Dennis Pavao Links: Kokua 

Sunday, January 20, 2002


Aloha e Dennis fans, classmates, friends, and schoolmates,

As you have read in the previous entries:

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Dennis Pavao leaves behind six young keiki (children).  Are you feeling an impulse to help?  Please act on it. 

Kokua is the Hawaiian word that means "to help, assist, and lend support."  Your help, assistance and lending of support -- kokua -- will make a positive difference in their lives.

Dennis sang with his whole heart and gifted us generously with his music.  In the spirit of reciprocity, please kokua. Mahalo nui.

 

Please make your monetary contribution to help 
Dennis' widow, Leialoha, and their six children,
son, Kaleomana Pavao, and daughters Misty W., Amberleigh, Sarahlei, Tehani and Annalisha Pavao, age 2:

If you're in Hawai`i, 
go to any First Hawaiian Bank, 
and they can forward your monetary gift to his account.

~OR~

 Contribute to help the Dennis Pavao Family at
http://www.HawaiianRainbow.com
via PayPal

Also: listen to 7 selections of Dennis's music:
http://www.HawaiianRainbow.com/index.html
Mahalo to Rich Shipley.

 

Cards and condolences can be sent to the Pavao Family in care of radio station:

KPOA
311 Ano Street, 
Kahului, Hi 96732. 
Please mark:  ATTN: Dennis Pavao.

Or email dennispavao@hotmail.com

DENNIS PAVAO SERVICES 
Held on Sunday, January 27, 2002
at the Ballards Family Mortuary 
from 1pm to 6pm.

Services in Hilo still pending.

 

 

 Maui News, January 24, 2002:


Dennis Pavao, 50, of Lahaina, died Jan. 18, 2002, at Maui Memorial Medical Center. 

Viewing will start at 1 p.m. Sunday at Ballard Family Mortuary, with the eulogy at 4 p.m. and a service at 6 p.m. Big Island services are pending in Hilo, where Borthwick Hawaii Funeral Home is assisting with the arrangements. The family requests aloha attire.

Mr. Pavao was born July 11, 1951, in Hilo. He was a musician and entertainer and a Christian. He was a member of, and participated as a volunteer performer at fund-raisers and campaigns for, a wide range of community organizations. They included Big Brothers-Big Sisters, Hawaiian Civic Club, canoe clubs, Pop Warner youth football program, Aloha Festivals, Kaahumanu Society, motorcycle groups, Hawaii and Japan halau hula, and Punana Leo Hawaiian-language immersion program. 

He is survived by his wife, S. Leialoha Spencer-Pavao; three sons, Kaleomana Pavao of Lahaina, Dennis Stohls of Oahu and Kekoa Mahiai Wade Parker of Hilo; five daughters, Misty W. Pavao, Amberleigh Pavao, Sarahlei Pavao, Tehani Pavao and Annalisha Pavao, all of Lahaina; his parents, Mildred Kuulei Konanui and Edwin Pavao Sr., both of Hilo; three brothers, Edwin Pavao Jr. and Morris Pavao, both of Hilo, and Russell Pavao of Kona; four sisters, Ritamae Pavao of Honolulu, Leola Pavao and Brenda Domingo, both of Hilo, and Mokihana Pavao of Kona. 

 

From: Rich Shipley (news@planetmango.com)
Subject: HELP: Dennis Pavao's family needs photos 
Newsgroups: alt.music.hawaiian
Date: 2002-01-25 12:12:48 PST 


HELP: Dennis Pavao's family needs photos

Hi

Dennis' wife Leialoha just called and asked if I could help her find photos of Dennis. If you happen to have any could you please scan at full size and email to me? Great if you are in the photo as well. No shame. 

Please send ANY and all asap and I will get them to Leialoha.

send to: dennisphotos@nospamplanetmango.com
remove nospam to send

Rich 
--
Maui, Hawaii 
--
"Huli i ka nani o na mea apau!"
(Search for the beauty in all things around you!)
-*"*-.,,.-*"*-.,,.-*"*-.,,.-*"*-.,,.-*"*-.,,.-*"*-

 

Star Bulletin: 1/19/02: John Berger, Music reviewer:
Esteemed falsetto vocalist dies of brain aneurysm
DENNIS PAVAO / 1951-2002

By John Berger

" Dennis Pavao, a talented musician and one of Hawaii's foremost falsetto vocalists, died yesterday at Maui Memorial Medical Center, where he was being treated after collapsing during a performance last week. He was 50.

"A fun-loving guy with a beautiful voice. Always laughing, (telling) crazy jokes," record producer Lea Uehara said of Pavao.

According to a friend of the family, Pavao had experienced several dizzy spells earlier in the week and was suffering from a severe headache. An MRI revealed the presence of a brain aneurysm. After surgery, Pavao's prognosis looked good, but by Monday afternoon his doctors prohibited visitors.

Shane Kahalehau, KPOA-FM's "Hawaiian Home Boy," described Pavao as "a treasure" and expects that, like Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole before him, Pavao will posthumously become a Hawaiian music icon.

"In today's island music there's not too many like him," Kahalehau said. "When Iz passed away, a lot of the younger generation started turning to his music. Now it's Dennis. It's sad that they have to leave before the younger generation starts noticing the importance of what they did for the island music."

Pavao had been a major figure in modern Hawaiian music for more than a quarter-century. He first gained fame when he and his twin cousins, Ledward and Nedward Kaapana, founded Hui Ohana in the early 1970s. The trio recorded a string of successful albums including "Young Hawaii Plays Old Hawaii," "Hana Hou" and "From Kalapana to Waikiki" before breaking up to pursue individual projects.

Pavao and Led Kaapana were Hoku Award winners as solo artists by the time Tom Moffatt brokered a Hui Ohana reunion in 1987. The reunited trio's recording of "Pua Carnation" won Single of the Year honors in 1988.

Pavao had won Male Vocalist of the Year honors in 1987 for "Ka Keo Ki'eki'e," one of several albums released by Uehara's Poki label. Another, "Hawaiian Soul," was the winner in the Traditional Hawaiian Album category in 1989, while a third, "Na Mele Henohano: Dennis Pavao," took top honors as Anthology of the Year in 1993. He subsequently recorded "All Hawaii Stand Together" for Poki, and two albums, "Wale No" and "Sweet Leilani," for Maui-based Pilialoha Records.

He is survived by wife Leialoha and six children. 
Funeral arrangements are pending. 

Cards and condolences can be sent to the Pavao family in care of radio station KPOA 93.5 FM at 311 Ano St., Kahului, HI 96732; or by e-mail to dennispavao@hotmail.com."

 

Honolulu Star-Bulletin: 1/19/01: 

"Dennis Pavao, 50, of Lahaina, a musician and entertainer, will be remembered in services 6 p.m. Sunday at Ballard Family Mortuary. Eulogy: 4 p.m. Call 1-6 p.m. Aloha attire. Services in Hilo pending. He died Friday in Maui Memorial Medical Center. 

He was born in Hilo. He is survived by wife S. Leialoha Spencer-Pavao; sons Kaleomana Pavao, Dennis Stohls and Kekoa Mahiai Wade Parker; daughters Misty W., Amberleigh, Sarahlei, Tehani and Annalisha Pavao; parents Mildred Kuulei Konanui and Edwin Pavao; brothers Edwin Jr., Russell and Morris; and sisters Ritamae, Leola and Mokihana Pavao, and Brenda Domingo."

 

 

"Maui’s own “golden voice,” the incomparable Dennis Pavao, will also take the stage. Dennis is gifted with a five-octave voice range, and his singing career spans over 25 years." ~ Maui Time Magazine

 

Hôkû Awards: Meet the contenders for male and female vocalist, 5/19/97: 

By John Berger, Special to the Star-Bulletin

"Dennis Pavao: An increase in his work load on Maui won't keep him from making records.

Dennis Pavao -- "Sweet Leilani" (Pilialoha Productions) Also nominated for: Hawaiian Album

Coming to Oahu for the Hoku Awards is a vacation for Maui's Dennis Pavao, a father of four keiki, ages 7 years to 7 months.

"Sometimes I try to get 'em real busy during the day so I can get some rest when they rest."

Working out and surfing the 'Net are two of his interests but music tops the list. Pavao plays at the Maui Hyatt, teams up with his cousin Nedward for a club gig each Friday in Lahaina, and has been playing concert gigs on the mainland an average of once a month for the past three years. That's going to be changing.

"The Maui Tropical Plantation has been bought out by some people from Finland. They're not going to make too many
changes in the front but in the back of it they're going to be doing a lot of things, and they want me to do all the music for the whole park. There'll be so much to do I'll be cutting back on my trips." 

Not to worry, Oahu, Pavao plays the Makaha Bash at the Waikiki Shell later this month. Impatient fans can catch him singing "My Yellow Ginger Lei" on the Makaha Sons' just-released concert album, "On the Road Live."

 

 >> Dennis Pavao's Music Catalog

 


Pavao's 'Sweet' salute to hapa-haole classics 
Sweet Leilani: 
By Dennis Pavao (Pilialoha Productions), CD

Honolulu Star-Bulletin: John Berger's Review, 9/02/96:

Dennis Pavao sings all vocal parts and plays most of the instruments on his latest offering, one of the year's best.

THE multi-faceted Maui guitarist and falsetto master Dennis Pavao reinvents himself with "Sweet Leilani," a glorious celebration of Territorial Era hapa-haole classics.

As with his previous album, "Wale No," "Leilani" is practically a solo masterpiece. Pavao sang all the vocal parts and played everything except steel guitar. The album is absolutely beautiful throughout. With 12 songs and almost a full hour of music it is a great buy as well.

Pavao's renditions of "Sweet Leilani" and "Blue Hawaii" quickly re-establish his credentials as an old-style romantic crooner popularized worldwide on "Hawaii Calls."

"Hanalei Moon" becomes an exquisite showcase for his falsetto. Pavao's take on "Sophisticated Hula" is imaginative and memorable; mainland fans will love his rendition of "Ke Kali Nei Au," too.

The absence of synthesized sonic filler results in crystalline instrumental arrangements as beautiful as his vocals. This is one of the year's best.

 

 


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