Kalani Pe'a

Kalani Pe'a - A 4-time Grammy winner. Dynamic and charming, Kalani brings his gorgeous and brilliant vocals to the stage, sharing a range of songs from Hawaiian to R&B and showcasing his deep cultural roots and Hawaiian contemporary soul sensibility. He is at the forefront of Hawaiian music for both traditionalists and a new generation. He's the only Hawaiian performer ever presented at New York’s Lincoln Center's American Songbook, which sold out, and in 2024, completed a week of sold out performances at Carnegie Hall's Music Explorers Program. Honored by his Hawai‘i peers, he now boasts 8 Na Hoku Awards, Hawai‘i’s annual music awards.

Kalani Peʻa sings everything from classical, musical, ballads, R&B, soul to traditional and original Hawaiian music, displaying his wide-ranging talents as a songwriter and music composer. His talent for lyrics is on display in his original Hawaiian songs alongside his affectionate bilingual arrangements of R&B favorites.

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It started at age four when Peʻa was diagnosed with a speech impediment; his mother introduced him to singing and music to help him pronounce his words. His
father who comes from a musical family and his mother
encouraged him to take vocal lessons and choir, and by
age 8, Peʻa was winning numerous talent competitions.
His winning streak contined with Brown Bags to
Stardom, and first place in the National Association Teachers of Singing Competition in Colorado/Wyoming chapter, in men’s classical and musical divisions, while receiving his degree from Colorado Mesa University in Mass Communications. “From speech therapy to being a college graduate in communications,” notes Peʻa’s father laughingly, “Kalani can’t stop talking and singing”.

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His debut album brought him into working with Dave Tucciarone, a 13-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award- Winning Engineer and Producer based in Honolulu. leading to the 2017 Grammy® win and first Na Hoku Award. This successful collaboration continued with Kalani’s second CD, No ‘Ane‘i [We Belong Here], garnering

rave reviews and a second Grammy win in 2019. Now his 3rd CD Kau Ka Pe‘a has once again brought him Grammy recognition, and he was also featured in the Grammy Opening Premiere Concert. Says award-winning Hawaiian vocalist Darlene Ahuna,

“His voice will take you to the heavens. His passion for music will have you rockin’ in your seat.“

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A fluent Hawaiian speaker and graduate of Hawaiian language school, Peʻa went on to illustrate and publish five Hawaiian language children’s stories while working on his master's degree in early childhood education at the University of Hawaiʻi Hilo. He taught at Kamehameha Preschools in Kona, followed by 8 years as a Hawaiian resource coordinator for Kamehameha Schools Maui, teaching Hawaiian culture (science focus), and creating curriculum.

The Grammys opened the door for his performing and touring career, and he was honored by the Hawai‘i State House of Representatives with an official proclamation: “It is vital that Native Hawaiian culture and the arts be perpetuated for future generations: Kalani Pe’a is a torchbearer and we recognize his accolades, accomplishments, and continued work on behalf of Native Hawaiians.”