On Maui coming up within a week, there are free concerts by Island Style songwriter John Cruz, The Voice finalist Jason Arcilla, and the Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony with Amy Hānaiali’i. Also, the touring Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble performs.

Coming soon: Award-winning comedian Leslie Jones, an Artist 2 Artist with Henry Kapono, Keola Beamer and Anthony Pfluke featuring his new song Lahaina Strong, and fundraisers for Hui Noʻeau Visual Arts Center.

Check out Maui Now’s top 20 list below. For a comprehensive list of upcoming events— concerts, shows, entertainment, community activities, for this weekend and beyond—click here.

No. 1 – Amy Hānaiali‘i performs free concert with Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony (Feb. 19, Kahului)

Award-winning Hawaii songstress Amy Hānaiali’i performs a free concert with the Hawaii Youth Symphony at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center Monday at 4 p.m.

The MACC offers displaced families, friends and everyone in our Maui community this free event. It will be a collecting donations for the Maui Food Bank during the day. The MACC asks that patrons bring needed items for those impacted by the wildfires. Donation bins will be located near the MACC’s main entry gates.

Hānaiali‘i , a six-time Grammy nominee and eighteen-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner, is Hawai’i’s top-selling female artist. The Hawaii Youth Symphony is among the finest youth symphonies in the country, and has been recognized by NPR’s From The Top.

Admission is free with online registration only. All seating is general admission. For groups of more than 6 tickets, please call the Box Office, 808-242-7469, so that they can assist you with the ticket order. For more information, go to Maui Arts.

No. 2 – Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble tours Maui (Feb. 17 & 18, Kīhei & Lahaina)

The Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble featuring Grammy nominated violinist Meg Okura and Grammy award-winning pianist Kevin Hays performs at ProArts Maui Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at the Kuʻia Estate Chocolate Factory from 5 to 7 p.m.

The Ensemble will be presenting a multicultural journey from Duke Ellington to Okura’s Japanese-Jewish Jazz, celebrating the rich tapestry of jazz. Okura, originally from Tokyo, went from an international touring violinist to appearing at numerous jazz and Jewish music festivals and establishing herself as what All About Jazz calls “the queen of chamber jazz.”

Hays, who has received critical acclaim from The New York Times, Downbeat Magazine and Jazz Times, has toured with James Taylor, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.

The Maui program is organized by the non-profit Jazz Maui that sponsors free music workshops in Maui schools and in part by the Jazz Road Tour, which brings world-class jazz performers to Maui. For more information including tickets, go to Jazz Maui.

No. 3 – Island Style songwriter John Cruz performs free concert

Award winning singer-songwriter John Cruz, who wrote the popular song Island Style, is performing a special evening program at The Shops at Wailea Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. It’s part of the series Ke Kani Hone O Wailea — The Sweet Music of Wailea, featuring island musicians.

Cruz, a multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner and a contributor to the Grammy award-winning album Slack Key Guitar, Vol. 2, has songs ranging from Hawaiian to blues, folk, Americana, roots and country. His songs receive more than a million views each year on the internet. He participated in Playing For Change’s All Along the Watchtower video, with more than 12 million views. For more information, go to The Shops.

No. 4 – Broadway Pops performed at the MACC (Feb. 18, Kahului)

Guest singers Morgan James and LaKisha Jones perform Broadway tunes with the Maui Pops Orchestra at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center Sunday at 3 p.m. The Center will be collecting donations for the Maui Food Bank during the event, and donations bins will be located near the entry gates.

The concert features songs made famous by Judy Garland and Tina Turner in an energy-filled uplifting afternoon. James has performed with numerous symphonies including the Baltimore Symphony at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. She has appeared in five original broadway casts in musicals, including Motown, Godspell, Wonderland, The Addams Family, and For The Girls.

Jones who has sung as a guest soloist with numerous symphonies was a finalist in the 2007 season of American Idol and has sung on the Broadway stage in The Color Purple. For more information including tickets, go to Maui Arts.

No. 5 – The Voice finalist Jason Arcilla in free performances (Feb. 15, Kula)

NBC’s The Voice contestant Jason Arcilla of Maui performs at a free concert at the Maui Ocean Organic Farm & Distillery Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. Arcilla who is from Maui was successful in two rounds of elimination in The Voice performing with support from No Doubt vocalist Gwen Stefani. Here’s a link to a sing-off. The open-air complimentary concert area has a majestic view of the Central Valley. Ocean Organic is accepting donations to benefit Maui wildfire victims.

Other performers include:

• Friday, from 2 to 4 p.m., ukulele and guitar master Sam Frampton, followed by Lahaina born and raised Ikaika Costa singing island grooves from 5 to 7 p.m..
• Saturday, from 2 to 4 p.m., the Jacaranda Trio performs island style grooves, followed by Nevah Too Late with Hawaiian style music.
• Sunday, The Office Ladies Duo perform island fun grooves from 2 to 4 p.m., followed by Any Kine Duo Kaulana Kanekoa and Don Lopez performing Hawaiian island music.
• Monday, falsetto award-winning CJ Boom Helekahi sings from 5 to 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, Ikaika Cosma sings Hawaiian style island groves from 5 to 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nevah Too Late Trio sings Hawaiian island grooves from 5 to 7 p.m.

No. 6 – Award-winning Sonny Lim performs at Slack Key Show (Feb. 21, Nāpili)

Slack key guitarist-singer Sonny Lim performs at the Slack Key Show at the Nāpilikai Beach Resort Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. A member of the musical Lim family on the Big Island, Sonny launched his professional career as a steel guitarist for the Makaha Sons of Niʻihau with the famous Iz as the leading member. Lim has since received multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards as a solo artist and performed on several Grammy Award-winning Hawaiian CDs.

For more information including tickets, go to Slack Key Show.

No. 7 – Lunar New Year free performance (Feb. 15, Wailea)

Au’s Shaolin Arts presents a free special performance to celebrate the Lunar New Year at The Shops at Wailea Thursday from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The complimentary show includes a Lion Dance and Martial Arts Demonstrations.

No. 8 – Beauty of Hawaiian Language featured (Feb. 18, Kīhei)

Singer-songwriter Anthony Pfluke with special guest John Cruz demonstrates the endless beauty of the Hawaiian language through songs at a show at the ProArts Maui Sunday at 2 p.m.

Pfluke’s show E Ho’omau ʻia ka ʻŌlelo Makuahine, presented by Manao Radio, celebrates Hawaiian language month, and the proceeds will go to the People’s Community Council of Maui. Pfluke, a Nā Hōkū Hanohano finalist for his album We Will Rise, performs frequently with multiple Grammy winner George Kahumoku and has toured Hawaiʻi, the West Coast, and Japan. Pflukeʻs latest single “Lahaina Strong” is dedicated to those affected by the Lahaina fire.

Cruz was a contributor to a Grammy award winning album Slack Key Guitar, Vol. 2. For more information about the performance including tickets, go to ProArts Maui.

No. 9 – Streetlight Cadence performs at the MAAC (Feb. 16, Kahului)

The award-winning trio Streetlight Cadence lights up the stage with their blend of folk rock music at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center Friday at 7:30 p.m. Trio members Jon Andrews Franklin, Ben Chai, and Clara Stegall bring a frenetic energy and intimate storytelling reminiscent of their busking roots. They have touches of blink-182, The Avett Brothers, and a bit of Stevie Nicks. The trio has won two Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards for Alternative Album of the Year. For more information including tickets, go to Maui Arts.

No. 10 – Pālehua 25th Anniversary (Feb. 16, Kīhei)

Hawaiʻi’s top selling female vocalist Amy Hānaiali‘i celebrates the 25th anniversary of the song Pālehua at the ProArts Maui Playhouse Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Twenty-five years ago, Hānaiali‘i and the late Uncle Willie K united on Pālehua, a beautiful mountain on Oʻahu, to write Pālehua, which has become a classic and one of the most celebrated songs in Hawaiʻi. Hānaiali‘i has been nominated six times for a Grammy and received 18 Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards. Hānaiali‘i has played for the Dalai Lama and at two inaugural balls in Washington, D.C. for President Obama. For more information including tickets, go to ProArts.

No. 11 – Musical White Hawaiian at ProArts (Feb. 18, Kīhei)

Eric Gilliom with his Broadway World award winning musical White Hawaiian takes the stage at ProArts Maui Sunday. The one-man musical received recognition from Broadway World as the Winner of Best Cabaret/Concert/Solo Performance in Hawaii. It’s this Sunday at 3 p.m.

White Hawaiian is a smart and witty autobiographical stage presentation that spans the career of native Hawaiian actor-singer Eric Gilliom, his Maui upbringing as a Caucasian with famous Hawaiian roots, and the TV, film, and Broadway roles that have given him hilarious stories to share. It’s been critically acclaimed by entertainment reviewer Jon Woodhouse who said if there was a Na Hoku Hanhano award for theatrical comedy, Gilliom would be the hands down winner. It has had back-to-back sellout runs. For more information including tickets, go to proartsmaui.org or call 808-463-6550.

No. 12 – Danyel Alana band at Maui Coffee Attic, (Feb.17, Wailuku)

Guitarist-singer Danyel Alana performs at the Pavilion at the Maui Coffee Attic Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. Alana, a songwriter with a blend of soul, blues and rock, will be performing songs from her recent 2023 release Soul Love. She is backed by bassist Don Lopez, who plays with the band Kanekoa; and Chris Dack on drums. Alana has opened for Buddy Miles, Willie Nelson, The Wailers, Richie Havens, Mick Fleetwood, and the Cherry Pippin Daddy’s. For more information, go to ProArts.

No. 13 – Desert Hollow at Maui Coffee Attic (Feb. 16, Wailuku)

Desert Hollow with its alternative country blend of the Virginia countryside and California desert performs at the Maui Coffee Attic Friday at 6 p.m. Nicole Olney provides lilting vocals, and Xander Hitzig’s voice is old-school folkie, providing an attractive feeling that pulls listeners through a time machine made of stringed instruments with present day folk melodies. Here’s them performing the song Way Too High. For more information including tickets, go to the Maui Coffee Attic or call John, 808-250-9555.

No. 14 – Jazz couple Angela and Phil Benoit (Feb. 18 & 21, Wailea & Kula)

Jazz duo Angela and Phil Benoit perform at the Pita Paradise in Wailea Sunday and at the Kula Lodge Restaurant Wednesday. The two have sang and played their own original music as well as jazz standards, boss nova, pop and Hawaiian swing in Hawaii and the west coast. Phil Benoit with Gypsy Pacific has performed in concert with Willie Nelson at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. “Wherever you find them, go and treat yourself. It is impossible not to smile when you hear Angela’s smooth, lush voice dancing playfully with Phil’s virtuoso guitar,” said Candace Croteau, president of the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. For more information, go to Benoit Jazz Works.

No. 15 – Latin dancing with Dr. Nat & Rio Ritmo (Feb. 17, Pā’ia)

Dr. Nat and the band Rio Ritmo perform tropical Latin music at Heritage Hall at 401 Baldwin Avenue Friday from 8 to 11 p.m. The dance music includes bachata, salsa, and Latin pop. For more information, including admission for adults and 18 and under, go to www.drnat.com. Heritage Hall also has salsa dancing classes Wednesday for beginners at 6 p.m., intermediate at 7:15 p.m., and social/practice at 8:15 p.m. message with any questions at 808-866-6768.

No. 16 – Valentines Day For Singles (Feb. 16, Māʻalaea)

DJ Hapa Boy plays music for Valentines Day for Singles at da Playground Maui Friday at 9 p.m. It’s singles night out, creating an occasion to mingle and connect. Single women wear pink, and single men, white. The music is curated by DJ Joe Cortez and DJLX. 21 or more. Free parking available after 5 p.m. with local ID. For more information including tickets, go to da Playground.

No. 17 – Sense Of Place/Place of Sense (through March 16, Kahului)

The art exhibit Sense Of Place/Place of Sense continues at the Schaefer International Gallery at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center through March 16. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. But the exhibit will be closed on March 1 and March 9. Admission is free.

The exhibition looks at various meanings of community at a critical moment of change for Maui, including theme of history, water, land, spirituality and people. Partnering organizations for the exhibit include the University of Hawai’i Center for Oral History, Maui Historical Society, and the Lahaina Restoration Foundation.

The art pieces include photography by Bob Bangerter, Masako Cordray, Ai Iwane, Brendan George Ko, Zach Pezzillo, and Matthew Thayer; video installation by Andy Behrle; prints by Abigail Romanchak; written ʻōlelo noʻeau by Pūlama Collier; mural painting by Cory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum; and artwork by students from Pōmaikaʻi Elementary School and Baldwin High School.

Coming Soon:

No. 18 – Leslie Jones: Live at MACC (Feb. 22, Kahului)

MTV Movie Award winner and multiple Emmy nominee Leslie Jones brings her standup comedy show to the Maui Arts & Cultural Center Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m. Jones was selected as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People and has been nominated for her work as a comedian and writer on Saturday Night Live. She starred opposite Eddie Murphy in Coming 2 America, winning an MTV Movie Award. Jones recently wrapped production on season two of the HBO Max series Our Flag Means Death. On Jan. 17, she kicked off a new era of The Daily Show as the program’s first guest host. Her “Texting has ruined my life!” has received more than 1.5 million views. For more information including tickets, go to Maui Arts.

No. 19 – Kapono, Beamer with special guest Anthony Pfluke (Feb. 23, Kahului)

Popular singer-songwriter Henry Kapono presents his Artist 2 Artist program, this time featuring singer-songwriter Keola Beamer with hula dancer/wife Moana at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. Kapono, part of the former duo Cecilio & Kapono, rose to prominence in the 1970s with such songs as Sailin, Highway In the Sun, and Night Music. Beamer is known for his compositions as well with such hits as Honolulu City Lights and helped to spark interest in playing slack key guitar to a new generation. A special guest artist is Anthony Pfluke with is latest single “Lahaina Strong” dedicated to those affected by the Lahaina fire. For more information including tickets, go to Maui Arts.

No. 20 – Fundraiser for Hui Noʻeau Visual Arts Center going well (Feb. 24, Makawao)

The gala for fundraising for the Hui Noʻeau Visual Arts Center takes place on Feb. 24 — the first is an evening with gourmet cuisine, live music, and dancing and a live and silent auction from 4 to 8 p.m, then an Art Affair After Dark After-Party from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The first event features music by Nuff Sedd, Jordan Soon, and Reiko Fukino, followed by the After-Party with DJ TRVR and DJ Del Sol. For more information including tickets to the Gala, go to Hui Noʻeau Gala. For the After-Party information including tickets, go to Art Affair.

Editors Note: Send inquiries or event listing with attached photographs about Maui Entertainment and Arts events to garytkubota@gmail.com To add events direct to Maui Now events calendar, click here.