Willie K, Ohana & Friends will be going to Washington! This is a tour that Willie K gets to travel with his ohana. With great music & awesome entertainment this concert is sure to be a sold out! Get your tickets now & see you at the show.

Various online ticket prices ($20.00 – $60.00 + fees) available at:
www.ticketmaster.com/Emerald-Queen-Casino-tickets-Tacoma/venue/123128 or call: 1-888-831-7655

From the Honolulu Pulse – January 20, 2012
REVIEW BY JOHN BERGER / jberger@staradvertiser.com
Full Article
Willie K can play or sing almost anything an American audience might ask for. On this album he and some friends play the blues. Some of the 17 original compositions are mainstream blues, others are closer to rock or ‘60s soul, but with Willie K leading the group on guitar and vocals they all work one way or another.
One of the most traditional numbers is “Heart Aching Blues.” If someone should ask if Willie K really has what it takes to play the blues like he means it, direct them to this song. “Too Bad,” the second track of the album, is a swinging, uptempo gem. A woman didn’t recognize that she could have had him. Now he’s on top of the world without her, and as for her, well, too bad! It’ll make you smile just to hear him sing it.
“Howling At The Moon” has a strong traditional foundation, and Willie K sounds like he’s having a great time singing it. A few songs later, with one titled “Lonely Man,” he’s switched to somber cocktail lounge pop; Sam Ahia Sr. (guitar) and an unidentified pianist are the key players in a beautiful arrangement there. “World Singing The Blues,” a protest song about mankind’s continuing assault on the environment is also memorable. Whatever the relative balance of blues, rock and ’60 soul music from one song to the next, Willie K never fails to connect.
———
John Berger has been a mainstay in the local entertainment scene for nearly 40 years. Contact
him via email at jberger@staradvertiser.com.

The BIG NEWS in the Willie K Ohana is the release of a Willie K Signature Ukulele! It’s made by Oscar Schmidt and will be available for uke lovers all over the world! Below is the press release from Oscar Schmidt. Congratulations Willie K!

Oscar Schmidt is proud to release the OUWK100K, Willie K’s brand new signature model which will be debuting at NAMM 2012. Willie K is a virtuosic singer, performer, songwriter, and actor. Since 1992, he has been steadily releasing albums and performing his songs around the world to high praise. He has recently released his album “Warehouse Blues” and has toured with and opened for legends such as B.B. King, Al DiMeola, and Willie Nelson.

The tenor ukulele, designed by Willie K and Avi Rohen, features a body made exclusively from beautiful Hawaiian koa. It is a 5 string ukulele with a low G string, allowing a pure Hawaiian sound. It has a satin finish with a beautiful abalone rosette and binding. An active UK200 pre amp will enable the pure tones to be heard no matter the venue.

Click here for the Oscar Schmidt website.

The neck features stunning pearl dot inlays and a beautiful rosewood bridge. Gold Grover® die-cast tuners help ensure stable tuning at all times. The nut and saddle of this instrument are made from synthetic bone.

Oscar Schmidt is owned by US Music Corp, located in Mundelein, IL. US Music Corp is an international music company that manufactures and distributes products worldwide under Washburn Guitars, Parker Guitars, Randall Amplifiers, Eden Electronics, Hagstrom, Jay Turser, Jay J, Warwick, Natal Drums, Phonic, Quik Lok, and Profile brand names. US Music Corp is a subsidiary of Jam Industries, Ltd.

For more information on Oscar-Schmidt Instruments, visit www.oscarschmidt.com
For more information on US Music Corp, visit www.usmusiccorp.com
For more information on Jam Industries, Ltd., visit www.jamindustries.com

West Coast Tour February 2012

Attention all Willie K fans on the West Coast: We’re coming to YOU! Willie K will play 3 shows in California and one in Oregon this coming February (2012). Come hear Willie K play all your favorite tunes as well as new material from the latest album “Warehouse Blues”.

West Coast Tour Dates:
Saturday 2/4/12 – The Irvine Barclay Theatre (Irvine, CA)
Wednesday 2/8/12 – The Shedd Institute (Eugene, OR)
Friday 2/10/12 – Montalvo Arts Center (Saratoga, CA)
Saturday 2/11/12 – Cache Creek Casino (Brooks, CA)

Willie K, along with his ohana & staff of Maui Tribe Productions would like to wish you and your family Happy Holidays! We’re thankful for so many things including a loving family, great friends, our health and our beautiful island paradise we call home. It is these things that truly bless and inspire us at the same time.

We’re also thankful for all the Willie K fans around the World . Without your love and support, our lives in this Kahaiali`i Ohana would be much different! To us, there’s nothing better then to see you at the shows, smiling, laughing, dancing and singing to your favorite Willie K tunes. The greatest gift that I can give and love doing it, is sharing my music!

From the Willie K Ohana – Mele Kalikimaka ame ka Hau`oli Makahiki Hou! We love you!

Here’s some footage from Willie K’s Grand Celebration on Maui in 2011. We had much to celebrate as it was Willie K’s birthday and CD Release Party!

The Gift of Music!

Every Willie K fan would love a little Aloha in their stocking. Order a Willie K CD and give someone the gift of music! Please order yours today to make sure your gift gets there in time for the holidays! Order yours today.

From Midweek.com > Old Friends Nov. 09 2011
Willie K
by Chris Fleck

At a recent performance on Maui, a fan told musician Willie K (pictured at left with daughter Antoinette) that what impresses him so much is that he is constantly reinventing himself, a comment that Willie K couldn’t have agreed with more.

“You know, I think I have really evolved into a human musical library over my career. I mean right now I am working with some friends on Maui combining world musics like Bollywood and Italian music mixed with Hawaiian. We are combining these genres of music and it’s working, people are diggin it,” says Willie K who was featured on MidWeek‘s cover Sept. 7, 2007.

Willie K also knows that if it wasn’t for the musical support he received growing up in school he most likely wouldn’t have developed a career in music, and that is one reason why he does what he can to support the mission of Hawaii Youth Symphony.

“I was in band from sixth grade through my senior year in high school. These kids need a place to go. My mission is to make sure these kids have a place to go and that HYS continues,” says Willie K who will be performing with a barrage of musical talent at Hawaii Youth Symphony’s annual He Makana O Na Mele (The Gift Of Music) fundraiser Nov. 20 at Hilton Hawaiian Village.

“This goes well beyond ukulele and the steel guitar. Piano players out there need a place to go and express themselves, and horn players and those interested in flute, clarinet, trombone, you name it. We have so many talented individuals that need our support.” This year the He Makana O Na Mele fundraiser, titled Swingin with Willie K. . . and all that Jazz, will feature musical accompaniments from some of the best in the local jazz scene including Dean Taba on bass guitar, Noel Okimoto on drums and vocals by Ginai.

A very special guest will also be joining Willie K at the fundraiser. He and his 3-year-old daughter Antoinette will sing their rendition of the Mary Poppins tuneLet’s Go Fly A Kite.

Willie K, who has played with legends like B.B. King, The Commodores, Prince, Willie Nelson and Mick Fleetwood, is asking for everyone’s support, “If you don’t come out and see it, you’re definitely going to hear about it,” he adds.

For more information on He Makana O Na Mele fundraiser or HYS, visit hiyouthsymphony.org.

September 10, 2011
Willie K’s new album “Warehouse Blues” is now available! Click on the music page to hear a demo and order your CD today! As the album title implies, you can expect lots of high-energy blues – Willie K style! We’re celebrating the album’s release (among other things) with ‘A Grand Celebration Willie K Style’ on October 16th from 12-4pm in Wailuku. We hope you join us!

FROM THE HONOLULU STAR ADVERTISER

If you want to call Willie K a reluctant actor, it would probably be all right with him. Even with roles in two recent local feature films – “Get A Job” and “You May Not Kiss the Bride” – he doesn’t view acting as having much of a place in his future.

The 50-year-old Maui native is an entertainer first – a Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician.

“I am not hunting for a gig, but if you have something for me to do, great,” he said. “Even if the part is small, I am willing to serve – provided you are not wasting my time.”

Willie “Willie K” Kahaialii lights up the screen and his work in both films could introduce him to a whole new fan base whether he likes it or not.

In “Get A Job,” he was the classic beleaguered straight man to his zany co-star, Eric Gilliom, who happens to be his partner in the musical duo Barefoot Natives. In “You May Not Kiss the Bride,” he brought good-natured humor to the part of a Tahitian chief.

Neither film has had a theatrical release, but “Get A Job” has done well at several smaller film festivals this year and “You May Not Kiss the Bride” is scheduled to screen in Hawaii starting Sept. 2 at Consolidated’s Pearlridge 16.

For audiences familiar only with his successful music career, this will be an unexpected side of Kahaialii.

“He’s an entertainment savant,” said Brian Kohne, writer and director of “Get A Job” and the producer for Barefoot Natives. They’ve known each other six years.

“Willie can take on anything and pull it off,” Kohne said. “But above all else, Willie K is fun to look at. The camera absolutely loves him. He’s got a presence. He as a soul and the camera picks it up.”

When he was approached by the producers of “You May Not Kiss the Bride,” a romantic comedy featuring Rob Schneider, Tia Carrere and Katharine McPhee that filmed in 2009 on Oahu, Kahaialii said “no thanks.” He had already been rejected at every audition he attended for the last 15 years.

Willie K in costume, getting direction.

But Honolulu film producer Rann Watumull told the musician the part was his for the taking.

“As soon as it was created, I knew there was only one person for it: him,” Watumull said. “ I didn’t know him personally. I had seen him on stage. He looked the part and he sings. I thought he would be just perfect.”

Although it was his first acting role, Kahaialii handled it with ease, Watumull said.

“He got dressed up in costume and got shot at and got pineapple in his eye and never complained,” Watumull said. “People are going to get a kick out of seeing him. They will love him.”

Kahaialii’s background is in music, not acting. He was 10 when he started performing. He did take a drama class at Lahainaluna High School, though it went badly.

“I am the only person in the world, in the history of high school, who flunked drama,” he said.

One of Kahaialii’s lesser-known passions is his life-long devotion to martial arts, which he began learning at home from his father. He compares the discipline to making music and has even found a way to combine it with film through his 50^th State Film, Music and Martial Arts Festival, which will take place Sunday.

The event, now in its second year, is eclectic in design. There won’t be any music this year and the film component consists of a lifetime achievement award he will bestow on his friend, the late actor Pat Morita. (Last year, the award was given to James Hong.)

Morita, who lived off and on in Hawaii in the 1980s and -90s, was a close friend of the musician’s and represents a favorite martial arts character, Mr. Miyagi of the “Karate Kid” film series. He died in 2005.

His widow, Evelyn, will accept the award from Kahaialii and will later hold a private scattering of the actor’s ashes in Hawaii waters.

“He would have cherished this moment of recognition and it would have been extra special coming from the Hawaiian people… who he loved,” Evelyn Morita said in an email.

“It will be closure for me as well as a blessing and a celebration of his life.”

There’s no way to predict what will happen when “Get A Job” and “You May Not Kiss the Bride” start connecting with larger audiences – assuming they have the chance – but the reluctant actor isn’t opposed to the newfound attention.

It’s fun when moviegoers laugh at the right moments, Kahaialii said.

Does that mean more screen time?

“It was fun,” he said. “I’m a character as an entertainer. Standing in front of a camera and portraying myself as a different person is easy. I live to entertain.”