Keali'I Reichel Lei Hali'A CD

Keali`i was born and raised on Maui, growing up in Lahaina and spending weekends and summers at his grandmother's house in Pa`ia on the windward side of the island. His passion for the language and culture of Hawai`i led him to become the founding director for Punana Leo O Maui, the Hawaiian language immersion school. He also founded his own hula school, Halau Ke`alaokamaile, in 1980 and has won numerous awards over the years. Keali`i is also recognized as one of only five Master Chanters in Hawai`i.In 1994 he independently produced and released a collection of Hawaiian traditional and contemporary songs and chants entitled "Kawaipunahele." His subsequent music releases, "Lei Hali`a" (1995), "E O Mai" (1997), "Melelana" (1999), and "Ke`alaokamaile (2003) have cemented his place in the Hawaiian music industry. All told, he has been awarded 19 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, and his consistent placement in Billboard Magazine's World Music and Heatseeker Charts has garnered him international attention. Keali`i has opened concerts for Bonnie Raitt, LeAnn Rimes, Celine Dion and Sting, and has played such diverse venues as Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl, and consistently sells out concerts from Honoka`a to Honolulu, Seattle to San Diego, Okinawa to Osaka. Keali`i retains his initial goal of presenting new compositions in the Hawaiian language for hula students, and works to dispel long-held stereotypes of Hawai`i's living culture and her indigenous people.

Recorded at Dolphin Sound, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Ho`okena: Manu Boyd, Horace Dudoit, Glenn Smith, Williama Aarona, Chris Kamaka (background vocals).

Producers: Keali`i Reichel, Fred Krauss, Jim Linkner.

Personnel: Keali`i Reichel (vocals, guitar, ipu); Robi Kahakalau (vocals); Alan Villaren (guitar); Jamie Lawrence (12-string guitar); Kapono Beamer (slack key guitar); Roland Chang (banjo); Claire Hazzard, Keiko S. Zou (violin, strings); Anna Womack (viola); Karen Bechtel (cello, strings); Janet Dubay, Karen Fujimoto, Sandra Wong, Hung Wu, Zhao Yu (strings); David Choy (soprano saxophone); Tennyson Stephens (piano); Bruce Hamada (keyboards, bass); Moses Kane (bass); Jess Gopen (drums); Snaps 'R Us (fingersnaps); Uluwehi Guerrero, Willie Coney, Olivia Donnell, Rachel Gonzales, Kwindolyn Hall, Leonard Piggee, Star Williams, Puakea Nogelmeier, Pauline Leilani Brown, Naomi Stephens, Chris Brussat (background vocals).

The Wai`ehu Sons: Kevin Brown (guitar); Sheldon Brown (ukulele); Danny Kapoe (bass).