The 12th Annual
Ki Ho'alu Slack Key Guitar Festival

Musician David Kahiapo reacts to applause as his performance ends at the 12th Annual Ki Ho'alu Slack Key Festival on Sunday afternoon at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. Kahiapo, who has played with some of Hawaii's top groups, said he was influenced by his grandfather, by his father and by the late Gabby Pahinui. Hundreds of people packed the free concert featuring various slack key artists onstage in the amphitheater.

Maui News, June 23, 2003

DAVID Kawika Kahiapo and producer Pierre Grill have done everything right on " 'Alana." The disc is a celebration of love, family, religious faith and Hawaiian heritage, and their choice of material, arrangements, use of guest artists, annotation and album art all help create a sharply focused musical portrait of the artist.

Most of the songs are originals; the significance of the others is explained in the liner notes. The arrangements showcase Kahiapo as singer and musician; he plays all the string instruments while Grill shows commendable restraint on the synthesizers.

Chinky Mahoe is the featured voice on one of Kahiapo's Hawaiian-language originals, but the other guests remain in the background.

John Berger, Honolulu Star Bulletin 3/22/96

One Heart One Voice

DAVID "Kawika" Kahiapo issues a call for reparations with the title track of his new album. He recounts in basic expository style the sordid history of the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and despoliation of the Hawaiian people. An expository approach works well when a song writer seeks to educate and Kahiapo makes a welcome contribution to the campaign for reparations and full sovereignty.

Kahiapo addresses lighter subjects cataloging Windward Oahu's surf sites with "East Side Boardriders." Other songs speak of family members and his Christian faith.
Kahiapo's singing is reminiscent of Moe Keale and just as smooth. His work on percussion and several stringed instruments blends with that of Pierre Grill (keyboards/synthesizers) in crisp clean arrangements.

John Berger, Honolulu Star Bulletin 1/19/01