imply put, Daniel Ho is one of the Music Album, Pop Instrumental Album, and most prolific and successful musi- (now-defunct) Hawaiian Music Album cate- cians Hawaii has ever produced. Born gories. He has also been a multiple winner at and raised on Oahu, he has spent most of his the Na Hoku Hanohano and Hawaii Music adult years living in the Los Angeles area, Awards (for everything from Studio Musician but the Islands have always exerted a strong of the Year to trophies for Inspirational/Gos- influence on his creative life, even when he pel Album, Slack Key Album, Folk Album, wasn’t playing explicitly Hawaiian music. New Age Album, even Best Liner Notes!), and Consider this seriously abridged recitation also at Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards. He’s of some of his career highlights: written and published 14 music and instruc- In his early 20s, after studying music the- tional books, performed with the Honolulu ory and composition at the Grove School of Symphony, and toured the world as a solo Music in L.A. and then at the University of artist. Hawaii on Oahu, the gifted multi-instrumen- The past few years have been remarkably talist—he had already studied organ, ukulele, productive for this tireless artist: There are classical guitar, and classical piano by the his instrumental, production, composition, time he started high school—became a song- and arrangement contributions to a pair of writer/arranger and then keyboard player extraordinary discs featuring music and for the popular L.A.-based commercial jazz players from Mongolia (2017’s Between Sky & band Kilauea, a fixture on the contemporary Prairie) and China (the 2019 release Embroi- jazz charts through much of the 1990s. In the dering Melodies); plus the exciting debut of a late ’90s he began to dive deeply into his new, 50-minute stage production he con- Hawaiian roots, starting his own indepen- ceived called Pineapple Mango: Hawaiian dent record label, Daniel Ho Creations, which ‘Ohana, for which he wrote the music, co- has released more than 100 acoustic and wrote the lyrics, and also performs in the “Hawaii–themed” albums to date, featuring a lead role! Oh, and for the last several years slew of top Hawaiian musicians (and others). he’s been collaborating with Southern Cali- He has 18 solo albums to his credit, most fornia–based luthier Pepe Romero Jr. on a centered on ukulele and/or slack-key guitar line of Romero Creations ukuleles, which (he also is an excellent pianist), and has pro- have been rapturously received. duced more than 50 recordings for others, The ukulele has no better promoter today often lending his own wide-ranging musical than Daniel Ho. “I love the ukulele,” he told skills to those works. He is also involved in Making Music magazine a couple of years the creative design, production, and market- ago. “I can take it everywhere. It’s a way to ing of DHC products. have music with you all the time.” Along the way Ho has amassed 11 Recently, we caught up with the perenni- Grammy nominations—six wins—for pro- ally busy Ho and asked about this spate of duction and/or performance in the World cool recent projects. HAWAII’S GREATEST CONTEMPORARY MUSICAL AMBASSADOR TALKS ABOUT HIS NEW ‘UKULELE MUSICAL,’ RECENT FORAYS INTO WORLD MUSIC, THE UKES HE PLAYS, AND MORE BY BLAIR JACKSON 14 Spring 2020 LYDIA MIYASHIRO-HO PHOTO You describe your new stage show, Pineapple ukulele to accompany my dad as he played ensemble that surrounded me—Kumu Mango: Hawaiian ‘Ohana, as a “ukulele musi- guitar and sang. I thought doing all the Keali’i Ceballos and the members of Halau cal.” Can you tell me a bit about what inspired music on ukulele would be a novel idea. Hula Keali’i o Nalani. It will have a lasting you to tackle this new (to you) entertainment I play my spalted mango Tiny Tenor, we effect on how I present my songs going for- form and what went into its creation? have an ST Concert that the characters Faith ward, knowing that there is so much more I Anne O’Neal, a documentary producer, had and Ray Kai play in a couple of scenes, Randy can do to connect with audiences and con- been filming my various productions and Drake plays the Bongolele and Shakerlele in vey emotions through music. performances for months before realizing his percussion set, and Steve Billman plays that she needed a central theme to give the the Ohana bass ukulele. I used the AKG What has the reaction been to the musical so documentary coherence. She wanted to fol- DMS300 wireless system for my ukulele so I far? Did the process of actually performing low a project through from conception to could move freely around the stage. onstage in front of an audience lead to any revi- completion, and to capture the successes sions/changes in the music or “book”? and obstacles along the way. I learned that Of course, you are a multi-instrumentalist, not We did three full-house performances at her husband, Sam, is a TV writer. And born just a uke player. On what instrument did you The Broad Stage in Santa Monica—two stu- was the idea to take on a dream of mine compose most of the songs/music? dent matinees for children from nearby since high school: the making of a musical. I co-wrote all of the music with my friends school districts, and a sold-out show for I had no idea how much was involved in Amy Ku‘uleialoha Stillman (who wrote the the public. The response was very positive. this multi-dimensional art form. Crafting Hawaiian language songs), Faith Rivera, It connected with the audience in many every second of dialog, choreography, Hope Mayo, and Siena Lee. I usually come up ways and the consensus was that it ought music, staging, and lighting is a monumental with melodies in my head and use ukulele, to be performed much more. Parts of the endeavor, but it is only the first step. To con- piano, or guitar to find harmonies. Many of story were quite emotional, and people vincingly present every aspect in real time the songs were written with ukulele, as I tend said they were moved and even cried before a live audience requires a dedicated to have one with me all the time. because they could relate to what the char- team, numerous rehearsals, adjustments, acters were going through. concentration, and a bit of adrenaline. In Did you have any trepidation about appearing All of the revisions were made during addition to the 22 performers on stage— in it yourself? After all, acting is a completely rehearsals and the show was locked in the cast, ensemble, and band—there were many different world than writing and performing final week leading up to the performances more backstage who had equally important music. Were you nervous? to allow us time to memorize our lines and roles in lighting, sound, and production. My original role in the production was staging. The result was an endearing story music director. I thought it would be fun to with ups and downs about family, persever- How does the ukulele figure into the story and have a bit part, but when the person we had ance, and believing in oneself, with the music? And what ukes are you playing in mind for the lead didn’t work out, the mini-lessons in ukulele, Hawaiian language, onstage? director asked if I would do it. So, I was actu- and hula woven throughout. I am always searching for something unique. ally not first choice, but I’m always game to On a molecular level, it could be a chord try something I’ve never done before! What are your aspirations for it? More perfor- voicing I’ve never used before, or altering The interactive, emotional nature of act- mances? Perhaps a “soundtrack” album? one melody note to add interest, or simply ing is a performing experience unlike I hope to continue performing Pineapple paying attention to the spaces between the anything I’ve ever attempted onstage. It is Mango: Hawaiian ‘Ohana at performing notes. On a broader scope, the [Romero] vulnerable, but I felt safe, inspired, and sup- arts centers, schools, ukulele festivals, and Tiny Tenor ukulele and [Ohana] Bongolele ported by the super-talented cast and wherever we can. I am an advocate for and Shakerlele—all of which are keeping music in classrooms and I would used in the musical—contribute in love to present the musical as a fundraiser function and aesthetics to my sound to launch ukulele programs at schools. It and identity as an artist. These are ‘OUR GOAL WAS would be a fun and effective way to all lessons I learned along the way in announce the program to a community, my growth as a musician, and we TO INTRODUCE while raising money for instruments, books, address some of these moments in THE JOY OF and supplies. our 50-minute stage production. We collaborated with The Broad Stage The story, loosely based on my MAKING MUSIC and the Santa Monica Unified School Dis- upbringing, is set in the Kaimuki IN A FUN AND trict to create four lessons around Hawaiian area [of Honolulu] where I grew up. language and dance, creativity, social jus- Some of my earliest musical memo- EMPOWERING tice, and overcoming challenges, which ries include strumming chords on WAY.‘ DANIEL HO teachers shared with their students before 16 Spring 2020 Performers in Pineapple Mango: Hawaiian 'Ohana (L to R): Kehaulani Matsuura, Kanani Toji, Daniel Ho, Lika Hirakami, Keali'i Ceballos.