Gregg Karukas gets his groove on at Gertrude’s
Last Saturday, Grammy Award-winning keyboardist Gregg Karukas stepped out of his smooth jazz comfort zone for an evening of heart-pumping jazz-funk fusion with a splash of playful Bossa nova at Gertrude’s.
Hawaii artist featured in Lowe’s National Mural Art Campaign
Lowe’s has selected Hawaii artist Siena Baldi as the mural artist to represent Hawaii for its Centennial campaign that includes 100 murals across the country.
Kahilu keeps music fest tradition alive
The origins of the Kahilu Theatre’s annual ‘ukulele and slack key guitar festival can be traced back to 1832, when King Kamehameha III recruited Mexican vaqueros to Waimea to control an overabundance of cattle. In addition to their riding and roping skills, the vaqueros shared their Spanish guitar playing style with the paniolos (Hawaiian cowboys). Appreciated but not embraced, it was modified and called ki hoalu, or “Slack Key,” which translates as “loosen the [tuning] key.”
Kona Commons hosts holiday concert series: KPO to perform weekly through Dec. 18
Enjoy the music of the holidays each weekend of the season as small ensembles from the Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra perform at Kona Commons Shopping Center.
Kona Palisades Artists announce open studio tour
The Kona Palisades Artists Group hosts its eighth annual “Open Studio Tour” on Saturday and Sunday. This year the creative group consists of 14 Big Island artists living in close proximity to each other in the Kona Palisades Estates area. It is a unique opportunity when artists open their studios to the public for touring and artists’ demonstrations of their work process with an opportunity to purchase their art. For the safety of the artists and touring customers, we are requiring facial masks to be worn at all times. Hawaii mandates and CDC guidelines will be followed.
DMAC recipient of Ovation TV arts award
Donkey Mill Art Center is the honored recipient of an Ovation TV 2021-22 Stand For The Arts Award, which recognizes local arts, cultural and educational organizations and programs.
Kahilu Theatre presents ‘Ukulele and Slack Key Guitar Festival
Kahilu Theatre presents the 19th annual ‘Ukulele and Slack Key Guitar Festival at 4 p.m. Saturday featuring Hawaiian musicians Sonny Lim, Jeff Peterson, Nathan Aweau, Brother Noland, Brittni Paiva, John Keawe, Ho’opono Wong, and Sean Parks.
Artists and farmers distinguished in ‘Kona People’ exhibit
The essence of farming and the “salt of the earth” farmers who work the ‘aina have been captured through explorations in portraiture by island artists and are the focus of a curated exhibit titled, “Kona People,” now on display at the Donkey Mill Art Center.
Kahilu Youth Troupe represents Hawaii in global theatrical event
Musical Theatre International’s (MTI) All Together Now! was designed for local theatres to perform live as the world recovers from the pandemic. MTI is providing schools and theatres around the globe with an exclusive musical revue featuring songs from MTI’s beloved shows, all free-of-charge (no royalties).
Welcome to ‘Paradise’: Independent feature film wraps shooting in East Hawaii
The independent feature film “Paradise,” shot entirely in East Hawaii, wrapped filming last week.
Local songwriters take center stage at Waimea venue
After a three-month gap, the Kahilu Theatre reopened its doors to live audiences, and last Friday’s third installment of the Song Circle series proved once again that we have some exceptional performers who deserve broader attention.
Broadway star headlines Hoku Concert Series
The 20th annual Hoku Concert Series features Broadway star Zachary James, directly from New York, in his concert “Celebrate the Holidays” on Dec. 6.
Guild announces Hawaii Writers Showcase
The Hawaii Writers Guild has debuted a new series of videos on its YouTube channel. Hawaii Writers Showcase, which will present Writers Guild members reading their original work in informal settings, was conceived by Guild Events Director Johnson Kahili IV.
Kona music artists celebrate diversity
“Don’t Say,” the latest recording by Kellian and Company celebrates the diversity of Hawaii’s music community, featuring artists of Hawaiian, Latino, African, Caucasian, and Asian backgrounds. The driving, upbeat dance song was written, produced, and directed by Kailua-Kona songwriter and author Dennis Lee Foster.
Carr KVA featured artist for November
The Kailua Village Artists featured artist for the month of November is fine art and professional photographer Kathleen T. Carr, who has worked in her field over 50 years.
Blue Sea Artisans featuring Kona Coffee-themed work
The Blue Sea Artisans Gallery celebrates five years in its location at the Keauhou Shopping Center during November and will be featuring a “Kona Coffee” theme by member artists. There will be specials throughout the gallery.
The rise and rise of K-pop: From BTS to ‘Parasite’ to ‘Squid Game’
The K-pop fans are crazy for Korea.
Holualoa Village Coffee and Art Stroll a go
The 22nd annual Holualoa Village Coffee and Art Stroll, held in conjunction with the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival, will be held Saturday.
Hilo Community Players’ six-show run of Rocky Horror Show a success
For the past two weeks, the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium parking lot in Hilo was transformed into an outdoor playhouse of sorts as the Hilo Community Players (HCP) offered a six-show run of the cult classic Rocky Horror Show – Richard O’Brien’s celebrated pansexual rock musical. There were plans to present it last year, but it was postponed due to the pandemic.
3 new music releases to listen to right now
This week’s batch of Big Island music includes singles from Sarah Bethany, Corinne Quinajon, and Esperance. All tracks are available to enjoy now on streaming platforms like Spotify, SoundCloud, and YouTube.
