Kealii Reichel
Encyclopedia
Carleton Lewis Kealiinaniaimokuokalani Reichel (born 1961) popularly known as Kealii Reichel, is a popular and bestselling singer, songwriter, choreographer, dancer, chanter, scholar, teacher, and personality from the State of Hawaii
. He has spent his life educating the world about Hawaiian culture through music and dance.
Kealii Reichel was born and raised on the island of Maui
. Reichel grew up in the town of Lahaina where he attended Lahainaluna High School
, however he spent weekends and summers with his maternal grandmother in the plantation town of Pāia
. At the age of 24, Reichel was convicted of theft, and was sentenced to community service, which involved a study of Hawaiian culture. This marked a turning point in his life, as he decided to devote the rest of his life to the study and promotion of Hawaiian culture.
Reichel was one of the founding directors for Punana Leo O Maui, a Hawaiian language immersion pre-school. He has taught Hawaiian culture and language at the University of Hawaii
's, Maui Community College
, and he was the Cultural Resource Specialist and curator at the Bailey House Museum in Wailuku
.
(dance instructor/choreographer/master) Pualani Kanakaole Kanahele, daughter of the kumu hula
and Hawaiian scholar "Aunty" Edith Kanakaole. He later founded his own hālau hula
(Hawaiian dance troop) Halau hula o ka Makani Wili Makaha o Kauaula now called Halau Kealaokamaile.
In 1994, at the age of 33, he recorded and released a collection of Hawaiian traditional and contemporary music entitled Kawaipunahele on his own Punahele Productions record label, and began his career as a Hawaiian music superstar. Reichel's subsequent albums, Lei Halia (1995), ʻE O Mai (1997), and Melelana (1999), placed him securely at the top of the Hawaiian music entertainment industry. He is also featured in two anthology albums released by his record label, Pride of Punahele (1998) and Pride of Punahele 2 (2003).
In 2004, his album of the previous year, Kealaokamaile (2003), won four of the top awards at the 27th Annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (Hawaii's regional equivalent of the Grammy Awards) including Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, Hawaiian Album of the Year and Song of the Year.
Reichel's style most often includes vocals over a guitar
, bass
, and ukulele
ensemble but may also include a Western (European-American) string quartet (violin
, viola
and cello
) or traditional pre-1778 Hawaiian instruments. His vocals include Hawaiian language chanting and singing in both Hawaiian and English. Stage performances include dance in both traditional and modern hula
forms. He also plays guitar.
production of Jesus Christ Superstar
as Jesus
.
, LeAnn Rimes
, Céline Dion
, and Sting. In addition to his regular concerts in Hawaii, he has toured the United States mainland playing in such places as New York
at Carnegie Hall
, San Diego, San Francisco, Anaheim, Hollywood Bowl
, Phoenix
, and toured internationally with concerts in Tahiti
, Osaka
and Tokyo
, Japan
, where he has performed to a sold out audience.
Reichel is known not only for his artistry as a performer, song writer and recording artist, but also for his work as a teacher of Hawaiian culture to the rest of the world.
Male Vocalist of the Year
Most Promising Artist of the Year
Album of the Year
Anthology Album of the Year
Song of the Year
Hawaiian Album of the Year
Haku Mele (new Hawaiian language composition; award to the composer )
Liner Notes Award
Music Video DVD of the Year
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...
. He has spent his life educating the world about Hawaiian culture through music and dance.
Kealii Reichel was born and raised on the island of Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
. Reichel grew up in the town of Lahaina where he attended Lahainaluna High School
Lahainaluna High School
Lahainaluna High School is a grade 9-12 school located in Lahaina , Hawaii. It is the oldest post-secondary school west of the Mississippi River. It was founded in 1831 as a Protestant missionary school, originally named Lahainaluna Seminary...
, however he spent weekends and summers with his maternal grandmother in the plantation town of Pāia
Paia, Hawaii
Pāia is a census-designated place in Maui County, Hawaii, on the northern coast of the island of Maui. The population was 2,499 at the 2000 census. Pāia is home to several restaurants, art galleries, surf shops and other tourist-oriented businesses. One business, Charley's, is frequented by...
. At the age of 24, Reichel was convicted of theft, and was sentenced to community service, which involved a study of Hawaiian culture. This marked a turning point in his life, as he decided to devote the rest of his life to the study and promotion of Hawaiian culture.
Reichel was one of the founding directors for Punana Leo O Maui, a Hawaiian language immersion pre-school. He has taught Hawaiian culture and language at the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
's, Maui Community College
Maui Community College
The University of Hawai'i Maui College is a public, co-educational commuter college in Kahului, Hawaii on the island of Maui...
, and he was the Cultural Resource Specialist and curator at the Bailey House Museum in Wailuku
Wailuku, Hawaii
Wailuku is a census-designated place in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 12,296 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Maui County.Wailuku is located just west of Kahului, at the mouth of the Īao Valley...
.
Hawaiian music
Reichel studied Hawaiian dance and vocals under Kumu hulaHula
Hula is a dance form accompanied by chant or song . It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visual dance form....
(dance instructor/choreographer/master) Pualani Kanakaole Kanahele, daughter of the kumu hula
Hula
Hula is a dance form accompanied by chant or song . It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visual dance form....
and Hawaiian scholar "Aunty" Edith Kanakaole. He later founded his own hālau hula
Halau hula
A hālau hula is a school in which the ancient Hawaiian dance form called hula is taught. The term comes from hālau, a workshed, and hula, the traditional dance of the Hawaiian Islands. Prior to European contact, the Hawaiian language had no word for "school," as children learned from their parents,...
(Hawaiian dance troop) Halau hula o ka Makani Wili Makaha o Kauaula now called Halau Kealaokamaile.
In 1994, at the age of 33, he recorded and released a collection of Hawaiian traditional and contemporary music entitled Kawaipunahele on his own Punahele Productions record label, and began his career as a Hawaiian music superstar. Reichel's subsequent albums, Lei Halia (1995), ʻE O Mai (1997), and Melelana (1999), placed him securely at the top of the Hawaiian music entertainment industry. He is also featured in two anthology albums released by his record label, Pride of Punahele (1998) and Pride of Punahele 2 (2003).
In 2004, his album of the previous year, Kealaokamaile (2003), won four of the top awards at the 27th Annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (Hawaii's regional equivalent of the Grammy Awards) including Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, Hawaiian Album of the Year and Song of the Year.
Reichel's style most often includes vocals over a guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, and ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
ensemble but may also include a Western (European-American) string quartet (violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
and cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
) or traditional pre-1778 Hawaiian instruments. His vocals include Hawaiian language chanting and singing in both Hawaiian and English. Stage performances include dance in both traditional and modern hula
Hula
Hula is a dance form accompanied by chant or song . It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visual dance form....
forms. He also plays guitar.
Theater
Kealii performed in the Maui Academy of Performing ArtsMaui Academy of Performing Arts
The Maui Academy of Performing Arts is a nonprofit theater that produces community theater and offers classes to children and young adults. Over the years, the mainstay of the Academy has been their drama, dance, and summer programs....
production of Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
as Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
.
International recognition
Reichel currently has contracts with JVC Victor Entertainment and Atlantic/Time-Warner. Kealii Reichel's consistent placement in Billboard Magazine's World Music Charts has garnered him international attention. He has opened concerts for Bonnie RaittBonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes is an American country/pop singer. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame as an eight-year-old champion on the original Ed McMahon version of Star Search, followed by the release of the Patsy Cline-intended single "Blue" when Rimes was only age 13, resulting in her...
, Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
, and Sting. In addition to his regular concerts in Hawaii, he has toured the United States mainland playing in such places as 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...
at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, San Diego, San Francisco, Anaheim, Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
, Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, and toured internationally with concerts in Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
, Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where he has performed to a sold out audience.
Reichel is known not only for his artistry as a performer, song writer and recording artist, but also for his work as a teacher of Hawaiian culture to the rest of the world.
The Hawaii Academy of Recording Artists - Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards
Favorite Entertainer of the Year- 1995, 1996, 2000, 2007
Male Vocalist of the Year
- 1995, 1996, 2000, 2004
Most Promising Artist of the Year
- 1995
Album of the Year
- 1995 Kawaipunahele, 2000 Melelana, 2004 Kealaokamaile
Anthology Album of the Year
- 2006 Kamahiwa: The Kealii Reichel Collection Vol. 1
Song of the Year
- 2004 Ka Nohonoa Pili Kai
Hawaiian Album of the Year
- 1995 Kawaipunahele, 1996 Lei Halia, 2000 Melelana, 2004 Kealaokamaile
Haku Mele (new Hawaiian language composition; award to the composer )
- Kuu Pua Maeole (to Keali'i Reichel) 1996, Nematoda (to Puakea Nogelmeier) 1998
Liner Notes Award
- 2000, 2004, 2006, 2009
Music Video DVD of the Year
- 2008 Kukahi -- Live in Concert