Maui’s Kamalei Kawaʻa shines light on Hawaiian heritage, joins Team Chance on NBC’s ‘The Voice’

Shining light on his heritage, and bringing his vocal talents to the national stage, Maui’s own Kamalei Kawaʻa shared an emotional performance on NBC’s “The Voice” Monday night that has generated a flurry of activity on social media in the hours since it aired.

The Maui musician secured a spot on Team Chance during the show’s Blind Auditions by singing “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley and the Wailers.

Just seconds into his audition, Chance the Rapper (Chancelor Johnathan Bennett) turned his chair, and before the song had concluded, country music icon Reba McEntire also turned in the hopes of securing Kawaʻa for her team.

“I knew that I had heard it before, but not like the way your sang it—it’s something about you being so proud of your heritage and carrying on the ways of your people—it came through in that song. It was very spiritual,” said Reba during the show.

“For me it was exactly my intent in singing that song,” said Kawaʻa in telephone interview Tuesday morning with Maui Now. “I try my best to choose songs that I not only lyrically connect to, but also spiritually connect, and transcend that to the audience. When Reba turned around and said that, it meant the world to me because that’s one of my biggest goals as a singer and as a musician is to be able to touch people spiritually and make people feel what I’m singing.”

The song selection had drew in Chance who expressed appreciation for the message that came through. “It’s a very radical song and it means a lot to all oppressed people around the world. I think having you on here and representing Pacific Islanders and Indigenous peoples, Hawaiians… I think it’s really important for the show to have,” said Chance.

Prior to walking on stage, Kawaʻa spoke of the cultural connection to the lyrics. “My people—we’ve been through a lot of the same struggles and the lyrics of this song reminds us to set yourself free.”

The 26-year-old resident of Paukūkalo, Maui ended up selecting Chance as his coach as he continues on his musical journey in the national singing competition.

He spent Monday night with family and friends who held a small watch party for the show. While John Legend was a musical inspiration of his growing up, and Kamalei admired and had an affinity for the work of coaches Dan + Shay, it was Reba and Chance that gave him his first opportunity to advance on the show. “I feel like God works in mysterious ways,” Kamalei told Maui Now.

“It was interesting because it was almost like a sign to me—that I have my own ambitions. I have my own thoughts and my own feelings of what I think I want to do or where I want to go in my life, and God had a different plan for me, and it worked out really well. I’m just super grateful I was able to get chair turns,” he said. “I’m excited for what the future holds.”

“In Hawaiʻi, I’m more known for Hawaiian music. Besides mele Hawaiʻi and Hawaiian music, one of my biggest inspirations is John Legend. His music inspired me from a young age—his writing capabilities, his singing style, the messages that he brings when he sings—he has always been one of my biggest musical inspirations,” said Kamalei.

In 2012, while in high school, Kamalei and his brother Kamaʻehu founded the group Nā Wai ʻEhā, named after the four great waters of Maui. The brothers, along with Kalanikini and Kahikina Juan focused on traditional Hawaiian music, eventually earning them multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards and a Grammy-nomination in the Regional Roots category. The group garnered much success, performing in Japan, up and down the West Coast, and around the Hawaiian Islands.

Kawaʻa was also the 2015 winner of the Richard Ho‘opi‘i Leo Ki‘eki‘e Falsetto Contest and the event’s Hawaiian language award recipient. As a solo artist, he put out his first release, “Sweet Dreams Kuʻu Momi” in 2021. That was followed by “Paukūkalo,” and “With this Kiss,” written for his wife Cierra. More music is due out soon on mele.com.

While family gatherings are full of music, song and dance, Kamalei said that he and his siblings are the first generation of professional singers to come out of his immediate family.

During Monday’s segment, Kawaʻa spoke about the importance of both singing and hula in his daily life. He acquired the art of hula from his mother, Luana Kawaʻa, and has been performing with award-winning Hālau Kekuaokalāʻau’alaʻiliahi for almost two decades.

A fluent speaker of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, Kamalei is a product of Ke Kula Kaiapuni ma Maui and the Hawaiian Studies program at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College. For the past six years, he has taught Hawaiian Studies, including Hawaiian language, hula, mele and ʻukulele at Seabury Hall, while he pursued his passion as a musician at night.

With the singing competition underway, Kamalei said his focus is currently on pursuing music. During a highlight reel, he spoke of his love of family and Hawaiʻi.

“I want my daughter [Hulaleʻa] to know that when she watches this one day that her dad was brave enough to leave the comfort and the love of this family,” he said of his travels to the national stage. “You’ve got to work hard to make a living in Hawaiʻi. It’s really expensive. A lot of us are pushed out of our homes because we cannot afford it.”

While he couldn’t reveal much about the next phase of the competition, Kamalei said, “I can say that Hawaiʻi is going to be very excited and very proud for the next round. I’m going to continue to do my best to make Hawaiʻi proud.”

In the battle round, contestants are partnered with another member from their team, and the coaches choose who they want to keep.

“My biggest goal with this whole experience is that the rest of the world can see how beautiful our people are and I hope to be able to be a good example to the rest of the world of aloha and what Hawaiʻi is all about,” said Kamalei.

Kawaʻa is the latest Maui contestant to take the stage. Last season, musician and vocalist, Jason Arcilla made it to the battle rounds, and in 2020, Joseph Soul, a Makakilo man, originally from the remote town of Hāna, Maui appeared on the program. 

For more on Kawaʻa visit his @kamaleikawaamusic Instagram and Facebook pages.

Watch “The Voice” Mondays at 8/7c and Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC and streaming next day on Peacock. Check local listings for Hawaiʻi air times.