Tuesday, December 15 at 3pm HST join us for a special concert with leo kiʻekiʻe phenom Kamakakēhau Fernandez, live and streaming from Hawaiʻi Theatre.
Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Kamakakēhau was 6 weeks old when he was adopted into a Hawaiian family on Maui who reared him to be deeply rooted in Hawaiian culture, connected to his spirit, his ancestors, and this land. At school he cultivated a passion for 'Ōlelo Hawaiʻi and for traditional Hawaiian music. Eventually, his rare falsetto voice would reach beyond the islands and touch audiences around the world.
A beloved member of our community, the Pōpolo Project has joined forces with Kamakakēhau on a feature documentary as he journeys to his birthplace in Arkansas and onto his ancestral homelands in West Africa. This special fundraiser concert is not to be missed! Proceeds benefit the Pōpolo Project.
about the artist
Multi Nā Hoku Hanohano Award winning artist Kamakakēhau Fernandez, in his first solo Hawaii Theatre Center concert, will perform a benefit concert for the Hawaii Pōpolo Project on Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 3pm HST. If anyone could be described as having “Hawaiian heart and soul,” it is indeed Ryan Kamakakehau Fernandez. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, this 6 week old African American infant was adopted by Robyn Naeʻole and brought to the shores of Maui, Hawaiʻi. It is here that his new family and home shaped “Kamaka” into one of Hawaiʻi’s newest and most refreshing talents. He has performed on numerous prestigious stages within the State of Hawaiʻi, including the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua’s Celebration of the Arts, the Castle Theater at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center, Oahu’s Keiki Hula Festival, the Tahiti Fete, and the Grand Hyatt Kauaʻi, as well as stages in the continental United States and Japan. Kamakakehau was one of the featured performers on the 2004 “Aloha Festivals Falsetto Contest Winners – Vol. 5” CD; he was the 2012 winner of 4th Annual Kani Ka Pila Grille Talent Search; and he worked with multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano (Hawai\\\'i\\\'s version of the Grammys) award-winning producer Dave Tucciarone on his debut solo album \\\"Wahi Mahalo,\\\" for which Kamakakehau won the 2013 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award for Extended Play - EP!