Kalani Peʻa

Kalani Peʻa (born April 13, 1983) is a Native Hawaiian (Kānaka Maoli) singer-songwriter and producer born in Hilo and raised in Panaʻewa on Hawaiʻi Island. Introduced to music by his family as a child, he later studied at Colorado Mesa University, where he sang in the chamber and concert choirs during his first three years, before returning to Hawaiʻi. A fluent Hawaiian-language speaker, he worked as a Hawaiian resource coordinator at Kamehameha Schools before leaving in 2017 to pursue music full time.

Peʻa blends traditional and original Hawaiian songs with R&B and soul, a style he describes as contemporary Hawaiian soul. He released his debut album, E Walea, in 2016, followed by No ʻAneʻi (2018), Kau Ka Peʻa (2021), the holiday album Purple Hawaiian Christmas (2022), and Kuini (2024). He has won the Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album four times, giving him a record number of wins in that category.

Alongside recording, Peʻa is an advocate for the Hawaiian language and culture and a supporter of Hawaiian-language immersion education. He has performed at Lincoln Center's American Songbook series and made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2024. He has also illustrated and published Hawaiian-language children's books.