Darlene Ahuna

Darlene Ahuna grew into one of the most important voices of Hawaiian music after she one a Hoku Award (the Hawaiian equivalent of the Grammy) in 1997. Never formally trained, her calming vocal style developed after seeing her uncle perform at an early age. She later picked up the ukulele and taught herself to play. When she moved to a new school at the age of 14, she flourished in its creative environment and soon took to playing rhythm guitar. By the time she was 17, she was singing and performing with Ku'uipo Kumukahi, playing traditional Hawaiian music. During a hula recital in 1995, a DJ heard Ahuna's voice and passed her on to Hula Records, where she was hired to pursue her solo career. She has released three albums under this arrangement, with husband J.J. working as a professional assistant to her.