The local artist has done it again.
Kalani Peʻa took home his 3rd Grammy Award with his album “Kau Ka Pe’a” at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards in Las Vegas. He was awarded for having the best regional roots album of the year in a non-televised portion of the event, and he has previously won the category in 2017—with his debut album “E Walea”—and in 2019 with his second album, “No ‘Ane‘i”.
The regional roots category was created in 2011 and many of the past winners have come from the Louisiana’s Cajun and zydeco community. In fact, since its conception in 2011, Peʻa was only the fourth performing artist outside of that community and genre to win it, and is the only Hawaiʻi-resident to win a category of the Grammys since the the best Hawaiian music album award was eliminated in 2011.
His third album, “Kau Ka Peʻa” was recorded in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and honors the people and places of Hawaiʻi, as well as Hawaiian ali’i (royalty) including Kalākaua, Kamehameha I and Queen Kalama. With 11 tracks on the release, the album also includes guest musicians like Amy Hānaialiʻi Gilliom, Kimie Miner, Imua Garza and more.
To congratulate Peʻa for his achievement and to possibly introduce you to his music if you haven’t heard of it already, we’ve included a few of our favorites tunes by Peʻa.
1. E Nā Kini
2. ʻŌpae Ē
3. ʻAʻahu Poliʻahu
