onstage while others sing along."
Sean Dee, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Outrigger Enterprises Group, said the beauty of those moments lends itself to advertising Hawaii in an authentic way.
"Typically, friends and family will videotape, and if they put those moments on YouTube or Instagram, there’ll be hundreds of videos out there telling our story," Dee said. "We’ll soon have even more opportunities to make this connection than we have had in the past."
Outrigger’s new emphasis will be evident in May, when the Mele Mai celebration commences. A monthlong celebration with eight events, Mele Mai showcases Hawaii’s music, hula and culture, and culminates with the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts’ Na Hoku Hanohano Awards.
On May 2, Outrigger Resorts will co-sponsor the Waikiki SPAM Jam. A stage fronting the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort will feature Ka Hehena, Brother Noland, Sean Na‘auao and Robi Kahakalau, Del Beazley and Germaine’s Luau.
From June to August, Outrigger Resorts will be the presenting sponsor of the Waikiki Aquarium’s Ke Kani o ke Kai Summer Concert Series. Also, on July 8 they’ll partner with Waikiki Beach Walk and the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association to put on the sixth annual Waikiki Steel Guitar Festival.
On July 19 the Ala Moana Hotel, an Outrigger-affiliated property, will be the official hotel sponsor of the 45th annual Ukulele Festival.
On Aug. 14 the Kani Ka Pila Grille Slack Key Jam will take place at the Outrigger Reef from 6 to 9 p.m.
Then, on Aug. 16, Outrigger will lend support to the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival, which will be held at Kapiolani Park.
On Aug. 22, Outrigger will host its Kani Ka Pila Grille Talent Search Finals at the Made in Hawaii Festival, which Kelley said has helped launch many locals.
"The winner gets a one-month paid contract to perform at Kani Ka Pila Grille," Kelley said.
According to Outrigger, Kellen Paik and Lihau Hannahs Paik, who make up the group Kupaoa, went on to win multiple Na Hoku Hanohano Awards after winning the first Kani Ka Pila Grille talent search contest in 2009. The 2010 winner was the group Pali Ohana, which is made up of JD Pali, Kealoha Pali, Kainoa Keana‘aina and Keoni Souza. In 2011, Ke Oahu, which is composed of JoAnn Iwalani Maio, Jonette Maio and Leilani Vaka’uta, won the event.
Kamakakehau Fernandez, who won the event in 2012, saw his debut solo album, "Wahi Mahalo," go on to win the 2013 Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Extended Play. The 2013 winners included the Na Pali Trio, made up of Ikaika and Kanialo Leoiki and Albert Makanani. Last year Kaiao, a group composed of Ku Souza, Ekolu Chang and Liki Tavete, won the event.
Moving into September, Outrigger Resorts will host the Aloha Festivals Royal Court at its Waikiki Beach Resort, Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort and Waikiki Beach Walk. The company also will hold a quarterly series called O Ke Kai, which supports the Polynesian Voyaging Society and the Friends of Hokule‘a and Hawai‘iloa.
But Outrigger didn’t stop there. Their latest music push also has incorporated Hawaiian musicians into the advertising. A recent ad showcases Pahinui at his guitar and says, "Is there a place where people not only sing in harmony, but live in harmony, too?"
Others depicting Henry Kapono, Kawika Kahiapo and Mailani Makainai tout Outrigger Resorts as "home of true Hawaiian music."
While most Waikiki hotels now have Hawaiian music, Outrigger differs because it’s made a commitment to do it seven days a week, said Summit Media’s Alan Yamamoto.
Also, using Hawaiian performers in advertisements is something that we haven’t seen in years, Yamamoto said. "Outrigger has really stepped up, and I think we’ll see more properties following suit."
Cross-promotion is good for Outrigger and for local musicians, Kekauoha said.
"Music definitely can be the face and image that triggers reflections. I don’t take that for granted," he said. "Done right, it can really attract people to the hotel. It’s also good for local musicians to have the flexibility to have a regular gig while having the opportunity to take a break and tour. It’s a chance for us to travel and share our music while knowing that we have a place to come back to where we can stay in the public eye at home. It’s a win-win for everyone."
To that end, Outrigger also will continue its Ku Haaheo music program at Waikiki Beach Walk, which takes place every Tuesday from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the plaza stage. They’ll also keep their Na Mele no na Pua Sunday showcase, which takes place twice a month at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, from 5 to 6 p.m.
State Sen. Brickwood Galuteria said that before he was a state legislator, he worked with Outrigger to ensure that Hawaiian music was written into the building code of its Waikiki Beach Walk.
"They wanted to be culturally engaged with the community, so they made Hawaiian music a compliance issue. Music is as much a part of Hawaii as its sun, sand and surf," said Galuteria, who is a Na Hoku Hanohano Award winner himself.
Galuteria said Outrigger’s decision to step up its involvement with Hawaiian music hits the right note for Hawaii’s music community and the visitor industry.
"It’s certainly music to my ears," he said.
