Island Beat

On this week’s episode of “Island Beat,” Billy V. sits down with Maui native and award-winning musician Joshua Kahula. He just released a new album for the first time in 13 years. One of the songs, “Cup of Aloha,” holds a special message of healing for the people of Lahaina. 

On this episode of Island Beat, Billy V. takes a look at a film being featured in this year’s Hawaiian International Film Festival.  “The Queen’s Flowers” is among 24 short films and nine feature films now up for HIFF’s “Made in Hawaii” awards.

Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama never dreamed they’d one day be hosting their own show on HGTV. Their new series, “Renovation Aloha,” which premiered on Feb. 20, focuses on the Kalamas’ business of buying some of the grungiest, most rundown properties on Oahu and transforming them into beautiful homes for local families. But it wasn't always easy for them. 

In this episode of Island Beat, we chat with the power couple about the concept of the show and hear some of their top home renovation tips. 

Last week, 21-year-old Gabriel Goes, of Honolulu, passed the “blind audition” for his rendition of Sublime’s “What I Got,” getting Chance the Rapper to turn his chair.

Despite the other coaches not turning their chairs, they all agreed that Goes’ energy was infectious.

In the latest episode of Island Beat, Goes sat down with Billy V to talk about his experience getting up on stage and what inspired him to audition. 

It took barely seven seconds for a Hawaii singer’s talent to be recognized on “The Voice” on Monday night. Maui’s Kamalei Kawa‘a performed his own rendition of “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley and the Wailers and barely got his first chords out of before Chance the Rapper swung his chair around.

Kawa'a joined Billy V to talk about his music background and what it was like getting up on that stage.

When Archie Kalepa thinks back on his days growing up in Lahaina, he remembers a much different town from the tourist mecca that it used to be right before the Aug. 8 wildfire.

It was a much simpler time, when he would go fishing with his grandparents.

The renowned Maui waterman comes from nine generations of family members who lived in Lahaina – and has heard many stories of Lahaina that were passed down through the years. He hopes that these stories will be carried on as Lahaina begins the rebuilding process. 

Stacy Kealohalani Ferreira took over as CEO of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in November, and is already crafting a new vision for the agency.

Ferreira previously served as budget chief of the Hawaii State Senate and was the executive strategy consultant and division director of Extension Educational Services for Kamehameha Schools, where she also served as the trust coordinator for the Charles Reed Bishop Trust.

She recently sat down with Billy V on the “Island Beat” podcast to talk about her big goals.

Phill Cain was working as a scuba diving instructor at Waikiki Dive Center when he got the call to compete for a chance to win $4.56 million in the Netflix reality show “Squid Game: The Challenge.” Little did he know that he would be one of the top finalists out of 456 contestants.

Spoiler alert if you haven’t watched the finale: Cain ended up in the top two and lost to player 287 Mai Whelan in the final game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.”

In this episode of Island Beat, we talk to Phill about what was going through his mind at that time ... and how Hawaii carried him through the show.

Kaylee Shimizu, one of Hawaii’s “The Voice” contestants, is back home in the islands.

Last week, the 18-year-old was eliminated during the “playoffs” round.

She delivered a powerful rendition of Quincy Jones’ “You Put a Move on my Heart,” but Coach John Legend chose other singers to move on.

Despite leaving the show, she has a bright future ahead. In this episode of Island Beat, she reflects on her time on the show and talks about her upcoming plans.

For Hawaii’s Pashyn Santos and Allison Chu, competing in the Netflix series “Squid Game: The Challenge” was unlike anything they’ve ever done.

Out of some 90,000 applicants from around the world, Santos and Chu were both chosen to be in a cast of 456 people vying for a chance to win $4.56 million.

Santos — a writer, actress and comedian — was player 368. Meanwhile, Chu — former Miss Hawaii and Miss Hawaii USA — was player 274.

Spoiler alert: Both girls got eliminated after the Dalgona round of the competition. In that round, contestants must carefully carve a specific shape out of a honeycomb-like candy without breaking it. They chose between a circle, triangle, star and the most challenging — the umbrella.

Ultimately, both Chu and Santos ended up in the umbrella line.

Despite leaving the show early on, they said it was an experience they would never forget, and they were happy to make Hawaii proud.

In this episode of Island Beat, we talk to both of them to get a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like filming "Squid Game: The Challenge."

Hawaii’s Kaylee Shimizu continues to shine on NBC’s “The Voice” as she gets ready for the playoffs round.

The Ewa Beach girl just turned 18 earlier this week.

In this episode of Island Beat, we check in on Shimizu to see how she's preparing for the next round of the singing competition. 

The newest Netflix reality series “Squid Game: The Challenge” is making its debut this week. Casting producer Bobby Silva, who was part of the West Coast team, said there are 456 people from all over the world competing in the show. This was the biggest project he’s ever worked on, he said. As a Kailua native and Mid-Pacific Institute graduate, Silva said he always aims to find Hawaii people to cast in projects he works on.

For Maui comedian Jose Raymond, laughter has helped him get through some of the toughest moments of his life. One of those moments: Escaping the Lahaina wildfire in August.

A comedian who was born in Mexico, Raymond grew up in Watts in California and has spent the last 18 years living on Maui. But the day of the Lahaina wildfires changed his life.

In the latest episode of Island Beat, Raymond shares the harrowing experience of fleeing the wildfire with his family. 

Hawaii girl Kaylee Shimizu continues to impress on NBC's “The Voice.”

The 17-year-old from Ewa Beach belted out an incredible rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “Ain’t No Way” in Monday night’s “knockout round.”

In this episode of Island Beat, Billy V gets an update from Kaylee on what it was like competing against fellow contestants in Team John and what life in Los Angeles has been like lately. 

Jason Arcilla, of Maui, continues to make Hawaii proud with his successful run on the latest season of "The Voice."

He stunned the judges with his chair-turning performance during the blind audition and most recently survived the battle round, defending his spot on Team Gwen.

The Pukalani native says he's proud to represent the state, especially after a difficult time for his home island of Maui. 

In the latest episode of Island Beat, he shares what being from Maui means to him and what his journey on "The Voice" has been like so far.

Kaylee Shimizu, of Ewa Beach, made Hawaii proud after singing her rendition of "Golden Slumbers" during the blind auditions of NBC's "The Voice."

Her performance wowed the coaches as all four of them turned their chairs for her. Ultimately, the 17-year-old chose to be on John Legend's team.

Shimizu has been singing since the age of 6 and has enjoyed entertaining and performing in front of crowds since. 

Billy V got a chance to sit down and talk with Shimizu about what it was like auditioning for "The Voice" and what's next in her journey. 

A new film that sheds light on the challenges and struggles of growing up in Hawaii is set to premiere in theaters this Friday.

Hawaii native James Sereno is the filmmaker behind “Growing Up Local” — which explores three generations of the Nagata family.

Sereno said the film is “all local,” meaning everyone who worked on the project — from the writing to the cast and crew — has roots in the islands. That includes Na Hoku Hanohano Award winner Taimane Gardner, who created the musical score for the film.

In this episode of "Island Beat," Billy V speaks to filmmaker James Sereno and Taimane Gardner all about "Growing Up Local" and the film's significance. 

There's been a lot of buzz about Roman De Peralta, the heart and soul behind the esteemed Hawaiian recording group Kolohe Kai, after Iam Tongi sang his song "Cool Down" at the "American Idol" finale.

Amid all the buzz, De Peralta has also recently released a fresh new track titled “Hope,” in a time when the world could use it the most.

The song is a poignant commentary on the issues plaguing society today, such as hate crimes and gun violence. Yet, it also emanates a sense of unity and peace, encapsulated in the powerful image of a family enjoying a tranquil sunset together.

In this episode, Billy V talks to De Peralta about the new song as well as what it was like hearing Iam Tongi singing his song on "American Idol." Plus, you'll even get to hear De Peralta perform "Hope" and "Cool Down" in this episode!

It's been quite the year for Lauren Teruya, who represented the state as Miss Hawaii 2022!

Under her platform "Arts for All," Teruya spent much of the year traveling to the Neighbor Islands, the mainland and Japan — working with students and teachers on ways to incorporate arts and culture into schools' curriculum. 

But one of the biggest moments of her time as Miss Hawaii was competing in the Miss America pageant.

As she passes her crown to a new Miss Hawaii, she looks back at the past year with immense gratitude, saying it changed her life. 

Hear more from Teruya as Billy V sits down with her in this episode of Island Beat!

Kenny Tagavilla is a truck driver and hot rod enthusiast. But he's also a recording artist. 

Born and raised on Hawaii Island, the Honaunau native is making a new EP. 

One of his latest songs, "Kona Grown," is a nostalgic look back at the community and how fast things seem to be changing. 

In the latest episode of Island Beat, Billy V spoke with Tagavilla about his upbringing on Hawaii Island and what making music means to him.

Radio and television personality Mele Apana is gearing up for her 14th annual Mother’s Day show, featuring a host of local entertainers.

The show first started back in May of 2006 and has been going strong since.

In the years since, Apana has donated many of the proceeds from her Mother’s Day show to children who are sick, some of them with cancer.

In the latest episode of Island Beat, Billy V chats with Apana about why she continues to put on her Mother’s Day show every year as well as what else she’s been up to, including recording new music.

The biggest-selling comedy recording artist of all time is bringing his talents to Hawaii, but he doesn’t have to travel too far.

“Weird Al” Yankovic is performing at the Blaisdell Concert Hall on Oahu on March 25 and Castle Theater on Maui on March 26 as part of his “Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour." The show will feature his non-parody material, rather than focus on the hits from his career.

But here’s something you might not know: He’s a part-time Hawaii resident.

In this episode of Island Beat, Billy V chats with Weird Al about what it's like splitting his time between Hawaii and Los Angeles and what to expect during his upcoming shows. 

Na Hoku Hano Hano Award-winning artist Josh Tatofi recently came back from being on tour in Australia and Aotearoa. He was only supposed to do a couple of gigs that would be small just to test the waters. A couple hundred swelled to 700, then 1,200-seat venues. 

The 1,200-seat venue sold out in about an hour.

Overall, Tatofi wound up doing seven sold-out shows.

In the latest episode of “Island Beat,” Tatofi shares more details about his recent concert experiences in Australia and Aotearoa, as well as how he’s preparing to play at the Blaisdell Concert Hall for Valentine's Day. 

Candice Hatakeyama always knew she wanted to be on stage. But she never imagined she’d realize her dream of being on Broadway soon after graduating from college.

Just last month, the Honolulu native and Punahou School graduate made her Broadway debut with the cast of “Funny Girl,” alongside former “Glee” actress Lea Michele.

In this episode of Island Beat, Hatakeyama talks about how her upbringing in Hawaii led her to pursuing musical theater and her road to Broadway. 

The Hawaiian music group Walea wrapped up 2022 with a big achievement: winning several Na Hoku Hanohano Awards.

The group -- comprised of Koanui-Souza, David “Kekoa” Woodward and Kings Kalohelani -- won Hoku Awards for “most promising artist of the year,” “hoku mele of the year” and “liner notes of the year.”

Heading into 2023, Walea has some exciting plans, including trips to Japan and even more music.

In the latest episode of Island Beat, Billy V sits down with the three members of Walea for an in-depth chat about their Hoku Award experience and what’s next for the group.