Island98.5’s Wake Up Crew welcomes Na Palapalai, to the Road Runner Music Hall on May 27, 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gregg Hammer: I saw you guys years ago at a fundraisers and I’ve been in love ever since.  Seriously. You guys been fifteen years together. 

NA PALAPALAI: Fifteen years since we formed a group.

Rory Wild: Let’s talk about the beginning of the group. You have two original members, you Kuana (Kuana Torres Kahele).  Say hello Kuana and Kehau (Kapulanakehau Tamure).  How did you guys start?

NA PALAPALAI: Umm, actually she was dancing for Rae (Kahiki) Fonseca at the time and I was dancing for Johnny Lum Ho. Hilo is small yeah? There was a rumor about some person that can really scream and sing notes from Rae Fonseca.  Likewise, she heard about that boy that could sing for Johnny. That’s how we knew of each other.  But we never met yet.

Rory Wild: Take us to the meeting.

NA PALAPALAI: I was still in high school.  I was singing for this musical group called The Ambassadors, a musical group for the school. She had showed up since she known some friends that were my classmates.  She started singing and it wasn’t until after I realized “oh you’re the one from Rae Fonseca!” Then she realized “oh! It’s you from Johnny.”

Rory Wild: Then you hooked up with Akoni (Akoni Malacas).

NA PALAPALAI: It was after a few years later we were playing with each other before we actually founded the group Na Palapalai.  We were just doing halau-associated stuff.  It was right before met Akoni that we formed the group Na Palapalai and we started doing to the Hilo/Kona thing.  And then when we met Akoni, which is my cousin, we already been Na Palapalai he affectionately called us his Palapalai (Akoni & Da Palapalai Patch.)  Therefore we became the friction, the patch. 

Rory Wild: Right, right, right.

Gregg Hammer: I used that when I was a heavy smoker.  I couldn’t keep it lit, so I just gave up the patch. 

Rory Wild: You eventually moved on and joined up with Keao (Keao Costa).

NA PALAPALAI: Ya so when we joined up with Akoni, we came up here to Oahu.  We started doing the Oahu scene and met a lot of people.  She was actually friends with Keao a long time but it was kind of weird how Keao slipped into the picture.  As Akoni went out, then we got off the patch and went back to Na Palapalai. 

Rory Wild: So today, we see you as a duel.  How is going back to the original group?

NA PALAPALAI: It’s kind of funny because fifteen years later, we find us in a complete circle.  It’s like ‘huh, here we are fifteen years later and we are back where we kind of started.  Where it was just me and her.’  It’s kind of ironic but at the same time great.

Rory Wild: Can you remember the first song you sang together?

Gregg Hammer: It was “Good Bye Mama I’m Going to Yokohama”

Rory Wild: Well lets hear it guys.

Gregg Hammer: It was in the Sinatra category.

Crystal: That was a really long time ago.

Rory Wild: I don’t even remember fifteen minutes ago, so don’t worry about it.

Gregg Hammer: After awhile, the effort is ‘you know what, never mind I don’t even remember”

Crystal:  Like some rusty old steam pipes. Neon Moon.

Rory Wild: Are they thinking of maybe attempting it?

Crystal: No

NA PALAPALAI: That is a portion of our life that we just don’t want to go back to.

Rory Wild: What does the future have in store for Na Palapalai?

NA PALAPALAI: 24 hour fitness

Crystal: Great. Stay in shape. Bless your heart.

NA PALAPALAI: Costco

Crystal: Buy in bulk, honey.

NA PALAPALAI: The future this time around, especially celebrating our 15^th year anniversary.  We’re just trying to break the barriers of what we weren’t able to do or what we haven’t accomplished when we were under a label.  This time around we created our own label and we’re self controlling.

Gregg Hammer: Like sovereignty.

Song 1: Ho’oipo Hula (Ipo Hula)

Rory Wild: Na Palapalai live here in the hall of the Road Runner Music Hall.

Crystal:  I heard you’re up for nominations in the Na Hoku Hanohano Award. And what category is that?

NA PALAPALAI: I have no idea.

Crystal: You have no idea?

Rory Wild: You guys were nominated for five, right? Wonderful. I hope you guys win all five.

NA PALAPALAI: We’re walking in here blind.

Crystal:  Okay, I got one for you.  You guys are up for Album of the Year.

NA PALAPALAI: Oh that’s news to us. 

Crystal: Really?

Gregg Hammer: Your guys Hoku performance you were paired with Mailani.  How did that come about?

NA PALAPALAI: We really don’t know.

Gregg Hammer: They just told you; you’re going to play with Mailani, yeah?

Crystal: All they really knew is that they are going to come here and play music.  They didn’t know they were going to be asked ten million questions. 

Rory Wild: In the last fifteen years, you know with the trend with Jawaiian and all the Reggae, any temptations in to do some of that

NA PALAPALAI: Never.

Rory Wild: And we thank you for that.  Can we hear another song?

Song 2: He Aloha No O Honolulu

--commercial break

 

Gregg Hammer: Live from the Road Runner Music Hall, we want to thank our sponsors Road Runner, Ex-drinks, Na Hoku O Hawaii Music Festival, and Hawaiian Airlines Hawaii Academy of the Recording Arts 33^rd Annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards.

            Song 3: Lepe ‘Ula ‘ula

Rory Wild: If you just tuned in, Island98.5 and the Wake Up Crew, you are being treated to a performance by Na Palapalai live here in the Road Runner Music Hall.

Crystal: And you can actually watch it online streaming on island985.com.  Click on the Road Runner Music Hall link.

Rory Wild: And if you are watching, you notice there are four people on the stage.  There is Kuana and Kehau.  Lets introduce you to, wow this guy is just about family, Ioane Burns, ladies and gentlemen.

Gregg Hammer: And of course on the far end, Shawn Ishimoto.  Now how did Ioane and Shawn end up being part of the Na Palapalai thing? Spit it out.

NA PALAPALAI:  For those of you, who have been following us, Shawn has been playing on our older albums from the past and we had him be part of our last album, Nanea.  Now that we have control on this album, we can take him when we want and feel.  Right Shawn?  As for Ioane, we’re still figuring it out.

Gregg Hammer: Now Nanea, your current project, thirty thousand copies since November has been sold.  I don’t know who wrote these.  But, Nanea sold over thirty thousand copies since November, where did you sell them all?  I don’t get the question. But I’m going to ask it. 

Crystal:  Have you only sold them in Hawaii?

NA PALAPALAI: I think its been sold in Japan.

Crystal: Japan is huge with the Hawaii music.  How did they embrace you guys when you guys come there and play music?  You guys must be treated like royalty. 

NA PALAPALAI:  Pretty much.  It’s kind of sad you know because over there we are and at home we’re treated regular. 

Crystal: So on the album, Nanea, is that all the original songs?

NA PALAPALAI: No, not all of them.  There are some original that we have on there.  A few that I wrote and one that Kehau wrote a long time ago. 

Rory Wild: So being on your own, there are some positive and negatives.  What are the negatives?

NA PALAPALAI:  The negative was trying to get it kick started and taking the initiated in doing things on our own.  A lot of people at first didn’t take us seriously.  In the long run it worked out.  Luckily we’ve been in the business for so long, that the name alone has its own drive which kind of helped open a lot of doors for us.

Rory Wild: Looking forward to all the things coming up.  Everybody really loves you in here.  We got another request on tweets, the social network.  Ladies and gentlemen Na Palapalai.

Song 4: Pili Kapekepeke

--commercial break

 

Crystal:  So you guys are from Hilo, do you guys live here?

NA PALAPALAI: No. We live in Hilo.  We moved out here with Akoni. We lived here for a little over ten years.  During the break, after our third release we moved back home to Hilo. We’ve been do the commute all this time.

Crystal: So do they still welcome you like the first time you guys played? Do they claim you? Like Na Palapalai is from Hilo?

NA PALAPALAI: Yes, they’re fast to claim.

Crystal: Ok, that’s cool. Homebound.

Rory Wild: Who do you guys locally, musically, do you guys like to listen to? I mean Natural Vibes? Who do you like to listen to?

NA PALAPALAI: I listen to different music from her.  Maoli is good.

Rory Wild: Do you guys play anyone’s music on the side?

NA PALAPALAI: Totally.

Song 5: Ka Ua Kipu’upu’u

Crystal: If people want to find you guys or book you for parties, where can they find you?

NA PALAPALAI: At your website www.napalapalaimusic.com

--commercial break

 

Gregg Hammer: Live from the Road Runner Music Hall we want to thank our sponsors for making today happen; Road Runner, Ex-drinks, Na Hoku O Hawaii Music Festival and Hawaiian Airlines Hawaii Academy of the Recording Arts 33^rd Annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards.  

Rory Wild: If you’re just tuning in, Na Palapalai. Nanea is their new album. 

Gregg Hammer: We got one more song.  We want to thank Na Palapalai for being here.

Crystal: And don’t forget you can always recap this on Island985.com click on Road Runner Music Hall Live. 

Song 6: Aia La ‘O Pele I Hawai’i

Crystal: Thank you guys so much! That’s a wrap from the Road Runner Music Hall and the Wake Up Crew.  It’s Island98.5.

Rory Wild:  I heard a hana hou over here. 

Song 7: I Call Him Lord