Music Scene
Makaha Sons: The annual Bash set for Sunday
By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer
Feb. 26, 1976. Yoko's on Kapahulu Avenue.
Four guys poured out of a '64 Rambler after the long drive from Nanakuli to play their first professional gig for $40.
Little did the crowd know that the Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau would still be around, though with an abbreviated name and crew, 25 years later.
The members of the Makaha Sons, from left, Jerome Koko, John Koko (seated) and Louis "Moon" Kauakahi. They released a compilation CD this month and will hold their 14th annual Makaha Bash concert Sunday at the Waikiki Shell. The group got its first paying gig in 1976, when it was known as the Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau and had four members.
Makaha Bash Y2K1 • Featuring the Makaha Sons, 'Ale'a, Amy Gilliom, Robi Kahakalau, Darlene Ahuna, Three Plus, Colon and Roy Sakuma's 'Ukulele Kids, among others. Battle of the Bash winner Kim Shimamoto, 19, will also perform at the concert.
• 5 p.m. Sunday
• Waikiki Shell
• $25 for pool seating, $20 for terrace, $13 for lawn ($30, $25 and $17 at the door two hours before the concert); children 3 and younger (on lap) free in reserved sections; children 5 and younger free for lawn seating
• 842-0927, 526-4400, 591-2211
"When we got paid, I thought we hit the big time," said Jerome Koko, one-third of the Makaha Sons, with a robust laugh, his large hands slapping his knees.
"You should've seen," added his brother, John, using his hands to demonstrate the car ride with the heavy load. "Had sparks all da way from Nanakuli."
The group has come a long way.
Over the past 25 years, they have recorded 17 albums and performed in countless concerts in Hawai'i and around the world, even at Carnegie Hall in New York. They have won a slew of Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, from Best Vocal Group to Best Traditional Album to the prestigious Album of the Year.
And the Makaha Sons, now with just the Kokos and Louis "Moon" Kauakahi, are celebrating a quarter-century of accomplishments with a nostalgic CD and a concert with all their friends.
"Na Pua O Hawai'i," released May 15, is a lei of memories. The 14-track compilation, with four original songs from the band, features songs by artists they've worked with over the years. Dennis Pavao, Peter Moon, Teresa Bright, Robi Kahakalau, Manu Boyd, Robert Cazimero — the CD is a who's who in contemporary Hawaiian music.
And to honor the boys from Nanakuli, every artist on the CD, along with other mutual admirers, will take the stage at the 14th annual Makaha Bash Y2K1 Sunday at the Waikiki Shell.
In contrast to last year's extravaganza at Aloha Stadium, with more than 1,000 hula dancers from nearly 40 halau, this year's concert will be more intimate, more personal, more Makaha Sons.
"The concert will be like hearing the CD live," Jerome Koko said.
Their longevity is a testament to the group's dedication to perpetuating traditional Hawaiian music. But it wasn't always easy.
"The trick was to keep everything Makaha Sons as far as the music, sound, everything," Jerome Koko said. "Keep everything the same."
Hawaiian music basked in the spotlight just when the Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau entered the scene. But "Hawaiian music wasn't always fashionable," said Janet Maduli, the group's agent and manager, who is organizing the bash.
But the boys kept playing and the fans kept coming.
Meet the Sons and it's obvious why.
They'll greet you with a local-style cheek kiss and tell you stories about their adventures in Japan.
"Ho, they come from all over creation just 'cause they love Hawaiian music," said Jerome Koko, still obviously in awe of the warm reception they always get in Japan. "They love the hula, the dance, they love it."
Interrupted his younger brother, with a devilish grin: "I just go for the massage."
"Eh, no say that," Jerome Koko scolded.
"Why? It's true."
There have been emotional hardships — the 1982 death of member Skippy Kamakawiwo'ole, the 1997 death of former member Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, with whom they reconciled in 1996 after parting ways a few years earlier. Through it all, the Sons maintain their smiles and a positive attitude about life.
In February, John Koko went in for surgery on an aortic valve. Though it takes six months to a year to recover, John was working the next month.
"It's been good, easy," John Koko said. "I just go inside, do my job and I'm outta there."
Not wanting to rush the recovery, the band decided to put together a compilation CD instead of creating original work. The whole process of recording the album took about a week.
"We were trying to get a product out by May, before we went to Japan, before Makaha Bash," Jerome Koko said.
Touring is still a big part of the band's schedule. They hit the road eight to 10 months of the year, playing for fans from Alaska to Florida.
"People on the Mainland love Hawaiian music so much," Jerome Koko said. "They miss home or it reminds them of Hawai'i."
They started touring about 10 years ago because sharing their music was important to them.
"Had this comment from the Mainland that Makaha Sons was too good to be hogged by one state," Jerome Koko said.
They take performing seriously, but not themselves.
After talking about their upcoming Japan tour, John Koko added, in a serious voice, that they will embark on a West Coast tour.
"We start from Makaha to Wai'anae to Ma'ili."
