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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Keali’i Reichel, nominated for best regional roots music album for “Kawaiokalena,” speaks at the 58th annual Grammy Awards on Monday.
For the fifth year in a row, Hawaiian music was an also-ran in the Grammy Awards competition as Jon Cleary was named the winner for his album “Go Go Juice” during the nontelevised portion of Monday’s 58th Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Maui kumu hula Keali‘i Reichel’s Hoku Award-winning album, “Kawaiokalena,” and Oahu vocalist Natalie Ai Kamauu’s “La La La La,” Hawaii’s two finalists in the category, were among the also-rans.
Reichel also presented several awards. Dressed in a gray polo shirt and wearing a shell lei, he welcomed the audience in Hawaiian.
This year’s other two finalists for Best Regional Roots Music Album were “Get Ready” by the Revelers and “Generations” by Windwalker and The MCW.
Cleary is a New Orleans-based funk and R&B musician, The Revelers are also from Louisiana and play Cajun, zydeco and “Swamp Pop.” Windwalker and The MCW is a Native-American traditional drum performance group.
“Kawaiokalena,” released late in 2014, won seven Na Hoku Hanohano Awards – including Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year – in 2015.
“La La La La” was released after the 2015 Hoku Awards and is almost guaranteed to be on the final ballot for the 2016 Hoku Awards in May
Even so, history has been made since this was the first year since the genre category for Best Hawaiian Music Album was eliminated in 2011 that two Hawaiian albums have been finalists in the same year. The current Best Regional Roots Music category was created 2011 as a catch-all for Hawaiian, Cajun, Native-American, polka and zydeco music. Since that happened, the Grammy has gone to Cajun or New Orleans-based roots artists and it has seemed that there was an unofficial quota of one Hawaiian album per year.
George Kahumoku Jr., a three-time Grammy Award-winning record producer, made the final ballot in the Regional Roots category in 2012. Weldon Kekauoha was Hawaii’s lone Grammy finalist for 2013. Kahulanui, an octet from the Big Island, were finalists for the 2014 Grammys.
Kamaka Kukona was Hawaii’s only finalist for the Best Regional Roots Music award in 2015, although Daniel Ho, born and raised in Hawaii but now a resident of Los Angeles, was a finalist in the World Music category.
They do not want MUSIC to get ANY awards…..just scream, use vulgar language, and repeat the same word over and over and you will win!!!
true..most so-called music today is just too horrible.
Skip and allie you sound old, you sound like my parents. Those darn whippersnappers…….
“Whippersnapers” Ha!ha!ha!ha!Good one scud.
allie and skipshrauder “Yells at Cloud”.
allie is better off saying, agree.
No such thing as horrible music. I would even give, allie, an award for her singing in the shower.
the, gasp, hip hop “culture”, that Allie refers to, is born in the drug trade and the price to pay for defusing radicalism organizing itself along racial lines. It’s ugly and harsh and stylishly obedient to the pressures it is subject to. It is a money maker for the scrum producing it, however, and as such, endures. As for Kealii, he ought to book himself for a leg of the canoe.
One thing that is winning in Hawaii is the homeless situation.
On the plus side, Bela Fleck and Abagail Washburn won a well-deserved “Best Folk Album.”
Bela Fleck…now thats good music, and he’s been doing it for decades!
So have a protest accusing the Grammy Awards organization of discrimination and have Hawaii’s own Hawaiian awards. Oh, they already do.
Nice that we no longer have an affirmative action program just for Hawaiian music at the Grammys. They actually have to compete with other artists outside of Hawaii.
the Hawaiian music today is not very original kind of boring to me. I kind of like Keali’i but his earlier work was much more fresher than his recent works. I love Na Palapa Lai and Kuana Torres. Hoku Z., Hapa. Take a listen to oldies, Olomana the first two albums, Kalapana, Cecilio and Kapono, The Brothers Caz, Gary Haleamau, Makaha Sons of Ni’ihau, Melveen Leed… When there music came out, wow.
We need to recognize innovators like Daniel Ho.
I’m not sure that lack of originality is a problematic as lack of of a deeply-rooted unique identity. Many if not most Hawaiian music recording now days are almost indistinguishable from other genres except in the use of Hawaiian language (which is often mispronounced or incorrectly phrased) and, as such, does not hold up well against other folk music. The subculture that supports the evolution and performance of popular Hawaiian music has become influenced more by commercialism and pop music than by the performer’s life experiences. Even some of the “oldies” that you mention do not compare to the spontaneity and nitty-gritty Hawaiian identity of recordings such as those by Alice Namakelua (unfortunately, not available digitally), Edith Kanaka`ole, Sonny Chillingsworth, Kindy Sproat, Genoa, Gabby, Pekelo and others. You can still hear this type of “real” Hawaiian-style folk music in backyard parties and some commercial venues outside of Honolulu. Bamboo Restaurant in Hawi is an example…weekend entertainment by John Keawe, the Kupuka`a couple and Pahoa… but that type of music is no longer known or available to the wider local population and is unlikely to come up for a national award program.
kuewa, a’ole ‘s’ in Chillingworth. But, you are right: Sonny and all those you mentioned are still the best.
The truth is, Hawaii would have had a better chance of winning with Tia Carrere…or Daniel Dae Kim (he lives in Hawaii, stars in Hawaii 5-0)…or Emma Stone (she played the “Asian” in the Aloha movie).
Miss the days of Kalapana, Country Comfort, and C&K. Those were the good old days.
Don’t let the Grammy decisions get you. down. I’m still going to enjoy Hawaiian music whenever I can.
Hawai’i has people from the mainland like, allie, who puts our music down, instead of bring back up. I think that they are called, transplants?
reggae is played all around the country, and around the world. Hawaiian music is played in Hawaii, in Hawaiian restaurants on the mainland (few and far between) and in movies. Its not a staple.
Isn’t what is now called “Hawaiian” music an amalgam of Portuguese, Paniolo, and country with lyrics in Hawaiian (sort of) language? One of my Kanaka Maoli neighbors told me that. She went on to say that, other than the chants, they don’t really know what pre-contact Hawaiian music sounded like. Is she right?
Interesting truth. And don’t forget, tourism has not only helped keep “Hawaiian” music alive, it has probably changed it to some extent.
Where is Hawaii’s leaders on promoting and funding our, Hawaiian music culture? Every other project gets to be funded in Hawaii.
The only new laws of late that are being mandated in Hawaii is the so-called harassment laws, such as no walking and cell phoning across a curb. No smoking on the beach. No laying down. No this, and no that! Sounds like a military boot camp to me. Non sense, if you ask me. How about something that is conducive to Hawaii future legacy?
Hawaii doesn’t even allow us to save a endangered animal’s life without ending up in court. At the same time, we could end up there if we do not render aid at the discretion of which side of bed our elected leaders in Hawaii woke up on.
No one appreciates Hawaiian music like Hawaiians . IMUA !!
All those no do that and this laws are a run up to prohibiting “locals” from gambling in the tourist mecca casinos they are drooling to set up. they have to figure out a way to keep uncle from gambling away money in one of these new casinos he needs to pay his property tax and water and electricity bills. native Hawaiians. Native Hawaiians. Hawaiians. 1778. 1893. 1920. 1999.
Anyone who has a penchant for music is able to appreciate music from every culture.
Who cares if Hawaiian music is not recognized by the Grammys! They will only recognize what they understand, or what sounds close to westernized music. Make great music and the recognition will come. Evan the Hoku’s is somewhat of a farce. If you don’t kiss the industry’s arse, you won’t get a Hoku…ask any musician. It should never be about the award, but how your music is accepted by the people.
You sound just like the crybaby monkeys screaming about the Academy exclusions. Sour grapes. Wah! Wah! waaaaaah!
at least one Hawaiian entertainer was recognized: Peter Fernandez. Maybe someone will produce a Hawaiian-themed album with him.
FYI Jon Cleary is a brit who came to new orleans and picked up the local style and hustled himself to recognition.
Music nowdays is…. pathetic… Real musician is no more…real musician is not appreciated… Only noise…