Nā Palapalai is a Hawaiian music band, originally founded in

Hilo, Hawaii Hilo () is a census-designated place (CDP) and the largest settlement in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaii. The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. It is the fourth-largest settlement i ...

. Founded by

Kuana Torres Kahele Kuana Torres Kahele (born September 7, 1978) is an American musician, vocalist, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and educator from Hilo, Hawaii. Known primarily for his original acoustic compositions, Kahele arranges traditional Hawaiian musi ...

, Kapulanakehau "Kehau" Tamure, and Keao Costa. The group arranges traditional and contemporary

Hawaiian music The music of Hawaii includes an array of traditional and popular styles, ranging from native Hawaiian folk music to modern rock and hip hop. Styles like slack-key guitar are well known worldwide, while Hawaiian-tinged music is a frequent part ...

, performing and recording with instruments such as

ukulele The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings. The tone and volume of the instrumen ...

, guitar,

ipu Ipu is a percussion instrument made from gourds that is often used to provide a beat for hula dancing. There are two types of ipu, the ipu heke (), which is a double gourd made by taking two gourds of different sizes, cutting them and joining t ...

, and upright bass. The majority of the lyrics are written and performed in the

Hawaiian language Hawaiian (', ) is a Polynesian language of the Austronesian language family that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language o ...

. The group has released a total of eight albums each earning multiple

Na Hoku Hanohano Awards The Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, occasionally called the Nā Hōkū Awards or Hoku Awards, are the premier music awards in Hawaii.Berger, John"A night of Na Hoku Hanohano" ''Honolulu Star-Advertiser''. May 22, 2011.Haug, Kawehi"Hoku awardees shine ...

, including Group of the Year. Several have charted in the top five on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Top World Albums chart,

History

In 1995, at 17, Kuana and fellow Hilo native and falsetto musician, Kehau Tamure, emerged as one of the most popular Hawaiian Music groups to date, Na Palapalai. They were raised on traditional music and laid the foundation for what has come to be known as their distinctive Na Palapalai sound. In 2002, they released “Makani ‘Olu’olu” to meteoric success and raves from the critics. Kuana's original, “Ke Anu O Waimea” is still the most popular hula song in Japan to this day. Na Palapalai has continued to maintain its popularity 20 years later and has released seven albums to date.

Hoʻopili Hou

After a lengthy hiatus, Na Palapalai returned to the stage with all three original members (

, Kehau Tamure, and Keao Costa) The album was recorded live at the Historic Hawai’i Theatre during Kuana's 2017 Winter Wonderland concert.

Discography

* 1999: ''Kaona'' * 2002: ''Makani ʻOluʻolu'' * 2004: ''Ke ʻAla Beauty'' * 2006: ''Ka Pua Hae Hawaiʻi'' * 2009: ''Nānea'' * 2010: ''The Best of Na Palapalai'' * 2012: ''Haʻa'' * 2018: ''Hoʻopili Hou (live)

Music Awards

Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards

The

, occasionally called the "Hoku Awards", are the premier music awards in Hawaiʻi and are Hawaiʻi's equivalent to the

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

. The awards are presented to the musicians exemplifying the best work in their class. Nominated 17 times and winner of 7

including “Hawaiian Album of the Year,” “Group of the Year,” and “Hawaiian Language,” Na Palapalai is on the playlist of everyone that loves Hawaiian/World music in the islands and abroad. A favorite of Hula dancers, Na Palapalai is internationally recognized for its highly spirited Hawaiian music. * 2000: ''Kaona'' - Group of the Year

References

External links

Kuana Torres Kahele
at the Mountain Apple Company
NaPalapalaiMusic.com
{{authority control Native Hawaiian musicians Musical groups from Hawaii Mountain Apple Company artists