Aloha mai kāua!

Welcome to my cyber-corner of the world where mele - Hawaiian music - and its connections to our community reside. I am excited to share my newest adventure with you, Waipunalei - my new album with loads of new songs and imagery.

Aloha nui from Hilo, Hawaiʻi!

The Waipunalei collection of mele reflect my love for travel with my gang whether in my own one hānau, an atoll in a different time zone, or a country where I can get my passport stamped. Time travel through the past, in the moment, and through the future is wielded in every purposeful delivery of the mele. 

The recording process in itself was a journey collaborating with over 20 of Hawaiʻi’s finest musicians with many meaningful conversations about our musical foundations, tradition, innovation, and the direction in which we want to take our musical legacies. May this humble offering to the Hawaiian music legacy honor our kūpuna, inspire the living, and provide insight about our life and perspective in the generations to come.

Mahalo to all my ʻohana, especially my beloved Kaniaulono, Hāʻenaala, and Kūaea. They were the first filters, critics, sing-along-ers, and dancers of this collection. To my Village People - the keiki care squad, the Māmā care squad, my Ts & Dears, Paʻi Foundation, and all the life-savers who helped make this project move forward, cheers to you! To all my fellow musicians who immediately said yes to my requests and helped me to fortify and elevate mele, mahalo a nui loa! And what are mele without its spark? Deepest gratitude to the sparkers, my inspiration.