Raiatea Helm
Raiatea Helm
vocals & ‘ukulele
“[She] sings in the high-voiced throwback leo ki‘eki‘e style … poised and utterly elegant.” –New York Times
Raiatea Helm, a two-time Grammy nominee and multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards recipient, is recognized as one of Hawaii’s premier female vocalists. Among her awards, she was honored in Hawai‘i twice as Female Vocalist of the Year. A master of the art of leo kiʻe kiʻe – the Hawaiian falsetto tradition – she shares her experiences and knowledge of Hawaiʻi’s rich history through traditional mele [songs]. Her music career spans 20 years and includes seven album releases, recorded and performed with legendary musicians including Keola Beamer, Aunty Genoa Keawe, Keali’i Reichel, Willie K and Mick Fleetwood.
Her most recent album, A Legacy of Hawaiian Song and String, Volume 1, breathes new life into song selections composed, performed and popularized in the Hawaiian Islands in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Through this masterpiece, Raiatea presents a musical contribution of the stories, poetry and emotions of a once flourishing nation. Produced in partnership with the Kealakai Center for Pacific Strings, the music captured on this album will be remembered for generations to come. This recording recently placed #4 on Folk Alley Favorites: Best Trad of 2023 year-end roundup of “the albums that take traditional roots in new directions, … artists that are changing the way we think about traditional music.”
A graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa – she took a break from touring to earn her degree — she is the first Hawaiian Musical Artist Fellow of the Native Arts & Cultures Foundation and the 2021 awardee of the foundation’s SHIFT – Transformative Change and Indigenous Arts program.
Tour Schedule
TBA
Past Tours Dates
2018
Sat, May 12, 2018, Sea Life Park, Waimanalo HI
Makapu’u Twilight Concert Series
Sun, Oct 21, 2018, Blue Note Hawai’i, Honolulu HI
2017
Tues, Mar 28, 2017, The Triple Door, Seattle WA
Fri, Mar 31 & Sat, Apr 1, 2017, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, Las Vegas NV
Sat, July 15, 2017, Makapu’u Twilight Concert Series, Sea Life Park, Waimanalo HI
Sat, Oct 7, 2017, Whittier College, Whittier CA
Fri, Oct 27, 2017, Blue Note Hawai’i, Honolulu HI
Punahou
Kimo Hula
Sweet and Lovely
The One They Call Hawai‘I