Hawaii Renaissance Man: Kuana Torres Kahele and "Kawaihae"

Does the warmer weather have you thinking about Hawaii? Here is a song to scratch that itch. Kawaihae is by Kuana Torres Kahele, a Hawaiian musician, vocalist, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and educator. While he does traditional Hawaiian music, he is more well known for his original compositions which he performs on a variety of instruments such as ukelele, guitar, ipu (a percussion instrument made from a gourd) and bass. He is a co-founder of the award winning Hawaiian group Na Palapalai, and released his first solo album in 2012. He has voiced the lead character in the 2014 Pixar short Lava, and he teaches cultural workshops and classes. He operates the Na Lei Lanakila O Ni'ihau halau (hula school) in Hawaii and the Kuana School of Hawaiian Music & Culture in three Japanese cities. The recorded version of Kawaihae can be found on his CD Music for the Hawaiian Islands: Vol. 1 Hawaii Keawe (2014).