Nathan Aweau

Vocals, bass, guitar

“Nathan is that distinguished rarity…A jack of all trades, master of an expansive domain.” – Honolulu Advertiser

“Nathan… on electric bass and acoustic guitar, shows an… advanced understanding of harmony and orchestration …his singing style is effortless”. –The New York Times

Winner of 9 Na Hoku (Hawai‘i’s “Grammy”), Nathan Aweau won Male Vocalist of the Year an unprecented 3 times, the only artist to have achieved this. Nathan Aweau is not only known for his beautiful vocals, but also for his musical prowess, particularly on the bass guitar, his favorite instrument (his Bass Etude album won Jazz Album of the Year honors in 2005). Often described as a musician’s musician with an in-depth understanding of orchestration, Aweau is proficient on piano, guitar, ‘ukulele, saxophone, percussion, and bass. He also writes, records, engineers, and produces all his own material. Much sought-after, he has performed with numerous musicians, was a member of the award-winning groups Ka’eo, the Ali’i’s, and HAPA, and played with the legendary Don Ho for 16 years.

His exquisite vocals earned him his first Na Hoku “Male Vocalist” award for his debut CD and helped propel Hapa’s CD “Maui” to the Top 10 on Billboard’s World Music chart and three Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (Hawai‘i’s “Grammy”). Traditional Hawaiian music features “leo ki’eki’e” (male falsetto singing), “where the men kinda go up and sound like women,” says Nathan, giving him a multi-octave range. For his 6 solo CDs to date, Aweau wrote and arranged every song, sang all vocals (including background), played every instrument, and recorded, engineered, mixed, and mastered it at his In My Bathroom Studios.

Aweau, who was classically trained, has run the gamut of styles, playing in jazz, funk, country and even metal bands, as well as Hawaiian ensembles. “So long as it was good music, I was always there,” he says.

Ku’u Lei Awapuhi/Hawai’i Aloha/Wahine ‘Ilikea