Kealiʻi Reichel

Infobox Musical artist

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Background = solo_singer
Name = Kealiokinai Reichel
Birth_name = Carleton Lewis Kealiokinainaniaimokuokalani Reichel
Instrument = Ukulele, Vocals
Born = 1961
Died =
Origin = flagicon|USA Lahaina, Hawaii, USA
Genre = Hawaiian Music
Occupation = Musician
Kumu Hula
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Carleton Lewis Kealiokinainaniaimokuokalani Reichel (born 1961) popularly known as Kealiokinai Reichel, is a popular and bestselling singer, songwriter, choreographer, dancer, chanter, scholar, teacher, and personality from the State of Hawaiokinai. He has spent his life educating the world about Hawaiian culture through music and dance.

Kealiokinai (pronounced Kay-ah-LEE-ee) Reichel was born and raised on the island of Maui. Reichel grew up in the town of Lahaina where he attended Lahainaluna High School, however he spent weekends and summers with his maternal grandmother in the plantation town of Pāokinaia. At the age of 24, Reichel was convicted of theft, and was sentenced to community service, which involved a study of Hawaiian culture. This marked a turning point in his life, as he decided to devote the rest of his life to the study and promotion of Hawaiian culture.

Reichel was one of the founding directors for [http://naleopulama.org/ Punana Leo O Maui] , a Hawaiian language immersion pre-school. He has taught Hawaiian culture and language at the University of Hawaiokinai's, Maui Community College, and he was the Cultural Resource Specialist and curator at the [http://www.mauimuseum.org/ Bailey House Museum] in Wailuku.

Hawaiian music

Reichel studied Hawaiian dance and vocals under Kumu hula (dance instructor/choreographer/master) Pualani Kanakaokinaole Kanahele, daughter of the kumu hula and Hawaiian scholar "Aunty" Edith Kanakaokinaole. He later founded his own hula halau (Hawaiian dance troop) Halau hula o ka Makani Wili Makaha o Kauaokinaula now called Halau Keokinaalaokamaile

In 1994, at the age of 33, he recorded and released a collection of Hawaiian traditional and contemporary music entitled "Kawaipunahele" on his own Punahele Productions record label, and began his career as a Hawaiian music superstar. Reichel's subsequent albums,"Lei Haliokinaa" (1995), "ʻE O Mai" (1997), and "Melelana" (1999), placed him securely at the top of the Hawaiian music entertainment industry. He is also featured in two anthology albums released by his record label, "Pride of Punahele" (1998) and "Pride of Punahele 2" (2003). In 2004, his album of the previous year, "Keokinaalaokamaile" (2003), won four of the top awards at the 27th Annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (Hawaii's regional equivalent of the Grammy Awards) including Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, Hawaiian Album of the Year and Song of the Year.

Reichel's style most often includes vocals over a guitar, bass, and ukulele ensemble but may also include a Western (European-American) string quartet (violin, viola and cello) or traditional pre-1778 Hawaiian instruments. His vocals include Hawaiian language chanting and singing in both Hawaiian and English. Stage performances include dance in both traditional and modern hula forms. He also plays guitar.

Theater

Kealiokinai performed in the Maui_Academy_of_Performing_Arts production of Jesus_Christ_Superstar as Judas_Iscariot.

International recognition

Reichel currently has contracts with JVC Victor Entertainment and Atlantic/Time-Warner. Kealiokinai Reichel's consistent placement in Billboard Magazine's World Music Charts has garnered him international attention. He has opened concerts for Bonnie Raitt, LeAnn Rimes, Céline Dion, and Sting. In addition to his regular concerts in Hawaiokinai, he has toured the United States mainland playing in such places as New York at Carnegie Hall, San Diego, San Francisco, Anaheim, Hollywood Bowl, Phoenix, and toured internationally with concerts in Tahiti, Osaka and Tokyo, Japan, where he has performed to a sold out audience Fact|date=January 2008.

Reichel is known not only for his artistry as a performer, song writer and recording artist, but also for his work as a teacher of Hawaiian culture to the rest of the world.

The Hawaii Academy of Recording Artists - Na Hoku Hanohano Awards

Favorite Entertainer of the Year
*1995, 1996, 2000Male Vocalist of the Year
*1995, 1996, 2000, 2004Most Promising Artist of the Year
*1995Album of the Year
*1995 "Kawaipunahele", 2000 "Melelana", 2004 "Keokinaalaokamaile"Song of the Year
*2004 "Ka Nohonoa Pili Kai"Hawaiian Album of the Year
*1995 "Kawaipunahele", 1996 "Lei Haliokinaa", 2000 "Melelana", 2004 "Keokinaalaokamaile"Haku Mele (new Hawaiian language composition)
*"Kuokinau Pua Maeokinaole" 1996, "Nematoda" 1998