Starr Kalahiki

Starr Kealaheleokalani Kalahiki is a Hawaiian singer, born and raised in Moanalua Valley on the island of Oʻahu. Her father, Joseph Kalanui O Kamehameha Kalahiki, a Pentecostal minister and tour guide raised in Honolulu, established her love for jazz as well as love for her land, aloha ʻaina. Her mama, Merille Kanoelani Kahiamoe Kalahiki, born in Koloiki, Kohala, on the island of Hawai'I (the birthplace of King Kamehameha the Great) maintains the family land and therefore emphasizes Starr’s responsibility to aloha ʻaina. This has guided Starr’s musical trajectory. Her professional experiences range from featured vocalist on productions including Don Tiki, Myth, Naupaka, The Liliʻu Project and 'Ulalena, to bands Eight-O-Eight, Missing Dave and Toyz of Pleasure. Her debut album, Salt, was honored with two Nā Hökü Hanohano Awards and she received a third as a contributor to Henry Kapono's compilation album. Starr is also the recipient of a Native Arts and Culture Foundation Fellowship.

"In the first stanza of Ke aloha o ka haku, a prayer Liliʻuokalani wrote while under house arrest, my heart finds solace in realizing she wrestled with navigating the delicate balance between spirit, culture and faith, and that in her songs, I too am allowed the space to find my own balance. As I move forward, I view every occasion I sing as an opportunity to lay down positive vibration, and encourage healing."