Featured Hawaiian Music Artists: Keahi Hanakahi

Hawaiian singer, Keahi Kawehi Hanakahi, is heaven sent. To listen to Keahi Hanakahi sing is truly a spiritual experience and we are happy to feature him in our Hawaiian Music Artists section. From the moment the first note comes from him, you know that you are listening to someone connected to music in a way that you have not experienced before. Whether singing well-known contemporary ballads or his deeply moving original songs, in English or Hawaiian, each note resonates and brings you to a higher, more joyful place.

Keahi Kawehi Hanakahi was born on the island of Oahu, and was raised in Kailua. At 13, he moved to Moloka’i, enjoying a perfect childhood on the ‘Friendly Island’. He married and raised his family on Molaka’i, and then he moved to Hilo, on the Big Island, where he started writing music. Keahi relates, ‘I started writing songs 10 years ago, beginning with one that I put to the melody of ‘God Bless the USA’. A disc jockey friend in Hilo wanted to record this song and he called me and told me ‘you need to write your own music’. His statement to me started it all! I knew what he meant – it was one thing to put words to another person’s melody, but to come up with an original melody was quite another thing’. Keahi then tells how the notion of creating new, original melodies out of the clear blue was perplexing to him. In contemplating this, he was suddenly covered from head to toe with ‘chicken skin’. Knowing with clarity that the Creator was speaking directly to him, over the next 2 weeks the words, melodies and poems started pouring forth. Never having contemplated creating music before, suddenly he had entire songs in his head and the melodies to accompany them. Since that time, when a certain type of goose bumps comes over him, he knows that a song will soon follow.

Keahi says that the purpose of bringing his music to the public is he knows that the voice of the Divine comes through him and that this is meant to be shared, to pass on the resonating experience of his voice and its message to others.

The voice of the Divine cannot be denied when you hear him chant. Prior to recording, Keahi only performed chants as part of ‘spiritual openings’ alone or with small groups of people, in order to bring forth energy and spirits to help people in need or those seeking spiritual guidance. Instead of chants specific to ancient Hawaiian culture, Keahi says the chants that come through him are from an older, deeper place, combining both words and pure sound. The effect is electrifying.

Keahi also plays the nose flute. These pieces are impromptu, from the soul. He often combines flute with his chanting when working with people on spiritual journeys and healing work.

Keahi has recently released his first CD, ‘Elemental Wisdom - Once Again’, which will soon be available through livehawaiianmusic.com. On this CD you will experience his songs, chanting and ethereal Hawaiian Nose Flute and Native American Indian Flute pieces. Keahi plays every other Saturday night at the Hilo IHOP in the Prince Kuhio Shopping Plaza with his band Pihana Kalani. Pihana Kalani is a mythical place where the most high of Hawaiian Deities meet in the heavens and can be translated as the ‘fullness of heaven’. This is truly where his singing and music resides.

We encourage everyone in celebrating the rich, pure and powerful voice of Keahi, his flute music and electrifying chanting. You will understand why we are so excited and honored to be able to bring him into the public eye. Watch for concerts with Keahi and some of our other musical artists around the Big Island, and be ready for even more exciting and moving music from Keahi, as he returns to the studio to continue recording the magic that comes from him. These events will be posted on our site as they are put on Calendar.