Mark Yamanaka

Early life and education

Mark Yamanaka was born in the city of Mililani, O'ahu, and from a young age he was raised in the town of Hilo, Hawaii. Of Japanese heritage, Yamanaka self-identifies as 'iwi, or native son of Hawai'i. Though he originally had no interest in learning music, he listened to diverse music growing up, and while appreciative of local artists such as Gary Haleamau and Dennis Pavao he also was influenced by vocalists such as Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston, Peabo Bryson and Mariah Carey.

While attending Hilo Intermediate School in 1992 he began playing ukulele on his own, and soon began teaching himself acoustic guitar as well. He also discovered he had a clear falsetto singing voice, and began jamming with friends in backyards. In 1997 Yamanaka began learning Hawaiian music from Johnny Lum Ho, a notable kumu hula from Hilo known for composing original songs and covering both traditional music. Yamanaka graduated from Hilo High School and became the first member of his family to pursue music as a career.

Early groups and performances (2000s)

Early in his career Yamanaka at times performed with Johnny Lum Ho, also playing weddings and other events in Hilo on the "lu'au" circuit. By 2003 Yamanaka was working with the Hawaiian band Times Five, which he had co-founded with four other local musicians. On August 26, 2013 they released their only album, titled Hanapa'a. With Yamanaka contributing vocals and ukulele, the album mixed a number of genres, even touching on Jawaiian. Adam Greenberg opined in a review for Allmusic that the album's traditional and contemporary Hawaiian pieces were "somewhat uninspired," though he praised the country songs, writing "the country numbers are perhaps where the band is at its best, both instrumentally and vocally. Mark Yamanaka's yodeling is something to make Roy Rogers jealous."

While at times performing with Times Five, Yamanaka also continued to perform as a solo artist and a sideman. In the mid to late 2000s he appeared independently at events such as the Aloha Festivals at Hapuna Beach, and in 2006 he performed as a solo act at the Hawai'i Volcanoes 26th Annual Cultural Festival.

Lei Pua Kenikeni (2010–2012)

Lei Pua Kenikeni is Yamanaka's debut solo album of Hawaiian music, released on November 22, 2010 by Hulu Kupuna Productions. The album is named after the fragrant yellow flowers often used to make leis. Some of the songs are classic Hawaiian melodies, with the opening track credited to King Kalakaua, while others were recently composed by contemporaries such as Kuana Torres Kahele. Four of the songs are credited to Johnny Lum Ho, while the albums includes a country ballad by Max T. Barnes. The album also includes the original track "Kaleoonalani," which was composed by Yamanaka for his young daughter.

In late 2010 he was interviewed by Hawaii Public Radio about the album, also performing several songs from Lei Pua Kenikeni on the air. The album peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard World Albums chart, and led to Yamanaka being nominated for seven Na Hoku Hanohano Awards in 2011, including Hawaiian Album of the Year. He ended up winning four categories: Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Most Promising Artist, and Song of the Year for his original composition “Kaleoonalani." He toured in support of the new material throughout 2011, and in 2012 he performed at events such as the Ukulele Picnic in Hawaii. By that summer had performed in Japan, California, Tampa, and Iraq. Accompanying him in live performances were Bert Naihe on acoustic guitar and Eddie Atkins on bass.

Lei Maile and touring (2013–2015)

On September 24, 2013 he released his first single, "Maui Under Moonlight." Yamanaka was quoted saying "I'm really excited about this song because I can remember going to Maui and spending time with my kids and my girlfriend I told myself, 'This is so relaxing. I'm going to write a song.' And from that point until I wrote the song … it felt great." On October 31, 2013 he released his second solo album. Titled Lei Maile, it was again released on Hulu Kupuna Productions and reached No. 9 on the World Albums Chart.

In April 2014 it was announced that Yamanaka had been nominated for 10 of 32 categories at the Hoku Awards, the most for any artist that year. His single "Maui Under Moonlight" went on to win Single of the Year, while Lei Maile won both Album of the Year and Hawaiian Music Album of the Year. He also tied for Male Vocalist of the Year and shared credits for a win on Best Liner Notes for Lei Maile.

He and his guitarist Bert Naihe held a workshop for students at the University of Hawai'i in January 2014, and by that spring Yamanaka was still regularly performing in Hawaii, Japan, and in cities such as Las Vegas. By December 2014 he was at times performing and touring with Kupaoa, a husband and wife duo who have also won multiple Hoku Awards. He has also continued to appear with his mentor Johnny Lum Ho at hula events.

Musical style and influences

Yamanaka is known for his work with traditional and contemporary Hawaiian music, though he also covers songs in genres such as country. He has mentioned artists such as Johnny Lum Ho, Dennis Pavao, Gary Haleamau, and Ledward Kaʻapana as stylistic influences. Typically supporting his vocals with acoustic guitar or ukulele, he has a voice ranging from tenor to falsetto. His vocal stylings have been influenced by Hawaiian music, folk, rock, and R&B, and he sings in both native Hawaiian and English, at times blending the two together.

Personal life

Since 2007 Yamanaka has worked at Aiona Car Sales in Hilo.

Live band