2014 Grammy® Nominee for Best Regional Roots Music Album
Raised on homestead land in Waimanalo, Lolena ‘Lena’ Naipo, Jr. goes back to his roots with his band Kahulanui in their first release, Hula Ku‘i. Kahulanui is an inspiration passed down from his grandfather Robert Kahulanui. Lolena remembers stories of his grandfather who was a member of the Royal Hawaiian Band during an era when horns and drums were a part of Hawaiian music. It was from these beginnings that he draws from for Hula Ku‘i. “Throughout Hawai‘i in the 20s and 30s, one could find orchestras playing Hawaiian Swing and the house would be jumping. Kahulanui borrowed from these influences and performed classic Hawaiian songs in a syncopated style making Hawaiian Swing vibrant and alive in Hawai‘i today. With musical influences from Uncle Alvin Kaleolani Isaac, Ray Kinney, Sam Koki, Lani McIntryre and even Spike Jones, I am excited for you to hear Kahulanui with the Kahulanui horn section. It’s Hawaiian Swing at its finest and with today’s technology and the magic of GRAMMY® award-winning engineer/producer Charles Michael Brotman, you have one of the most innovative releases to come out of the islands. You won’t be sitting for long once you hear Kahulanui’s Hula Ku‘i… ‘ami aku, ‘ami mai, ‘ami ‘ami malie…“ – Skylark Rossetti
