The GRAMMY Museum® presents We are Friends: A Lifetime Party of ’70s Hawaiian Music – A Mele Mei in L.A. event
RELEASE NUMBER 10/17
LOS ANGELES – On Feb. 8, 2017, for the second consecutive year, the GRAMMY Museum® will celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Hawaii’s music and kick off Mele Mei 2017 with a special evening titled We Are Friends: A Lifetime Party of ’70s Hawaiian Music. The event will be held in conjunction with the opening of the Museum’s new fourth-floor exhibit of the same name and will feature performances by renowned Hawaiian artists and musicians.
“From the ukulele to the steel string guitar, folk music to modern rock and even hip-hop, the music of Hawaii continues to hold a singular place in popular culture,” said Scott Goldman, Vice President of the GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares, who also played a large role in developing the exhibit through writing and research. “The artifacts that will be on display in the exhibit really place a much-deserved spotlight on the music of the “Hawaiian Renaissance” of the 1970s. I’m confident that even the most seasoned Hawaii music fans will learn something new.”
“It’s a true honor seeing the history and culture of Hawaiian music come to life in our space here at the GRAMMY Museum,” said Chris Morrison, GRAMMY Museum Traveling Exhibits Manager who also played a role in curating the exhibit. “Our partnership with Outrigger Resorts has given us the opportunity to introduce our Los Angeles audience to Hawaiian music history, while also helping support Hawaii’s Mele Mei event for two years in a row now. Shining this year’s spotlight on the legendary Henry Kapono will make every day feel like a Sunday at Duke’s, right here in downtown L.A.”
Taking place in the week leading up to the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards®, We Are Friends: A Lifetime Party of ’70s Hawaiian Music will begin with a workshop where students can learn about Hawaiian music and instruments with Bobby Moderow and Gaylord Holomalia in a private session in the GRAMMY Museum’s Clive Davis Theater. The workshop will be followed by a public dedication of the We Are Friends: A Lifetime Party of ’70s Hawaiian Music exhibit at 4 p.m. on the Museum’s fourth floor. The day will close with an intimate concert in the theater at 8 p.m. hosted by Billy V. and featuring performances by GRAMMY®-nominated artist Henry Kapono, as well as Johnny Valentine, Alx Kawakami, Blayne Asing, Malani Bilyeu, Gaylord Holomalia, current GRAMMY nominee Kalani Pe’a, and more!
“Mele Mei and the GRAMMY Museum are celebrating a golden era of Hawaiian music and the influential artists who helped inspire the renaissance of Hawaiian culture during that period,” said George D. Szigeti, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. “Anyone who enjoys Hawaiian music will appreciate seeing this exhibit in Los Angeles and learning about the proud legacy of artists who have touched the hearts of people for generations.”
Tickets for the concert are $35 and can be purchased at AXS.com beginning Saturday, Jan. 14 at noon PST. GRAMMY Museum members can purchase pre-sale tickets beginning Friday, Jan. 13 at 10:30 a.m. PST.
On display on the Museum’s fourth floor through April 2, 2017, We Are Friends: A Lifetime Party of ’70s Hawaiian Music will explore the period of renewed Hawaiian cultural awareness and the enormous impact of Hawaiian music and recording industry in the ’70s. The leading artists in this renaissance of Hawaiian music included Cecilio and Kapono, Kalapana, Country Comfort, Olomana, Sunday Manoa, Hui Ohana, Gabby, Sons of Hawaii, and Keola and Kapono Beamer. The second GRAMMY Museum exhibit to celebrate Hawaii’s musical history, We Are Friends serves as the official kickoff of the Mele Mei 2017 celebration in Hawaii.
Mele Mei (Music May) is a month-long celebration of Hawaii’s music, hula and culture. Music and hula events are at various hotels, venues, on the beach and statewide. Enjoy ukulele to steel guitar, traditional Hawaiian music to slack key, island reggae to rock — and everything in between. To learn more visit melemei.com.
“Hawaiian music and culture are the heartbeat of Outrigger Resorts. As the presenting sponsor of Mele Mei in L.A., Outrigger is proud to partner with the GRAMMY Museum, AEG, HARA and HTA among many others, to bring this event to life,” said Sean Dee, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Outrigger Enterprises Group. “This event is one note in our ongoing track to help perpetuate Hawaiian music and a fun way to display our appreciation for the talents of all of the world-class musicians participating this year.”
“The Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts (HARA) is thrilled to return to such a special place in the music world — the GRAMMY Museum — to celebrate the launch of Mele Mei with Mele Mei in LA,” said Pali Ka’aihue, Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts president. “We look forward to sharing the beautiful tradition of Hawaiian music with music lovers from Los Angeles and around the world.”
We Are Friends: A Lifetime Party of ’70s Hawaiian Music and the coinciding Mele Mei In L.A. event are made possible by the support of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts, Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, Delta Vacations, Northstar Travel Group, Waikiki Beach Walk®, Yasuda International, Duke’s Malibu, Duke’s Huntington Beach, Blue Note Hawaii, Oahu Visitors Bureau, Innovative Networking Group, and AEG Facilities.
About The GRAMMY Museum
Paying tribute to music’s rich cultural history, this 21st-century museum explores and celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music, the creative process, the art and technology of the recording process, and the history of the premier recognition of excellence in recorded music — the GRAMMY® Award. The GRAMMY Museum features 30,000 square feet of interactive and multimedia exhibits located within L.A. LIVE, the downtown Los Angeles sports, entertainment and residential district. Through thought-provoking and dynamic public and educational programs and exhibits, guests will experience music from a never-before-seen insider perspective that only the GRAMMY Museum can deliver. For more information, please call 213-765-6800 or visit www.grammymuseum.org. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYMuseum on Twitter and Instagram, and like “The GRAMMY Museum” on Facebook.
About Mele Mei
Featuring dozens of performances throughout the Hawaiian Islands, Mele Mei provides both residents and visitors from around the world a chance to immerse themselves in the islands’ local music and culture. The annual event features an impressive schedule of artists and industry icons at various hotels and venues statewide with entertainment from ukulele and steel guitar to traditional Hawaiian music and hula. For more information on Mele Mei please visit www.melemei.com. You can also follow Mele Mei on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MeleMeiHawaii, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/melemei, and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/melemei.
About Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts (HARA)
The Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts (HARA) was established in 1982 with a mission to preserve, perpetuate, promote and celebrate Hawaii’s music and recording industry. The organization is responsible for coordinating and hosting the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, which today has evolved into an industry awards ceremony administered by recording professionals.
About Hawaii Tourism Authority
The Hawai’i Tourism Authority is responsible for strategically managing the State of Hawaii’s marketing initiatives to support tourism. HTA’s goal is to optimize tourism’s benefits for Hawaii, while being attentive to the interests of travelers, the community and visitor industry. Established in 1998 to support Hawaii’s leading industry and largest employer, HTA continually strives to help ensure the sustainability of tourism’s success. For more information about HTA, please visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org. Follow updates about HTA on Facebook, Twitter (@HawaiiHTA) and its YouTube Channel.
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