Raiatea Helm: A Legacy of Hawaiian Song and String

Friday, September 26, 2025 at 8pm

Hawaiian Series Sponsored by:
The Hiland Foundation
The Richard and Elizabeth Steele Fund

This performance will include a 15-minute intermission.

Joe Zayac: lead guitar
Jeff Peterson: ʻukulele and guitar
Kapono Lopes: upright bass
Casey Olsen: lap steel guitar
Duane Padilla: fiddle
Mads Tolling: fiddle

With Hula Group: Hālau Hula Lani Ola

Project Coordinator: Kilin Reece, Kealakai Center for Pacific Strings

Songs will be announced from the stage.
Please, no video or audio recording of any kind.
The artists will be available after the show to sign CDs.

Raiatea Mokihana Maile Helm is one of Hawai‘i’s most celebrated vocalists and a torchbearer of the Hawaiian falsetto tradition. Born into a musical family on the island of Moloka‘i, her first love was hula, which nurtured her deep respect for the Hawaiian language and the art of interpreting mele (song) through movement. At just 18, she burst onto the music scene with her debut album Far Away Heaven, earning two prestigious Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, including Female Vocalist of the Year, and was hailed as the successor to Hawaiian greats such as Aunty Genoa Keawe. In 2006, she made history as the first-ever Hawaiian solo female vocalist nominated for a Grammy. Throughout her career, Raiatea has earned 10 Nā Hōkū Awards, including four for Female Vocalist of the Year—making her the youngest artist to achieve that distinction.

Her artistry has brought Hawaiian music to stages across the globe—from the White House to concert halls in Japan, China, and Tahiti—sharing performances alongside legends like Keola Beamer, Keali‘i Reichel, Willie K, Mick Fleetwood, and her beloved mentor Aunty Genoa. Recognized nationally, she became the first Hawaiian artist awarded a Fellowship in Music from the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation in 2011, followed by a 2021 NACF SHIFT grant supporting her work to preserve and expand Hawaiian falsetto and early string traditions.

In 2024, her groundbreaking release A Legacy of Hawaiian Song and String, Volume 1 swept the Nā Hōkū Awards with seven wins, including Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Hawaiian Album of the Year. Featuring songs rooted in Hawai‘i’s monarchy era, the project reclaims an essential chapter of Hawaiian music history—when traveling string bands popularized Hawaiian song across the U.S., introduced the lap steel and Dreadnought guitars to American music, and composed works infused with loyalty to Queen Lili‘uokalani. With guitar, ‘ukulele, steel guitar, bass, fiddles, and Raiatea’s stunning vocals, Legacy breathes new life into melodies more than a century old, revealing their enduring beauty and influence on country, blues, and rock.

Beyond the stage, Raiatea continues to champion Hawaiian identity through education and mentorship. After earning a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in 2021, she became program manager for ʻŌlino Pathways – Music LC at the Queen Lili‘uokalani Trust in Honolulu, a new center dedicated to nurturing Native Hawaiian youth through music and the arts. Whether performing, teaching, or reviving the rich repertoire of Hawai‘i’s monarchy era, Raiatea Helm stands as both a guardian of tradition and a visionary for the future of Hawaiian music.

Karen A Fischer
Pasifika Artists Network
karen@pasifika-artists.com
http://www.pasifika-artists.com

Bob Romney, Chairman
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William Parker, Secretary
Professor Emeritus Physics and Astronomy
University of California, Irvine

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Eugene Choi
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Stuart Winston
Anu Worah

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University of California, Irvine

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National Choreographers Initiative 2026
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