After more than two decades without a university band, the is ready to bring the music back. Leading that effort is new assistant professor of music Ocean Akaka, who arrives with a clear vision: rebuild the band program and help revitalize Hawaiian music through bold new arrangements and performances.

Akaka, who recently returned home to Hawaiʻi after teaching on the U.S. continent, arrived in Hilo on a one-way ticket late last year.

“I quickly got settled in, and flew to Oʻahu to spend the holidays with my family, something I haven鈥檛 done since 2020,” he said. “That was a great moment for sure.”

Building musical bridges

Akaka, who specializes in conducting wind ensembles and athletic bands, is now part of 东精影业 贬颈濒辞鈥檚 . However he said his larger mission reaches beyond performance. His research revolves around the revitalization of Hawaiian music through arrangements for Western instrumental ensembles, such as orchestra and band.

Born and raised in Wahiaw膩, Akaka earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in from 东精影业 M膩noa. He later completed both his master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees in conducting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. There, he led marching and pep bands, directed ensembles and taught conducting. His arrangements have been performed across the U.S. and Europe.

Now he brings that experience home.

“I鈥檓 writing a few arrangements of music from Charles E. King鈥檚 songbook,” he said. “Many of the songs written in this book are for one or more vocalists, and an accompanying ukulele, guitar or steel guitar. I鈥檓 working to arrange these songs for a wind ensemble, and have them performed by the students here at 东精影业 Hilo.”

For more go to .

—By Susan Enright

Melodic harmonies performed in the Hawaiian language (ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi) will fill the virtual premiere of a University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo keiki-friendly musical about a poetic mouse. Starting Friday, June 10, the 东精影业 Hilo (PAC) , a theatrical play about a little mouse who highlights the importance of ʻohana and guides his Tūtū and friends through challenges with poetry. Forty haumāna (students) from the Hawaiʻi Island campus star in the ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi musical, which is based on children鈥檚 books penned by award-winning author and Hawaiʻi Island native Frances H. Kakugawa.

“Keiki can expect an hour of lovable characters, bright costumes, colorful scenery, catchy songs, and a sweet story about how the power of imagination — expressed by Wordsworth through poetry—can brighten our world and carry us through the darkest of times,” said Justina Mattos, a drama professor at 东精影业 Hilo who staged the production.

Mattos combined forces with Kea Kapahua (东精影业 Hilo dance lecturer) and Rachel Edwards (东精影业 Hilo music lecturer) to work with haumāna from courses such as ballet, chorus and acting who are part of the production鈥檚 large cast. Jackie Pualani Johnson, a retired 东精影业 Hilo drama professor, adapted the children鈥檚 stories for the stage which was also translated into Hawaiian by Pōhai Montague-Mullins and arranged by award-winning musician Wendell Ing.

ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi festival goes virtual

The pre-recorded 东精影业 Hilo musical will premiere at the , an event PAC has hosted since 2016. It is one of 11 Hawaiian theatre productions audiences will be able to stream online. KEAKA is usually an in-person event however due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers opted to produce a virtual festival which will offer a variety of genres, from full-length plays to slam poetry, film and short research presentations.

东精影业 Mānoa productions, Hoʻoilina and award-winning play He Leo Aloha which recently earned eight national awards, are among the featured performances.

Productions from Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu Hawaiian Language Charter School, Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi campus, and an Oʻahu filmmaker will also be showcased.

“The festival seeks to promote Hawaiian language and culture through theatre arts; providing free entertainment for our Hawaiian-speaking community, opportunities for performers and other theatre practitioners to work on creative projects utilizing Hawaiian language, and opportunities for all to see and hear the Hawaiian language in use within the wider community,” Mattos expressed.

Ola ka ʻōlelo i ka hana keaka (Language lives through theatre)

东精影业 Hilo is keen on expanding the number of its Hawaiian language theatre productions. According to Mattos, currently most performing arts students have little to no experience with ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. Faculty bring in fluent speakers from the community to work side-by-side with haumāna on proper pronunciation and intonation for on-stage dialogue.

The festival will be available for streaming through June 30.

international students and community volunteers took the stage at the . They performed traditional songs and dances from their homelands at the 东精影业 Hilo Performing Arts Center on February 21 and 22.

The two-night production by the carried on the beautiful tradition of sharing cultures from all over the world. The unique celebration of diversity gave the college and community an opportunity to experience a multitude of cultural performances.

International Nights Program

On February 21, the following groups and countries were represented:

• Japan: Taishoji Taiko
• Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM): Pohnpei Kaselehlie Club
• Japan: Japanese Student Association
• Kosrae, FSM: Kosrae Hilo Organization
• West Africa: LavaRoots Performing Arts
• Sri Lanka: Thatmini Kularatna
• Samoa: Tupulaga O Samoa Mo A Taeao

The February 22 lineup featured the following cultures and organizations:

• Japan: Puna Taiko
• Philippines: Filipino Studies Group
• Tonga: Maata Fakasieiki
• Palau: Ngelekel Belau Club
• Ireland: Hawaiʻi Irish Dance
• Yap, FSM: Waab Student Organization
• India: Big Island Desi
• Marshall Islands: Marshallese Iakwe Club

The presents spring concerts, and at the 东精影业 Hilo Performing Arts Center.

All You Need is Love

The 东精影业 Hilo Jazz Orchestra presents a Beatles tribute concert: All You Need Is Love, Thursday, May 3 at 7:30 p.m. The show will feature some of the Beatles best-loved songs with selections from the albums Revolver, Abbey Road, Magical Mystery Tour and the White Album.

The band will also perform several songs from the groundbreaking album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

The Orchid Isle Orchestra and performances choreographed by Dori Yamada and the 5,6,7,8s will also be featured.

For more on the performance, go to .

We Sing the Spring

The 东精影业 Hilo Kapili Choir, University Chorus and Hilo Community Chorus present We Sing the Spring, Sunday, May 6 at 2 p.m.

The first half of the concert features a performance of John Rutter’s composition, “Requiem.” The seven-movement work builds on traditional Catholic and Anglican liturgy for a service of mourning while incorporating more contemporary idioms.

The second half showcases each of the choirs in their own set of songs, with styles ranging from the Baroque to popular melodies of Hawaiʻi, including selections arranged by island musicians Michael Springer and Rodney Wong.

For more on the performance, go to .

Tickets

• All You Need Is Love
• $12 general
• $10 discount
• $5 students with valid ID and children 17 and under

• We Sing the Spring
• $10 general
• $7 discount
• $5 students with valid ID and children 17 and under

Tickets are open seating. For more information, or to order tickets, contact the 东精影业 Hilo Performing Arts Center Box Office at (808) 932-7490 or order online.

The , featuring more than 100 student dancers from the and , will take place April 27–28, 7:30 p.m. at the .

Performances:

• Senior project of Sharyse Molina performing to the music of Lady Gaga
• Nicole Monette presents her dance class of teens from Center Stage Dance Alliance in her choreography project to the music of Pink Floyd
• The 东精影业 Hilo Modern Dance II class will perform BLURBLE WERBLE, a work conceived by Annie Bunker in collaboration with visiting scholar Jeongha Kim and 东精影业 Hilo Performing Arts student Bridge Hartman
• Traditional courtly fan dancing and drum dance choreographed by visiting scholar Jeongha Kim
• The ballet classes’ upbeat numbers to “Singin&#8217 in the Rain” and “Dancing in the Streets”
• Jazz Dance class with selections from The Greatest Showman choreographed by Kea Kapahua, in collaboration with Lawrence Mano
• Muriel Assi sharing her heritage in, “Africa: United,” showcasing high energy and stirring rhythms
• The 东精影业 Hilo Dance Ensemble highlights dances created by Sarah Dunawayand Mano

Tickets

• Friday, April 27, 7:30 p.m.
  $3
• Saturday, April 28, 7:30 p.m.
  $5 Students with valid ID and children 17 and under
  $7 General

The spring 2018 shows are open seating events. To order tickets, contact the Box Office at (808) 932-7490 or .

For disability accommodation, contact Dori Yamada at least 10 business days prior to the event.

The 东精影业 at Hilo’s presents Evita, April 7–15. The musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber is directed by 东精影业 Hilo Professor , with music direction by Armando Mendoza and choreography by Instructor Celeste Staton.

Argentina’s controversial first lady is the subject of this dynamic musical masterpiece. As an illegitimate 15-year-old, Eva escaped her dirt-poor existence for the bright lights of Buenos Aires. Driven by ambition and blessed with charisma, she was a starlet at 22, the president’s mistress at 24, First Lady at 27 and dead at 33. Eva Peron—saint to the working class, reviled by the aristocracy and mistrusted by the military—was destined to leave a fascinating political legacy unique in the 20th century.

Told through a compelling score that fuses haunting chorales with exuberant Latin, pop and jazz influences, Evita creates an arresting theatrical portrait as complex as the woman herself.

Performance Information

• April 7–8 and April 12–15 at 7:30 p.m.
• April 9 at 2 p.m.

Tickets

Advance sales/At the door

• $20/$25 general
• $15/$20 discount
• $7/$12 children 17 and under and 东精影业 Hilo/Hawaiʻi CC students

To purchase tickets please call (808) 932-7490 or .

from on .

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo’s presents Compagnie Hervé Koubi: What the Day Owes to the Night, March 28 at 7:30 p.m.

What the Day Owes to the Night is Koubi’s latest work and is inspired by his own personal journey and discovery of his Algerian heritage. His all male cast of dancers has toured extensively around the world before debuting the full length production in the United States in October 2015. Since then it has received numerous standing ovations and acclaim for its incredible physicality, powerful imagery and inspired choreography. Utilizing urban and contemporary dance movements, capoeira, and martial arts to bring the piece to life, dancers literally defy gravity and take the audience’s collective breath away.鈥ㄢ赌�

Koubi grew up in the South of France where he studied both biology and dance at the University of Aix-en-Provence before graduating as a pharmaceutical doctor. After deciding to concentrate on a dancing career and graduating from the world-renowned Rosella Hightower School of Dance in Cannes, Koubi gained professional experience as a dancer with the Opera de Marseille. Since then, he has developed many contemporary dance projects in collaboration with various artists, writers, choreographers and musicians from the world over.

Tickets

Advance Sales / At the Door:

• $30 / $35 General
• $25 / $20 Discount
• $15 / $20 Students with valid ID and children 17 and under

To purchase tickets, call (808) 932-7490 or .

Additional Information

For disability accommodations, please contact Dori Yamada at (808) 932-7496 (V) or (808) 933-3334 (TTY) at least 10 business days prior to the event.

For more information, contact the at (808) 932-7490.

The legendary , one of the most cohesive and entertaining Gypsy swing bands in the United States, will perform on March 2 at the University of Hawaiʻi Hilo and March 4 at 东精影业 Mānoa’s . This ensemble of accomplished and versatile musicians celebrates the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli’s pioneering Quintette du Hot Club de France.

Often called gypsy jazz, the music of The Hot Club of San Francisco has entranced audiences around the globe for more than 25 years. With innovative arrangements of classic tunes and original compositions from the group’s superb lead guitarist Paul Mehling, the silken violin of twice Grammy Award-winning Evan Price, the velvet vocals of Isabelle Fontaine and a swinging rhythm section, the group never fails to surprise and delight. To hear the ensemble is to be carried back to the tight, smoky jazz clubs of 1930’s Paris and the refined lounge of the famous Hotel Ritz.

东精影业 Hilo: Meet Me In Paris, 东精影业 Hilo Performing Arts Center’s annual fundraiser

begins March 2, 7 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center with hors d’oeuvres, patisserie and beverages donated by local sponsors. The concert and dancing begin at 7:30 p.m. 东精影业ees can dance to their hearts content on the Performing Arts Center Stage or enjoy the music and other guests’ dance moves from the comfort of a theatre seat.

The proceeds will benefit the 东精影业 Hilo Performing Arts Center Scholarship Fund and center programs. For tickets, call (808) 932-7490 or visit the .

东精影业 Mānoa: The Hot Club of San Francisco

March 4, 7:30 p.m. at 东精影业 Mānoa Orvis Auditorium.

For tickets, call (808) 956-8246 or visit the .

Ivory Coast vocalist and dancer , one of the most vibrant performers in world music, will perform at the University of Hawaiʻi and 东精影业 . Her extraordinary talents position her to set the course for the genre. “Take the energy of Lauryn Hill, the consciousness of and the mystique of Erykah Badu and you got Dobet Ganhoré,” says St Louis American.鈥ㄢ赌�

As a child, Gnahoré trained in the music and dance traditions of the Bété people at the urging of her father, a well-known performer and master percussionist in West Africa. Gnahoré’s voice, dancing, charisma and vibrant stage presence is the result of years of theatrical and choreographic work and brings audiences everywhere to their feet. Gnahoré sings in a range of African languages including Bété, Fon, Baoule, Lingala, Malinke, Mina and Bambara.鈥ㄢ赌�

In 2010 she shared an award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance with India.Arie at the 52nd Grammy Awards and has released several albums, including her latest Na Drê in 2014.

Concert information

东精影业 Hilo Performing Arts Center
Wednesday, February 22 at 7:30 p.m.
For tickets, call (808) 932-7490 or visit the .

东精影业 Mānoa Orvis Auditorium
Friday, February 24 at 7:30 p.m.
For tickets, call (808) 956-8246 or visit the .

Visit the Dobet Gnahoré for photos and additional information about the production.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo announces the spring 2017 season of performances.

Black Arm Band: Dirtsong

Friday, January 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Black Arm Band is a collective of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who are widely acclaimed for their distinctive music theatre performances, and celebration of indigenous culture, language and uniquely powerful visual imagery.

At the heart of Black Arm Band’s ethos is their relationship with the indigenous communities from where their work draws its inspiration.

Wonderheads: Loon

Friday, February 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Acclaimed physical theatre company and mask imagineers the Wonderheads bring you a love story that whisks a man to the moon and back. Francis, a lonely janitor who is plagued by isolation and tickled by whispers of childhood imagination, has hit rock bottom and discovers that he has nowhere to go…but up! But will plucking the moon from the sky bring him the love he is searching for?

Loon is performed in full-face mask, a form so magical that the audience will forget their age and marvel in childlike delight. Wordless and whimsical, it has been described by audiences as watching a living cartoon, or live-action Pixar.

Dobet Gnahore

Wednesday, February 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Ivory Coast vocalist and dancer Dobet Gnahoré has garnered a reputation as one of the most vibrant performers in world music. Her extraordinary talents position her to set the course for the genre.

As a child, Gnahoré trained in the music and dance traditions of the Bété people at the urging of her father, a well-known performer and master percussionist in West Africa. Gnahoré’s voice, dancing, charisma and vibrant stage presence is the result of years of theatrical and choreographic work and brings audiences everywhere to their feet. Gnahoré sings in a range of African languages including Bété, Fon, Baoule, Lingala, Malinke, Mina and Bambara.

In 2010 she shared an award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance with India.Arie at the 52nd Grammy Awards and has released several albums, including her latest Na Drê in 2014.

Aparna Ramawamy presents: They Rose At Dawn

Tuesday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Under the direction of Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy, Ragamala Dance Company’s work explores the dynamic tension between the ancestral and the contemporary. They Rose at Dawn is a solo work, depicting women as carriers of ritual, navigating inner and outer worlds, invoking a sense of reverence, of unfolding mystery, of imagination.

A stellar 5 piece Carnatic musical ensemble accompanies Aparna Ramaswamy as she explores the spotaneous interplay between music and movement and the dynamic contours created by the artists onstage.

Compagnie Herve Koubi: What the Day Owes to the Night

Tuesday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Hervi Koubi grew up in the South of France where he studied both biology and dance at the University of Aix-en-Provence before graduating as a pharmaceutical doctor. After deciding to concentrate on a dancing career and graduating from the world-renowned Rosella Hightower School of Dance in Cannes, Koubi gained professional experience as a dancer with the Opera de Marseille.

His latest major choreographic work is entitled What the Day Owes to the Night and is inspired by his own personal journey and discovery of his Algerian heritage.

Evita

Friday and Saturday, April 7 and 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 9 at 2 p.m.

Lyrics by Tim Rice, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, directed by ; music direction by Armando Mendoza, choreography by

Argentina’s controversial first lady is the subject of this dynamic musical masterpiece. As an illegitimate 15 year old, Eva escaped her dirt-poor existence for the bright lights of Buenos Aires. Driven by ambition and blessed with charisma, she was a starlet at 22, the president’s mistress at 24, first lady at 27 and dead at 33.

Told through a compelling score that fuses haunting chorales with exuberant Latin, pop and jazz influences, Evita creates an arresting theatrical portrait as complex as the woman herself.

Spring Trifecta

Spring 2017 Great Leaps Dance Concert, April 29 at 7:30 p.m.

东精影业 Hilo Jazz Orchestra Concert, May 4 at 7:30 p.m.

We Sing the Spring: 35 Years of Jackie!, May 7 at 2 p.m.

To receive the three events for $20, the Spring Trifecta package needs to be purchased by April 29.

Tickets

To view ticket pricing or to purchase tickets visit the 东精影业 Hilo Performing Arts Center .