Manu'akepa performs a unique blend of Hawaiian, classical and jazz music.
Manu'akepa performs a unique blend of Hawaiian, classical and jazz music.
From small-kid days dancing and singing in her mother's Big Island mango groves, through the Waikiki nightclub scene and European tours to her current shows at Kauai hotels, Manulele has been gripped by the allure of music.
She shares that love with Oahu audiences in a concert tomorrow with fellow Kauai musicians Patrick Cockett and Pancho Graham, performing as Manu'akepa.
Cockett plays guitar and arranges music for the trio. His original compositions have been recorded on his album, "These Trails." Graham, who plays bass, guitar and ukulele, has toured with Taj Mahal and recorded with the group Napali. Both men share vocals with Manulele.
"Manu'akepa was the first group that made me put down my instrument and just sing," said Manulele, who was trained as a classical cellist and also plays the guitar, piano and ukulele.
Instead, she focuses on vocals, slipping effortlessly from Hawaiian songs to contemporary tunes.
Manulele said it took her a long time to become accustomed to performing without an instrument, but now she enjoys just singing. "It has allowed me a tremendous amount of freedom," she said. "I change things around, rearrange on the spot, and these guys are right with me."
It's a style she learned as part of the singing Elsner sisters on the Don Ho Show in the late 1960s. She toured Europe for three years, doing concerts, television and session work. In the late '80s, she returned to her roots, blending her Hawaiian, classical and jazz backgrounds with Manu'akepa.
The trio, together for nine years, offers its audience a musical experience that "is totally unique," she said. "It's been described as brilliant, innovative, exciting. I'm so privileged to be a part of it."
Manulele credits Cockett for inspiring her to new heights. "I feel like I have this incredible creative force supporting me," she said, "We have a psychic connection that goes beyond words."
Audiences pick up on that, as well as the healing qualities of Manulele's voice. She's aware of her effect on the audience, and chooses her songs carefully. "I don't do blues, rock 'n' roll or negative songs," she said. "I'm a message singer: love songs, story songs."
It's important to her to express to others what music has done for her. "What I am trying to share is the tremendous value that it has in our lives," she said. "It's a physical value that can motivate and stimulate."