Saturday Briefing

By Kathy Hansberry  Waikiki Beach Walk® continues to showcase Hawaii’s best island talent through free concerts and entertainment, including the weekly Sunday Showcase music series, the Ku Ha‘aheo Hula Performance every Tuesday, and the bi-monthly Na Mele No Na Pua Kama‘aina Concert.

The Sunday Showcase concert is held every Sunday afternoon from 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. (unless otherwise noted) on the Plaza Stage at Waikiki Beach Walk. The event continues to draw crowds, as locals and visitors gather on the lawn at Waikiki Beach Walk to relax and enjoy various genre of music from talented island musicians, including Hawaiian, jazz, local island folk songs, contemporary, and R&B.

October Sunday Showcase Schedule

October 11 - Koolau Serenaders (Hawaiian)
Koolau Serenaders group members Al Ka‘ai, Eddie Akana, and Leo Cullen are all well-seasoned island entertainers who have performed in the company of Hawaii’s top musicians. The group’s Hawaiian-style arrangements and exquisite talent for harmonizing have been enjoyed by many on the Windward side of Oahu. The group now travels into Waikiki to share their talent with both visitors and kama‘aina.

October 18 - Tell Mama  (Blues, Classic Rock, Contemporary)
Tell Mama plays everything from blues to classic rock and highlights classic songs by legendary musicians such as the Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers, Etta James, Otis Redding, and Aretha Franklin, just to name a few. Tell Mama, whose members include Dale Machado, Jim Barry, Gene Koise, Mark Walker, Alison Aldcroft, and Alex Lanning, are sure to delight the crowd with a dynamite mother and daughter vocal duo.

October 25 - Ned Ka‘apana with PANA (Hawaiian Contemporary)
Ned Ka‘apana returns to the Plaza Stage for a Hana Hou performance with PANA, the talented duo of Gordon Freitas and Nathan Ioane. Freitas and Ioane collaborate with Hawaiian slack-key virtuoso Ned Ka‘apana for what is sure to be an electrifying afternoon concert. Ka‘apana has his own distinctive “nahenahe” style that evokes feelings and images of the past with overtones of the future. He draws from his rich musical heritage in creating beautiful solo vocal and guitar arrangements to selected traditional, contemporary, and original Hawaiian melodies. Ka‘apana brings with him years of musical history, as part of the legendary Ka‘apana ‘Ohana and Hui ‘Ohana.

Nā Mele No Nā Pua Kama‘aina Concert

Na Mele No Na Pua Kama‘aina Concerts are held every other month on the Grand Lanai of the Embassy Suites® - Waikiki Beach Walk® from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

October 25 - Kapena
Formed in 1984, multiple Na Hoki Hanohano award winner, Kapena has released over 20 albums and received numerous distinguished awards and recognitions from Hawaii’s music industry. In addition to their solo albums, Kapena has also been featured on numerous compilation albums.

Kapena’s hit songs, including “Masese,” “Red Red Wine,” “Sea of Heartbreak,” and “Raggae Train,” just to name a few, catapulted the group’s popularity to soar at a national and international level. In addition to performing throughout Hawaii, Kapena has also performed across the U.S. mainland from Alaska to Texas, as well as in the South Pacific and Asia, including Tahiti, Tonga, Japan, and China.

Today, Kapena whose band members include Kelly Boy De Lima (vocals and ukulele), Kalena De Lima (keyboards and vocals), Lilo De Lima (bass and vocals) and Kapena De Lima (drums) can be found performing in Waikiki.

Ku Ha‘aheo Hula Performance

Ku Ha‘aheo Hula Performances are held on the Plaza Stage at Waikiki Beach Walk every Tuesday from 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Tuesdays in October - Kumu Hula Blaine Kamalani Kia
Kumu Hula and entertainer Blaine Kamalani Kia brings the music and dance of the islands to life at Waikiki Beach Walk with Ku Ha‘aheo, “to Cherish With Pride.” The weekly performance features both adult and keiki (children) hula dancers, who share their love of the islands through song and dance.

Valet parking for up to four hours is available for $6 at the Embassy Suites - Waikiki Beach Walk (201 Beachwalk) and the Wyndham Waikiki Beach Walk (227 Lewers Street) with any same-day purchase from any Waikiki Beach Walk merchant.