Ke Kani Hone O Wailea - The sweet music of Wailea - Mark Yamanaka
Friday, July 18th from 5:30-7pm
Join The Shops at Wailea for a special evening of music with Mark Yamanaka
Located in the Lower Valley Performance Area
Concerts at The Shops is open to the public and is a fun complimentary event with a chance to meet fellow music lovers, visitors, residents, entertainers and listen to Hawaii and the world’s finest entertainers.
Mark Yamanaka
Born in Mililani, Oʻahu but raised from a young age in the rainy town of Hilo, Hawaiʻi, Mark Yamanaka has become one of Hawaiian music's most iconic voices. A self-taught musician and first in his family to pursue music professionally, Mark never imagined a life in the music industry but his talent was identified early on by well-known Kumu Hula and Hawaiian musician, Johnny Lum Ho, who became a mentor to Mark in 1997. Under Uncle Johnny's tutelage, Mark learned to play and sing in the challenging falsetto style, mastering the difficult haʻihaʻi technique with his clear, soaring voice.
Though he is most notably identified with Hawaiian music, Mark is a truly versatile artist. In 2010, Mark released his debut album, Lei Pua Kenikeni which went on to win four of the most prestigious awards at the annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards in 2011. In 2013, he followed that success with a second album, Lei Maile, which again went on to win some of the highest honors at the 2014 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards celebration. In 2015, he collaborated with his friends Kellen and Līhau Paik (known as the duo Kūpaoa) on a holiday album, A Gift of the Heart, which received similar acclaim at the Hōkūs in 2016. Recently, Mark released his highly-anticipated 3rd solo album, Lei Lehua, which, like his other CDs, is a collection of some of his favorite songs. But this latest release is a truly special collection, as 9 of the 14 songs are new, original compositions, most written or co-written by Mark. In 2019, he was recognized by his peers in the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts with five of the most coveted Na Hoku Hanohano awards.
