Kukahi Live in Concert

This video chronicles a 99-minute concert given by Hawaiian music artist Keali'i Reichel at the Neil S. Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu, HI, on September 24, 2006. Reichel, who is a lecturer and a dancer in addition to being a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, displays all of his abilities during the show, starting with a series of traditional chants that he and his troupe of dancers perform in traditional costume. Starting with the tenth track, "Ka 'Eha A Ke Aloha," he switches to conventional garb and picks up the guitar to play with his musical group upstage as his hula dancers continue to take the downstage spotlight. But the focus is never far from Reichel, who comments informatively and often amusingly on his repertoire of traditional Hawaiian songs and his own originals in between performances, which are rendered in the Hawaiian language. English subtitles are available, and they reveal the lyrics to range from celebrations of nature and romantic love to what may be called fertility messages. (Reichel playfully points out that Hawaiian music is full of double entendres.) Another group of songs is dedicated to, and in some cases composed by, ancient rulers of Hawaii. Reichel sings in an expressive tenor, most often accompanied by a group of acoustic guitarists, resulting in a sound that often resembles the singer/songwriter folk-rock of the early '70s. He is an effective and entertaining guide to traditional Hawaiian music and dance, and the concert setting allows him not only to perform, but also to educate his audience about his native art and culture.