Three of Hilo’s brightest musical stars — Na Hoku Hanohano Award winners Kuana Torres Kahele, Brittni Paiva and Mark Yamanaka, take the stage at Hilo’s Palace Theater on Sunday for a special matinee benefit concert.
“E Malama Ka Moku O Hawaii” will kokua The Food Basket, Hawaii Island’s food bank, in its effort to fulfill its role in the continuing recovery for the people of Hawaii Island during the state of emergency declared because of the eruption of Kilauea volcano in lower Puna.
Since the summit collapses started April 30 and the lower East Rift Zone eruption began May 3, more than 700 homes have been destroyed, lava has covered and damaged streets and state highways and the island has seen a serious downtown in the visitor industry and overall economy, partially because of the continued closure of most of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
“The lava has affected us by using maybe 30 percent of our inventory,” said Jo Ann Abiley, The Food Basket’s East Hawaii operations manager. “It’s really stretched us.”
“We are servicing people that were evacuated and are living with family members, or are camping, or the ones in transition who just need some help for a little while. We’re here for them,” she added.
As far as donations of nonperishable food items, Abiley said the biggest need is for “water and box juices, any kind of juices.”
The music promises to be stellar — Torres Kahele and Yamanaka are A-list Hawaiian falsetto vocalists and multiple Hoku winners who both got their professional starts in Johnny Lum Ho’s Halau O Ka Ua Kani Lehua. Paiva, in addition to winning multiple Hokus, is an ‘ukuele wizard conversant in multiple styles who has collaborated on an album and played live with jazz saxophone legend Tom Scott.
Doors open at 1 p.m. and the show starts at 2 p.m. Admission is $30 in advance, $35 at the door and $40 VIP.
Tickets are available at the Palace box office, Wizard Smoke Shop and The Food Basket, with VIP tickets available only at The Food Basket.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.