LIHUE — You know, when it’s an evening with Robert Cazimero, it’s going to be something very special. When you add Halau Na Kamalei o Lililehua to that same stage at Kauai Community College Performing Arts Center, it gets even
LIHUE — You know, when it’s an evening with Robert Cazimero, it’s going to be something very special.
When you add Halau Na Kamalei o Lililehua to that same stage at Kauai Community College Performing Arts Center, it gets even better, if you can believe it.
“If you come to this concert, besides that it’s going to make you feel really good, there will be some surprises with what we present,” Cazimero said. “I wouldn’t say this is what people would expect a hula show to be.”
Saturday’s 6 p.m. concert, he added, will be a crowd-pleaser.
“I’m sure it will make them smile and talk,” he added.
The winner of numerous Na Hoku Hanohano Awards has enjoyed a stellar musical career and is considered one of the greatest vocalists of this generation. He and his brother Roland have performed at Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl and other venues worldwide.
A book on his career in song and dance, “Robert Cazimero and Halau Na Kamalei: Men of Hula,” was written by Benton Sen.
The Oahu resident loves visiting Kauai and performed last year at the Kauai Museum for a fundraiser.
He enjoys visiting treasured places, like the Tip Top Cafe, and catching up with friends.
“My favorite thing is when I get off the plane is to touch the ground,” he said. “I have always believed in the energy that comes from Kauai. Touch that ground, and I’m fine.”
Cazimero continues to travel the world and is working on a CD he hopes to have out this year. He’ll on the Big Island for the upcoming Merrie Monarch Festival, where he’ll be playing for two schools in the competition.
For Saturday’s show on Kauai, he’ll be bringing 15 dancers for song, dance and story.
“Somewhere in between there, you’ll hear my voice,” Cazimero said.
The performance, he said, “must be experiences and lessons for us as much as it is for the people.”
Here’s how Cazimero and Halau Na Kamalei o Lililehua are described:
“Robert Cazimero’s twin passions of Hawaiian music and the art of Hula have always been inter-related. They are the threads that weave the intricate patterns as Cazimero composes, creates and produces unforgettable performances. His elegant and distinctive voice punctuated by hula performances of the Gentlemen of Halau Na Kamalei o Lililehua.”
One of those dancers will be Zachary Lum of the popular trio, “Keauhou.”
“He has a beautiful voice, ” Cazimero said.
Between producing beautiful music and mesmerizing dance, Cazimero will just talk story, too, as he loves creating and sharing moments with the audience.
“My life would not be full without any talk story, and Kauai people, they get it so well,” he said.
Tickets for Saturday’s show are $33 in advance and $38 at the door.
Info: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2880332
