Dennis Pavao

Dennis Pavao (July 11, 1951 – January 19, 2002) was a Hawaiian vocalist born in Kalapana on the island of Hawaiʻi. He was among the musicians associated with the 1970s Hawaiian music renaissance and became known for ka leo kiʻekiʻe, the Hawaiian falsetto singing tradition. In the early 1970s he co-founded the trio Hui ʻOhana with his cousins, the twin brothers and slack-key guitarists Ledward and Nedward Kaʻapana; Pavao sang falsetto, and the group became a leading falsetto ensemble in Hawaiʻi.

After Hui ʻOhana ended, Pavao pursued a solo career and earned several Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards, Hawaiʻi's principal music honors. He was named Male Vocalist of the Year in 1987 for the album Ka Leo Kiʻekiʻe, won Traditional Hawaiian Album of the Year in 1989 for Hawaiian Soul, and received a Nā Hōkū Hanohano award in 1993 for Nā Mele Henoheno. He also recorded a well-known version of 'All Hawaiʻi Stand Together,' a song written by Liko Martin that had become an anthem of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement.

Pavao died on January 19, 2002, at age 50, following a brain aneurysm. He had recorded material shortly before his death, and posthumous releases followed, including Keiki Kupuna and compilations of his work. In 2009 he was inducted, as part of Hui ʻOhana, into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame. He is remembered for his role in keeping Hawaiian falsetto singing prominent for a new generation of listeners.