Punahele Productions is pleased to announce the release of “Kukahi - Keali`i Reichel Live in Concert,” recorded at the Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu. The DVD features Keali`i, one of Hawai`i’s best known artists and kumu hula instructors, and his Halau Ke`alaokamaile in a musical journey of old and new favorites.
The DVD begins with an elaborate Kahiko segment, celebrating Hawai`i’s pre-contact era with an exquisitely choreographed dance and chant sequence passed down from generations of traditional teachers. The filming segues to Keali`i’s contemporary songs of Hawai`i’s natural beauty, storied places, and love of family and friends.
“Our goal on this project was to utilize the latest digital technology at hand and meld it within the scope and context of traditional and contemporary Hawaiian performances,” explains Reichel.
Hawai`i State Film Commissioner Donne Dawson says “The heart and soul of who Keali'i is and his love for these islands and our people shine bright throughout the performance. As a Hawaiian, I am brimming with pride. For those of us who are blessed to call Hawai'i home, his music and hula teaches us so much about ourselves and this special place we love. For those beyond our shores, Keali'i provides an amazing window for the world to see why Hawai'i is a place like no other.”
Keali`i was born and raised on Maui. His passion for the language and culture of Hawai`i led him to become a founding director for Punana Leo O Maui, the Hawaiian language immersion school. In 1980, he founded his own hula school, Halau Ke`alaokamaile, and has won numerous awards. His six albums over the past 12 years have garnered 29 Na Hoku Hanohano awards by the Hawai`i Academy for Recording Arts as well as a Grammy nomination.
“Kukahi - Keali`i Reichel Live In Concert” features special guests Keali`i Ceballos and Ben Vegas. A retrospective on Keali`i Reichel’s career is also a highlight on the DVD, with a run time of over two hours. Hawaiian and English subtitles provided as a menu option. The DVD is distributed by the Alternative Distribution Alliance, a Warner Music Group company.
The New York Times' Nate Chinen wrote this about Keali`i on 12/30/07
"For Hawaiian music traditionalists, there isn’t a more substantial active figure than Keali‘i Reichel. Since the mid-1990s this singer-songwriter, chanter, choreographer and historian has devised an accessible but edifying style, with each of his albums — the most recent being “Ke‘alaokamaile,” from 2003 — advancing the causes of both traditional and contemporary Hawaiian culture. Now he has an excellent DVD, “Kukahi: Live in Concert” (Punahele Productions), recorded last year in Honolulu. Ranging from ancient chants to the sweetest sort of folk-stirred pop, it pairs every performance with dance; Mr. Reichel’s own hula troupe, Halau Ke‘alaokamaile, makes several dramatic appearances. As a result “Kukahi” offers the most comprehensive portrait yet of Mr. Reichel’s serious skills, including his puckish sense of humor. It’s also an ideal cultural survey of Hawaii for anyone curious enough to look past grass skirts and pearly shells."
