Island Beat

Billy V Live is back with another can’t-miss conversation spotlighting entertainment news and talent with Hawaiʻi connections. In this episode, Billy sits down with rising actress Jelynn Malone and comedian Tommy Davidson to hear about their latest projects. He also talks about this weekend’s upcoming Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award ceremony and what to expect this Saturday.

Multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner Abe Lagrimas gives a masterful demonstration of playing the drums. Comedian Akaash Singh talks about performing in Hawaii.

This week on Billy V Live, radio personality Kamasami Kong reflects on his career in radio and bringing back the Kong Burger.

Katie Pickman, General Manager of Hawaii News Now, sits down with Billy V to celebrate today’s historic partnership between UH Athletics and Hawaii News Now. Under a new four-year agreement beginning July 1, 2026, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Athletics Department has selected Hawaii News Now as its broadcast partner. The deal marks a major shift for fans statewide, moving the pri...

Billy V unites with his former radio co-host and longtime friend Mele Apana to talk about her 17th annual Mother’s Day Spectacular in Waikiki. The show will feature performances by a variety of local musicians such as Lim Ohana, Hawaiian Style Band, Ho’onu’a, Hi’ikua, Ka La Onohi Mai O Ha’eha’e and Ke Kai O Kahiki; and the program will be posted by Billy V and D...

Today on Billy V Live, four-time GRAMMY® Award-winning Hawaiian recording artist Kalani Peʻa joins Billy V to talk story about his music, his love for Hawaiʻi’s culture and language, and his upcoming May Day performance at Hawaiʻi Theatre on Sunday, May 3rd.

May Day is coming and todayʻs guest is Zachary Lum, Nā Hōkū Hanohano award winner, member of group Keauhou, and he is showrunner Executive Producer for the Hawaiian Airlines May Day Concert presented by the Bishop Museum on May 1, 2026.

High Watah is celebrating a new music release and tour, and Billy V has all the details on Billy V Live .  Billy recently sat down with the Moloka’i band to talk about their latest music, what inspired the new single, and what’s ahead as they hit the road on tour.

On this special Merrie Monarch edition of Billy V Live, Billy sits down with judge Maelia Lobenstein-Carter in Hilo to talk about her deep roots in the hula community and what makes a performance special.

This week on Billy V Live, we sit down with concert promoter Rick Bartalini to talk about the upcoming Earth, Wind & Fire concert and his role in bringing top recording artists to Hawaii. We will also be talking story with Hawaii-based actor Takehiro Hira and his role in the Apple TV+ series “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters”.

This week on Billy V Live, we sit down with musician David Ka’io as he talks about the meaning behind his latest recordings, and shares his deep connection to Hawaiian music.

We will have entertainment news as we talk about upcoming events, Ho’onu’a as our guests and the latest from High Watah just released music this past Friday that put them right in between two genres of music as our Music Preview.

This week on Billy V Live: Jake Shimabukuro dives deep into his new album and cellist Love Jack shares his modern-meets-classical sound.

Actress Keiko Agena shares about her acting career, her life in Los Angeles, and her love for Hawaii in this exclusive interview with Billy V.

This week on Billy V Live: Billy catches up with Super Bowl dancer Cerise Marchan and Hawaii Recording Artist Mike Tulba

Billy sits down with composer Logyn Okuda, who writes scores for some the world’s biggest box office hits, plus singer Josh Groban kicks off his world tour in Honolulu this weekend. But first, catch up with  Saint Louis graduate Taʻimua Hannemann , who stars as Mr. James Dickley in the Oscar-nominated satirical short film, “Jane Austen’s Period Drama.”

This week on Billy V Live: Billy sits down with the Agudong sisters and David Dunaway from the music group IMUA

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.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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...

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 inspire...

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 pas...

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 R...

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 th...