Kula Ukulele Festival hosts local artists on June 22
Maui musician Arlie-Avery Asiu’s most recent album the Na Hoku Hanaohano Award nominated “Arlie & His Magic ‘Ukulele,” closed with a snippet of his late friend Willie K praising the ukulele player as a virtuoso. “Love you Arlie,” Willie announced.
“He was just so generous and kind to me,” Asiu recalls his friendship with Willie K. “He was having chemotherapy and while he was getting his medicine at the doctor’s office I brought my ukulele and I just jam for him and joke around, to make him feel better. He recorded me on his phone, and years later and I asked his wife if I could use that audio clip. So I got her approval.”
Asiu is among the musicians performing at the Kula Ukulele Festival on June 22 at the Ocean Organic Farm and Distillery. A benefit to provide ukuleles to families who lost their instruments in the Lahaina wildfire, the lineup also includes Vince Esquire, Tarvin Makia, the Hula Honeys, Benny Uyetake, Lahaina Grown’s Deason Ka‘ohelo Baybanyan, Lahela Lee Park, Elele Tiana, Namaka Pau‘ole, Vene Chun, Kamaka Intermediate School ukulele students, the Zenshin Daiko drummers, and Maui firefighter/ukulele player Chayse Tancayo, who fought the Lahaina wildfire.
“We have a little spot to play,” says Asiu. “We wanted to give back and kokua as much as we could for the people of Lahaina.”
Nominated three times for Hoku awards, Asiu began performing with Willie K at the King Kamehameha Golf Club for Sunday brunches and evening blues shows. “I opened up Willie K’s show for about two and a half years,” he explains. “I came straight from jamming on the couch, playing and jamming with friends to up on the stage. I’m going from the couch to playing with the likes of Willie K. He took me under his wing.”
Besides Willie K praising his talent, his fans include Doobie Brothers’ co-founder Pat Simmons. “I put Arlie’s CD on while we drove to Hana,” Simmons reported. “It was the perfect music for the drive. All the beautiful subtleties of the landscape are reflected in the variety of compositions. Jazz, rock, Hawaiian, Arlie plays it all. His writing, musicianship, and arranging are extremely engaging.”
He recently toured with Henry Kapono around the state. “He was on fire and the audience loved him,” Kapono posted on Facebook. He really had the audience in the palm of his hand. I am so proud of him.”
“I’m just so blown away with his generosity,” says Asiu. “Just another lucky thing. You’re playing with these iconic guys and I didn’t really do anything to line myself up. I just got lucky.”
A versatile artist his albums of original music explore a range of styles from “Uke Blues” to the charming “Song for Kuhea” on his debut “Everything In Its Time.”
Playing ukulele, electric guitar, bass and keyboards on his follow-up, “Off The Couch,” highlights included the jazzy “Outside Looking
In,” the rocking fusion of “Uke Madness” and the gentle “Remembrance.” While his latest release embraced Hawaiian music with “Slacking Off,” island reggae with “Baby Baby,” and jazz rock on “Take Your Kawa Home.”
“I love all kinds of music,” he says. “My mom had this huge record player TV combo, and she had everything under the sun, and my brother went into the military and he would come back with cassettes of all kinds of different music. My dad wanted me to play Hawaiian music.”
Currently compiling a new album, he says it will likely feature a mix of ukulele and guitar. “Either I can do two albums, a guitar album and a ukulele one or I can just do one album. I’m going to record the songs and then we’ll decide.”
For the Kula festival, Asiu will perform with his band which features Eddee Sebala on bass, Dane Love on drums and Skyler Stook on ukulele.
“Music has the power to heal and bring communities together, and we are honored to be able to provide new ukuleles to those who lost theirs in the fire,” said festival organizer Ken Martinez Burgmaier. “I lost five friends in the fire and my business partner lost his home. So I have a close connection with the losses, and I wanted to do something to help.”
Kamaka Ukulele, KoAloha Ukulele, Mele Ukulele and Bounty Music have all donated ukuleles. “We’ve even had individuals calling and donating some instruments,” says Burgmaier.
The Kula Ukulele Festival is presented at the Ocean Organic Farm and Distillery on June 22 from 3 to 7:30 p.m. Admission to the festival is $5. For more information visit www.ukulelesforlahaina.com.