Music

Celebrating Song: Kanohowailuku Helm

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

Nominations: Contemporary Album of the Year

Album name: “Contagious”

The Molokai Dispatch (TMD): Tell us a little about this album.
Kanoho Helm (KH): It’s all original music that I wrote, and I’ve always wanted to put out an album of my own music. This is my first full-length album – there are 12 tracks – so hopefully there is more to come.

TMD: Was being nominated for a Na Hoku Award one of your goals?
KH: I’m actually surprised I made the nomination because I didn’t put much time into promotion because I had so much kuleana come up in my personal life and being a part of I Aloha Molokai [group against commercial wind energy], I just didn’t have time.…

Celebrating Song: Eddie Tanaka

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

Nominations: Island Music Album of the Year
Album name: “Mystical Molokai”

The Molokai Dispatch (TMD): Tell us a little about this album.
Eddie Tanaka (ET): There are seven original songs and four covers, and a lot of the songs are written for Molokai or have some relation to Molokai. It is basically easy listening music. It was written more or less to remember a place –for people who came to Molokai and went back home, the music would bring them back, which is what I wanted to do. It is something to remember in the future.

TMD: What does this nomination mean to you?…

Celebrating Song

Sunday, April 22nd, 2012

Three Molokai musicians get Na Hoku nominations.

The Friendly Island will be well represented at the 35th annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards. The Awards Show, hosted by the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts (HARA), is an annual event held to celebrate “the connections between music, our culture, and the spirit of aloha,” according to their website.

This year’s awards span 27 categories, and artists must submit their work to HARA’s Board of Governors in advance to be considered for nominations. Molokai natives Raiatea Helm, Eddie Tanaka and Kanoho Helm have each qualified as finalists in various categories in this year’s nominations, from Island Music Album of the year to Favorite Entertainer.…

John Keawe Slack Key Clip

Thursday, April 12th, 2012

Award-winning slack key guitarist John Keawe played at the Molokai Public Library for National Library Week. If you missed the show, here’s a clip.…

Micah G Concert

Wednesday, March 28th, 2012

Molokai music lovers flooded the dance floor when Micah G and his six-piece band took the stage at Paddler’s on Saturday night. Guests danced and sang the night away to an eclectic mix of cover and original songs performed by the Lovers Rock Reggae artist, brought to the island by Molokai’s own Paulele Alcon and his promotion company, Hawaii’s Finest . Micah G celebrated the release of his second album, which will feature his new singles “Good Man” and “All for You,” as well as filmed his “Rude Boy Love” video. Molokai band Str8 Vibe’n also made a guest appearance at the concert.…