The writers of “Sassy Mynah Bird” were in the front row, cheering the loudest, Wednesday when Kekai Chock and Conrad “Kona” Giminiz of the musical duo Kekona were named winners of the jazz album of the year during the 45th Annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards in Honolulu, said Chock Sunday at the Wailua Creators Fair at the Hilton Garden Inn Kaua‘i Wailua Bay.
“Sassy little mynah bird, With your funny walk, My, you are a noisy bird…,” Kekona blossomed in song, celebrating the joy expressed by the music writers during the creators fair that was sold out of vendor spaces at 38, a steady stream of shoppers taking advantage of the sunny morning at the mouth of the Wailua River.
Chock said Kaua‘i violin player Kimberly Hope also received two nominations for Na Hoku honors, but as much as she was well-received, did not get any awards.
“Jazz album of the year!” Giminiz said, “This is definitely an honor.”
Kekona earned the honor for their “Aloha Jazz Lounge” album, produced by Hulu Kupuna Productions and available online, Chock said. Selections in the album include favorites like “Beautiful Kaua‘i” and “Days of My Youth” that the duo seranaded from the shade of a small thicket ahead of the parked Shaka Burger food truck.
“She’s taking a break,” said Mimi Corpuz of Mimi’s Little Creations. “She (Raychelle Corpuz, a third-grader at Kapa‘a Elementary School when she returns to class Aug. 1) loves Shaka Burgers! But she’s been taking a break a lot. She was on break a lot in Princeville.”
Tepairu Manea, president of the Heiva i Kaua‘i and the maker of Tahitian drums, enhanced the Kekona offerings with his crew of drummers.
“The Heiva i Kaua‘i returns in-person this year after two years of not having any because of the COVID-19,” Manea said. “This year, heiva is on Aug. 6 and 7 at the Kapa‘a Beach Park from 9 a.m. each day. This one is special because we’ll be paying tribute to Stella Miyoshi, who passed last year. We have a special fire knife program Saturday night with Michael-Alan “Kamo” Drake. If this works out, next year we can expand heiva to three days.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
