Grammy Award for Best Hawaiian Music Album
Encyclopedia
The Grammy Award for Best Hawaiian Music Album was an honor presented to recording artists from 2005 to 2011 for quality Hawaiian music
albums. The Grammy Award
s, an annual ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, are presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".
Campaigning resulted in the Hawaiian category's establishment in 2005. Prior to its creation, Hawaiian music recordings were eligible for the Best World Music Album
category but no Hawaiian musician or group had ever won a Grammy Award. During its seven-year history, awards were presented to Charles M. Brotman for Slack Key Guitar: Volume 2, producers Daniel Ho
, Paul Konwiser and Wayne Wong for Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar: Volume One, the same production team plus George Kahumoku, Jr. for Legends of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar: Live from Maui in 2007 followed by Treasures of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar in 2008 and Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar: Volume 2 in 2010, Tia Carrere
and Ho for Ikena, and Carrere for Huana Ke Aloha in 2011. Eligible recordings must feature the Hawaiian language
on "more than half of its vocal tracks", though instrumental
albums are also acceptable. Awards were presented to the engineers
, mixers
, and/or producers
in addition to the performing artists.
Daniel Ho holds the record for the most wins, with five. Four-time recipients include Paul Konwiser and Wayne Wong as producers. George Kahumoku, Jr. earned three awards as a producer and Tia Carrere earned two as a performing artist. Ho also holds the record for the most nominations, with seven. Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom holds the record for the most nominations without a win, with five. Six of the seven Grammy-winning albums were released through the record label Daniel Ho Creations. In 2011, the Recording Academy announced the retirement of the award category. Beginning in 2012, Hawaiian music recordings will be eligible for the Best Regional Roots Music Album
category.
category. Advocates included musicians, record labels, government officials, and the Seattle-based Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. No Hawaiian musician or group had been awarded with a Grammy prior to the establishment of the Hawaiian Music category. One obstacle for the category's creation was defining Hawaiian music and the eligibility requirements in terms of music stylings and language restrictions. There has been conflict between traditional and Western-influenced Hawaiian music, mostly pertaining to use of the slack-key guitar
, an instrument invented in Hawaii
but commercialized by "mainlanders". According to Academy representative Bill Freimuth, the category was designed "for recordings of a more traditional nature". Requiring the use of Hawaiian language
on more than half of its vocal tracks encouraged the recognition of traditional music, but instrumental
albums (such as the compilation album
honored at the 47th Grammy Awards) circumvented this requirement.
for Some Call It Aloha... Don't Tell, producer Charles M. Brotman for Slack Key Guitar: Volume 2, Ho'okena for Cool Elevation, Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom and arranger and multi-instrumentalist Willie K. (born William Kahaiali'i) for Amy & Willie Live, and Kealiʻi Reichel for Ke'alaokamaile. Hanaiali'i and Reichel both expressed happiness for being nominated, the latter stating, "This is the culmination of the work of chanters, singers and poetry writers that dates back over a thousand years." One NPR
contributor wrote that the nominees illustrated the range of Hawaiian music at the time, "from traditional songs for guitar and ukulele to more modernized approaches". Some Call It Aloha... Don't Tell contained traditional Hawaiian folk songs and chants and the use of traditional instruments such as the acoustic bass and 12-string guitar. Ho'okena members Many Boyd, Horache K. Dudoit III, Chris Kamaka and Glen H.K. Smith created music for Cool Elevation using the ukulele, acoustic bass and guitar. Scott Iwasaki of the Deseret News described Amy & Willie Live as a "playful array of Hawaiian jazz". Ke'alaokamaile, a concept album
about Reichel's immediate ancestors, combines traditional Hawaiian chants with original songs. The album also included contemporary covers of Babyface's "You Were There", Karla Bonoff
's "Goodbye My Friend", and Sting's "Fields of Gold
". The award went to Brotman for the slack key guitar compilation album recorded in Hawaii and described by journalist Nate Chinen as "an easy-listening instrumental compilation seemingly tailored to mainland tastes." According to Jon de Mello, founder of Hawaiian record label
Mountain Apple Company
, other nominees' "jaws dropped on the ground" at the ceremony in reaction to their works being overlooked. Chinen claimed the Academy's "safe, bland" choice set a precedent for compilations and slack key use (five nominees the following year were slack key albums).
For the 48th Grammy Awards (2006), nominees included Kapono Beamer for Slack Key Dreams of the Ponomoe, Raiatea Helm for Sweet & Lovely, Ledward Kaapana
for Kiho'alu: Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar, Sonny Lim
for Slack Key Guitar: The Artistry of Sonny Lim and Daniel Ho
, Paul Konwiser and Wayne Wong for Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar: Volume One. Allmusic's Adam Greenberg described Slack Key Dreams of the Ponomoe as an ambient album with an "easy listening" sound accented with slack key motives. Songs about Beamer's family and childhood were sung in Hawaiian but also English. Sweet & Lovely featured "classic, early tourist-era" Hawaiian music and guest performances by Kealiʻi Reichel and Auntie Genoa Keawefor. Greenberg complimented Helm for her ukulele playing and "stunning" falsetto
. Lim's first solo album contained slack key compositions fused with "touches of folk and possibly even adult contemporary stylings". Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar, which peaked at number fifteen on Billboard
's Top World Music Albums chart, featured twelve live tracks recorded from the weekly slack key guitar concerts that took place in Maui
. Awards were presented to Ho, Konwiser and Wong as producers of the compilation album. Peter deAquino, George and Keoki Kahumoku, and Garrett Probst joined producers Ho and Wong on stage at the podium during the pre-telecast ceremony to accept the award.
2007 nominees included Amy Hanaiali'i for Generation Hawai'i, producers Daniel Ho, George Kahumoku, Jr., Paul Konwiser and Wayne Wong for the compilation album Legends of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar: Live from Maui, Ledward Kaapana for Grandmaster Slack Key Guitar, Henry Kapono for The Wild Hawaiian, and producers Chris and Milton Lau for the compilation album Hawaiian Slack Key Kings. Generation Hawai'i and The Wild Hawaiian were the two vocal-driven albums nominated, while the three remaining nominees were slack-key driven. The Wild Hawaiian consisted of rock songs in Hawaiian which drew sound comparisons to Jimi Hendrix
and Carlos Santana
. Awards were presented to Ho, Kahumoku, Konwiser and Wong. Ho, Konwiser and Wong became the first multiple recipients in the category as well as the first consecutive award recipients. Musicians Peter deAquino, Richard Ho'opi'i, Kaapana, and Garrett Probst of Da Ukulele Boys, all of whom contributed live tracks to the album, joined the producers on stage to perform "Hawaii Aloha
" a cappella
for the audience and accept the award. Kahumoku's acceptance speech stressed the importance of funding public arts and music education, earning him a standing ovation from the audience.
Nominees for the 50th Grammy Awards
(2008) included Keola Beamer
for Ka Hikina O Ka Hau (The Coming of the Snow), Tia Carrere
for Hawaiiana, Raiatea Helm for Hawaiian Blossom, Cyril Pahinui for He‘eia, and previous award recipients Ho, Kahumoku, Konwiser and Wong for Treasures of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar. For Ka Hikina O Ka Hau, Beamer layers multiple guitars in different tunings to works by John Dowland
, Ástor Piazzolla
, Erik Satie
, Igor Stravinsky
and other composers. Carrere's nomination resulted in People
magazine including her on their list of "Strange Grammy Nominees" for her past associations with the Wayne's World
films and television show Dancing with the Stars. Hawaiian Blossom, Helm's third studio album, included guest artists Robert Cazimero and Led Kaapana. Greenberg again complimented Helm's falsetto vocals and recommended the album for fans of traditional Hawaiian music with a "contemporary twist". Awards were presented to Ho, Kahumoku, Konwiser and Wong; Daniel Ho was also awarded as the engineer of the compilation album, which reached number twelve on Billboards Top World Music Albums chart. This marked the third consecutive win for the production team's live recording of Maui's long-running "Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar" concert series. 2008 was also the first year in which the presentation of the award for Hawaiian Music Album was broadcast live on the Academy's official website.
2009
nominees included Tia Carrere and Daniel Ho for Ikena, Amy Hanaiali'i for Aumakua, Led Kaapana and Mike Kaawa for Forces of Nature, producers Chris and Milton Lau for Hawaiian Slack Key Kings Masters Series: Volume II, and Ho, Kahumoku, Dennis Kamakahi
, Konwiser and Wong for the compilation album The Spirit of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar. This year marked the first time in the category's history that all nominees were previous Best Hawaiian Music Album nominees—Hanaiali'i and Kaapana both received nominations in 2004 and 2006, Carrere was nominated in 2008, and Chris and Milton Lau were also nominated in 2006. Awards were presented to Carrere and Ho as performing artists, Amy Ku'uleialoha Stillman as a producer, and Ho as both a producer and engineer. Carrere and Ho became the first nominees to win awards as recording artists following four consecutive years of producers and engineers receiving awards for compilation albums.
For the 52nd Grammy Awards
(2010), nominees included Tia Carrere and Daniel Ho for He Nani, Amy Hanaiali'i for Friends & Family of Hawai'i, Ho'okena for Nani Mau Loa: Everlasting Beauty, and producers Ho, Kahumoku, Konwiser and Wong for Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar: Volume 2. A tied vote for the fifth nominee resulted in only four nominated works. Familiy & Friends of Hawai'i contained vocal pop duets set to Matt Catingub's orchestral arrangements and reached a peak position of number three on Billboards Top World Albums chart. The album featured guests Dennis Kamakahi, Willie Nelson
, and Keali'i Reichel, among others. The second volume of Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar contained performances by falsetto vocalist Richard Ho'opi'i, steel guitarist Bobby Ingano, and slack-key players Kawika Kahiapo, Dennis Kamakahi, Sonny Lim, and co-producer Kahumoku. Hanaiali'i and her brother Eric Gilliom performed during the awards ceremony, providing a "mock opera lead-in" for Jamie Foxx
on the song "Blame It
". In addition to Ho, Kahumoku, Konwiser and Wong, awards were given to Peter deAquino, Ho and Sterling Seaton as the engineers/mixers. Guitarist Jeff Peterson joined the award winners on stage during the presentation. The win marked the fifth for a compilation album and the fourth to be co-produced by Ho. Konwiser and Wong became four-time award recipients, while Kahumoku (who was not credited as a producer of the 2006 award-winning compilation album) became a three-time recipient.
Nominees for the 53rd Grammy Awards
included Tia Carrere for Huana Ke Aloha, Amy Hanaiali'i and Slack Key Masters of Hawaii for Amy Hanaiali'i and Slack Key Masters of Hawaii, Daniel Ho for Polani, Ledward Kaapana for The Legend and Jeff Peterson for Maui on My Mind: Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar. Neither of Ho's nominated compilation albums featured the slack-key guitar. In addition to Carrere, awards were presented to Amy Ku'uleialoha Stillman as a producer and Daniel Ho as a producer and engineer/mixer. Related to the controversy surrounding Ho's multiple wins and supposed connections to the music industry, New York
magazine called Carrere's win the "Best Grammy That'll Piss People Off". Carrere reportedly gave much of the credit to Ho, her long-time friend and producer. Huana Ke Aloha became the sixth consecutive Grammy-winning album released through the record label Daniel Ho Creations, causing some musicians and journalists to question whether or not the "playing field" was level. Carrere, Ho and Stillman claim to have faced "serious consequences for the reception of [their] work and success" for being nominated since all three lived and worked outside of Hawaii. Ho has been specifically targeted for residing in Los Angeles and participating in various Grammy-related events throughout the year, providing an unfair advantage. Voting members of the Academy have also been criticized for not being qualified to judge Hawaiian music.
, Best Traditional Folk Album, Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album
). These were all replaced by one American Roots Music award, the Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album.
Daniel Ho was disappointed by the category's retirement, but considered the seven years the award was presented a "gift from the Recording Academy". Ho hoped that the category's elimination would eliminate the "craziness " surrounding the Hawaiian music controversy (he and Carrere were accused of lacking appreciation for Hawaiian music and for having inside connections to the music industry for residing in Los Angeles). Four-time award winner George Kahumoku, Jr. expressed similar disappointment, but was partly consoled that Hawaiian music recordings would still be included in the Regional Roots Music Album category. The record label Mountain Apple Company issued a statement claiming: "Hawaiian music deserves to be acknowledged as a category in its own right, not only for reasons of language but for cultural and historical reasons as well... The loss of the Grammy for Best Hawaiian Music Album is not only a major loss to the Hawaiian, but to music lovers across the globe." Michael Cord of HanaOla Records was also saddened by the elimination, but considered it "a long time coming". Hawaiian music works will now be eligible for the Best Regional Roots Music Album
category.
Music of Hawaii
The music of Hawaii includes an array of traditional and popular styles, ranging from native Hawaiian folk music to modern rock and hip hop. Hawaii's musical contributions to the music of the United States are out of proportion to the state's small size. Styles like slack-key guitar are well-known...
albums. The Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s, an annual ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, are presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS, is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its...
of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".
Campaigning resulted in the Hawaiian category's establishment in 2005. Prior to its creation, Hawaiian music recordings were eligible for the Best World Music Album
Grammy Award for Best World Music Album
The Grammy Award for Best World Music Album was an honor presented for twelve years to recording artists for quality albums in the world music genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
category but no Hawaiian musician or group had ever won a Grammy Award. During its seven-year history, awards were presented to Charles M. Brotman for Slack Key Guitar: Volume 2, producers Daniel Ho
Daniel Ho
Daniel Ho has won five Grammy awards, playing the guitar, 'ukulele and piano, and is a songwriter and producer specializing in Hawaiian music.-Early life:...
, Paul Konwiser and Wayne Wong for Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar: Volume One, the same production team plus George Kahumoku, Jr. for Legends of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar: Live from Maui in 2007 followed by Treasures of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar in 2008 and Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar: Volume 2 in 2010, Tia Carrere
Tia Carrere
Tia Carrere is an American actress, model, voice artist, and singer, perhaps most widely known for her role as Cassandra Wong in the feature films Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2, Queen Tyr'ahnee in Duck Dodgers, and as Sydney Fox in the TV series Relic Hunter.-Early life:Carrere was born in...
and Ho for Ikena, and Carrere for Huana Ke Aloha in 2011. Eligible recordings must feature the Hawaiian language
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
on "more than half of its vocal tracks", though instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
albums are also acceptable. Awards were presented to the engineers
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, mixers
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, and/or producers
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
in addition to the performing artists.
Daniel Ho holds the record for the most wins, with five. Four-time recipients include Paul Konwiser and Wayne Wong as producers. George Kahumoku, Jr. earned three awards as a producer and Tia Carrere earned two as a performing artist. Ho also holds the record for the most nominations, with seven. Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom holds the record for the most nominations without a win, with five. Six of the seven Grammy-winning albums were released through the record label Daniel Ho Creations. In 2011, the Recording Academy announced the retirement of the award category. Beginning in 2012, Hawaiian music recordings will be eligible for the Best Regional Roots Music Album
Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album
The Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album is an annual music award that will be part of the Grammy ceremony from 2012.It is a new category in which the previous Best Hawaiian Music Album, Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album and Best Native American Music Album categories have been merged...
category.
Background
For decades prior to the creation of the Best Hawaiian Music Album category, advocates for Hawaiian music took issue with recordings only being eligible for the Best World Music AlbumGrammy Award for Best World Music Album
The Grammy Award for Best World Music Album was an honor presented for twelve years to recording artists for quality albums in the world music genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
category. Advocates included musicians, record labels, government officials, and the Seattle-based Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. No Hawaiian musician or group had been awarded with a Grammy prior to the establishment of the Hawaiian Music category. One obstacle for the category's creation was defining Hawaiian music and the eligibility requirements in terms of music stylings and language restrictions. There has been conflict between traditional and Western-influenced Hawaiian music, mostly pertaining to use of the slack-key guitar
Slack-key guitar
Slack-key guitar is a fingerstyle genre of guitar music that originated in Hawaii. Its name refers to its characteristic open tunings: the English term is a translation of the Hawaiian kī hōalu, which means "loosen the [tuning] key"...
, an instrument invented in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
but commercialized by "mainlanders". According to Academy representative Bill Freimuth, the category was designed "for recordings of a more traditional nature". Requiring the use of Hawaiian language
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
on more than half of its vocal tracks encouraged the recognition of traditional music, but instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
albums (such as the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
honored at the 47th Grammy Awards) circumvented this requirement.
Recipients
Nominees for the 47th Grammy Awards (2005) included The Brothers CazimeroThe Brothers Cazimero
The Brothers Cazimero are a Hawaiian musical duo made up of Robert Cazimero on bass and Roland Cazimero on twelve string guitar. Robert also plays piano as a solo musician. The Cazimeros got their start during the Hawaiian Renaissance with ukulele and slack-key guitarist Peter Moon's band, The...
for Some Call It Aloha... Don't Tell, producer Charles M. Brotman for Slack Key Guitar: Volume 2, Ho'okena for Cool Elevation, Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom and arranger and multi-instrumentalist Willie K. (born William Kahaiali'i) for Amy & Willie Live, and Kealiʻi Reichel for Ke'alaokamaile. Hanaiali'i and Reichel both expressed happiness for being nominated, the latter stating, "This is the culmination of the work of chanters, singers and poetry writers that dates back over a thousand years." One NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
contributor wrote that the nominees illustrated the range of Hawaiian music at the time, "from traditional songs for guitar and ukulele to more modernized approaches". Some Call It Aloha... Don't Tell contained traditional Hawaiian folk songs and chants and the use of traditional instruments such as the acoustic bass and 12-string guitar. Ho'okena members Many Boyd, Horache K. Dudoit III, Chris Kamaka and Glen H.K. Smith created music for Cool Elevation using the ukulele, acoustic bass and guitar. Scott Iwasaki of the Deseret News described Amy & Willie Live as a "playful array of Hawaiian jazz". Ke'alaokamaile, a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
about Reichel's immediate ancestors, combines traditional Hawaiian chants with original songs. The album also included contemporary covers of Babyface's "You Were There", Karla Bonoff
Karla Bonoff
Karla Bonoff is an American singer-songwriter, primarily known for her songwriting.As a songwriter, Bonoff's songs have been interpreted by other artists such as "Home" by Bonnie Raitt, "Tell Me Why" by Wynonna Judd, and "Isn't It Always Love" by Lynn Anderson...
's "Goodbye My Friend", and Sting's "Fields of Gold
Fields of Gold
"Fields of Gold" is a 1993 song by Sting from his album Ten Summoner's Tales. "Fields of Gold" and all the other album tracks were recorded at Lake House, Wiltshire, mixed at The Townhouse Studio, London, England and mastered at Masterdisk, New York. The harmonica solo is played by Brendan Power...
". The award went to Brotman for the slack key guitar compilation album recorded in Hawaii and described by journalist Nate Chinen as "an easy-listening instrumental compilation seemingly tailored to mainland tastes." According to Jon de Mello, founder of Hawaiian record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Mountain Apple Company
Mountain Apple Company
The Mountain Apple Company is a record label based in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi that specializes in traditional and contemporary music of Hawaiʻi, as well as other artists with a connection of Hawaiʻi...
, other nominees' "jaws dropped on the ground" at the ceremony in reaction to their works being overlooked. Chinen claimed the Academy's "safe, bland" choice set a precedent for compilations and slack key use (five nominees the following year were slack key albums).
Ledward Kaapana
Ledward Kaapana is a Hawaiian musician, best known for playing in the slack key guitar style. He also plays steel guitar, ukulele, autoharp and bass guitar, and is a renowned falsetto singer.-Early life:...
for Kiho'alu: Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar, Sonny Lim
Sonny Lim
Elmer "Sonny" Lim is a Hawaiian musician and slack key guitar player from Waimea on the Big Island of Hawaii. Sonny is part of the musical Lim Family, which is also famous in the 50th State....
for Slack Key Guitar: The Artistry of Sonny Lim and Daniel Ho
Daniel Ho
Daniel Ho has won five Grammy awards, playing the guitar, 'ukulele and piano, and is a songwriter and producer specializing in Hawaiian music.-Early life:...
, Paul Konwiser and Wayne Wong for Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar: Volume One. Allmusic's Adam Greenberg described Slack Key Dreams of the Ponomoe as an ambient album with an "easy listening" sound accented with slack key motives. Songs about Beamer's family and childhood were sung in Hawaiian but also English. Sweet & Lovely featured "classic, early tourist-era" Hawaiian music and guest performances by Kealiʻi Reichel and Auntie Genoa Keawefor. Greenberg complimented Helm for her ukulele playing and "stunning" falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
. Lim's first solo album contained slack key compositions fused with "touches of folk and possibly even adult contemporary stylings". Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar, which peaked at number fifteen on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
's Top World Music Albums chart, featured twelve live tracks recorded from the weekly slack key guitar concerts that took place in Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
. Awards were presented to Ho, Konwiser and Wong as producers of the compilation album. Peter deAquino, George and Keoki Kahumoku, and Garrett Probst joined producers Ho and Wong on stage at the podium during the pre-telecast ceremony to accept the award.
2007 nominees included Amy Hanaiali'i for Generation Hawai'i, producers Daniel Ho, George Kahumoku, Jr., Paul Konwiser and Wayne Wong for the compilation album Legends of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar: Live from Maui, Ledward Kaapana for Grandmaster Slack Key Guitar, Henry Kapono for The Wild Hawaiian, and producers Chris and Milton Lau for the compilation album Hawaiian Slack Key Kings. Generation Hawai'i and The Wild Hawaiian were the two vocal-driven albums nominated, while the three remaining nominees were slack-key driven. The Wild Hawaiian consisted of rock songs in Hawaiian which drew sound comparisons to Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
. Awards were presented to Ho, Kahumoku, Konwiser and Wong. Ho, Konwiser and Wong became the first multiple recipients in the category as well as the first consecutive award recipients. Musicians Peter deAquino, Richard Ho'opi'i, Kaapana, and Garrett Probst of Da Ukulele Boys, all of whom contributed live tracks to the album, joined the producers on stage to perform "Hawaii Aloha
Hawaii Aloha
"Hawaii Aloha," also called "Kuu One Hanau," is a revered anthem of the native Hawaiian people and Hawaii residents alike. Written by Lorenzo Lyons, a Christian minister who died in 1886, "Hawai‘i Aloha" was considered by the Hawaii State Legislature in 1967 and by the Hawaii State Constitutional...
" a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
for the audience and accept the award. Kahumoku's acceptance speech stressed the importance of funding public arts and music education, earning him a standing ovation from the audience.
Nominees for the 50th Grammy Awards
50th Grammy Awards
The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on February 10, 2008. Kanye West received the most nominations, with eight. Amy Winehouse was the big winner, winning a total of five awards. Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters won Album of the Year,...
(2008) included Keola Beamer
Keola Beamer
Keola Beamer is a Hawaiian slack-key guitar player, best known as the composer of "Honolulu City Lights" and an innovative musician who fused Hawaiian roots and contemporary music.-Family:...
for Ka Hikina O Ka Hau (The Coming of the Snow), Tia Carrere
Tia Carrere
Tia Carrere is an American actress, model, voice artist, and singer, perhaps most widely known for her role as Cassandra Wong in the feature films Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2, Queen Tyr'ahnee in Duck Dodgers, and as Sydney Fox in the TV series Relic Hunter.-Early life:Carrere was born in...
for Hawaiiana, Raiatea Helm for Hawaiian Blossom, Cyril Pahinui for He‘eia, and previous award recipients Ho, Kahumoku, Konwiser and Wong for Treasures of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar. For Ka Hikina O Ka Hau, Beamer layers multiple guitars in different tunings to works by John Dowland
John Dowland
John Dowland was an English Renaissance composer, singer, and lutenist. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep" , "Come again", "Flow my tears", "I saw my Lady weepe" and "In darkness let me dwell", but his instrumental music has undergone a major revival, and has...
, Ástor Piazzolla
Ástor Piazzolla
Ástor Pantaleón Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer and bandoneón player. His oeuvre revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music...
, Erik Satie
Erik Satie
Éric Alfred Leslie Satie was a French composer and pianist. Satie was a colourful figure in the early 20th century Parisian avant-garde...
, Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
and other composers. Carrere's nomination resulted in People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine including her on their list of "Strange Grammy Nominees" for her past associations with the Wayne's World
Wayne's World (film)
Wayne's World is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Penelope Spheeris and starring Mike Myers in his film debut as Wayne Campbell and Dana Carvey as Garth Algar, hosts of the Aurora, Illinois-based Public-access television cable TV show Wayne's World...
films and television show Dancing with the Stars. Hawaiian Blossom, Helm's third studio album, included guest artists Robert Cazimero and Led Kaapana. Greenberg again complimented Helm's falsetto vocals and recommended the album for fans of traditional Hawaiian music with a "contemporary twist". Awards were presented to Ho, Kahumoku, Konwiser and Wong; Daniel Ho was also awarded as the engineer of the compilation album, which reached number twelve on Billboards Top World Music Albums chart. This marked the third consecutive win for the production team's live recording of Maui's long-running "Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar" concert series. 2008 was also the first year in which the presentation of the award for Hawaiian Music Album was broadcast live on the Academy's official website.
2009
51st Grammy Awards
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...
nominees included Tia Carrere and Daniel Ho for Ikena, Amy Hanaiali'i for Aumakua, Led Kaapana and Mike Kaawa for Forces of Nature, producers Chris and Milton Lau for Hawaiian Slack Key Kings Masters Series: Volume II, and Ho, Kahumoku, Dennis Kamakahi
Dennis Kamakahi
Dennis David Kahekilimamaoikalanikeha Kamakahi is a Hawaiian slack key guitarist, recording artist, and music composer. He has won multiple Grammy Awards, and in 2009 was inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame.-Professional music career:...
, Konwiser and Wong for the compilation album The Spirit of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar. This year marked the first time in the category's history that all nominees were previous Best Hawaiian Music Album nominees—Hanaiali'i and Kaapana both received nominations in 2004 and 2006, Carrere was nominated in 2008, and Chris and Milton Lau were also nominated in 2006. Awards were presented to Carrere and Ho as performing artists, Amy Ku'uleialoha Stillman as a producer, and Ho as both a producer and engineer. Carrere and Ho became the first nominees to win awards as recording artists following four consecutive years of producers and engineers receiving awards for compilation albums.
For the 52nd Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
(2010), nominees included Tia Carrere and Daniel Ho for He Nani, Amy Hanaiali'i for Friends & Family of Hawai'i, Ho'okena for Nani Mau Loa: Everlasting Beauty, and producers Ho, Kahumoku, Konwiser and Wong for Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar: Volume 2. A tied vote for the fifth nominee resulted in only four nominated works. Familiy & Friends of Hawai'i contained vocal pop duets set to Matt Catingub's orchestral arrangements and reached a peak position of number three on Billboards Top World Albums chart. The album featured guests Dennis Kamakahi, Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, and Keali'i Reichel, among others. The second volume of Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar contained performances by falsetto vocalist Richard Ho'opi'i, steel guitarist Bobby Ingano, and slack-key players Kawika Kahiapo, Dennis Kamakahi, Sonny Lim, and co-producer Kahumoku. Hanaiali'i and her brother Eric Gilliom performed during the awards ceremony, providing a "mock opera lead-in" for Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
on the song "Blame It
Blame It
"Blame It" is a song by American singer Jamie Foxx, released as the second official single from his third studio album, Intuition. It features singer T-Pain and was written by Christopher "Deep" Henderson, Nate Walker, James T. Brown, John Conte Jr., and Brandon Melanchon and produced by...
". In addition to Ho, Kahumoku, Konwiser and Wong, awards were given to Peter deAquino, Ho and Sterling Seaton as the engineers/mixers. Guitarist Jeff Peterson joined the award winners on stage during the presentation. The win marked the fifth for a compilation album and the fourth to be co-produced by Ho. Konwiser and Wong became four-time award recipients, while Kahumoku (who was not credited as a producer of the 2006 award-winning compilation album) became a three-time recipient.
Nominees for the 53rd Grammy Awards
53rd Grammy Awards
The 53rd annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prior to the telecast on February 11. Nominations were...
included Tia Carrere for Huana Ke Aloha, Amy Hanaiali'i and Slack Key Masters of Hawaii for Amy Hanaiali'i and Slack Key Masters of Hawaii, Daniel Ho for Polani, Ledward Kaapana for The Legend and Jeff Peterson for Maui on My Mind: Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar. Neither of Ho's nominated compilation albums featured the slack-key guitar. In addition to Carrere, awards were presented to Amy Ku'uleialoha Stillman as a producer and Daniel Ho as a producer and engineer/mixer. Related to the controversy surrounding Ho's multiple wins and supposed connections to the music industry, New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
magazine called Carrere's win the "Best Grammy That'll Piss People Off". Carrere reportedly gave much of the credit to Ho, her long-time friend and producer. Huana Ke Aloha became the sixth consecutive Grammy-winning album released through the record label Daniel Ho Creations, causing some musicians and journalists to question whether or not the "playing field" was level. Carrere, Ho and Stillman claim to have faced "serious consequences for the reception of [their] work and success" for being nominated since all three lived and worked outside of Hawaii. Ho has been specifically targeted for residing in Los Angeles and participating in various Grammy-related events throughout the year, providing an unfair advantage. Voting members of the Academy have also been criticized for not being qualified to judge Hawaiian music.
Category retirement
In 2011, the category Best Hawaiian Music Album was eliminated along with thirty others due to a major overhaul by the Recording Academy. Four additional categories in the American Roots Music field were eliminated (Best Contemporary Folk Album, Best Native American Music AlbumGrammy Award for Best Native American Music Album
The Grammy Award for Best Native American Music Album was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the Native American music genre...
, Best Traditional Folk Album, Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album
Grammy Award for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album
The Grammy Award for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album was an honor presented to recording artists at the 50th, 51st, 52nd and 53rd Grammy Awards for quality zydeco or cajun music albums...
). These were all replaced by one American Roots Music award, the Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album.
Daniel Ho was disappointed by the category's retirement, but considered the seven years the award was presented a "gift from the Recording Academy". Ho hoped that the category's elimination would eliminate the "craziness " surrounding the Hawaiian music controversy (he and Carrere were accused of lacking appreciation for Hawaiian music and for having inside connections to the music industry for residing in Los Angeles). Four-time award winner George Kahumoku, Jr. expressed similar disappointment, but was partly consoled that Hawaiian music recordings would still be included in the Regional Roots Music Album category. The record label Mountain Apple Company issued a statement claiming: "Hawaiian music deserves to be acknowledged as a category in its own right, not only for reasons of language but for cultural and historical reasons as well... The loss of the Grammy for Best Hawaiian Music Album is not only a major loss to the Hawaiian, but to music lovers across the globe." Michael Cord of HanaOla Records was also saddened by the elimination, but considered it "a long time coming". Hawaiian music works will now be eligible for the Best Regional Roots Music Album
Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album
The Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album is an annual music award that will be part of the Grammy ceremony from 2012.It is a new category in which the previous Best Hawaiian Music Album, Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album and Best Native American Music Album categories have been merged...
category.
See also
- Hawaiian RenaissanceHawaiian RenaissanceThe First and Second Hawaiian Renaissance was the Hawaiian resurgence of a distinct cultural identity that draws upon traditional kānaka maoli culture, with a significant divergence from the tourism-based "culture" which Hawaii was previously known for worldwide .-First Hawaiian...
- List of Grammy Award categories