01. He Ala Kamaha..o i ka Lewa
02. E Kiss Kaua
03. Halalu
04. Ka Lehua Punono
05. Kekahao..iolani
06. Ka Ua Loku/Hanohano Hanalei
07. The Best of My Love
08. She's Every Woman
09. Ka Hana ia ke Aloha
10. Ka Beauty a..o Uka
11. He Mele no ka Pipi Palupalu
12. Hapa Haole Medley:
- Hawaiian souveneirs
- Straight From Hawaii to You
- Hawaii Calls
13. Hula o Makee
14. Long as I Can See the Light
****
Kinohi/Origins (2002)
01. He Ma'i No Ka Lani
02. Ha'ena I Ka 'Ehukai
03. Ku'u Ipo Pua Rose
04. Lei 'O Kohala
05. Po La'ila'i
06. Ka Manu Kikaha 'Olu
07. Moku Kia Kahi
08. Kiss and Say Goodbye
09. Two Worlds Apart
10. Princess Poo-poo-ly
11. Make My Dreams Come True
12. Aloha Hawai'i Ku'u One Hanau
****
Take Me Home (2000)
01. Take Me Home
02. Kapunahou
03. Mapu Mau Ke 'Ala
04. Hapa Haole Girl Of My Dreams
05. Kananaka
06. Kawohikukapulani
07. You and Me and the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight
08. Pua Kukui
09. Lady In Red
10. Holo Wa'apa
11. Pua Tubarose
12. Cowboy Medley:
- Hawaiian Rough Rider
- Cowboy Hula
- Hawaiian Cowboy
13. Dueling Banjos
14. Baby Can I Hold You
15. Cupid
Kuana Torres, Kekoa Kaluhiwa, Ryan "Gonzo" Gonzalez, Kamakoa Asing, a bottle of Japanese Sake, and a bunch of other musicains in the land of the rising sun killing time the only way they know how.
Also "starring": Kale Hannahs (camera), Chad Takatsugi (bored man in the bleachers), Kata Maduli (blind dog maduli in the corner), Aaron Sala (studies nuclear science, loves his classes, wears his shades indoors), Kanaia Nakamura (I play my guitar only for me), Kama Hopkins (30 second bass man), Kaumakaiwa Kanakaole (can you see me now?)
6/97- Because he hears that "chics are going to be there", Ryan "Gonzo" Gonzalez goes to catch his old classmates Jason K. and Kale Hannahs play some Jazz at the Java Java cafe on Kapahulu. During one of the breaks, Gonzo picks up an 'ukulele and starts to jam with Kale and Jason. Ian Custino is in the audience that night and introduces himself to the three musicians.
6/97- A couple of weeks after meeting each other, Ian Custino gets in touch with Kale, Gonzo, and an old high school friend - Chad Takatsugi. They kick around the idea of forming a band.
8/97- After some slow progress and a few long rehearsals, Ian Custino no longer has the time to devote to the group. Kale, Chad & Ryan decide to continue on. Through the help of some family friends, the three young musicians book their first gig at the Walker Estate. Needing a name, Kale's Sister Lihau dubs the group "..Ale..a". After a successful performance at the estate, ..Ale..a lands a steady job at the Java Java Cafe. It's there that they exchange business cards with two other young musicians who also get their start at the cafe - Jon Yamasato and Jake Shimabukuro.
10/97- The 3 guys are attending the University of Hawaii and hear about a guitar player from Kaua'i who's "pretty good". They arrange a meeting through a mutual friend. A few short jam sessions later, Jackson Kuroiwa's lead guitar work and falsetto voice become a part of ..Ale..a's evolving sound.
1/98- After a few beers and some dorm room karaoke, Kala..i Stern - also attending UH Manoa - parts ways with his group "Kawaihuihui" to join ..Ale..a. For a short while, the group performs as 5 and they hold down a steady gig at Jaron's restaurant in Kailua. Kala'i's wide range, and 8-string rhythm ..ukulele add another dimension to the sound of the band. Jackson leaves the group to finish his studies in Chemistry. He never leaves music behind as he continues to play at various clubs and local concerts with Ho'onu'a, a young Keahiwai, and Native Blend.
7/98- ..Ale..a and 14 other bands head to the Hawaii Theatre to take part in Ka Himeni Ana - an unamplified musical competition. ..Ale..a places 1st with their renditions of 'Kalamaula' and 'Cowboy Medley'.
11/98- ..Ale..a enters the 'Battle for the Bash' contest. They edge out some very good competition to take 1st place. They capture the ears and imaginations of producer Kata Maduli and Tropical Music executive Lea Uehara. They open the Makaha Bash at the Waikiki Shell, and also get a deal for a single with Poki Records.
1/99- 'Ale..a draws the interest of a few local labels. After a lot of careful planning and deep thought, ..Ale..a and Poki Records sign deal to make a full length CD.
6/00- ..Ale..a releases their debut album 'Take Me Home'. It goes on to top the charts for three months enjoying critical & commercial success. They tour the West Coast, Japan, and hit all the major concerts in Hawai'i that year: The KCCN Birthday Bash, Makaha Bash, Ho'omau, and the Waki'i Music Festival. 'Take Me Home' gets nominated for 9 Na Hoku Hanohano awards, and goes on to take home 4 of them. They also snag 2 Hawaii Music Awards.
9/00- Kala..i Stern leaves ..Ale..a to finish his studies at UH. He goes on to a successful career in musical theatre and choral music.
4/02- ..Ale..a, returns to the orignal 3 man lineup, and in 2002 releases their 2nd album 'Kinohi/Origins'. The album is nominated for 6 Na Hoku Hanohano awards and the album sneaks away with one.
10/05- On October 5th, 2004 ..Ale..a releases 'Kaulupono'. The album gets nominated for 7 Na Hoku Hanohano awards, and goes on to win for "Contemporary Hawaiian Album of the Year". Despite some Grammy buzz, Kaulupono fails to be nominated in the "Hawaiian Music Album" category.
12/06 - After a nine year journey, 'Ale'a takes a step back to relax and enjoy life.
Hey, thanks for friending me! I'm just a local who never knew where 2 go so I built this site in my spare time. It's all user generated so I really need some help uploading cool bars and specials. I also made up a place where we can post events too. Check it out and let me know what you think. I am still building it so if you have any suggestions, I can usually put them in right away. The site's address is yourareacode.com. Thanks again!
Hey Chad, just found out about your guitar, how tragic. Wanted to let you know I posted the info on several forums and also posted it on my website as well. There has been good luck in the past with the news being put out to the public so hopefully it will turn up. Good luck and if there is anything else I can do to help. Let me know.. Always Aloha, Lea www.dannycouchfanaddicts.com
