Saturday Briefing

By Nancy Daniels

On Sunday, September 20, new panels highlighting the ten 2008 Hall of Fame honorees were unveiled in the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame exhibit at Waikiki Beach Walk®. A special musical celebration was held to mark the occasion.

Halau Mele opened the afternoon’s performance with a special oli and chant in honor of the late John Keola Lake, one of the 2008 honorees and founder of Halau Mele. It was a “chicken skin” moment as the men and women of Halau Mele paid homage to their kumu with their voices joined as one, echoing between the buildings at Waikiki Beach Walk.

The Hawaiian term nahenahe means soft, sweet, and melodious, and that is what the audience enjoyed next with the beautiful sounds of Noelani Mahoe, Mona Teves and Ethelene Teves, three of the four original members of the Leo Nahenahe Singer, and also inductees into the 2008 Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame.

Concluding the afternoon’s performance was singer, musician, composer, recording artist, and 2008 inductee, Palani Vaughan, Jr., with his support musicians The Kings Own. It was a family affair for Palani with his granddaughters and nieces performing several hulas, much to the delight of the audience.

It was a beautiful afternoon of music and spirit in celebration of some of Hawaii’s most renowned musical artists; and as people were leaving, they made sure to stop by the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame exhibit to read about all of the 2008 Hall of Fame inductees, who also include Joseph ʻAeʻa, Elizabeth Leiluʻuhipolani ʻAlohikea, Alber Poʻai Nahale-a Sr., Alice Johnson, Thomas Kihei Desha Brown, Anueha Audrey Brown and James Kaʻupena Wong, Jr.

Make sure to stop by the display on your next visit to Waikiki Beach Walk!