The three founding members of one of Hawaii’s most popular and enduring island music groups are banding together for one last tour. Kapena, whose spirited, reggae-inspired sound was born 30 years ago, will play a show for all ages at
The three founding members of one of Hawaii’s most popular and enduring island music groups are banding together for one last tour.
Kapena, whose spirited, reggae-inspired sound was born 30 years ago, will play a show for all ages at 5 p.m. Oct. 16 at Poipu Athletic Club.
When Kelly “Kelly Boy” De Lima and brothers Teimomi “Timo” and Tivaini “Tiva” Tatofi take to the stage next week, Kauai residents will have a rare opportunity to witness the pioneers of island reggae, or what has become known as Jawaiian music. It is a sound that is both infectious and iconic.
In addition to Jawaiian, the group has flirted with country, pop, gospel, Tongan, Samoan, Tahitian and Fijian styles of music.
Kapena is the Hawaiian word for “captain.”
Kelly Boy, Timo and Tiva honed their unique style in 1986 with their first recorded album, “Satisfaction Guaranteed.”
The group has since recorded more than 20 CDs, though its membership has evolved over time. In the early 2000s, Kelly Boy introduced what would be the new generation of Kapena — a band made up of his three children: Kapena, Kalena and Lilo.
The upcoming One Last Hana Hou tour, part of a “Revive the Live” concert, offers Kapena fans a rare opportunity to see the group’s original members perform live in an era when the next generation is taking over.
“In a nutshell, we’re going to be doing a lot of our old Kapena classics,” De Lima said. “This whole concert is about reuniting. It’s a celebration of our 30 years. So we have our kids opening up doing the newer stuff that Kapena has been coming up with the last five or 10 years and then it’s the original members doing the classics. We’re going to have a mixed bag of old stuff, new stuff, a little bit of everything.”
Kapena’s One Last Hana Hou tour also includes shows at the War Memorial Event Lawn on Maui on Saturday and Uncle Robert’s Awa Bar on the Big Island on Friday, Oct. 23.
A limited-edition Kapena 30th anniversary CD, “Kapena 30,” will be available for purchase at the shows.
When’s the last time the original trio played on Kauai?
“Probably in the days of the Coco Palms,” De Lima said. “We used to play for New Year’s.”
The Garden Isle, he said, holds a special place in the group members’ hearts.
“We’ve traveled Kauai extensively in the past and we’re looking forward to coming back and reconnecting with the fans,” De Lima said. “We’ve traveled from Hanalei all the way down to Barking Sands. We’ve just had some really good times and we’re looking forward to reconnecting with the places and the faces of Kauai.”
Tickets are $25 at eventbrite.com, or $30 at the door.
