Celebration of life set for Hawaiian music legend

A celebration of life for Eddie Kamae, beloved ukulele master and a founding member of the Sons of Hawaii, who died Jan. 17 at age 89, will be held at 7:30 a.m. Saturday at Kaimana Beach in Waikiki.

An important figure in the Hawaiian cultural renaissance of the 1960s and ’70s, Kamae formed the Sons of Hawaii with Gabby Pahinui. The group released more than a dozen traditional Hawaiian music albums and was honored with a lifetime achievement award in 2009 by the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts. Kamae, a multiple Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winning recording artist, had been inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame two years earlier.

Other honors include an honorary degree from the University of Hawaii for his efforts to preserve Hawaiian culture and language, and designation as a master of traditional arts by the National Endowment for the Arts.

As a filmmaker he produced 10 independent films under the umbrella of his Hawaiian Legacy Foundation Series.

Kamae is survived by his wife, Myrna; a brother, Alfred Kamae; hanai daughters Jo Kamae Byrne and Kathy Medeiros; and nieces and nephews.

The family requests aloha and palaka wear — Kamae’s signature attire — for Saturday’s celebration of life and scattering of ashes by canoe. Instead of lei, well-wishers are advised to bring loose flowers. Donations may be made to the Hawaiian Legacy Foundation, P.O. Box 8230, Honolulu 96830.