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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, February 5, 2010

Another win in hand, Ho looks to the future


TGIF Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Daniel Ho, center, with fellow producers Wayne Wong, Paul Konwiser and George Kahumoku Jr. at the Grammys.

MATT SAYLES | Associated Press

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You would think Daniel Ho's trophy case would be overflowing with Grammy statues — and you would be wrong.

Co-winner of the past five Grammys for Hawaiian music, Ho confessed that all of his awards remain in boxes in his closet.

"Someday I'll pull them out and put them on my mantle, but right now I'm looking ahead," Ho said Sunday, minutes after it was announced that "Masters of the Slack Key Guitar, Volume 2" won this year's Grammy. "I don't like to look back. There's a lot more music to make."

Much of it will be done on Maui at the Napili Kai Beach Resort on Wednesday nights. All the songs on this year's Grammy-winning compilation were recorded during the Napili Kai's weekly Hawaiian music series, just as they have been for the three prior slack-key guitar compilations that won Grammys. And just like the first three, Ho worked with fellow producers George Kahumoku Jr., Paul Konwiser and Wayne Wong. Ho's fifth came last year with Tia Carrere. Ho said they're about halfway through completion of their next slack-key guitar compilation CD.

Not winning a Grammy hasn't hurt Amy Hänaiali'i's CD sales, nor Ho'okena's. Leah Bernstein, vice president of Mountain Apple Records, said Hänaiali'i's "Friends & Neighbors" CD and Ho'okena's "Nani Maui Loa:Everlasting Beauty" each saw a spike in sales last week and added that Hänaiali'i's album sales have been strong all year.

"We look at the window for sales really being from the time the nominees are announced,"Bernstein said. "Last year, even though Amy didn't win the Grammy, her CD sales jumped after. She had the public's support."

Hänaiali'i said her next CD will surprise her fans and it may not fit in the Hawaiian music category. She's working on it with Jamie Foxx.

Today's Aloha Friday Luncheon at the Kani Ka Pila Grille at Outrigger Reef on the Beach has a "Direct from the Grammy Awards" theme. Hänaiali'i, Jeff Peterson and Manu Boyd and Glen Smith of Ho'okena will be performing. AM940 will broadcast the show live from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will also stream it on AM940hawaii.com. Cost is $25 for adults and $17.50 for kids ages 5 to 12 and includes a Hawaiian buffet and prize giveaways. Call 924-4990 for reservations.

Jake Shimabukuro has followed up playing for the Queen of England with Bette Midler by joining the Radford High grad on stage last Sunday in Las Vegas for Midler's final performance of her show "The Showgirl Must Go On" at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Midler invited Shimabukuro to play for the queen and again last week, after they were introduced by mutual friend Jimmy Buffet. They performed "In My Life" together and Shimabukuro also did a solo performance of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."