Bank of Hawaii Presents
2009 Moonlight Mele on the Lawn
Bank of Hawaii once again presents Moonlight Mele on the Lawn at Bishop Museum. The concert series is a staple of Honolulu’s summertime fun. Bring the entire family and enjoy Hawaiian music under the stars!
Gordon Biersch will provide a variety of food and beverages for purchase. Hand-held umbrellas are encouraged for the occasional mauka showers. Pre-purchase tickets at the Bishop Museum ticket box or by phone at (808) 847-3511. Advance tickets are $15 general; $10 for Bishop Museum members and military with valid ID, as well as for Bank of Hawai‘i employees or customers. Participating sponsors include Gordon Biersch and Waterfront Ventures, LLC.
Sean Na‘auao - June 25, 2009
Kicking off the 2009 Moonlight Mele series is Sean Na‘auao, a talented singer, musician, composer, and producer. As a singer and musician, he has firmly established a successful island music solo career with CD releases such as Giving Something Back, Hawaiian Living, Fish & Poi (which earned him a prestigious Nā Hōkū Hanohano award for Island Contemporary Album of the Year), Homegrown Hawaiian, and Neutralize It (which garnered another Nā Hōkū Hanohano award for Song of the Year “Ka Pilina”). Sean's island songs continue to set benchmarks for today's contemporary musicians and include such hits as “Drop Baby Drop,” “Li Hing Hula,” “Punani Patrol” and “Fish & Poi.”
The June 25 Moonlight Mele concert will also feature Kaumakaiwa Kanaka‘ole and Hula Hālau o Kamuela.
Darren Benitez and Hōkū Zuttermeister - July 30, 2009
Two crowd-pleasing musicians will take on the Great Lawn at Bishop Museum for July’s Moonlight Mele – Darren Benitez and Hōkū Zuttermeister.
In 10 years since the release of his second album Mother of the Sea, Benitez has had lots of time to fine tune and sculpt the album into what he feels is his best yet. Hōkū’s first album, titled ‘Āina Kūpuna, was released in March 2007 to glowing reviews and has been the subject of much positive acceptance in the Hawaiian music community. In 2008, ‘Āina Kūpuna was nominated for 10 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award nominations, winning six. Raiatea Helm’s recent appearance onto the national music scene with her Grammy nomination for her sophomore album Sweet and Lovely was a natural progression of her growth within the Hawaiian music community. Her debut recording, Far Away Heaven, captured the prestigious Female Vocalist of the Year and Most Promising Artist Awards from the 2003 Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Artists (HARA). Raiatea Helm continued her award-winning tradition two years later with the release of Sweet and Lovely. At the 2005 HARA Awards ceremony, she was recognized again as Female Vocalist of the Year and also received the coveted Favorite Entertainer of the Year Award. Raiatea Helm has also proven herself to be as versatile as she is talented. Her rendition of the jazz classic “At Last” on Sweet and Lovely” caused a buzz among many of the Hawaiian music industry’s singers, musicians, and producers. Her recently released third CD, Hawaiian Blossom, includes the dreamy jazz ballad “Taking a Chance on Love.” With her performing and recording career now entering her seventh year, Raiatea has firmly established her reputation as Hawai‘i’s premier chanteuse. Although barely 23 years old, it is undeniable that Raiatea Mokihana Maile Helm will be a part of the national as well as international music scene for many years to come. Mahalo to our sponsors:
Darren is known for his falsetto Hawaiian music as well as his upbeat cachi-cachi hits. Making good on his
He will be followed by Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner Hōkū Zuttermeister. Born and raised in Kāne‘ohe, O‘ahu, Zuttermeister was brought up with a love for the Hawaiian culture and its music. He started singing at the young age of two; he loved singing his first song, “E Ku‘u Morning Dew.”Raiatea Helm - August 27, 2009
One of the sweetest Hawaiian voices of today, Raiatea Helm will grace the Great Lawn this August with her incredible talent and you won’t want to miss it! In 2006, Raiatea made history as Hawai‘i’s first solo female vocalist ever to receive a Grammy nomination.![]()


