Kainani Kahaunaele

This talented songstress was born and raised on the island of Kauaʻi with four generations of her family rooted in Hawaiian music. She started singing professionally and composing traditional songs as Hawaiian language curriculum for theʻAha Pūnana Leo (a pioneering Hawaiian language revitalization program). For the Hawaiian music mainstream, it encouraged and promoted the documentation of our current history through traditional Hawaiian composition and garnered five Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards for her cds Naʻu ʻOe (2003) and ʻŌhai ʻUla (2010), including Haku Mele of the Year (Composer of Hawaiian Song), Hawaiian Language Performance, Most Promising Artist, and the highly coveted Female Vocalist of the Year establishing Kainani as one of the most notable talents of her generation.