Rene Paulo is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 pianist

Pianist

A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...

. Born in the rural district of Schofield, Paulo grew up in Wahiawa, 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...

. His grandparents on his mother's side were from the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

, becoming naturalized US citizens after his grandfather joined the US military. Rene's musical background is in classical music, and he studied briefly at the Juilliard School of Music in New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 with Lonnie Epstein and Gerald Tracy. He soon branched out into improvisation, listening to jazz pianists such as Art Tatum

Art Tatum

Arthur "Art" Tatum, Jr. was an American jazz pianist and virtuoso who played with phenomenal facility despite being nearly blind.Tatum is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time...

, Alec Templeton

Alec Templeton

Alec Templeton was a Welsh composer, pianist and satirist.Templeton was born in Cardiff, Wales. Blind from birth, he studied at London's Royal Academy.-Radio:...

, Fats Waller

Fats Waller

Fats Waller , born Thomas Wright Waller, was a jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer...

, Earl "Fatha" Hines, and boogie woogie styles. He is known as "Hawaii's Favorite and Most Famous Pianist" and has been invited repeatedly to perform in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. Paulo played with famous artists like Alfred Apaka

Alfred Apaka

Alfred Apaka was born Alfred Aholo Apaka Jrin Honolulu, Hawaii to vocalist Alfred Aholo Apaka Sr. Alfred was a graduate of President Theodore Roosevelt High School where he was an athlete and ROTC cadet captain...

, Hilo Hattie

Hilo Hattie

Hilo Hattie was born Clarissa "Clara" Haili in Honolulu, Hawaii. She was a Hawaiian singer, hula dancer, actress and comedian of 100% Native Hawaiian ancestry.-Early life and career:...

, Don Ho

Don Ho

Donald Tai Loy "Don" Ho was a Hawaiian and traditional pop musician, singer and entertainer.-Life and career:Ho, of Chinese, Hawaiian, Portuguese, Dutch, and German descent, was born in the small Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako, but he grew up in Kāneohe on the windward side of the island of Oahu...

 and Sandii. He has played music at a church in Kapolei, Hawaii that was founded by Pastor Danny Yamashiro

Danny Yamashiro

Danny Yamashiro survived a deadly 400 foot fall from the famed ridge of the historic Nuuanu Pali in Honolulu, Hawaii at 18.-Survival story:...

 and is the father of cosmopolitan and versatile saxophonist Michael Paulo.

Discography

• The Best of Rene Paulo, 1995
• The Best of Rene & Akemi Paulo, 1996
• Surftides, 2002
• Waimanalo Moon, 2003

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