Lukela Keala was born in Wailuku. He grew up in Kapuna Valley in Maui’s Waihee area, graduated from Baldwin High School, and went straight into music.
Keala partnered with Ata Damasco in 1997; the duo released a self-titled debut album, “Valley Boyz,” that same year. Two years later he founded Ekolu; the trio’s first album, “Down in the Valley,” was released that year. Ekolu won their first Na Hoku Hanohano Award (reggae album of the year) in 2005.
Fifteen years later, Ekolu has won the reggae category five times and has two wins for single of the year. Keala has an eighth Hoku for his work as co- producer of the trio’s anthology, “20 Year Anniversary: Timeless.”
Keala, 42, celebrated another career first in December when he released his eponymous, full-length solo album of mainstream Hawaiian music.
Congratulations on the project. What made this the time to do a solo Hawaiian album?
I was losing too many family members that were looking forward to hearing this album and I did not want to risk losing any more that were dear to me. I was always asked by my aunties and uncles, “When will the Hawaiian album be ready, boy?” So I felt that the time was now. No more waiting.
What was your criteria for choosing the songs?
It was based on feeling. These were songs that I grew up listening to and some of these songs triggered memories of family get- togethers.
What inspired the two originals?
These two songs were co-written with my niece Renee Telona, who is an olelo Hawaii speaker. She asked about my feelings of the place we grew up in. That is how the song “Kapuna” came about. As for “Uilani,” my niece saw how I see the strength of my wife, whose Hawaiian name is Uilani. She helped put into our native language — not only how I see my wife — but (how) everyone who she comes to meet (see her).
Fiji and O-shen have said that Hawaiians are the only Pacific island people who do not perform Jamaican-style music in their native language. Did you record “A‘oia” with Jawaiian rhythms to show that it can be done?
I did not know they said that, but with time, music is always evolving. I felt that putting my own twist or style on a Hawaiian classic would draw in the younger generation.
What’s next?
I’ve released the new Ekolu album, which was set to release the same date as my solo project. This was a last-minute project that was recorded in seven days straight from start to finish. This was a bucket list of mine to do a double release and I am so happy I can bring it to fruition.
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Review: Keala impressive with first solo album
“Lukela Keala”
Lukela Keala
(Waiehu Records)
Multi Na Hoku Hanohano Award winner Lukela Keala has been known for two decades as a successful proponent of reggae-derivative Jawaiian music, but on his first solo album he sings Hawaiian standards — often in a beautiful falsetto.
Keala’s falsetto is heard particularly well on Maiki Aiu Lake’s romantic “Aloha Kauai.” A hapa haole song, “Honoli‘i,” makes good use of his slightly lower register.
Keala in fact sings all the vocal parts and accompanies himself on slack key guitar. Co-producer Kapena De Lima provides almost all the other instruments. Eldred Ahlo and Todd Yukumoto are the horn section.
Two Hawaiian-language originals, “Uilani” and “Kapuna,” composed with his niece as his lyricist, honor his wife and his home district respectively. A medley, “Malie’s Song”/“Welcome to My World” brings a mid-’60s pop hit into the program.
Keala steps boldly into almost uncharted musical territory performing John Almeida’s Hawaiian classic “A‘oia,” with distinct reggae/Jawaiian rhythms. It isn’t the first time someone has combined Hawaiian lyrics and Afro-Caribbean rhythms but “A‘oia” makes him one of the pioneers.
Visit ekolumusic.com.
