Alfred Apaka 90th Birthday Anniversary Celebration March 19, 2010

Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa to Mark 90th Anniversary of Alfred Apaka’s Birthday with Musical Tribute
Afternoon celebration and tribute will feature some of the biggest names in Hawaiian music

WHAT: Lei-draping and blessing at Alfred Apaka Statue, followed by musical tribute to the “Golden Voice of Hawaii,” the late Alfred Apaka

WHERE: Tapa Tower Concourse/Tapa Bar, Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa

WHEN: Friday, March 19, 4 p.m.
WHO: Jeffrey Apaka, son of Alfred Apaka
Kaniela Akaka – ukulele/singer
Kaipo Asing – guitar
Pakala Fernandes - bass
Cathy Foy - singer
Ainsley Halemanu – ukulele/singer
Haumea (Mrs. Don) Ho
Kimo Kahoano - emcee
Danny Kaleikini - singer
Nina Kealiiwahamana – singer
George Kuo - guitar
Melveen Leed – singer
Aaron Mahi – bass/singer
Kenneth Makuakane – guitar/singer Kanoe Miller, dancer
Bev Noa - dancer
Casey Olsen - steel
Hiram Olsen – guitar singer
Kahu Kaleo Patterson
Joe Recca - singer
Boyce Rodrigues – singer
Mihana Souza – guitar/singer
Bryan Tolentino
Doug Tolentino - ukulele


MORE: Before Don Ho there was Alfred Apaka, The Golden Voice of Hawai‘i. During the 1940s and 1950s, Apaka was Hawaii’s most famous entertainer and his show was a “must see” for all visitors. Apaka was indeed the most influential local performer of his time, setting the standard for all modern Hawaiian music. His voice, masculine good looks and personality truly helped put Henry Kaiser’s Hawaiian Village Hotel on the map. George Kanahele, a critical observer of Hawaiian music later wrote, “Alfred Apaka possessed one of the most remarkable voices to ever come out of Hawai‘i.”

Apaka was best known for his lavish shows in the Hawaiian Village’s Tapa Room and later in the property’s enormous gold aluminum geodesic dome constructed by Kaiser to accommodate Apaka’s large crowds. As his fame grew, he became a well-known recording artist, spreading the appreciation of Hawaiian music to the world. Apaka was planning his own national television special at the time of his unexpected heart attack and death at the age of 40 in 1960. He was buried with a microphone placed in his hands before his casket was closed. In 1997, Alfred Apaka was honored by a prestigious Nā Hōkū Hanohano Lifetime Achievement Award and in 1999 with an album, Lost Recordings of Hawai‘i’s Golden Voice.