Natalie Ai Kamau‘u will perform at Ho‘okani Mānoa this Friday, February 3, from 7-9:30PM on the UH-Mānoa campus, Hemenway Courtyard. Best of all, it’s free.

Tomorrow evening, Tuesday, January 31, KITV will have two music programs in prime-time. At 8PM, they will broadcast “Live From The Lawn,” which features the music of this year’s Grammy Award nominees. At 9, there is a program of performances from the Hāmākua Music Festival, though I don’t have a list of performers for that.

Wow. Not even two hours after posting todays podcast I noticed that had already been download more than 50 times, and I’ve gotten questions and feedback. One correspondent asked if there were any other Hawaiian language podcasts. I don’t know. This might be the first, but whether it is the first or not is not important. What is important is that there is now most definitely one, and that there will be more, from myself and others. If anyone knows of any other podcasts in the Hawaiian language please let me know so I can link to them. One correspondent suggested that I mix Hawaiian and English in the podcast. That is a possibility, but one that is far less appealing to me than perhaps alterating Hawaiian and English podcasts, depending on the content of the podcast and the artist(s) featured. Mahalo to everyone for the emails.

Update: Just got my first not-so-nice email on the Hawaiian podcast – “Since I do not speak Hawaiian, I will not be able to listen to your podcast anymore or buy Hawaiian performers CDs. Have a nice day.” Someone is not going to buy a Hawaiian CD because I did a podcast in Hawaiian. Lord, forgive me. It’s the end of the world!

My apologies for being a bit off topic, but this is simply the best movie short I’ve ever watched. “A bored Chinese shopkeep learns Gaelic and moves to Dublin only to find the locals no longer speak their mother tongue. Follow Yu Ming as he pursues his dream of life in the Celtic world.” To put it into perspective, imagine this fellow learning Hawaiian and coming here instead of Ireland. I was nearly in tears at one point, and laughing my behind off the next.

Aloha kākou. A number of urgent projects took precedent, and I was unable to put a podcast together this past weekend. I’ll do a special “make up” podcast this weekend, and already have an exciting new release to preview on it.

The Star-Bulletin’s Gary Ryan offers an insightful piece into the talented young Ms. Helm. She joins Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole as well as with special guests, kumu hula Snowbird Bento (Ka Pa Hula O Ka Lei Lehua) and Kaleo Trinidad (Ka Leo O Laka I Ka Hikina O Ka La) at the “Hana Hou!” concert series tonight at the Hawai‘i Theatre. Time: 8 p.m. Tickets: $30, with discounts for military and seniors, and half off for college students and those 18 and under, with valid ID. Call: 528-0506 or online at hawaiitheatre.com.

If you’re an early riser, Brittni Paiva will be appearing on KITV 4 Island Television Morning Program on Tuesday, January 17th, 2006 from 5A-7A. She’s also appearing as a guest musician with Jake Shimabukuro in Maui on January 27th. Check out www.brittnipaiva.com for more upcoming events.

Mahalo to the reader who sent me this link to a Japanese WebTV channel that has some nice Hawaiian music video clips and interviews, including clips of Mihana Souza, Kenneth Makuakane, and Vaihi. Video is available in both Windows Media and Quicktime formats. Be forewarned: the download speed is painfully slow, but worth it. Don’t try to download more than one video at a time; it doesn’t help.

BIG NEWS from Harry B Soria, Jr. As of Sunday, January 15th, Territorial Airwaves will no longer be heard on Hawaiian 105 KINE, 105.1 FM in Honolulu. Harry will continue to DJ every Sunday from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, on Hawaiian 105 KINE, the Hawaiian Music Station. However, you will hear Territorial Airwaves through several new ways:

1. First, starting next week, Territorial Airwaves will now be available
   24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on the internet. Just go to the Territorial Airwaves page, at www.hawaiian105.com, and click on the “listen to Territorial Airwaves” button to listen to each week’s show at anytime, at your convenience. The on-demand Territorial Airwaves internet broadcast will run continuously, with a new show every week.

2. Secondly, Territorial Airwaves will now be available twice a week at a new location: on a brand new sister station, AM940. Yes, a new traditional Hawaiian music station just for you. “AM940, All Traditional Hawaiian, All The Time”. Tune in to Territorial Airwaves at the regular time on Sundays from 5:00 to 6:00 PM, and on Fridays from 12:00 noon to 1:00 PM.

Big developments. Best of luck with the move, Harry.

On Sunday, January 8, 2006 at 12:00 noon there will be a special concert featuring the bands Pali and Holunape, as well as Paul Shimomoto at the Ward Warehouse Stage. It’s one of the Na Mele Nei Concert series held there every Sunday. On January 22, the Hawaiian Music Hall Of Fame Serenaders perform, also at 12:00 noon.

Don’t wait too long to get your tickets for Keali‘i Reichel’s Kūkahi concerts at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. Call 808-242-7469 or check the Maui Arts & Cultural Center website for details.

Hmm, Bill Gates & Justin Timberlake or Steve Jobs & U2. That’s a no-brainer for me, gang. BTW, U2 will be peforming in Honolulu in early April. I may just have to fly over for that one.

A big mahalo to Henry Kapono, his parters and staff for 4 1/2 years of providing a great venue for live entertainment in Honolulu. I enjoyed more than a few shows there on my Honolulu visits, but as of this past weekend Kapono’s is at the Aloha Tower Marketplace is shut down.

It’s also nice to hear that he has a new release coming out this summer. I’ve been hearing rumblings about an all-Hawaiian language release for a few years; glad to hear it will be coming out soon.