Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 5, 1 May 2017 — Sneak Peek: 10th Annual Gabby Pahinui Kanikapila! [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Sneak Peek: 10th Annual Gabby Pahinui Kanikapila!

By Lindsey Kesel Fluff up your feather hatbands and iron your best mu'umu'u - it's almost time for the pā'ina you've been waiting all year for, the Gabby Pahinui Waimānalo Kanikapila. On May 13, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., everyone and their aunties are invited to attend a celebration of music, culture and aloha. Cyril Pahinui and his wife Chelle host the annual event not just to entertain, but also to perpetuate the uniqueness of Hawai'i's musieal identity and preserve Hawaiian culture. The party is really a eontinuation of the legendary jam sessions that were held at the Pahinui home in Waimānalo during Cyril's youth - gatherings that grew into a phenomenon that is said to have spurred a true rejuvenation of Hawai'i's musical traditions. As the Kanikapila draws closer, Chelle is busy with tasks to ready the festival for the Na'alehu Theatre, the nonprofit organization that produces the event. She reflects on the event's humhle beginnings: We first stcirted the festivaī as a gathering for musicians li.ke in the okl days, to spend a day together just playing

Chelle hints at some of the exciting acts joining in this year, including Hawai'i Island performers like Aunty Diana Aki, Ben Kaili's group Kanakapila, Kunia Galdeira, Sonny Lim, Kevin KeAloha and

Christy Lassitar. Thanks to new sponsorship by the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, they've asked the Hawaiian swing band Kahulanui to play for the event's Anale, a group they've long had their sights on, but until now they simply couldn't afford to fly the nine performers over from Hawai'i Island. This year also features special tributes to the beloved members of the music community who were lost this past year - Palani Vaughn, Emie Cruz Jr. and Eddie Kamae. Vaughn will be featured on this year's event shirt. "He has always been a significant part of the Pahinui sound andprojects," says Chelle. "He was there in the backyard days and every year for the past nine years, always one of the first to arrive and the last to leave. It is a big loss for us this year." Cmz and Kamae will be honored with special performances by friends and family, as well. "The event has found its plaee in the community and grown every year," says Chelle. "We try to honor the old, the new and everything in between as we pay tribute to the legacy of Gabby, his musician buddies and Waimānalo as a unique cultural center." To commemorate a decade of successful Kanikapila productions, the puhlie is also

invited to attend the unveiling of a new statue of Gabby Pahinui in Waiklkl on May 26th. For more information, please visit gabbypahinui.com. "Hi'ilawe": Kī hō'alu master Cyril Pahinui debuts first solo live alhum Cyril's new live solo alhum is now available for your listen-

ing pleasure, featuring songs from several concerts in the early 1990s, plus a video of new recordings taped live at the base of the l,300-foot Hi'ilawe waterfall in gorgeous Waipi'o Valley, with all songs recorded on Cyril's 12-string Martin guitar. Alhum proceeds will support Cyril's ongoing recovery fromlung surgery last year, funding lomilomi and lā'au lapa'au treatments, with a portion of eaeh CD sold going to benefit Waipi'o Valley Community Organization. Purchase a CD and instant digital download of "Hi'ilawe" at www. cyrilpahinui.com - where you ean also watch a video of Cyril performing the title track at the base of Hi'ilawe Falls in Waipio Valley. The video is also included with the digital download, along with cover art, the CD booklet and "Hi'ilawe" sheet music and tablature transcribed by Jeff Petersen. ■

The original Pahinui Waimānalo Kanikapila at the Pahinui home on Bell St. in Waimānalo with, from left, Cyril Pahinui, Gabby "Pops" Pahinui, Bla Pahinui, Peter Moon, and Palani Vaughan. - Photo: Courtesy of Chelle Pahinui

music. We called some guys to eome over and we thought we wouhl just go to the park and play. Over a thousand people showed up, so the City & County said next year we had to get permits and security and insurance and tents. Cyril said he wanted to do itfor 10 vears and see how it goes. It is a big effort to put on a FREE eoncertfor 2,000 to 3,000 people, and every year I ask my husband, "Are you sure you want to do i.t? " He ahvays says, "We sai.d we wouhl do 10 years, so we do 10 years."

At the Third Annual Gabby Pahinui Waimānalo Kanikapila on Aug. 7, 201 0, Alan Akaka, Dennis Kamakahi and Palani Vaughan chat backstage. - Photo: Elaine Pergerslrom