Big Aloha for ‘Jawaiian’ Music

Malosi Taeleifi remembers how, back home in Hawaii after getting out of college, he used to see the group Kapena in little hole-in-the-wall joints. Within a few years, Kapena was filling stadiums and winning Hoku awards (the Hawaii version of the Grammy).

“Their sound is very different,” Taeleifi says. “They can make a ukulele sound just like a guitar. . . . They mix a traditional sound with jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, country and a little bit of reggae.”

The sound is called “Jawaiian,” Taeleifi says, and Kapena and other big-name acts, such as Keo and Willie K., will bring it to the Aloha Concert Jam ‘94, an event that will not only give displaced islanders a little taste of home, but offer Southern Californians a look at real Hawaiian culture they might not get at a vacation luau.

Along with the music will be food and merchandise in a village atmosphere reflecting the aloha spirit. The event takes place Saturday, 3-10 p.m., at Olympic Velodrome at Cal State Dominguez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria St. Tickets $15-$20 ($26 seats sold out). Call for reservations: (310) 549-3296.