• Failure notice from provider:
    Connection Error:http_request_failed

  • Submission Deadlines

    Advertising

    Thursday 4pm

    March 13, 2025

    Content

    Friday 4pm

    March 14, 2025

    To print on:

    Wednesday

    March 12, 2025

  • Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Google Plus Subscribe via RSS

Music

Stories regarding Molokai’s music scene

Artists in Residence

Wednesday, July 20th, 2022

Artists in Residence

MAC News Release

The Molokai Arts Center’s Artist in Residence program welcomes two artists this month. Both storytellers, one is a musician and the other a screenwriter.

Rafael Lamas is an orchestra conductor, concert pianist, creative writer, and Professor of Spanish Literature and Cultural Studies at Fordham University at Lincoln Center of New York. He has performed throughout Europe and the U.S. He is the current music director and principal conductor of the Academic Orchestra of Granada. Author of “Musics of New York” (Músicas de Nueva York, 2019), “Listening and Interpreting” (Escuchar e Interpretar, 2014), “Music and Identity” (Música e Identidad, 2008), he has also written several articles that appeared in peer-reviewed journals.…

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment

Instrumental Concert

Thursday, April 28th, 2022

Instrumental Concert

MAC News Release

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Galliard String Quartet (Quartet) returns to Molokai to perform with the Molokai Instrumental Music Education Program (MIME) on Monday, May 9 at 6 p.m. at the Saint Damien Catholic Church.

The MIME program began as a 21st Century class in 2011, taught after school by Bob Underwood and open to anyone who wanted to connect with music. The Molokai Strings and Community Band performed at community events and evolved into MIME. During the pandemic, individual musicians finessed into the more polished Septet that has wowed Molokai audiences with songs from Beatles to showtunes to pop.…

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment

New Artist in Residence

Thursday, April 28th, 2022

New Artist in Residence

MAC News Release 

The Molokai Arts Center (MAC) Artist in Residence (AIR) program is back! Two years ago, poet and prose writer Frances McCue’s two-week residency turned into months as the pandemic hit, quarantine was ordered and travel became restricted. We are pleased to once again be able to provide visiting artists with a respite from daily responsibilities to enable them to concentrate on their work. Musician and composer Anne Leilehua Lanzilotti will be on Molokai from April 25 to May 6 to work on two commissioned projects — one for solo oboe and another for a violin and viola duo.

Anne Leilehua Lanzilotti is a Kanaka Maoli musician dedicated to the arts of our time.…

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment

Meet the Artists: Kahale Naehu-Ramos

Thursday, March 31st, 2022

Meet the Artists: Kahale Naehu-Ramos

Community Contributed

By Na Heona Molokai

Na Heona Molokai (Artists of Molokai) is a group creating an exhibition titled “No Stop Light: Molokai” for the 3,600 square foot Downtown Art Center in Honolulu, in May 2022. In the coming months, we will introduce each artist.

What is your name and connection to Molokai?

I am Kahale Naehu-Ramos. I am from Lahaina and moved here when I was seven years old with my mom and sister. My stepdad Hano is from the east end of Molokai. I went to school and high school here, and now I’m done with college in California, so I’m back.…

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment

Meet the Artists: Kananikalā Bishaw-Juario

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2022

Meet the Artists: Kananikalā Bishaw-Juario

Community Contributed

By Na Heona Molokai

Na Heona Molokai (Artists of Molokai) is a group creating an exhibition titled “No Stop Light: Molokai” for the 3,600 square foot Downtown Art Center in Honolulu, in May 2022. In the coming months, we will introduce each artist.

What is your name?

My name is Kananikalā S. Bishaw-Juario and I’m called “Kalā.”

What is your art form? 

I play different genres of music using my guitar, and I sing. I play music once a week with Raymond Hiro at Hiroʻs Ohana Grill.

How did you get started? 

My grandparents Alexander and Anna Bishaw would play ukulele and sing together.…

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment

Playing for a Cause

Friday, March 18th, 2022

Playing for a Cause

By The Molokai Dispatch Staff

The Kalaupapa Backyard Band performed a special show last Friday night at Paddlers Restaurant and Bar. All proceeds from the tip jar will be donated to the Ukraine through the United Church of Christ and the Kalaupapa churches, Kana’ana Hou and Siloama, through their minister Richard Miller. Playing to a packed house, the band raised $850 for the cause, which will be sent to assist Ukrainians in need, being invaded by Russia. 

Miller, the band’s harmonica player, is one of the founding members of KBB and will be returning to his home in Pennsylvania on May 1 after almost 20 years of service at Kalaupapa National Historical Park and the churches.…

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Music in the Air

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2021

Music in the Air

By The Molokai Dispatch Staff

A church full of Molokai residents enjoyed a winter concert played by musicians of the Molokai Instrumental Music Education (MIME) Program last Wednesday, Dec. 15. The program is led by Bob Underwood and financially sponsored by the Molokai Arts Center. The young string musicians shared festive pieces at the St. Damien Catholic Church in Kaunakakai. 

A highlight of the concert was “Palehua,” written by Amy Hanaialiʻi Gilliom and William Kahaiali’i, sung by Keaka Kaiama and featuring percussionist John Aki. The group also performed pieces including the first two movements from Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” “Ave Maria” by Schubert, “Postcards from Russia” by Carrie Lane Gruselle, and “Mambo” from West Side Story. …

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Instrumental Concert

Wednesday, December 8th, 2021

MAC News Release 

Molokai Instrumental Music Education (MIME) program presents A Winter Concert by its Molokai Strings Septet under the direction of Bob Underwood. The concert will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. at Saint Damien of Molokai Catholic Church in Kaunakakai. 

The MIME musicians were featured on Jake Shimabukuro’s Live Molokai Library ‘Ukulele Lending Program Launch, recorded on Jake’s YouTube channel. The young Molokai musicians received kudos during the Live. You won’t want to miss this special event. Bring a friend!

This is a free concert, open to the public. Mask is required and hand sanitizers will be placed at the entrance.…

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment

‘Music of Kalaupapa’ Awarded

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2021

Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa News Release

Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa was presented with a Preservation Media Award by Historic Hawaii Foundation for its virtual concert, “The Music of Kalaupapa.”

The concert was recognized during a virtual ceremony recently along with seven other preservation projects and five individuals who were acknowledged for their longtime commitments to preservation of the islands’ special places and cultures. The Preservation Honor Awards by Historic Hawaii Foundation (HHF) are considered to be the highest recognition of projects in Hawaii that perpetuate, rehabilitate, restore or interpret the state’s architectural, archaeological and/or cultural heritage.

“The Music of Kalaupapa concert celebrates and memorializes the music and songwriters of Kalaupapa,” wrote Kiersten Faulkner, Executive Director of HHF in the congratulatory letter to Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa.…

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment

Molokai Music Students Release CD

Thursday, May 6th, 2021

Molokai Music Students Release CD

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

A group of Molokai musicians of the first ever cohort of students in the University of Hawaii Maui College Institute of Hawaiian Music have released a CD and celebrated with a live streamed concert at Hiro’s ‘Ohana Grill last week.

Over the last two years, the group remained intact through the pandemic and their compilation CD, called Awaiaulu ‘Ia E Ke Aloha No Molokai (Bound Together By Love For Molokai), features nine recordings, seven of which are original compositions by the students.

Natalie Sambajon, Kelly Kaawa Richardson, Lehiwahiwa Ritte, Valerie Temahaga, Po’okela Napoleon, Keakaokalani Kaiama, Daniel Pelekai, Jr.,…

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment