It was the summer of 1981. My husband, 15 month old daughter and I decided to spend the summer in Hawaii.

We sublet an apartment up in the area off Houghtailing Street and registered for classes at UH-Manoa. Classes had just finished and a classmate wanted to get together with us before we left. He suggested going to a club called the Hula Hut to hear this group that was very popular in Hawaii at that time. We waited in line to get in and we were lucky to have a table front and center.

The group was Olomana and when Jerry Santos started singing I was in awe. What a voice and what beautiful music. He and Robert Beaumont just floored us with their performance. In addition to the singing, they had a male hula dancer (who I found out later was Frank Hewitt) who brought the songs to life.

To this day, every time I hear their version of Kanaka Waiwai I can close my eyes and still see them performing and Frank Hewitt dancing. The next day I went out and purchased all their albums to bring home and that started my love for Hawaiian music.

Fast forward to 1994 and listening to Kawaipunahele for the first time and then attending Keali'i Reichel's concert at Carnegie Hall in 1997 – just something very special and inspirational. Each new CD and concert continues to be better than the last one.

When it's cold and wintery in NYC, I know I can always listen to music that warms the heart and soothes the soul.

Mahalo Hawaiian105 KINE for being on the internet. I listen to you all day long at work.

Alma W.