Ka‘imi Hanano‘eau Releases “Ukulele What?”

Multi-talented musician and 2015 Nā Hōkū Hanohano nominee Ka‘imi Hanano‘eau just released his new EP, ‘Ukulele What?, which can be found on all popular live streaming services including iTunes and Amazon.

“First, I am so inspired by the top ‘ukulele artists here and wanted to reconnect with my long lost love of the ‘ukulele,” Hanano‘eau said. “Like many who grew up in Hawai‘i, it was the first instrument I learned how to play.

“Second, I’m hoping to inspire a new generation of ‘ukulele players and cheer them on to keep learning new instruments, as well as to broaden their listening ear to other genres of music,”Hanano‘eau said. “I really do believe that playing the ukulele helps to make you a well-rounded musician.”

Ukulele What? is comprised of four original songs, including G – Dorian Rock.

“This particular song was made up on the fly and initially recorded on guitar back in 2006,” said Hanano‘eau. “I recorded it at my professors recording studio in Utah and sat on it until this album came about. I thought having a hard rock feel with the ‘ukulele being the lead instrument would be cool and out of the box. The original idea was to have the lead ‘ukulele have the distortion effect, but I decided to keep it clean—a purist ‘ukulele tone. I experimented with the KoAloha D-6 and mirrored the electric guitar licks. The guitars and D-6 are playing in unison with the key or the song in G. The mode of the song is Dorian (the Dorian scale is very commonly used in jazz music) because I love the coloring. It is a song that can be easily played as an acoustic or electric arrangement.”

Besides appearing in solo and group gigs around town, Hanano‘eau has most recently done a bit of acting. Look for him in an upcoming episode of Adam Devine’s House Party on Comedy Central.