Island Beat

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...

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 he...

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 Mis...

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.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 ca...

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 shar...

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.  See...

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. ...

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 s...

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 island...

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 socie...

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 Mis...

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...

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 cha...

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...

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 Bea...