 This week on Pakele Live! with Tony Solis we celebrate the release of Natalie Ai Kamauuʻs latest CD, “ʻĀ”!
A former Miss Aloha Hula (1990) and multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner, Natalie is best known for her powerful yet angelic voice – although she is also a talented songwriter. Her extraordinary talent and down-to-earth, thoughtful, and loving nature shine very brightly through her music, as they are an integral part of who she is.
No stranger to the Pakele Live! stage, Natalie began attracting attention when she was just a teenager, singing alongside her father, Howard Ai, for Hālau Hula Olana – but it wasn’t long before she began stealing the show. She released her first album, “ʻĒ” (“extraordinary”), in 2005 and promptly won Female Vocalist of the Year honors for her effort. Her second album, “ʻĪ” (“the supreme; best”) was released in 2008 and earned another award for Female Vocalist of the Year. (She also recently completed work on a CD for release only in Japan, her first with a full orchestra.)
The title of her third album, “ʻĀ” means to sparkle, like a gem, and was suggested by Manu Boyd of the band Hoʻokena. (Manu is also the cultural director at Royal Hawaiian Center at Helumoa, and is recognized as a Hawaiian language and cultural resource, composer, arranger, chanter, choreographer, producer and writer.) Natalie found Manuʻs suggestion to be an apt one for the album because she felt that like a diamond, it initially was “in the rough” - but with the help of a number of talented people, including producer Dave Tucciarone, the end result truly does sparkle.
Bryan Tolentino will be joining Natalie onstage for this celebration, and of course there will be hula!
Join special guest host Ben Gutierrez (from Hawaiʻi News Now) for Pakele Live! on Thursday, February 23 from 6:30-8:30pm HST at the Willows Restaurant (901 Hausten St., Honolulu). Those who are unable to attend can watch the live stream at www.pakelelive.com. (The show will also be edited for television and shown at a later date on OC16 TV and www.oc16.tv)
Admission is free and all ages are welcome. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. (Doors open at 5:30.) Guests may choose from the full nightly buffet ($34.95) or an a la carte menu created especially for Pakele Live! (and available only during the show), with prices ranging from $6 to $16. Drink specials are also available. Validated valet parking is available for $3.
Note: If you watch online, don’t forget to email the show at pakele @ lava.net and let us know you’re watching! Mention your name and where you’re located - city, state – or country, if outside the U.S.!
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Natalie Ai Kamauu CD rel party! (Pakele Live)
Posted - 02/22/2012 : 4:53:33 PM
