Tavana with Special Guest Taimane

Tavana is a multi-instrumentalist from Honolulu, HI who uses electronic drum triggers to lay down a variety of grooves with his feet while simultaneously playing guitar, banjo, lap steel, or ukulele and singing soulful, island-inspired rock and blues. His album, "Aloha Spirit" was a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award Nominee for Best Contemporary Album of the Year in 2018, and features Leon Mobley (Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals), Chris Chorney (Kanye West and Jay-Z), and Mike Lewis (Sammy Davis, The Temptations, Billy Joel), as well as other world class musicians - Mark Lindberg, Ken Likens, and Ane Pessin. The album displays Tavana’s versatility with crossover pop songs "SMH," "Aloha Spirit" and "Island Days," while still showcasing some of his traditional hard-driving rock style on "Walk My Way" and "Glass Castle."

Tavana has been the supporting act for Alabama Shakes, Shakey Graves, Xavier Rudd, Jenny Lewis, Julian Marley, and Kaleo to name just a few, and In 2009, Eddie Vedder invited Tavana to sing "Hawaii 78," a Hawaii anthem of sorts, with him at the Hawaii Theatre. “He’s more the exception than the rule, he is a great human and I’m glad to know him,” said Vedder while introducing Tavana to the audience. From a recording of their performance together, Vedder produced a limited vinyl record that was sent out to 10,000 Pearl Jam fans.

2019 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Favorite Entertainer of the Year and international ukulele star, Taimane, returns to Blue Note Hawaii for the first time in over a year performing concerts with her quartet Friday, December 9 and Saturday, December 10.

Expect an electric atmosphere and an artist in euphoric form. These shows are both a homecoming for Taimane and celebration of multiple career milestones. Taimane will soon wrap a world tour during which she headlined shows from London to San Diego and performed at the UK’s prestigious Glastonbury Festival alongside 2022 headliners Paul McCartney, Billie Eilish, and Kendrick Lamar.

On September 23, Taimane also made waves with the release of her first new album in four years, “HAWAIKI,” an autobiographical record whose protagonist discovers profound meaning upon connecting with her Polynesian ancestry amidst a wild adventure. In addition, Taimane further established herself as a leading Hawaii cultural ambassador and ukulele star by announcing the upcoming release of her first-ever signature ukulele, “Moon” by Enya available worldwide in November. Last but not least, Taimane will soon grace the cover of the 10th anniversary edition of the most read ukulele publication in the world, Ukulele Magazine. 

These accolades are not surprising as the hapa Sāmoan virtuoso delivers a sound and show unlike any other - fire and grace, original compositions and mashup medleys with music ranging rom Bach to rock, flamenco infernos to tribal hymns transforming Taimane’s ukulele into a lightning rod of emotion and garnering her over 50 million video views and nearly 500,000 social media followers to date.

We are thrilled to welcome Taimane and her band back to Blue Note Hawaii. While known for her unique talent, style and repertoire, Taimane is, first and foremost, a world-class entertainer who never fails to captivate.