Often everybody was playing music at a backyard party, many of which lasted for days. "People played in shifts, taking over when somebody went to sleep," Led recalls. "You'd fall asleep to the music, wake up....and the music was still playing. That was the best alarm clock I ever had!"

It was at these family gatherings that Led learned to play in the old style, watching, listening, then imitating. Chief among his teachers were his mother, Mama Tina Kaapana, and his uncle Fred Punahoa.  "Even today when I play, I still picture all the `ohana (family) getting together and sharing their songs and their aloha."

Although isolated, outside influences did creep into Kalapana. Like most kids his age, Led loved to rock and roll and also listened to country, jazz, and Latin music. When he'd sneak a riff from a guitar hit of the day, like Pipeline or Walk Don't Run, into his music his dad would tease, "Hey, that's not slack key!" But nobody ever stopped him, they just encouraged him to "play what you feel and play with aloha."

As teenagers, Led and his twin brother Ned and cousin Dennis Pavao formed the Hui `Ohana, one of the hottest groups of the 70s and 80s and now legendary among Hawaiian musicians. The 70s saw the blossoming of the Hawaiian Renaissance, and Hui `Ohana was a key part of that return to traditional Hawaiian culture and music. Young Hawaii Sings Old Hawaii, the title of their first recording, was also their statement of purpose.v

The group produced 14 best-selling albums and made countless hundreds of live appearances, proudly sharing Kalapana's musical traditions.

Led later formed another trio, I Kona, releasing 6 albums with that group, including Na Hoku Hanohano Award winner, Jus' Press. He has also released a number of solo albums, including two Na Hoku Hanohano Instrumental Album of the Year winners, Lima Wela and Black Sand. Ki Ho`alu, Hawaiian Slack Key and Grandmaster Slack Key both received Grammy nominations.

While recording for Dancing Cat Records, Led has produced a number of solo projects, duets, and a project with Allison Krauss, Jerry Douglas, and other  bluegrass legends called Waltz of the Wind. He has worked with Dolly Parton, Chet Atkins, and many other Nashville notables. Back at home, he has shared his talents on recordings with most of Hawaii's top talents, including Aunty Genoa Keawe, Barney Isaacs, The Ho`opi`i Brothers, Melveen Leed, the Pahinui Brothers, Amy Hanaiali`i, and countless others.

Led tours the US extensively and has also appeared in Belgium, Germany, Canada, Japan, and Tahiti.

When home in Hawaii, he performs regularly at the Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian on Saturday afternoons. Sunday evenings it's Kona Brewing Company in Hawaii Kai where local talent and visiting musicians from the four corners of the globe drop in to join the "back yard" party.

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During a successful Law Enforcement career, his travels exposed him to various music influences. Country, Jazz, R&B, Blues, Pop Rock and Latino sounds add variety into his repertoire.  He performs at Corporate Events, Weddings, Anniversaries, Music Concerts/Festivals or Private luau's from the Florida coastline  to the sandy shores of Hawaii.  He is recognized as a talented songwriter-composer. The Kahele Ohana presently resides in Phoenix, AZ but are planning a permanent return to Hawaii in 2008.

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Music has been an integral part of Jody's upbringing.

At just seven years of age, Jody was given his first ukulele lesson by his music teacher in elementary school. At the age of eight, Jody began performing with the world famous Honolulu Boy Choir. During the next five years he had the opportunity to travel all over the United States, record on an album, and sing on several national T.V. shows as well as commercials.

After graduating from Kaiser High School in 1995, his interest in ukulele began to grow. Through the next eight years, Jody has studied under ukulele masters such as Jake Shimabukuro, Troy Fernandez, Peter Moon, and Roy Sakuma.

In 2000, Jody joined "Ukulele Academy" owned by Jake Shimabukuro and started his career as an instructor.

While the academy was supported by the young who admired Jake's innovative style, Jody invented his own style and became one of the most popular instructors.

After graduating from the University of Hawaii with a degree in Music Marketing, Jody began teaching at Ukulele Essence along with his partner Bruce Shimabukuro.

Together along with Gary Akiona, they make up the "Bruce Shimabukuro Band". The "Bruce Shimabukuro Band" continues to share the aloha spirit through their music. They have successful live performances in Hawaii and tour Japan three to four times a year to do live performances and ukulele workshops.

In 2004, the "Bruce Shimabukuro Band" was invited to Japan to perform in the largest ukulele event called the Ukulele Picnic. In 2005, the band was invited to perform as the final act for the Okinawan Festival (one of Hawaii's largest events) on Oahu. Also in 2005, Jody's original song "Ainakoa" was selected for "Aloha Tofu's" official commercial song.

Jody completed his first DVD entitled "Island Style Ukulele" which will be out in retail stores in Fall 2005.

Here is a great ukulele lesson on the Honolulu Advertiser commemorative IZ page by Jody Kamisato of 'Ukulele Hale (808-258-7237)

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John uses the "Canadian" tenor uke tuning: ad'f#'b' (D tuning, low 4th) on a 1960s Harmony baritone, modified and hot-rodded with a new spruce top, extra frets, and stuff.

On one of John's many and prolix forum postings he says: "I think uke + guitar is the best string-band duo combination ever. Better than fiddle-guitar, better than two guitars, guitar-mandolin, anything."

He plays jazz, folk, Celtic, hokum, blues, rock, pop, and Baroque music on the uke, but his first CD will be Parlour Music - light-hearted, lyrical ragtime and classical duets.

He can sort of croon like Cliff Edwards a little, but he's too shy.

John went through Chalmers Doane's school uke program in Halifax, Nova Scotia in the 1970s, and was in a group of uke students that toured and recorded. (Celebrity name-drop: James Hill's first uke teacher was in that group, too.)

John wasted the next few decades flirting with other instruments: a music degree playing classical guitar, almost getting another in viola da gamba and early music performance, and playing upright bass professionally. A recent infatuation with clawhammer banjo probably added a few wrinkles to his uke playing, too.

But he never forgot the humble ukulele, and in the 90s he started playing it more often, taking it to jam sessions, and fooling with it around the house. Last year he played bass (and uke) on a producer friend's CD, and asked to be paid in studio time. Every Tuesday he drives for an hour to Jazzland Studios and puts down a few more tracks.

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Michelle has shared the stage with Na Hoku Award winners and Dancing Cat recording artists Daniel Ho, George Kahumoku Jr. and Keoki Kahumoku. She has also appeared with her personal ukulele heroes, Ukulele Dick, Oliver Brown, Jumpin' Jim Beloff, Janet Klein, Peggy Reza (Auntie Uke) and Petty & Booka from Tokyo. In August 2003, Michelle was invited to teach a workshop and perform  at the 2003 Ukulele Hall Fame, Providence Rhode Island.

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Famous Solos & Duets for the Ukulele Edited & arranged by John King. For Ukulele (Soprano). Solos. Hawaiian. Level: Beginning-Intermediate. Book/CD Set. Size 8.75x11.75. 48 pages. Published by Mel Bay Publications, Inc. (20250BCD)
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By the time Klein moved to Los Angeles to start college in the early '80s, this had translated into an interest in both early jazz recordings and the graphic designs styles of the era. Through the former, Klein discovered early female jazz singers and musicians like, Lil Hardin Armstrong (Louis' wife and early manager) and Blanche Calloway (sister of Cab). The latter hobby led Klein to start collecting sheet music from the 1800s to the Jazz Age, at first purely for the pictures and artwork, then increasingly out of love for the songs themselves.

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