Music and entertainment were vital elements of the visitor experience at the opulent Royal Hawaiian hotel during the early 1930s.  Today, the hotel continues the tradition, with Starwood Hawaii’s Flavors of Island Music; a campaign that highlights the entertainers and sounds of the Hawaiian Islands.  The following musicians are just a few who perform weekly at The Royal Hawaiian’s Mai Tai Bar.  For more information, please call the hotel at (808) 923-7311.

Ledward Ka`apana

Made famous by his smooth slack key and signature falsetto vocals, Ka`apana’s music has been embraced by locals and visitors alike since his professional breakthrough with the group Hui `Ohana.  Since then, Ka`apana’s musical talents have set his name among Hawaiian greats. He was a recipient of the second Grammy Award for “Best Hawaiian Music Album” for his performance on Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar, Volume 1, and Ka`apana went on to win his fourth Na Hoku Hanohano Award for “Best Instrumental Album” of 2006.

Kelly & Kapena Delima

Kelly Boy Delima, the lead singer of one of Hawaii’s most talented musical groups, Kapena, is also a renowned ukulele performer.   His solo album, “Jus' Kelly Boy” was nominated in 1999 for the distinguished Na Hoku Hanohano Award in the "Island Contemporary Album of the Year” category.

Pa`ahana

The sweet, blended harmonies of Pa`ahana, featuring Douglas Po`oloa Tolentino on ukulele and vocals and Pakala Fernandes on bass and vocals, are reminiscent of nostalgic old Hawaii.  Devoted to perfecting the art of Hawaiian music, Pa`ahana placed first in the 1996 “Ka Himeni Ana” Hawaiian acoustic music competition.

Sean Na`auao

Sean Na`auao, a talented singer, musician, composer, and producer, continues to set benchmarks for today’s contemporary Hawaiian musicians.   Na`auao has an established and steadily rising musical solo career, with prestigious Na Hoku Hanohano awards for his “Fish & Poi” CD release (“Island Contemporary Album of the Year”) and “Neutralize It” (“Song of the Year” for “Ka Pilina”).

3 Scoops of Aloha

3 Scoops of Aloha, consisting of guitarist Mel Amina and bassist Analu Aina, was formed in 1982. Their musical influence is Gay Pahinui, and their name means “more than enough aloha.”

Johnny Kamai

A multi-faceted guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and record producer, Johnny Kamai is most well known as the lead guitarist and lead vocalist (along with Ben Vegas) of the Hawaiian band 5:05 as well as his imaginative lyrics and original compositions.  After making a name for himself as a solo artist, Kamai went on to win “Best Recording by a Gospel Artist” at the 1998 Hawaii Music Awards.

The Royal Hawaiian Hotel is proud to highlight Hawaii’s talented entertainers each night at the Mai Tai Bar.