Hele on to Kaua‘i, Raiatea Helm

Hawaiian recording artist Raiatea Helm is renowned for her heavenly music. Helm is a multiple Grammy Award nominee and an eight-time Na Hoku Hanohano Award recipient. She has many, many fans from all over the world, but it is here in Hawai‘i where her star shines the brightest.

As she has roots on Kaua‘i, it will be a homecoming for her when she performs on July 28 from 4 to 5 p.m. at Koloa Plantation Days’ annual gathering in old Koloa town.

In a recent interview with Kaua‘i Times, Helm talked story about her ties to Kaua‘i, her travels around the world, her musical inspirations and her upcoming visit and performance.

KT: You have family ties to Kaua‘i. Can you explain a little bit about that?

Raiatea: My mother was born and raised in Hanapepe. She attended Waimea High School. My tutu, Olga Kali, is also from Hanapepe, and my grandfather, Solomon Holi, is from Lihu‘e. I have a lot of family there. When we were kids, we frequented Kaua‘i until Hurricane ‘Iniki hit in 1992. We stopped going because there was just so much damage on the island. We would always go to Kaua‘i every summer, and we ran around Hanapepe Valley by the stream. We also grew up around Salt Pond; a lot of running around there, too, and very fond memories. I was very close to my tutu.

KT: What can the crowd expect from your upcoming performance?

 Raiatea: A lot of the local people are familiar with my music. I have a lot of family in that area that will attend. For people unfamiliar with my music, they can expect traditional Hawaiian music with a more youthful style. I do a lot of styles, like the “Leo Ki‘eki‘e,” 1950s to 1960s Hawaiian-style music. A lot of the female artists of that genre include Lena Machado and Aunty Genoa. There were a lot of female vocalists back in that era, so I try to incorporate it in my music but try to still make it my own.

KT: How do feel about visiting Kaua‘i?

 Raiatea: I love Kaua‘i. Kaua‘i is so country, and every time I go back, it’s still the same, like it was since I was a child. You can smell that ocean air. Every island has a distinct smell, its own identity. It’s really a strong childhood connection that I have with Kaua‘i. It’s just really special for me to go back.

KT: Seeing your tour schedule, I noticed that you tour all over the place. Have you gotten used to traveling around the world?

 Raiatea: Well, I haven’t gone completely around the world. I mean, I haven’t gone to Europe, but I’ve been around the U.S., Tahiti a few times, China and Japan. Other than that, I’ve been doing it for almost 12 years — I’m used to it. I’ve been to Japan over 40 times. I love it. I would love, even more, to travel elsewhere, like Europe and other countries in Asia. It’s coming up soon, though.

KT: What are some inspirations for your music?

 Raiatea: People enjoying my music is my main inspiration. People reacting to my music in a way that you can’t really explain. When a lot of people listen to my songs, or the songs I do of the past, they reminisce about their lives, of the past or a certain person close to them. Maybe they’ll remember an old grandpa or tutu. That really inspires me, to reach out to people. If it takes one person to inspire, in a room of 500 people, that in itself makes me feel that I did my job. It’s a nice feeling when they connect with the songs that I sing.

KT: Is there anything else that you would like to add, Miss Helm?

 Raiatea: I’m really forward to performing on Kaua‘i. It’s been awhile since I performed. I believe it was in 2009 or 2010 with Keola Beamer, and we performed at Kaua‘i Community College.

Yeah, I’m really looking forward to coming back and putting in some getaway time, relaxing.