Kealii Reichel
Carleton Lewis Keali' inaniaimokuokalani Reichel (born
1961) popularly known as
Keali'i Reichel, is a popular and bestselling singer, songwriter, choreographer, dancer, chanter, scholar, teacher, and personality from the State of
Hawaii. He has spent his life educating the world about Hawaiian culture through music and dance.
Kealii (pronounced Kay-ah-LEE-ee) Reichel was born and raised on the island of
Maui. Reichel grew up in the town of
Lahaina where he attended
Lahainaluna High School, however he spent weekends and summers with his maternal grandmother in the plantation town of
Pa'ia. At the age of 24, Reichel was convicted of theft, and was sentenced to community service, which involved a study of Hawaiian culture. This marked a turning point in his life, as he decided to devote the rest of his life to the study and promotion of Hawaiian culture.
Reichel was one of the founding directors for
Punana Leo O Maui, a Hawaiian language immersion pre-school. He has taught Hawaiian culture and language at the
University of Hawaii's, Maui Community College, and he was the Cultural Resource Specialist and Curator at the
Bailey House Museum in Wailuku.
Reichel studied Hawaiian dance and vocals under Kumu
hula (dance instructor/choreographer/master) Pualani Kanaka'ole Kanahele, daughter of the kumu
hula and Hawaiian scholar Edith Kanaka'ole. He later founded his own
hula halau (Hawaiian dance troop) Halau hula o ka Makani Wili Makaha o Kaua'ula now called Halau Ke'alaokamaile
In 1994, at the age of 33, he independently produced and released a collection of Hawaiian traditional and contemporary music entitled
Kawaipunahele which broke him into his popular music career. Reichel's subsequent music releases,
Lei Hali`a (1995),
'E O Mai(1997), and
Melelana(1999), have placed him at the top of the Hawaiian music entertainment industry. He is also featured in the Contemporary Hawaiian collections Pride of Punahele (1998) and Pride of Punahele 2 (2003). His most recent album
Ke'alaokamaile(2004) took home four of the top awards at the 27th Annual 2004 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (the most honored local music awards in Hawai'i) including male vocalist of the year, album of the year, Hawaiian album of the year and song of the year.
Reichel's style most often includes vocals over a
guitar,
bass, and
ukulele ensemble but may also include orchestral and traditional Hawaiian instruments. His vocals include Hawaiian language chanting and singing in both Hawaiian and English. Stage performances include dance in both traditional and modern
hula forms.
Reichel currently has contracts with JVC Victor Entertainment and Atlantic/Time-Warner. Keali'i Reichel's consistent placement in
Billboard Magazine's World Music Charts has garnered him international attention. He has opened concerts for
Bonnie Raitt,
LeAnn Rimes,
Céline Dion, and
Sting. In addition to his regular concerts in Hawaii, he has toured the United States mainland playing in such places as
New York at
Carnegie Hall,
San Diego,
San Francisco,
Anaheim,
Hollywood,
Phoenix, and in the pacific in
Tahiti,
Osaka and has performed to a sold out audience in
Tokyo,
Japan.
Reichel is known not only for his artistry, but for his teachings of Hawaiian culture to the rest of the world.
Favorite Entertainer of the Year*1995, 1996, 2000
Male Vocalist of the Year*1995, 1996, 2000, 2004
Most Promising Artist or the Year*1995
Album of the Year*1995
Kawaipunahele, 2000
Melelana, 2004
Ke'alaokamaileSong of the Year*2004
Ksa Nohonoa Pili KaiHawaiian Album of the Year*1995
Kawaipunahele, 1996
Lei Hali`a, 2000
Melelana, 2004
Ke'alaokamaileHaku Mele (new Hawaiian language composition)Ku`u Pua Mae`ole 1996,
Nematoda 1998
