Nahenahe

Led Kaapana's mastery of stringed instruments, particularly slack key guitar, and his extraordinary baritone and leo ki'eki'e (falsetto) voices, have made him a musical legend. He has been thrilling audiences for more than 40 years. With easy-going style and kolohe (rascal) charm, he has built a loyal corps of Led Heads from Brussels to his birthplace on the Big Island of Hawaii. Recognition by his peers earned Led 4 Grammy nominations in his own right and 2 wins on slack key compilations. Like so many Hawaiians, Led grew up in a musical family. In the tiny black sand bay village of Kalapana, there were few distractions. We didn't have electricity, no television, not even much radio, says Led. So we entertained ourselves. You could go to any house and everybody was playing music. As teenagers, Led and his twin brother Ned and cousin Dennis Pavao formed the Hui Ohana, one of the hottest groups of the 70s and 80s and now legendary among Hawaiian musicians. The 70s saw the blossoming of the Hawaiian Renaissance, and Hui Ohana was a key part of that return to traditional Hawaiian culture and music. Young Hawaii Plays Old Hawaii, the title of their first recording, was also their statement of purpose. The group produced 14 best-selling albums and made countless hundreds of live appearances, proudly sharing Kalapana's musical traditions. Led later formed another trio, I Kona, releasing 6 albums with that group, including Na Hoku Hanohano Award winner, Jus' Press. He has also released a number of solo albums, including two Na Hoku Hanohano Instrumental Album of the Year winners, Lima Wela and Black Sand. Ki Ho'alu, Hawaiian Slack Key, Grandmaster Slack Key and Force of Nature (with Mike Kaawa) received Grammy nominations. Led tours the US extensively and has also appeared in Belgium, Germany, Canada, Japan, and Tahiti. When home in Hawaii, Led can be found on Sunday evenings at Kona Brewing Company in Hawaii Kai where local talent and visiting musicians from the four corners of the globe drop in to join the back yard party.