Danny Kaleikini

Danny "Kaniela" Kaleikini (October 10, 1937 – January 6, 2023) was an American singer, musical artist, and entertainer. Best known for his long-term residency at the Kahala Hilton in Hawaii, where he performed for 28 years, Kaleikini is often called "The Ambassador of Aloha". During his career of more than 50 years in show business, he was the opening act for Paul Anka at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and performed alongside Sammy Davis Jr., Wayne Newton, Dolly Parton, Phyllis McGuire, and Don Ho. A baritone who sang Hawaiian songs and played the nose flute, Kaleikini gained international recognition for promoting Hawaiian music, language, and culture. He grew up in Papakolea in Honolulu, as one of nine children. and worked for the City and County of Honolulu as a refuse worker. His mother Margie worked as a cocktail waitress at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

At the age of five, he earned money by selling copies of The Honolulu Advertiser with his brother. As a student at Kawananakoa Intermediate, he played the trumpet and drums,

Career During his first year at University of Hawaiʻi, Kaleikini had a part-time job at the Waikiki Sands. Kinney became a mentor to Kaleikini, who also learned from entertainer Leinaala Ignacio. After six months, Kaleikini moved with Kinney to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel,

Hilton Hawaiian Village Kaleikini's first major break was at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, where he performed for seven years. In July 1961, a review in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin called Kaleikini "a charming shaker" who "has the correct shakes as he shows his versatility in doing the Hawaiian and Tahitian hulas." Kaleikini continued the residency at the Kahala Hilton for 28 years. Kaleikini typically opened the show with a multi-lingual greeting, The show's success was often attributed to Kaleikini's warmth and ability to charm the audience. Over the years, the show became more international in flavor, in response to more diverse audiences from around the world. Over 10,000 performances later, on April 27, 1987, Kaleikini celebrated his 20th anniversary at the Hilton with a two-hour show. In 1988, Governor John Waihee officially declared Danny Kaleikini as "Hawaii's Ambassador of Aloha". In 2022, the Kahala Hotel & Resort honored him by renaming its front drive to Danny Kaleikini Square.

Performances in Japan Over the course of his career, Kaleikini became a frequent visitor to Japan and learned to speak Japanese. His visit to the Expo, accompanied by the popular Hawaiian sumo wrestler Jesse "Takamiyama" Kuhaulua, helped to raise his profile and led to subsequent engagements in Japan. including Olivia Newton-John. Kaleikini sang "The Snows of Mauna Kea" by Jay Larrin, Japanese classic "Koko ni sachi ari", and Frank Sinatra's "My Way", in a program that was broadcast nationwide in Japan on August 3, 1986, by Nippon Television Network. His first show was attended by an estimated 400 people from Hawaii, In December 1988, Harrah's Reno in Nevada featured "Danny Kaleikini's Hawaiian Christmas", a one-week engagement at the Headliner Room.

Radio, television, and film Radio In the 1960s, Kaleikini had a radio show on KHVH on Saturday afternoons from 1pm to 5pm. After Edwards had a heart attack in 1972, the show was taken over by new management, and Kaleikini was hired by Bud Dant as the permanent host. Kaleikini became a 20-percent owner of the show, which struggled to obtain sponsorship in its final years, and Hawaii Calls aired for the last time on August 16, 1975.

In 1970, he became the host of Danny Kaleikini Theater on KHON-TV, which aired on Saturdays at 11pm and Sundays at 2:30pm. In The Hawaiians, Kaleikini played the captain of the Royal Hawaiian Guard, who arrested the lead character played by Charlton Heston.

An avid golfer, Kaleikini, won the inaugural Tahiti Open in 1982. He also hosted his own annual Danny Kaleikini golf tournament in Hawaii and in Japan. which he continued to host every year together with festival founder Roy Sakuma, as it grew into an international event at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand. In 2018, he was both emcee and guest of honor at the 48th Annual Ukulele Festival, and performed in the final virtual event in 2022.

In 1983, he established the non-profit Danny Kaleikini Foundation, and served as president. To raise funds for the project, they built the Aloha Ke Akua Chapel, operated by Watabe Wedding Corp.

Politics In 1994, former Honolulu mayor Frank Fasi chose Kaleikini as his running mate when he ran for governor. Fasi formed a short-lived independent party called the Best Party, after a political career during which he had run and served as both a Democrat and a Republican mayor in Hawaii. In their campaign, Fasi and Kaleikini promised to "give government back to the people" and cut income taxes.

Kaleikini was considered a popular but unconventional choice for lieutenant governor.

After spending close to $4 million on the gubernatorial campaign, Fasi and Kaleikini finished second in the election, with 31 percent of the vote.

In 2006, Mahalo Records re-issued Luau at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, which featured a 1962 recording of Kaleikini headlining a "live" show prior to his tenure at the Kahala Hilton. Wayne Harada wrote in The Honolulu Advertiser that the album, "complete with conch shell blowing and description of the pig-in-the-imu procession, is a reflection of another era, and, for Kaleikini die-hards, a glimpse of a star in the making."

In 2015, Danny Kaleikini and his grandson Nicholas Kaleikini recorded and released Aloooha, an album of five songs including Hawaiian and pop standards with American jazz and pop arrangements. The EP was well-received by critics, with John Berger of Honolulu Star-Advertiser saying that "Danny's voice is as strong and operatic as ever."

In 2017, the Kaleikinis recorded and released Mahaaalo, which introduced three original songs, including "Aloha" which was written by Danny and sung in Hawaiian, and "Kuʻuipo", a love song which Danny and Nicholas wrote together.

Kaleikini died at St. Francis Hospice in Nuʻuanu on January 6, 2023, at age 85. A memorial service for Kaleikini was held at Kawaiahaʻo Church on February 18, 2023.

Awards and honors Danny Kaleikini received numerous awards and honors during his lifetime, including:

Honoree, Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame, 2016

The executive producer, Mike Lum, who co-directed the film with filmmaker Pawel Nuckowski, first met Kaleikini in early 2020 when he agreed to appear in a television commercial for Lum's Medicare insurance business which aired while most Hawaii residents were staying home due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. After getting to know him and collaborating on various other projects, Lum approached Kaleikini with the idea for a documentary, and began filming in October 2021. According to Keikilani Kaleikini, the film is "a real documentary, not a tribute", with emotional, funny, and sad moments that provide a glimpse into the realities of his life and his legacy of aloha.