Hawaiian music, it’s all I know as far as my life.

I’ve been here, born and raised in Hawai‘i, and, uh, that’s the only, that’s the music I grew up around and I grew up listening to.

And to be able to, to do that now, it’s, uh, very gratifying to be able to continue to play traditional Hawaiian music.

Ma ke alahele ʻo Iesû I hālāwai aku ai Me ke kanaka ʻōpio hanohano Kaulana i ka waiwai Pane mai e ka ʻōpio ʻE kuʻu Haku maikaʻi He aha hoʻi kaʻu e hana aku ai I loaʻa e ke ola mau?

E hāʻawi, e hāʻawi lilo I kou mau waiwai Huli a hahai mai iaʻu I loaʻa e ke ola mau ia ʻoe Minamina e ka ʻōpio I kona mau waiwai I ke kūʻai a hāʻawi lilo aku I ka poʻe nele a hune Huli aʻe ʻo Iesū lā Pane aku i ka ʻōpio ʻAʻole aʻe hiki ke kanaka waiwai I ke aupuni o ka lani E hāʻawi, e hāʻawi lilo I kou mau waiwai Huli a hahai mai iaʻu I loaʻa e ke ola mau ia ʻoe E hāʻawi, e hāʻawi lilo I kou mau waiwai Huli a hahai mai iaʻu I loaʻa e ke ola mau ia ʻoe I loaʻa e ke ola mau ia ʻoe I loaʻa e ke ola mau ia ʻoe ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i wasn’t a part of my family.

Um, it was just something I, as I’ve grown to love and appreciate Hawaiian music.

I started to learn ‘Ōlelo, uh, through Hilo High School, and then went on to college to learn a little bit more.

And, uh, just surround myself with, with people who take Hawaiian language, uh, seriously and bring it back.

‘Auhea wale ana ‘oe lā Āi holo īse mālie E ka makani pūhili lā Āi holo īse mālie Mea ‘ole ka pi‘ina lā Āi holo īse mālie Mea ‘ole ka ihona lā Āi holo īse mālie ‘Uo‘uo kāohi pu‘u lā Āi holo īse mālie Ua lawa ka ‘ai pa‘a lā Āi holo īse mālie Haka mai ka maka leho lā Āi holo īse mālie I ke kākala o ka lūheʻe lā Āi holo īse mālie E hāliu i ke po‘ohala lā Āi holo īse mālie Neva mai ‘oe i ka pono a ha‘i lā Āi holo īse mālie Ha‘ina mai ka puana lā Āi holo īse mālie Ha‘ina hou mai ka puana lā Āi holo īse mālie Ha‘ina mai ka puana lā Āi holo īse mālie Ha‘ina hou mai ka puana lā Āi holo īse mālie Āi holo īse mālie Āi holo īse mālie My family and my friends inspire my music, and being able to travel afar sometimes through music gives me that opportunity to reflect on Hilo, on my family and my friends, and that’s uh, a nice time to write some music.

On the Island of the Valleys, in the early evening sky The moon rose high above us and shone on you and I Silhouettes of the palm trees sway to the sounds of the sea It’s you and me together, in a place so heavenly Maui under moonlight There’s no place I’d rather be Maui under moonlight Just for you and me As winds swirl down the mountain, Haleakalā It sings a sweet refrain of lovers deep in love Pā ka makani o Haleakalā Eō mai kona leo o ke aloha ho‘oheno Maui under moonlight The reflections on the sea Maui under moonlight Maui under moonlight Maui under moonlight Just for you and me I’ve held a day job for the last 13 years with Aiona Car Sales as a car salesman, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity because, you know, of, of course, with COVID last year, you know, everything I had as far as performances got cancelled or postponed, and I was really fortunate to have that day job.

I’m very grateful for the Aiona family.

I give credit to my upbringing as far as being, uh, humble and maintaining my humility.

Um, and I’ve always been taught that there’s always somebody better than you.

And I’m just here, as far as music, doing what I love doing, singing, playing guitar, and meeting new people, and, you know, I, I give credit to my parents, too, who always tells me to be nice and smile.

Ola nō ‘o Hawai‘i I ka lei lehua Ka wehi o Keawe Lei ho‘ōla o ka ‘āina Ola nō ‘o Hawai‘i I ka lei lehua Ka wehi o Keawe Lei ho‘ōla o ka ‘āina Līhau mai nei kāua I ke Kanilehua Pulu nā lihilihi weo Ho‘opūnono i ka uka He punahele nō ‘oe A ka nui manu Mai Ha‘eha‘e linolino A i ka mole ‘olu o Lehua Lei i ka nani mae ‘ole No nā kau a kau He leo aloha kēia A mau loa aku nō Lei i ka nani mae ‘ole No nā kau a kau He leo aloha kēia A mau loa aku nō He leo aloha kēia A mau loa aku nō Traditional Hawaiian is probably my niche, um, a certain calling, uh, to me.

Uh, I love country music.

Um, I would consider Hilo a real country town, uh, very low-key and just, um, like a grass roots style.

I keep it broad though to, to really connect with the audience.

I just want them to feel happy, and I want them to reflect on whatever song’s been performed, to reflect on, uh, their pastime, um, their family, their friends, their moments in life that that song can remind them of.

Six o’clock in the morning, got my kope to get me going I’m headed to the south side of the island The sun just started rising, nā manu vocalizing It’s going to be a beautiful day As I kalaiwa i uka on the slopes of Mauna Loa The never-ending beauty makes me smile Ka lehua ‘ula a me ka mamo and the nēnē flying by Smoke from the crater, Halema‘uma‘u, rising high into the sky Just a few things on my morning drive As I finish climbing, the road starts getting windy Kūpaoa in my speakers singing, “Bumbye, bumbye, bumbye” Ka‘ū desert on my left, Kapāpala on my right I’m so blessed to live on Hawai‘i Isle As I kalaiwa i lalo from the slopes of Volcano The never-ending beauty makes me smile Nā manu pīkake display their hulu, catch my maka every time Kuehu ka lepo in Pāhala, same old people driving by Just a few things on my morning drive As I finish climbing, the road starts getting windy Kūpaoa in my speakers singing, “Bumbye, bumbye, bumbye” Ka‘ū desert on my left, Kapāpala on my right I’m so blessed to live on Hawai‘i Isle As I kalaiwa i lalo from the slopes of Volcano The never-ending beauty makes me smile Nā manu pīkake display their hulu, catch my maka every time Kuehu ka lepo in Pāhala, same old people driving by Just a few things on my morning drive As I kalaiwa i uka on the slopes of Mauna Loa The never-ending beauty makes me smile Ka lehua ‘ula a me ka mamo and the nēnē flying by Smoke from the crater, Halema‘uma‘u, rising high into the sky Just a few things on my morning drive All these beautiful things on my morning drive.

Yeah, performing originals is a very, very nerve-wracking experience, um, you know, especially when you’re going to debut the song.

You’re always thinking, “How is, how is the audience gonna take to it?

Can they relate to it?

Or do they even like it?” So, it’s, it’s always a, a very tricky thing ‘cause a lot of the originals I do, right, is very personal to me and the experiences I’ve experienced, the people in my life, friends and family.

So, it’s, it’s really, um, very curious to, to hear how people to relate to ‘em, which people have in the past.

So, it’s really nice.

Kaulana nō ke one ‘ele‘ele ‘Ālohilohi i ka wela o ka lā Kono ka ‘olu o ka wai kai He aloha no Punalu‘u Kaulana nō ke one ‘ele‘ele ‘Ālohilohi i ka wela o ka lā Kono ka ‘olu o ka wai kai He aloha no Punalu‘u Pā mai ka makani aheahe Nenehe i ka lau o ka niu Hū a‘e ka ‘ehu o ke kai He aloha no Punalu‘u ‘Ākoakoa mai nei nā honu I ka pi‘i a ka ‘emi o ke kai E nanea, e walea iho nō He aloha no Punalu‘u Hia‘ai ka maka i ka ‘ikena I ka nui o nā pulelehua mele E hula ana i ka ‘ae kai He aloha no Punalu‘u Puana ‘ia mai ku‘u mele No ia wahi nani hemolele He wehi hiwahiwa no Hawai‘i nei He aloha no Punalu‘u Puana ‘ia mai ku‘u mele No ia wahi nani hemolele He wehi hiwahiwa no Hawai‘i nei He aloha no Punalu‘u He wehi hiwahiwa no Hawai‘i nei He aloha no Punalu‘u Livin’ A Dream was a song that I composed in 2020, and, uh, the only song I composed in 2020.

It’s a song that really brought out my, my gratitude for the things that I do have and the things that I appreciate most, which is family and where I’m from, and it’s a little morbid, the lyrics.

Uh, it says, there’s a part of the song that says, “If I die tomorrow, I will be satisfied.” You know, some people kind of reacted to that and, um, but for the most part, what I’ve heard, um, is that ‘I wanted to cry when I hear the lyrics.’ So, and that’s, to me that’s a good thing.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing when people cry when they hear original songs, but it just, it’s a, it’s a song to really be grateful for what you have rather than what you don’t.

I’ve been blessed to say the least, in this life of mine I got three healthy children, and a hard-working wife I got a roof over my head, with a bed to sleep just right I don’t need a-nothing fancy, I’d say I’ve been doing just fine I’m livin’ a dream, I’m livin’ the life I couldn’t complain, if I went to heaven tonight I’m livin’ a dream, I’m livin’ the life If I die tomorrow, I think I would be satisfied I’ve flown across this globe, and seen them big city lights I much rather have the country though, underneath the Hilo skies I got me and my ʻukulele, with a guitar by my side And a short glass of whiskey, and everything is feeling alright I’m livin’ a dream, I’m livin’ the life I couldn’t complain, if I went to heaven tonight I’m livin’ a dream, I’m livin’ the life If I die tomorrow, I think I would be satisfied I’m livin’ a dream, I’m livin’ the life I couldn’t complain, if I went to heaven tonight I’m livin’ a dream, I’m livin’ the life If I die tomorrow, I think I would be satisfied If I die tomorrow, I think I would be satisfied This program was made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

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