Willie K aces his recital

Willie Kahaiali'i performed with the Hawaii Youth Symphony on Sunday night and sang opera arias with as much mana as Luciano Pavarotti in a concert that he described as being like his recital. Willie K is a big man and his voice box has power to spare, but he can also rein it in when the words call for it, and I can't recall ever hearing either "O solo mio" or "Danny Boy" sung with more connection to the actual meaning of the lyrics. I would like to hear him sing "In the Still of the Night," or "Someone to Watch Over Me." A fellow like me who rises at 2 a.m. and sleeps in shifts "doesn't get out much," and I had somehow escaped learning that Willie sang jazz until he performed a scat tune of his own invention inspired by Ella Fitzgerald. What I hadn't known was that he was exposed to jazz from childhood (he wrote the scatting song as a teen). The Hawaii Youth Symphony and the Honolulu Symphony are of fundamental importance to our musical community. Listeners can classify music as Hawaiian or reggae or rock or classical or jazz but musicians never confuse classifications with boundaries and are invariably enriched by reaching out beyond whichever kind of music pays their rent. Orchestral music is the place where all musics meet. It is the oral history of music and the common language of the universal languages. The future of Hawaiian music, rock, country, hip-hop, jazz and any other musical niche you can name will be impoverished by the disappearance of our symphonies, and both orchestras are in need of support in a slowing economy that can make charitable fundraising dicey. Musical education and a thriving, cross-pollenating musical culture are important anywhere, but nowhere more than Hawaii, an epicenter of multi-faceted musical talent. This is a priceless human resource that enriches us, entertains us, and brings us together. I have decided to begin speaking out on this issue more frequently and in more detail. I hope you will find those columns thought-provoking.

Comments

[Margo Peter]

WOW ... I just heard Willie K do opera and it was incredible...where can we find this recorded?

[Nina]

Margo, we were thinking the same thing! Has anyone responded to your question? If you find out anything can you let me know?
thanks :)

[Billy V]

Well, he actually has not recorded any as of yet. Willie K. is a multi-talented musician whose mind never stops. He is an avid golfer, martial arts enthusiast who has an incredible musical artistry, inherited in part by the musician family that surrounds him (mostly his father who was also a Hawaii entertainer). I had the pleasure of introducing him at his first Honolulu Waikiki Shell Concert in the mid '90s when his first album CD was going thru the roof. Willie has many facets which he does incredibly well. This is only a small part, but one that I think he is having the most fun with.

Willie, when you read this, let us all know when you decide to release an "Opera" CD!!