Puna Music Festival Offers Live Music and Workshops

The fifth-annual Puna Music Festival is just around the corner bringing a week of concerts, events, and workshops scheduled between May 3-9.  This year’s event will feature some of Hawai‘i’s top artists including Makana, RootHub, and Lito Arkangel, as well as a wide line-up of local talent.

Music-lovers will have the opportunity to participate in the creation process first-hand with workshops teaching songwriting, instrumentation, and performance at all levels.

The festival will open with a free concert at Pohoiki (Isaac Hale Park) on May 3, headlined by award-winning guitarist Makana, as well as Lito Arkangel.  The Sunday show will neighbor the adjacent coastline surf from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Additional performers will include Bruddah Kuz and Sean Robbins.  Donations will be accepted to benefit Hawaiian culture programming at schools and non-profits in the Puna area.

During the week, the following events and workshops will be happening:

• Monday, May 4: Mary Isis songwriting workshop at Kalani from 1 – 4 p.m.
• Wednesday, May 6, 5 – 10 p.m. – Kalapana Night Market Celebration at Uncle Robert’s
• Thursday, May 7, 1 – 4 p.m. – Tommy Osuna Music Workshop at Kalani
• Thursday, May 7, 7:30 – 10 p.m. – Open Mic at Kalani
• Friday, May 8, 8 – 10 p.m. – RootHub at Kalani

Tickets for RootHub at Kalani are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, and $15 at the door with Hawai‘i I.D.  All proceeds from tickets will go towards Hawaiian culture programs in Puna.

The Puna Music Festival’s closing event will be a kanikapila jam session in Pāhoa on May 9.  Live music will fill the streets from 5 – 10 p.m. bringing together a variety of music ranging from Hawaiian, to folk, to rock ‘n roll.  DJ’s will spin loud and hard inside the Historic Akebono Theater from  6 – 11 p.m. including Rob Noble, Tapedek, Opulence, Maura Starr and Le Boom Clique.

The festival is a non-profit event presented by Kalani, with support from the Hawaiian Tourism Authority, the County of Hawai‘i, Suisan, Hawaii Tribune Herald, and KAPA FM.