It’ll be hana hou, Hilo-style as the Palace Theater presents Mark Yamanaka and Kris Fuchigami in concert at 7 p.m. April 28.
Yamanaka, a singer-songwriter-guitarist, has won 10 Na Hoku Hanohano awards, while Fuchigami, an ukulele whiz, has been a Hoku nominee and is again nominated for his latest album, “More than This.”
“Kris and I have done this before and it was a good time,” Yamanaka told the Tribune-Herald. “I don’t get to play the Palace too often. I don’t get to play at home too often.”
Those who attended the 2018 Merrie Monarch Festival, or watched the group hula ‘auana (modern hula) competition and Miss Aloha Hula, got to see Yamanaka and hear his trademark falsetto vocals five times, including playing with Hilo’s Halau O Ka Ua Kani Lehua under the direction of kumu hula Johnny Lum Ho. With a statewide TV audience and worldwide webcast, Merrie Monarch is probably the biggest stage for a Hawaiian musician.
“There’s so many things to deal with when you’re there — of course, nerves, because of the crowd, because it’s live with the TV cameras,” Yamanaka said.
One performance was for Miss Aloha Hula winner Shalia Kapuau‘ionalani Kikuyo Kamakaokalani. Yamanaka played with Kamakaokalani’s kumu hula, Napua Greig, an A-list Hawaiian music star, Zachary Lum of the multiple-Hoku winning Hawaiian trio Keauhou, and renowned musician Aaron Sala.
“It’s a unique opportunity to get together with these guys that I look up to,” Yamanaka said. “Like Zach Lum. That guy is a wizard, man. He’s younger, but I’ve learned quite a bit in the past month or so when we’ve gotten together to play music for Napua. It was challenging for me. I’m more of an organic player while Zach is more of a trained musician. And Aaron Sala, who was on piano, has his own wizardry. So it was intimidating, a bit, for me, being that I’m not classically trained — not trained at all, really. But it’s a lot of fun, and it’s an opportunity for a lot of these artists to get together and work together and come out with a once-in-a-lifetime masterpiece for that evening.”
While the music is different, performing during Merrie Monarch is similar to another huge multimedia stage — the Grand Ole Opry. During Merrie Monarch, like at the Opry, musicians plug in and play without a sound check and little opportunity to tune instruments once they enter the stage-side “pit.” Unlike at the Opry, all the musicians do during Merrie Monarch is play the music. They aren’t allowed to use the microphones for stage banter.
“I think the Palace show is going to be so intimate and relaxed compared to the Merrie Monarch, where you’ve got live TV cameras, the large audience, the five-piece band you’re working with and where, basically, you’ve got to trust what you practice and hope it’s all going to come out great,” Yamanaka said. “The Palace, the way Kris and I have been doing the shows, it’s just more intimate, as soloists. I’m going to do it by myself. That’s going to be the difference.”
Fuchigami, who’s opening, won’t be flying solo, however. He’ll have an accompanist he can count on, no matter what, to have his back — his mom, Keiko, who plays keyboards. In his usual organic spirit, Yamanaka said it’s likely he and Fuchigami will collaborate at some point, although details haven’t been worked out.
For Yamanaka, it’s shaping up to be a big year. He and fiancee Leilani Pereira will marry in June. Yamanaka popped the question on stage, and a video of it went viral.
In addition, he’s working on his third album, not counting his Hoku-winning Christmas CD collaboration with the duo Kupaoa.
“I’m just kind of winding down on song selection,” he said. “I have about five originals right now. I’m planning on doing a few of those originals at the Palace, kind of a sneak peek at the next project. And, of course, I’ll do the favorites that people enjoy.”
Tickets are $20, $25 and $30 in advance. All tickets are $5 more the day of the show. Advance tickets are available at the Palace box office from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays. Call 934-7010 to charge by credit card.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
