Olomana

Olomana is a Hawaiian musical group that formed in the mid-1970s when Jerry Santos and Robert Beaumont joined forces, bringing a blend of traditional and contemporary styles to Hawaiʻi's nightclub and concert stages. The group took its name from Mount Olomana, a windward Oʻahu peak near Maunawili. Their 1976 debut recording, 'Like a Seabird in the Wind,' introduced songs including Santos's composition 'Kuʻu Home o Kahaluʻu' (My Home of Kahaluʻu) and Beaumont's 'Home.'

Two further albums followed: 'And So We Are' (1978), which the group associates with the concept of aloha ʻāina (love for the land), and 'Come to Me Gently' (1981), which was honored with six Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards from the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts, including a Song of the Year composer's award for Santos's title track. By this time the group had grown from a duo into a larger ensemble with the addition of Wally Suenaga on bass and Willy Paikuli on drums and percussion.

The year 1982 brought both loss and change: co-founder Robert Beaumont died, and Haunani Apoliona joined the group. An anthology, 'Through the Years,' was released to acknowledge Beaumont's contributions. Olomana continued recording and performing, releasing 'E Mau Ana Ka Haʻaheo – Enduring Pride' in 1992, which earned three more Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards including Traditional Hawaiian Album of the Year. The group has performed across the islands, the continental U.S., Canada, Japan, and the Pacific, with Santos continuing to lead its music.